The best idea I never had. When I was Media Director in Poland a colleague went to "Blue Sky" Brainstorm with Danone.
She pointed out that Coke had sponsored the Polar Bear at Warsaw zoo, Nestle had sponsored the Lion but that there were no Penguins for Danone to sponsor. Penguins suited Danone as they had a wee Pingu on their kids yoghurt. Un-fort-un-at-ely the Penguin enclosure was empty as they had all gone from some kind of Bird Flu (sp. flew..?)
So Malgosia suggested that we bring the Penguins back to Warsaw. Danone being French & with a barmy Brit in charge were slightly crazier than us & agreed. We now had a problem...what is the cost per penguin? I called Edinburgh zoo which has the largest Penguin collection in Europe. As I recall I was met with a polite but firm response, "Do you think we're a fucking pet shop."
Eventually we got some Penguins from Gdansk zoo. And we got lots of free PR as the combination of Penguins & Children got even the most cynical journalists interested. To my eternal shame I didn't even go to the opening ceremony. So the greatest media idea in my career wasn't my idea, I didn't help much & I missed the party.
The cost per Penguin? c.$300 which was the same at the CPP on TV in Poland at the time.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
The 5 reasons to say No
When I was a student in the USA & I had a crazy idea people would ask me, "How can I help you?" When I was a media planner in the UK people would say, "Why are you doing that?"
In Russia people respond with; "These are the 5 reasons it won't work."
I will give a copy of the book Googled to whoever supplies me with the best client reason for saying no. I have 5 copies to give away. Rejection letters should be sent to pgarethbrown@gmail.com
In Russia people respond with; "These are the 5 reasons it won't work."
I will give a copy of the book Googled to whoever supplies me with the best client reason for saying no. I have 5 copies to give away. Rejection letters should be sent to pgarethbrown@gmail.com
Why Most Creatives are Dull
Most people who work in media really want to be creatives. Actually most marketing & account people also want to be creatives. The creatives appear to have the best job in the business. They write the ads & get the rewards & recognition.
But it's actually the worst place to work. Firstly because it's very political. If you get the Pirelli brief of course you can produce Cannes winning work. But if you get the Colgate brief you have to produce teeth grindingly bad adaptations. In media we don't care. Colgate can be a fun account with the right Marketing people & Pirelli can be an Italian nightmare.
The continual rejection is the worst part of the creative job. Clients are going to say No to 90% of your ideas. Maybe 99% will never make it to the small screen the way you envisioned. That is heartbreaking for a true creative person.
There are long queues in Moscow at the moment (in sub zero temperatures) for a Picasso exhibition. He didn't have to get his crazy ideas past brand managers, marketing directors & purchasing departments. If he did we wouldn't have his masterpiece Guernica but a postcard of Generalissimo Franco instead. He would have to consider the majority of consumers you understand.
So the creatives that survive years of their ideas being reduced & rejected are inevitably the ones with the thickest skin...or they are a bit thick. Or both.
But it's actually the worst place to work. Firstly because it's very political. If you get the Pirelli brief of course you can produce Cannes winning work. But if you get the Colgate brief you have to produce teeth grindingly bad adaptations. In media we don't care. Colgate can be a fun account with the right Marketing people & Pirelli can be an Italian nightmare.
The continual rejection is the worst part of the creative job. Clients are going to say No to 90% of your ideas. Maybe 99% will never make it to the small screen the way you envisioned. That is heartbreaking for a true creative person.
There are long queues in Moscow at the moment (in sub zero temperatures) for a Picasso exhibition. He didn't have to get his crazy ideas past brand managers, marketing directors & purchasing departments. If he did we wouldn't have his masterpiece Guernica but a postcard of Generalissimo Franco instead. He would have to consider the majority of consumers you understand.
So the creatives that survive years of their ideas being reduced & rejected are inevitably the ones with the thickest skin...or they are a bit thick. Or both.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Washes Whiter - Part 3
The final episode of the Wonderful BBC History of Advertising.
How to reach Children & Teenagers - have to be careful how I phrase that. Questions, Answers...Legal Action should be sent to pgarethbrown@gmail.com
How to reach Children & Teenagers - have to be careful how I phrase that. Questions, Answers...Legal Action should be sent to pgarethbrown@gmail.com
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Bonfire of the Vanities
I have thought of a paradigm shift.
The World can now be divided into Facebook people & LinkedIn people. I know which cluster group I prefer.
The headline link leads to a wonderful World War Two on Facebook page - & don't forget that if you click through Mr.Carl Lewis above you will see a $6 million dollar man TV ad.
The World can now be divided into Facebook people & LinkedIn people. I know which cluster group I prefer.
The headline link leads to a wonderful World War Two on Facebook page - & don't forget that if you click through Mr.Carl Lewis above you will see a $6 million dollar man TV ad.
Vanity Fair
One of the strangest aspects of working in media is our amazing ability to celebrate ourselves.
The Media Department used to be a dull but necessary part of the advertising process. A bit like the Finance Department but without the glamour. Then at some point in the 1980s we were able to convince ourselves & others that we were communication architects & channel planners. So we had to learn how to spell new words like "context" & "amplify."
We still put 90% of our clients money on TV. But now we did it with a new "paradigm" in mind. I met a client once who was worried that 90% of his money was being spent on TV. I had to agree with his concern, it should have been 100%.
To prove our "creative" credentials we have to give ourselves awards (see headline link). As far as I am aware the finance department doesn't receive an Audit of the Year prize or a Most Creative Tax Evasion award. But we can claim a Best use of Radio gong. This is ridiculous. The best use of radio is not to use it at all. Or to buy TV and leave the screen blank.
I am not complaining. I work in Media you see. I am an Moment Architect...and I always wanted to be an Architect. My mum is proud.
The Media Department used to be a dull but necessary part of the advertising process. A bit like the Finance Department but without the glamour. Then at some point in the 1980s we were able to convince ourselves & others that we were communication architects & channel planners. So we had to learn how to spell new words like "context" & "amplify."
We still put 90% of our clients money on TV. But now we did it with a new "paradigm" in mind. I met a client once who was worried that 90% of his money was being spent on TV. I had to agree with his concern, it should have been 100%.
To prove our "creative" credentials we have to give ourselves awards (see headline link). As far as I am aware the finance department doesn't receive an Audit of the Year prize or a Most Creative Tax Evasion award. But we can claim a Best use of Radio gong. This is ridiculous. The best use of radio is not to use it at all. Or to buy TV and leave the screen blank.
I am not complaining. I work in Media you see. I am an Moment Architect...and I always wanted to be an Architect. My mum is proud.
It does what it says on the Tin...
The one thing worse than a teaser campaign is a new pack campaign. If you ever feel like doing a new pack commercial do a teaser campaign instead.
Again brand managers spend too long with their products & start to think that the consumer finds them as fascinating as they do. They don't.
So the foolish brand manager wants to share his new pack news as if they had given birth to triplets. They want a new pack ad to announce their arrival in the world. But packs are supposed to work on their own in the shops to attract the attention of grumpy shoppers. Therefore they don't need a separate campaign. It's a waste of money. Cash that could have been spent on building the brand or even on a promotion.
One day a client will ask us to do a teaser campaign for a new pack... oh, we've done it.
Now you would expect packaging agencies to have particulary groovy websites so I have included Claessens Cartils in the headline link. We worked with them in Uzbekistan on a beer launch. I won't say that they were expensive. But their fee to check our locally designed label could have bought 3+ months of TV. They said our label was fine.
Again brand managers spend too long with their products & start to think that the consumer finds them as fascinating as they do. They don't.
So the foolish brand manager wants to share his new pack news as if they had given birth to triplets. They want a new pack ad to announce their arrival in the world. But packs are supposed to work on their own in the shops to attract the attention of grumpy shoppers. Therefore they don't need a separate campaign. It's a waste of money. Cash that could have been spent on building the brand or even on a promotion.
One day a client will ask us to do a teaser campaign for a new pack... oh, we've done it.
Now you would expect packaging agencies to have particulary groovy websites so I have included Claessens Cartils in the headline link. We worked with them in Uzbekistan on a beer launch. I won't say that they were expensive. But their fee to check our locally designed label could have bought 3+ months of TV. They said our label was fine.
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