DDB Creativity

Random Bits of Creativity

Mon, 02 Aug 2010 14:59:22 +0000

Okay, guess what this is.

Maybe the scale of the photo is throwing you off but it is actually a new space-saver from Whirlpool. According to the literature, the Sub-Tub Bath & Washbasin Unit doubles as a bathtub and vanity. When the vanity is hidden, there’s full access to the whirlpool-equipped tub and OLED screen that allows users to set a customized image during use. Once finished, you can flip down the OLED to utilize the unit’s pair of sinks and mirror. Perfect for dorm rooms, Japanese hotels, and my brother’s apartment.

Perhaps you are familiar with DDB’s work with VW in Sweden called The Fun Theory. That concept continues with “Fast Lane”. It challenges commuters to move a little quicker at the Alexanderplatz subway station in Berlin. People can either take the staircase or have fun and save time by sliding down the Fast Lane. This follows on the piano, bottle deposit machine, and trash receptacle that established VW’s Fun Theory as generally accepted science.

New Jersey-based, Automated Media Services, has developed 3GTV, little screens attached to the shelves of supermarkets aisles, which will run commercials of products carried in these stores. 3GTV will allow media agencies to buy commercial time just as they do on TV channels, and bring advertisements to the retail point of purchase. The company hopes to influence people at point-of-sale with information and promotion concerning specific products.
Arguably, many aspects of healthcare require reinvention and innovation so along rolls a new medical cart called Pocket. This is meant to replace the ubiquitous carts that healthcare professionals use for just about everything. Going forward these carts will need to perform increasingly high-tech tasks, all while remaining easy for caregivers to move and clean, and still feel friendly to patients. Created by a health care company called Modo, Pocket was designed by a division of Steelcase called Nurture to address the changing needs of healthcare.

I will take three of the following please…

Aussie Marc Newson, is responsible for this new luxury powerboat designed for the Italian company Riva. I love the retro look and lines. Can’t you picture Sean Connery’s James Bond or Frank Sinatra or JFK lounging on this beauty? Unfortunately the $1.5 million price tag takes the wind out of my sails. But just look at the sleekness and personality…

The cockpit is definitely an homage to the 1960’s but with all the latest technology one needs to ensure the Gin and Tonics do not spill.

Well one can dream can’t one? And that sometimes is the beginning of the creative process – to envision something almost dreamlike. Send us your favorite examples of creativity, innovation and design for our next ‘Random Bits of Creativity’.

Jeff Swystun, Chief Communications Officer, DDB Worldwide

Dream a little dream

Fri, 25 Jun 2010 19:20:20 +0000

It’s time to start thinking beyond viral and even beyond mobile, at least as we think of them now. In this blog post, I’ll talk about how to enable new forms of creativity by harnesssing emerging technologies to elevate the OOH consumer brand experience. Experience Proximity Series The Experience Proximity series is an interactive 3-D media platform designed to redefine the out-of-home consumer experience. The Experience Proximity series presents first-of-its-kind mixed-reality digital signage that is capable of transforming both time and three-dimensional space. The only limitation to augmenting any physical location is the creative vision of the designers. The Experience Proximity consumer experience platform uses proprietary technology to spatially register and align a targeted physical area with one-to-one, millimeter-to-millimeter precision. By tracking the dynamic viewpoint of the observer, the Experience Proximity Lens allows 3-D virtual content to be spatially aligned with and immersed within the surrounding environment. As the observer moves, the content is dynamically repositioned, creating a window-like viewing experience. OOH Interactive Signage KABOOM! This larger-than-life superhero smashes into your theater lobby. As an observer enters the “proximity zone,” the experience proximity display transforms into its immersive mode, engaging the movie patron by using full body tracking and in-world registration. Advanced 3-D rendering capabilities and dynamic gesture recognition allow the observer to cross into this imaginative world by interacting with the characters and engaging in a full micro-gaming experience. Retail Consumer Experiences Merchandise comes to life as stunning lifelike visuals and audio transport your customer into a remote natural paradise. By engaging the natural senses, experience proximity can capture the customer’s attention and provide an emotional connection to the product. Allow this experience to become reality by enabling the customer to book a campsite for the weekend.

The Meek Have Inherited The Earth: The power and future of social media in the new decade

Fri, 25 Jun 2010 18:51:06 +0000

Social connectivity is the driver behind the greatest leap in human and brand evolution so far this century. Social media is the single greatest agent of change in both the wider world today and specific commercial channels. From the news being reported real-time through Twitter, to brands developing and altering their products based upon social feedback and democratically enabled creativity and utility - the meek have truly begun to inherit the earth.

Bernbach said: “Word of mouth is the most powerful medium of all.”

Trusted conversation, referrals and advocacy are the most powerful purchasing factors in the marketplace, making social media the most important but least defined of the digital channel tiers. Those that get the fundamentals right will be the most powerful brands of the new century.

In this Cannes seminar, delegates learned how to best leverage social media. In addition to drawing on examples from across the industry, TribalDDB highlighted client Hasbro, and delegates heard a leading brand’s beliefs on this new age of social media as well as how those are informing future business and marketing decisions. They also heard about the latest social media practicalities: the way that brands can harness the social power of Joe Public, create marketing mechanics and experiences wherein public opinion is facilitated and incentivized in order to reach a specific campaign goal, and how to best facilitate this social creativity.

Matt Ross
Head of Creative
Tribal DDB, London, UK

Dispatch from Cannes: It All Comes Down To People

Wed, 23 Jun 2010 14:54:17 +0000

The first two and a half days of the Festival have been a blur of activity. As in years past, the majority of attendees appear to be more interested in seminars, workshops, and screenings than the actual award shows. The days (and the auditoriums) are packed with discussion of digital, mobile, brand integration and the agency model of the future -- topics we have been discussing and debating over and over for years.

I would argue that the best conversations are the ones being had after a long day of these presentations. You can go to seminars and screenings all day, but nothing compares to the depth of knowledge shared this week through face-to-face communication. Which is why you'll find a great number of the more seasoned marketers hanging out on the Carlton Patio -- the center of the advertising universe during the Cannes Lions.

Early scuttlebutt has centered around the topic we have all been discussing as of late -- what method of communication is most relevant to consumers today? As my friend Chris Rossiter, director of production for Leo Burnett US, put it, "We are living the dream of Orson Welles -- reaching everybody in every form imaginable."

So, who's to say there is one best method? That branded content trumps a TV spot? Or that print is dead or digital is king? Maybe we should stop trying to name a winner and start coming up with more ideas worth talking about.

According to director, film-maker and creative genius Spike Jonze, "No one genre connects best with consumers. It's all about the idea." He believes that the idea must come first and then we can decide how best to communicate it. I don't think you'll find many people here that disagree with that. At least, I hope you won't.

Interestingly, that notion has led to a great deal of discussion around the kind of people we want to work with and that we want working for us. Maybe that's why Cannes feels like one long round of speed dating.

So, after my first few days here, the biggest reminder I am giving myself is that it all comes down to people. The people that develop the ideas, buy the ideas, and ultimately, the people that engage with our ideas, pass them along, buy our products and of course, talk about them with their friends.

Lisa Bennett
Chief Creative Officer of DDB West
DDB San Francisco

The Cannes Scuttlebutt

Mon, 21 Jun 2010 14:59:24 +0000

The Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival has long been viewed as the "Oscars of Advertising." The creme de la creme of award shows in our industry. But rather than one single night of festivities, the very wise staff of the Cannes Lions created a week-long event consisting of not one, but four award shows, hundreds of screenings and dozens of seminars. The festival that was once known as a gathering for industry creative types and the directors and production companies that bring their ideas to life, gradually transformed into a conference worthy of global marketers such as Microsoft, McDonald's, P&G, Yahoo!, HP and Google.

Clients everywhere caught wind of this phenomena and soon, those at the top of the advertising food chain were not only attending, but actively participating in seminars and conducting workshops throughout the week. These savvy marketers recognized the value of immersing themselves in creativity occurring in their industry and others around the globe. And it certainly didn't hurt that the festival was taking place in the French Riviera. The sessions and seminars comprising the Cannes Lions gradually became more focused on the changing media landscape and trends in marketing attracting not just creatives, but clients, client service types, reporters, and so on. Very wise indeed.

Needless to say, the third week of June in Cannes, France is now teeming with clients, creatives, directors, producers, planners, recruiters and reporters from all over the world. It's a regular who's who of marketing. And with that type of crowd, one can only imagine the conversations taking place up and down la Croisette -- the main boulevard in Cannes that runs alongside the waterfront. The patios of the hotels and bars that line the boulevard are a hotbed of social activity. Talk of what ideas will take home the biggest prize, which agencies are the hottest, which marketers have the highest get it factor, and of course, rumors, gossip and speculation on the next big thing.

So, I've decided to blog this week on the "scuttlebutt" in Cannes. According to trusty old Wikipedia, the term scuttlebutt corresponds to the iconic colloquial concept of a water cooler, which becomes the locus of congregation and casual discussion. Seems appropriate. After all, Cannes does become one giant water cooler during the Festival. Or for some, one giant wine cooler.

Lisa Bennett
Chief Creative Officer of DDB West
DDB San Francisco

Music to Enjoy, Music to Sell By

Wed, 31 Mar 2010 14:55:47 +0000

Purists take note: mainstream media is picking up on the significance and benefits for both brands and bands of breaking new groups in commercial campaigns, Hertz’s Journey On from DDB New York being among the most recent to show the cross over. Of course, trade magazines have written about this for awhile but it’s interesting that broader media is now following the story. In a recent interview with Time Out Chicago senior producer Gabe McDonough talked about the impact Santigold’s association with Bud Light Lime had on the singer’s career and also gave some tips on techniques for picking music for ads such as listening for a guitar line that recedes so as to allow for a voiceover. And when put on the spot and asked to soundtrack some brands off the top of his head, Gabe didn’t disappoint. Read more: TimeOut article online Mia Sissac  Senior Marketing Communications Associate  DDB and Tribal DDB US

Creativity and technology: Time to let the cat out of the bag

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 20:29:53 +0000

It’s remarkable what can happen when technology loses its caboose status in the creative process and moves to the front end. Cardboard games move into the present and the future. And, perhaps most importantly, we can all start to have some fun with choices and actions that previously no one would have thought of as entertaining and many would have pegged as pure drudgery. That premise is proven by Volkswagen’s “Fun Theory.” Something else happens as well when technology is given a seat at the creative table: our work and our people start moving in new directions and new circles. No better proof of that than the inclusion of Andreas Dahlqvist, Matt Oxley and Matt Ross alongside James Cameron and others in “The Creativity 50” from Creativity and Advertising Age. For the full list of winners, see: creativity-online.com/news Bob Scarpelli Chairman & Chief Creative Officer DDB Worldwide

Snowmen on the move

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 16:38:53 +0000

Energy provider ENTEGA and DDB recently staged a demonstration in Berlin, a demonstration of some 800 snowmen. To increase public awareness on climate change, ENTEGA and DDB called on the public to build as many snowmen as possible in one day. The expectation was that the melting snowmen would function as a warning sign of global warming. The event lasted for three days during which time the exhibit was paired with discussion sessions, readings, concerts as well as a climate change display. The snowman demonstration is part of ENTEGA’s series of thought-provoking activities and events with which ENTEGA and DDB Berlin aim at a better and more interactive dialogue with society. Campaign Site www.entega.de/denkanstoesse/rettet-den-schneemann#/aktion YouTube www.youtube.com/user/denkanstoessevideos Sebastian Neumann Account Director DDB Berlin

The real nature of creative intelligence

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 16:25:46 +0000

DDB Group Asia Pacific hosted Sir Ken Robinson at the inaugural Spikes Asia Festival, September 2009. Having watched Sir Ken on Ted.com, where he claims schools kill creativity, I was already a big fan of his beliefs. Watching him ‘live’ was an awe inspiring and moving experience as he presented his arguments in an articulate, entertaining and thought provoking way. With many of his beliefs aligned with our Four Freedoms, Sir Ken made me proud I worked at DDB.

Karen See, Director, Regional Communications, DDB Asia Pacific

DDB named Network of the Year at Eurobest 2009

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 12:36:23 +0000

Congratulations to our European region for capturing the first-ever Network of the Year award at the 2009 Eurobest awards last week. Eight different countries contributed to the win including work from both DDB and Tribal DDB which, along with the Philips team, was awarded the Grand Prix in Interactive Film for the Philips 21:9 Carousel film. Other notable work included the Gold Print and Gold Outdoor for the IKEA Beast campaign by DDB Germany in Düsseldorf and the Gold Print campaign for Harvey Nichols Winter Sale by DDB London. Check out more of our winners. Bob Scarpelli, Chairman & Chief Creative Officer, DDB Worldwide

The Magic of Story Telling

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 14:44:34 +0000

I have been thinking a great deal about fiction. Reading for me is an absolute joy but I must confess that this has not always been the case. I was that normal kid and teenager who resented being told what to read while in school. My now voracious appetite for reading truly began when I chose to do it for myself, for my selfish enjoyment. There was one brief but notable aberration to whom I must credit my brother. Thirty years ago, when I was 13 years old, he left a spine-bent paperback copy of Stephen King’s The Shining on our shared nightstand and the foil cover intrigued me. I read that book over two eye widening nights that was a record for me to that point and for some time following.

On Creative Consulting

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 20:28:04 +0000

A eulogy for advertising and a proclamation for creative business consulting. For the last ten years, media and media consumption have been changing at such a rapid pace that any assessment of them is rendered obsolete the moment it’s done. For advertising agencies, this is akin to a tidal wave appearing out of nowhere on a beautiful summer’s day. But what do agencies do? Too many do not consider what the consequences of these developments and changes will mean for the world. They do advise their clients to take their ads beyond traditional print and TV into every conceivable medium because “you simply cannot reach people the way you used to.” What this reveals is these advisors are still thinking in terms of “advertising ideas back in the day” and suggesting the only difference here is that traditional ads will now appear on the internet as CRM programs and POS posters.

DDB Stockholm Makes Fun of Environmentalism

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 20:52:23 +0000

DDB Stockholm has just launched a campaign for Volkswagen based on the belief that the best way to get people to make positive changes in life, like taking care of the environment, is to make it fun. We call it "The Fun Theory" or "Rolighetsteorin." We have begun a number of experiments to test the theory, like encouraging people to take the stairs by turning each step into a musical note. You can find a collection on the website thefuntheory.com The Piano Staircase A competition is even underway to encourage people to come up with their own ways of challenging or applying the theory to various scenarios. The winner will be chosen bay a jury of Swedish experts in behavioral science and environmental issues and will receive 2500 €. Volkswagen will present their answer to the theory later on a new site and feature their range of environmental technologies and cars. The campaign is attracting a lot of attention across the globe and was even featured on Discovery Channel's Daily Planet. In the first week of the launch, it got more than 3.3 million hits on YouTube. But most importantly, it reinforces the emotional connection of the Volkswagen brand and its environmental technologies to innovation, fun and doing the right thing – all in a very understated way that reflects the Volkswagen heritage.

Of Copy Cats and Carousel

Fri, 09 Oct 2009 21:11:12 +0000

I always aspire to see work produced that’s of the caliber of Whassup. That was a word on the lips of people around the world. It’s really tough to capture peoples imagination in that way. TalkValue on a grand scale. Our Carousel ad is not quite in that league but I'm delighted to see CSI have copied us. It once again shows the value of creativity, creative business solutions, and that word of mouth and even plagiarism are signs that we are making an impact, first and foremost on the Philips brand and also on popular culture. As a gentleman far smarter than me once said, "Properly practiced creativity can make one ad do the work of ten." Neil Dawson, Global CD, Philips, DDB London

DDB's Ortiz is Looking for 'Big Ideas'

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 16:39:46 +0000

BIG ideas are not about geography or culture but rather a new world of communication that crosses all frontiers. That's the word from Colombia's Juan Carlos Ortiz while interviewed by Lions Daily News, president of DDB Latina and a juror on the Titanium and Integrated Lions Jury. "I'm looking for big ideas that can travel everywhere,and use the new world" said Ortiz, the man credited with consolidating the DDB Latin markets—US, Hispanic, Latin America and Spain— to create DDB Latina. He added the ideas should "engage with people and have a relationship with them." Fabiana Antacli, Director of Communications, DDB Latina