Alexandre Hervé Appointed VP Creativity, DDB Paris
Having joined DDB Paris in 2003 as Executive Creative Director, Alexandre has created some of the strongest brand campaigns on the French market (including Bouygues Télécom, Voyages-SNCF, Winamax, Meetic, Nike, l'Equipe, Volkwagen, Greenpeace, MINI Allianz and Tiji) and has also been instrumental in the agency's move to integrate digital and social-creativity into the heart of their campaigns (Wrigley's, Tropicana, INPES Tabac, McDonalds, B&You, MINI, Voyages SNCF "Transatlantys")
Overseeing a department of 75 creatives, he infuses "DDB culture" into his teams: finding strong and innovative ideas that always build on a human truth, which speak to the person and not just to the consumer.
Since 2004, his work has been awarded 28 Lions at Cannes Lions Festival, 20 Clios, 5 One Show, 43 Eurobest, 1 D&AD Silver Pencil and 5 Silver Award Nominations, for a total of 15 different brands.
In France, Hervé has taken home the Grand Prix Stratégies three times with Volkswagen, Tiji and L'Equipe; the APPM Grand Prix de l'Affichage with Voyages-SNCF; and a Radio award with Eurostar. And this year the French Art Directors Club has nominated him Creative Director of the year. In addition, Creativity recognized him as one of the 50 most creative people in the world.
It Takes Less Time Than You Think to Change a Life
Big Sisters of BC Lower Mainland is launching a Public Service Announcement (PSA) campaign across the Lower Mainland designed to recruit women to volunteer for Big Sisters, a non-profit organization that pairs girls with women who can offer guidance and support.
The intention of the campaign is to dispel the misconception by many women that being a Big Sister requires a significant time commitment, which is often cited as the reason why women choose not to volunteer.
Developed pro bono by DDB Canada's Vancouver office, the integrated PSA campaign features playful TV, radio, and print creative, supported by social media and PR, which accurately demonstrate that "Being a Big Sister takes less time than you think." Lisa Chen-Wing, a mother and an art director, who revealed she was a Big Sister Study Buddy, brought the idea to fruition.
Specifically, the spot features mother who's managing to raise her own child while pursuing a career in an unquestionably demanding industry, and yet she still finds time to volunteer. DDB Canada felt that that was an admirable story that needs to be told and that if she can do it, there is no excuse why others can't.
To demonstrate how little time it takes to make a difference in a girl's life, DDB Canada created the shortest messages possible in any given media: seven second TV ads, five second radio ads, Tweets and small space print ads. The ads are just long enough to feature a Big Sister giving a young girl advice, reinforcing the fact that being a Big Sister may take less time than you think.
The brief length of the creative is meant to cleverly mirror the message of the campaign, while still making it accessible for broadcast media to play and help raise awareness of Big Sisters' need for volunteers.
In support of the multi-media PSA campaign, Vision Critical donated an Omnibus study that captured British Columbians' sentiment towards volunteering and found that 67 per cent of British Columbians want to volunteer their spare time towards a non-profit organization. The study also found 49 per cent chose Big Brothers, Big Sisters as the organization they would volunteer for.
The study is a wonderful indicator that British Columbians have the right intentions in mind and, despite their busy lives, want to give back. People are telling us they have enough time to volunteer, which is fantastic. The next step is to get them into our offices and pair them with those in need, a call-to-action.
The study also revealed that 85 per cent of Canadians, who identified having a mentor, agree they were impactful in their lives, something Cloutier believes is a crucial element that many youth are missing.
Big Sisters of BC Lower Mainland depend on the volunteer efforts of the community to help provide young girls, ages 7-17, with positive, female role models who help the girls build self-esteem with their support and friendship. Currently 125 girls are waiting to be matched with a volunteer mentor, something the PSA campaign hopes to resolve by highlighting the fact that mentoring programs require a time commitment of only one to four hours per week.
The PSA campaign kicks off during National Volunteer Week (April 15-21), which celebrates the work of volunteers across Canada, and recognizes the great impact volunteering has on communities across Canada, and the globe.
In addition to Vision Critical donating the National Omnibus study, DDB Canada developed the multi-media PSA campaign for Big Sisters of BC Lower Mainland pro bono in collaboration and with generous donation from the following partners: Family Style Productions, Griffiths, Gibson, & Ramsay Productions, JMB Post and Mann Casting.
DDB New York CCO, Matt Eastwood, has instituted "Curiosity Sessions" for the creative department to encourage and ignite more curiosity. He invites someone inspirational to speak--a musician, a photographer, an artist, a writer-- with the aim of understanding their process and how they generate ideas. Or simply to find out a little more about the world around us. Most importantly, the sessions are designed to unleash curiosity.
This morning Andrew Zuckerman, a photographer and filmmaker, visited DDB New York to deliver a presentation entitled, "Curiosity, Rigor, and Learning As You Go." The presentation used his body of work as a lens through which to discuss the creative process from a macro perspective and examine the obstacles and rewards inherent in any creative venture.
Andrew's background includes publishing four books, soon to be five, that reflect his influential style and uniquely stark aesthetic of photography and film, including the internationally acclaimed "Creature" (2007), an intimate portrait series of a wide variety of species of animals, and "Wisdom" (2008), a book, film, and traveling exhibition, which included portraits and interviews with extraordinary individuals over the age of 65, including Nelson Mandela, Clint Eastwood, Jane Godall, Frank Gehry, and Chuck Close to name a few.
Andrew went into particular detail about his WISDOM project and the experience of seeing the project through to fruition from the initial conception of the premise to the actual execution of traveling internationally and interviewing all of the revered subjects under some very restrictive circumstances. He was adamant about staying true to his artistic point of view which democratizes the subject, whether it be an animal, a flower, or a person, and removes his/her context by placing him/her in front of a white background. In this way, he believes that his photos showcase one's essential qualities and reinforce a shared consciousness, whether s/he is being photographed and interviewed in a remote town in South Africa or down the street from the White House.
In regards to his own undertakings, he explained that he revels in looking at an exhausted subject matter and adding his own spin to it. Seizing on the power of being present, he believes that an interview with an individual, even one who has been interviewed countless times prior, captures a moment in time and will have its own unique spin by dint of being at that time, with that set of questions, and in that settings.
He offered advice on approaching a new creative undertaking, declaring that both curiosity and rigor need to coincide in equal force to impel a project forward. He believes in trial and error, explaining that inspiration doesn't just happen. Rather, one needs to buckle down to work before experiencing those epiphany moments. He elucidated how anxiety and other negative self-imposed influences, such as fear of redundancy, can act as barriers to beginning a project.
Andrew's conviction and differentiated point of view is apparent across all of his work. To view more of his photos, books, and videos, visit: http://www.andrewzuckerman.com/
While passing through New York's Grand Central, I spotted the Spring, 2012 issue of Lapham's Quarterly. It is a literary journal edited by Lewis Lapham. Four times a year they collect fiction, nonfiction, poems, and essays from over four thousand years of history, all gathered around a single theme. And this issue's theme is "Means of Communication".
I was struck by the incredible content and complementary visuals. There are close to 100 different pieces of content ranging from one-line quotes to longer essays. In addition there are illustrations of famous paintings, infographics, charts, and photos all supporting the issue's theme. Among them are the original concept layout for the "I Love New York" campaign, images from an IBM voice recognition study, and historic fonts.
The content is divided into sections covering Broadcast, Written, and Spoken. The contributors are a diverse lot including: James Madison, Li Si, H.G. Wells, Bertolt Brecht, Oliver Sachs, Plato, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Eusebius, Arthur Koestler, Edith Wharton, Walt Whitman, Toni Morrison, and Simon Winchester. There is also a section on Tweets sent from Cairo in 2011.
Mr. Lapham's preamble called "Word Order" challenges current trends in communications, he writes, "The making of countless connections in the course of a morning's Googling, an afternoon's shopping, and evening's tweeting constitutes the guarantee of being in the know." Here he intones the Swiss playwright Max Frisch's phrase, "the knack of so arranging the world we don't have to experience it." I felt he was singling me out with my own superficial knowledge-attaining rituals I now conduct online.
The amazing quotes sprinkled throughout the pages are alone worth the cover price. Some of these included:
"Do not the most moving moments of our lives find us all without words?" Marcel Marceau
"No one gossips about other people's secret virtues." Bertrand Russell
"Translation is at best an echo." George Borrow
The standout content pieces for me were John Cheever's short story, "The Enormous Radio," an outtake from prescient communications theorist Marshall McLuhan's "Understanding Media," and an engrossing exchange of letters between poet Marianne Moore and The Ford Motor Company concerning the naming of a new car (absolutely hilarious).
The issue acts as both a fascinating lament and a celebration of human communications.
DDB was out to support the American Advertising Federation's 63rd Annual Advertising Hall of Fame Gala Dinner. There were seven individuals and one company inducted into the Hall of Fame. This entertaining and important event is held at the storied Waldorf-Astoria (where I am continually amazed that approximately 1,500 dinners arrive at the tables hot, delicious and all within a few minutes).
Equally amazing and welcome were the lack of references to Mad Men. As entertaining as the show is, many are growing fatigued with its mention at every industry event. It was almost a parlor game of guessing who might let it slip. We were 95% of the way through the program when one was shared.
But the night belonged to a diverse and deserving group of recipients:
O. Burtch Drake, former President and CEO, American Association of Advertising Agencies. Incredibly, Mr. Drake's copywriter father was inducted in 1983 and he spoke of what that meant to him
Leo-Arther Kelmenson, former Chairman, FCB and Bozell Jacobs Kenyon & Echhardt. Mr. Kelemson passed in 2011 so a fascinating tribute video was played highlighting his role in reinvigorating Chrysler
David Kennedy, Co-Founder Wieden+Kennedy. As expected, this induction had some fun irreverence in terms of an animated video and a heartfelt introduction by Dan Wieden
A.G. Lafley, former Chairman of the Board, President and CEO, P&G. Innovation and 24 different billion-dollar brands are one heck of a legacy. Mr. Lafley was introduced by Tim Love, Vice Chairman, Omnicom Group who spoke of Mr. Lafley's incredible vision and leadership skills
Jonathan Rodgers, former President and CEO of TV One. Truly a story of entrepreneurship, Mr. Rodgers' career in broadcast journalism is inspiring. Equally so is his current service on the Boards of Nike and P&G
Rick Boyko, former Co-President, Chief Creative Officer, Ogilvy & Mather NA and Director/Professor, VCU Brandcenter. The O&M advertisement in the program is a fantastic testimonial to Rick with 11 points covering what makes Rick...well, Rick. Mr. Boyko gave one of the more endearing acceptance speeches which demonstrated his talent and giving personality
Tere A. Zubizarreta, Founder, Zubi Advertising. Truly a pioneer in Hispanic marketing and an expert in that segment's consumer habits. She passed in 2007 so her son accepted and delivered a heartfelt and moving tribute
The Coca-Cola Company closed out the awards with its own induction. One might wonder why its recognition did not happen sooner but it was no slight or oversight. The AAF began to induct companies in 2010 with P&G being the first followed by General Motors last year. So Coca-Cola is in great company and their consistent commitment to the power of advertising was ably displayed in an amazing video showcasing their iconic work through the years.
DDB Tribal Düsseldorf, Steinway & Sons and Hilton are recalling the legendary Bed-In by John Lennon and Yoko Ono at the Hilton Hotel in Amsterdam with the event "Piano for Peace." The same hotel, the same room, in the middle of the room an impressive white grand piano from the Imagine Series Limited Edition by Steinway & Sons.
The microsite http://www.pianoforpeace.com/ connects the scene with the web community. With the computer keyboard of every Internet-enabled computer, people can play the piano from anywhere in the world with a custom built robot arm and send their own personal musical message of peace. From March 23 to 25, musical pieces can be recorded on the microsite and uploaded together with an optional photo. On March 26, the anniversary of the Bed-in, the songs will be played on the approx. 90,000 euros priced special edition piano, while the image of the respective pianist will appear on a screen above the historical bed. The pieces played will be documented on the microsite and be available after the event.
"With 'piano for peace' we commemorate the yet unattained goal, which John Lennon and Yoko Ono pursued in their authentic and unique way: peace in the world. We will not be able to achieve it either, but with the help of modern technical facilities and the enthusiasm of the people on the social web, we have the chance to take a symbolic stand. Transported by the only universal language of mankind - music", says Eric Schoeffler, Chief Creative Officer, DDB Tribal Group.
Al Gore was deep in conversation with "the Napster" himself, Sean Parker.
Bruce Springsteen gave a keynote speech before playing a theatre show with the E Street Band.
Celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain was part of a panel discussion.
Jay-Z, Lil Wayne and (possibly) Kanye West were all here.
This certainly isn't an advertising conference, so I'm not quite sure why I came here.
What I am sure about is that for the last six months whenever I told anyone that I was coming to Austin that they gave me either a look of intense jealousy or far more often a completely blank stare. However once I explained what SXSW is, even the blank stares turned to jealousy.
Strangely enough, despite living on the other side of the planet I was never one of the blank stares. SXSW - a name that gives more than a knowing nod to Alfred Hitchcock's film "North by Northwest" - has run annually for 25 years. Growing up in Sydney and being completely obsessed with music, every year I heard about this festival as the place where bands from around the world who wanted to be signed by the major record labels went to play. Over time I learned a second thing about SXSW: that it's held in a city in Texas where the motto is "Keep Austin Weird" (which I like even more than "Virginia Is For Lovers"). A quarter of a century later, SXSW still delivers on both fronts, and increasingly a whole lot more.
"Increasing" is an important theme when it comes to SXSW. Held in Texas (where, believe me, everything is bigger than anywhere else on the planet) nothing could have prepared me for the sheer size of this event. Calling SXSW a "festival" doesn't do it justice, it's actually three enormous festivals in one, centered around interactive (whatever that means these days...), film and music, with an almost fourth part based around gaming. If Moore's Law about exponential growth has additional applications, then the increase in size, influence and importance of SXSW are surely among them.
While some cities use conferences to transform themselves, SXSW is a reflection of Austin itself. In addition to hosting SXSW, Austin is also home to around 1,300 food trucks (I recommend checking out The Peached Tortilla, which serves incredible chicken pad Thai tacos). This number of "startups" serves as an even better indicator of the city's entrepreneurial spirit than do the resident major tech companies such as Dell, Apple, eBay, PayPal and Samsung. This entrepreneurship also extends to how SXSW is programmed. As incredible as the celebrity speakers mentioned above are, one of the things that sets this festival apart from other events (aside from its 10 day length) is its user-generated, and user-selected, panels.
This year I caught panels that we, DDB and Tribal DDB, attendees proposed that covered topics as diverse as hyper-locality, social TV, mobile gaming, music publishing, coolfarming, mixtapes, food trucks, the fashion cycle and Lego. Certainly not the subjects discussed at advertising conferences. Choosing which panels to attend is an epic task, and there are two key pieces of advice that I took and encourage others to follow. The first is to give up before you start and accept that it's physically impossible to see everything. Do this at the beginning of SXSW and you'll feel a lot less angst/guilt as the festival rolls on, and enjoy the parts that you do see a whole lot more. The second tip came from a Facebook update by HotHouse Interactive's Simon Van Wyk: "Have a better strategy for choosing seminars - choose the weird ones". I think that Simon's right - and herein lies the true value of SXSW: it's not an advertising industry conference.
I said at the beginning of this post that I wasn't quite sure why I came here. However after attending SXSW for my first time, what I now know for sure is that the reason we need to come here is precisely because it isn't an advertising conference. Being far outnumbered by those in the entertainment industries, tech startups and fans of music and film is a great reminder of what a small part we play in the world. Spending time with people from different industries affords us the opportunity to learn a lot. Although we talk endlessly about moving beyond the 30 second TV spot to become content creators, those in the music and film industries have been doing it for a very long time - and they've figured out how to create something sufficiently compelling that they can charge people money to access, instead of paying media outlets vast sums to run it. While meeting those in the tech industry is a great crash course in what's happening - and more importantly what's going to happen - in all things digital, this year has highlighted how creative isn't just about the "big idea," but it's equally about how we create, adapt and deploy technology. In an age where everything is digital, coders are becoming the new copywriters.
With the return of Mad Men days away, it is seemingly impossible to avoid seeing or hearing mention of it in the news, through social media, or by the water cooler. In its hiatus, I found substitute in a few of the books that have been written about the show. A standout is Analyzing Mad Men: Critical Essays on the Television Series. The book is comprised of twelve essays involving the context, politics, women, and nostalgia of Mad Men.
The series is the brainchild of Matthew Weiner and I learned it is based entirely on monitoring the effect of change. And though Mr. Weiner is clearly fascinated with the early sixties, the show is meant to parallel the changes experienced in this last decade. He is interested in knowing whether people in tumultuous times "recognize that change is going on?"
At its base level, the series centers on capitalism, clear roles regarding the sexes and races, and unchecked hedonism. Those topics make for a great soap opera but Mad Men's appeal is in the search for deeper meaning and connection. All the struggles and conflicts that make up the storylines are predicated on a rejection of the status quo.
The series is akin to an episode of The Twilight Zone: the characters are trapped in a world they have contributed to but one in which they want to escape...it is a nightmare of their own making. And many would argue that we find ourselves in exactly the same dilemma today... "Mad Men offers the schadenfreude-filled message that their predecessors were equally unhappy - and that the bleakness meter in American life has always been set on high."
Mad Men's brilliance goes back to the first season when it began with "classic literary archetypes." These characters were quickly revealed to be either mysterious, disingenuous, or just terribly flawed as we humans can be. Equally brilliant are the accurate sets and costumes providing the nostalgic yearning many have for the show. In combination the characters and sets only emphasize how staged life was back then. Many of my friends' homes in the 60's and 70's had immaculate living and dining rooms that no one was allowed to enter. In essence, many of us lived on a "set."
What is not sufficiently explored in the books and articles I have read on Mad Men is why advertising? Perhaps because it is a simple answer: the people in the industry were seen as mavericks and non-comformists. They ran counter to the ubiquitous grey, drone-like middle managers that were the subject of sociologist William H. Whyte's 1956 book The Organization Man. If "conformity was the enemy of creativity and, therefore, productivity" then ad men appeared highly productive and appealing as anti-heroes. What it really means is, a show that took place at IBM, Bethlehem Steel, or General Electric in the early 60's may not have had the same appeal.
Another reason why the chosen backdrop is advertising is that we are all impacted by it in some way. The "influence of advertising" has to be in the top ten of most common cocktail topics as we each have a theory. It also "helps explain why Don's chosen profession is advertising. In the advertisements that Don creates, he avoids the anxieties of the 'real' world and simulates comfort and stability. According to Jean Baudrillard, "All original culture forms, all determined languages are absorbed in advertising because it has no depth, it is instantaneous and instantaneously forgotten".
Personally, as someone in the profession I enjoy the conundrum of "the contradictory notion that any "mass" marketed product has the capacity to individualize anyone".
One observation about the show that is still accurate in the industry today is "everyone in this office is always competing with each other, even if they do not seem to be doing so." It is when Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce bonds together and pitches new work or delivers a new campaign that their talents truly shine. Today employees of ad agencies still forget that the competition is outside of their office.
There also has to be recognition that Sterling Cooper has been ineptly run and managed. They can rightfully be accused of milking a cash cow whose strategy and structure are no longer relevant. One essay points out it "is resistant to adapting its strategy to a changing media landscape, often underestimating the impact of new media (e.g., television), new products (e.g., imported small cars) and demographics (e.g., youth culture)."
In terms of plotlines, the most jarring for me was Don denying his brother Adam a connection to his new life. The resulting suicide was horrific. As such, the psychological issues related to his family of origin make for meaty material as Don is more devastated over the loss of his fake wife. And his eventual "alienation from his family is one of the show's clearest examples of the real world's failure to deliver on the promises given us by capitalism."
Tribal DDB Amsterdam took top honors in the Music category at the SXSW Interactive Awards this week (http://sxsw.com/interactive) for their work on Philips' "Obsessed with Sound" campaign.
The winners were announced March 13, 2012, at the 15th Annual SXSW Interactive Awards ceremony in Austin, Texas. The SXSW Interactive Music category rewards exceptional projects related to musicians, bands, and the music industry as a whole.
Philips' "Obsessed with Sound" is an interactive music video featuring a performance by the Dutch Metropole Orchestra. The premise of the "Obsessed with Sound" campaign is that Philips makes it possible to hear every detail. The website gives the audience a unique opportunity to see and hear the Grammy award-winning orchestra as they perform a specially composed orchestral piece to demonstrate the crispness of the sound.
Sandra Krstic, Deputy Managing Partner, Tribal DDB Amsterdam, said, "It is truly rewarding to see the innovative and relevant use of music--and the superb performance of the Metropole Orchestra -- being recognized by the world's renowned music experts. The SXSW Interactive Festival and Awards are known for requiring exceptional standards of work. It is an honor for Tribal DDB Amsterdam to be in the winners' league."
The "Obsessed with Sound" campaign is the only SXSW Interactive Awards 2012 winner produced by an Amsterdam-based creative agency. The work has previously been awarded Gold in the music and innovation categories at both the Lovie and Eurobest Awards, and Silver for media innovation at Epica.
Joep Beving, MassiveMusic, added, "We're happy and proud to have been involved in such a beautiful project, especially one that enshrines music and the individual musician. It's rewarding to see Tribal DDB Amsterdam receiving acclaim for their work at SXSW. We are thankful for the opportunity to share the stage with them. We're the guys all the way in the back, waving at our mums."
Tribal DDB Amsterdam
Chris Baylis - Executive Creative Director
Bart Mol - Art Director/Concept
Pol Hoenderboom - Copywriter/Concept
Robbin Cenijn - Designer
Sandra Krstic - Global Business Director
Jan Willem Penterman - Technical Lead
Henk Rijks - Strategy Director
Niels Bellaar - Social Media Planner
Nikaj Gouwerok - Editor
Jeroen Jedeloo, Richard Land, Christy Wassenaar - Agency Producers
German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, at a New Year's reception
DDB Group Germany views integration as a central topic, arguing that speech and language skills are the key to more integration and greater success both internally as well as in an international forum. DDB Group Germany is actively supporting the 'Deutschlandstiftung Integration' (Integration of Germany Foundation) by creating a targeted campaign to raise awareness about and draw attention to suitable propositions for language development.
DDB Group Germany is currently completing pro-bono work for the foundation of which Tonio Kroger, CEO, DDB Group Germany, became Member of the Board in 2011. In 2010 DDB Group Germany created its first campaign on behalf of the organization with the underlying message that language is of particular significance for active participation in society, successful training, and integration into the labor market. As a leading international communications company, DDB espouses the cause that speech and language skills are the key to greater equality of opportunity and is conceiving of creative ways to communicate this message.
The Foundation also calls attention to the role that successful citizens with immigrant backgrounds play, especially as valuable role models for a younger generation that is coming of age surrounded by a number of conflicting cultures. Language is the unifying element of our society - an element that allows dialogue between different cultures in Germany and makes tolerance and peaceful coexistence possible.
We are excited to increase our presence and share our thought leadership with the burgeoning SXSW Interactive Festival this year. While SXSW has always been known as a prestigious music festival, in recent years SXSW Interactive has been gaining clout with industry leaders as a hub for showcasing important industry trends and congregating colleagues and clients alike.
The festival boasts a breadth of dynamic speakers and compelling content in areas ranging from technical sessions on web and interface design, wireless innovation, and business operations to more philosophical discussions about online marketing, social networks, and the role of new technologies.
We are proud to spearhead and participate in the following sessions:
Pocket Intelligence
Friday, March 9, 5 PM, Hilton Austin Downtown, Salon K
Rich Guest, Co-President of Tribal DDB U.S, will moderate a panel called "Pocket Intelligence," which will explore the future of mobile interaction and feedback networks and the implications of information gathering for the mobile experience.
Is Social Media a Human Right
Saturday, March 10, 12:30 PM, Driskill Hotel, Citadel
Ed Lee, Social Media Director at Tribal DDB, will moderate a panel called "Is Social Media a Human Right?" which will discuss social media access for populations that are typically denied internet-based contact with other humans. The panelists will debate whether or not the reasons these groups are denied access are justified.
Credit Vs. Collaboration: The Organization Divide
Monday, March 12, 11:00 AM, Intercontinental, Stephen F. Austin
Azher Ahmed VP Director of Digital Operations and Jonathan Sackett, Managing Director and CDO of DDB Chicago will lead a core conversation called "Credit Vs. Collaboration" on the stark contrast between "owning" an idea versus collaborating in an open structure. It's often the root of the divide between "traditional" and "digital/new media" people. Because good ideas evolve into better ideas through collaboration and open input, organizations that can effectively bridge these camps are the ones that will survive.
Credits, Coins, Cash: Social Currency & Finance 2.0
Monday, March 12, 11:00 AM, Hilton Garden Inn, Sabine
Mike Parker, Co-President of Tribal DDB U.S, will moderate a panel called "Credits Coins Cash: Social Currency & Finance 2.0," which will examine the state of virtual currency, where it is heading, and consider how marketers should be evolving their strategies to account for these virtual currencies.
Who Needs a Fashion Cycle? I've Got Social Media
Tuesday, March 13, 11 AM, Driskill Hotel, Citadel
Nik Badminton, Director of Digital Strategy at Tribal DDB Canada, will serve as a panelist on "Who Needs a Fashion Cycle? I've Got Social Media," which will discuss how cycles of fashion trends are becoming obsolete as fashion transitions to real time in the digital era. The discussion will center on how digital and technological developments have affected the fashion industry from a media, consumer, and retail perspective.
Beyond Just Music Licensing in Advertising
Friday, March 16, 12:30 PM, Austin Convention Center
Eric David Johnson (aka DJ Bunny Ears), Executive Producer of Music and Integration at DDB Chicago, will present on a panel called "Beyond Just Music Licensing in Advertising" exploring the creative and production process of ways in which music, bands and artists are being utilized in advertising projects that are beyond just traditional licensing deals. Hear real-world examples including advertising projects as brand partnerships, product placement, events-based campaigns and digital, social and collaborative endeavors.
Our SXSW delegates this year will be contributing relevant content to the www.ddbdoesaustin.com platform over the course of the week of SXSW Interactive. Please check this site periodically for written, pictorial, and video updates on the panel discussions, new products and services unveiled, and POV pieces on keynote topics. Best of luck to those participating in the festival and we hope that this platform serves as a gateway to the action at SXSW in Austin, and inspires you all with the enthusiasm and creativity that pervade this gathering.
Amir Kassaei, DDB Worldwide Chief Creative Officer, will be establishing DDB's global creative center in Shanghai. This development reinforces DDB's ongoing commitment and investment in the Asian region, and it is believed to be the first time a global, Madison Avenue agency has moved its creative headquarters to China.
The impetus behind this location is that world-class brands are moving to the region and they deserve world-class creative they have become accustomed to. Therefore, DDB wanted to build upon its three core regional hubs in Hong Kong, Singapost and Shanghai, making Chine the center piece for global creative work.
This is one of the most significant moves DDB has made in the history of DDB. The world as we know it is changing and our industry's growth market is now without doubt the Asian region. There's no time better to set up a creative powerhouse in China.
John Zeigler, Chairman & CEO of DDB Group Asia Pacific, India & Japan, has re-located to Singapore in December, 2011. Patrick Rona, Tribal DDB Asia Pacific's new President and Chief Digital Officer for DDB Group Asia Pacific, also moved to Singapore in January of this year.
DDB Group Asia Pacific is a cohesive collaboration of global businesses, including the world's most awarded advertising agency, DDB. The world's leading digital agency, Tribal DDB. The global leader in data-driven marketing and analytics, RAPP, and DDB Health, a specialist agency dedicated to servicing the healthcare and medical field. Group capabilities also include design, sales promotion and public relations orientated agencies in specific countries. It is comprised of 21 offices in 14 countries across the region and is part of the DDB Worldwide communications network.
DDB New York CCO, Matt Eastwood, has instituted "Curiosity Sessions" for the creative department to encourage and ignite more curiosity. He invites someone inspirational to speak--a musician, a photographer, an artist, a writer-- with the aim of understanding their process and how they generate ideas. Or simply to find out a little more about the world around us. Most importantly, the sessions are designed to unleash curiosity.
Craig Ward, "You Blow Me Away"
This morning, the session featured Craig Ward, a renowned typographer who blurs the line between design and art in a presentation entitled "Words are Pictures." Originally from London, Craig worked as an art director and designer at a handful of advertising agencies before he recently relocated to New York to serve as a consultant while he continues to create pioneering, award winning typography and art direction for a diverse range of clients from fashion to advertising and editorial. Craig is an active contributor to several industry journals including Wired, Creative Review, and Discover Magazine to name a few and a former ADC Young Gun.
Craig boasts a breadth of experience on a wide variety of projects ranging from Lady Gaga: Inside the Outside, Ketel One Vodka, Wired Magazine cover, Creative Review Annual 2010, and The Economist.
Craig Ward, "The USA Mistake"
During his presentation, Craig elucidated his love/hate relationship with type, as he grapples with adhering to the conventions of the discipline, and deviating to the point of abstraction whereby type becomes an art form. He views his own career path as evolving fluidly from an art director to a designer to an illustrator to a typographer, but is reticent to view any one of these fields as being in a silo. Craig was initially attracted to the anatomical, scientific underpinnings of typography and has evolved his perspective over the past two decades from when he first started in the 1990s and derived influence from the rock-and-roll zeitgeist to his recent fixation with the randomness of type and the natural beauty of that which is organic.
Craig Ward, "Don't Let Go"
Craig vividly described how he draws inspiration from typographic stories, even that which appears accidental. He cited a lighthearted example of a sign missing a letter so it becomes, "In God We rust," rather than "In God we Trust," taking on a different meaning. He is inspired by the notion behind the Rorschach test, reiterating that if you look at something abstract long enough, you start to see shapes.
Craig detailed how his recent designs have melded nature and science in an experimental fashion, allowing the concept to dictate the execution and vise-versa. For example, he has utilized everything from growing Chinese hamster ovary cells in a Petri dish, to pumping ink and flour in an aquarium with a turkey baster to simulate waves, to floating chiffon fabric through the air for his recent creations. All of these seemingly outlandish techniques have yielded beautiful, evocative typography and showcase his unique artistic perspective on how to make what could be mistaken for a rigid field wide open for interpretation.
DDB Latvia is proud to support MAMMU brand design and development. MAMMU is a social business fashion company modeled after the principles of the famous Grameen Bank model, a social business developed by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus. MAMMU is catered to Latvian mothers in need.
MAMMU is not just a fashion company; it is a movement. Its content is created by a collective of designers, marketing experts, business consultants, photographers, artists, resellers, social business designers and passionate people who want to change society for good.
The premise of MAMMU is cause driven rather than motivated by a profit. In essence, MAMMU helps to provide mothers with social benefits through producing creative and high-quality fashion products. In order to assist them, MAMMU provides flexible working hours.
MAMMU espouses 7 important principles of social business:
Business objective will be to overcome poverty, or one or more problems (such as education, health, technology access, and environment) which threaten people and society; not profit maximization
Financial and economic sustainability
Investors get back their investment amount only. No dividend is given beyond investment money
When investment amount is paid back, company profit stays with the company for expansion and improvement
Environmentally conscious
Workforce gets market wage with better working conditions
...do it with joy
The MAMMMU collection was designed by Liva Kauke Saule. Each of the high quality linen scarfs is a unique piece of fashion. The second collection of scarfs was designed by the Latvian designer HAYDA. Her individualized handmade scarves join together youth, sports and the taste of history.
Shot by Liva K. Saule
Shot by Maris Locmelis
Shot in Jeff's office at DDB Worldwide
If you are passionate and creative and want to support the project with your talents please contact MAMMU or visit their website: http://www.mammu.lv/
DDB Chicago Associate Producer, Jamie Gallant, is setting out on a journey to the bottom of the world. His destination--the Falkland Islands, a remote South Atlantic archipelago made up of over 700 individual islands.
Never heard the Falklands?
Two of the Falklands' major resources are landmines and wool, the former due to a 150-year ownership conflict between Argentina and Britain and the latter due to a surfeit of sheep. The truth of the matter is that there's not much information about the Falkland Islands outside of those focusing on either the war or on the islands' diverse wildlife. That's why Jamie, and his co-producer Vern Cummins are attempting to intimately capture the experiences, hardships and unique qualities of the people that call the Falklands home.
Their project is called 51º South, named for the Longitudinal coordinate at which the islands are located. It's a 7,000 mile journey from Chicago that takes over two days to complete. Bringing them first through New York, then Santiago to Punta Arenas, Chile and onwards to RAF Base Mount Pleasant.
Jamie and his partner need a minimum of $10,000 to produce their series this spring, and launch in time for the 30th anniversary of the Conflict June 14th. So, what's the hip way to ask for a handout in the 21st century? Kickstarter, of course! On Kickstarter, they are already over half way to their goal with 75 backers pledging more than $6,000. With 17 days left to finance their exploration, you can help kick-start the pair's dream by pledging your donation here and visiting the film's official website here.
Yesterday the results for 2011 Gunn Report were announced and DDB retained second place in "The Most Awarded Agency Networks in the World in 2011" category. The Gunn Report is an annual compilation of winners' lists from the most important advertising industry award shows. Since The Gunn Report's inception in 1999, Omnicom networks have won an unprecedented 30 of the 39 first, second, and third place spots on the Most Awarded Agency Networks List.
DDB had strong showing across all categories and geographies. Some highlights include:
Our Stockholm, Brasil, Paris and New Zealand offices were all recognized as "The Most Awarded Advertising Agencies in the World"
Stockholm and Paris were also among the "The Most Awarded Digital Agencies in the World"
Campaigns that were most awarded include: VW Responsible Driving (DDB Argentina), VW Speed Camera Lottery (DDB Stockholm), FedEx's Neighbors (DDB Brasil), and INPES Tobacco Awareness (DDB Paris)
Our clients VW, FedEx, IKEA and McDonalds were among the "The Most Awarded Advertisers in the World".
Queensland University of Technology (QUT) in Brisbane, Australia, features one of our Tribal DDB employees, Kaya Lobaczewski, manager of Global Programs at Tribal DDB New York, as its poster child in its latest Graduate Success campaign series commercials. The campaign showcases the success of QUT graduates and aims to position QUT as 'A university for the real world.' The 45 second TVC, which features a real life QUT graduate telling her story in her own words, was filmed on location in New York.
DDB UK CEO, Stephen Woodford, made a guest appearance on SKY News yesterday to discuss the importance of Facebook as a platform for advertisers in light of its imminent public offering. In the past couple of days, online as well as offline conversations have been dominated by buzz and speculation about the valuation of this hegemonic social network which boasts as many as 800 million users, 30 million of which are from the UK.
DDB's Woodford affirmed Facebook as an effective way for advertisers to proliferate messages to a captive audience, particularly as the platform itself continues to proliferate at an unprecedented rate. He cited Facebook's added value that differentiates it from traditional mediums, and even other internet advertising platforms, as its ability to engage with people on such a deep level. As many as 50% of Facebook users log on to the site every single day to update their status, go on their friends' profiles, peruse their newsfeeds, or "like" a brand or product. Therefore, the opportunity for advertisers lies in leveraging personalized, highly targeted messages that aim to contribute qualitatively to the overall user experience.
Woodford cautioned marketers, encouraging them to carefully cater the way they try to interact with consumers and respect their privacy. He maintained that, given how exposed younger people are when they disclose their personal information, advertisers should make their appeals with the utmost sensitivity.
Lastly, when asked what he thinks the valuation of Facebook will be, Woodford relayed a response that Facebook's valuation should be approximately $100 per life. This exhibits just how quintessential the the social platform has become for communication for businesses and individuals alike. Although the valuation is just a monetary amount, it will be a clear indication of the Facebook's preeminence in both our public and private lives.
To celebrate the creativity and diversity of DDB New York, we kicked off a special month-long exhibition mounted throughout the New York office. The works represent submissions of DDB'ers who have generously shared art that they have created and, in some cases, the art of those related to them. For many DDB'ers, this was their first exhibition of their work. In total, the work that has been curated for the exhibition is as impressive as it is broad in creative scope.
This is a follow-up event to the Taste of DDB 1.0, which took place last year and celebrated ethnic cuisines from different countries of origin of many DDB New York employees. Similar to the art showcase, last year's event sought to exhibit our cultural diversity in an interactive setting and encourage office-wide engagement with foods from all around the world. After the event, DDB created a cookbook encompassing all of the delicious recipes. Following the month-long exhibit of the artwork, the exhibit will be commemorated in Taste of DDB Annual, which will take the form of an artist catalogue rather than a cookbook.
K.C. Tidemand
The event yesterday spanned three floors of the agency and had various special attractions on each floor, including a dialogue with Tattfoo Tan about his practice of collapsing the boundaries between art and advertising, a room full of Twig terrariums that exemplified how miniature magical worlds are created, and a paint workshop which allowed DDB'ers to apply their creativity in an attempt to recreate famous masterpieces, to name a few.
Katie Maslow and Michelle Inciarrano
Below, DDB Remedy copywriter, Arlene Ellis, stands with her illustration. She explains that many of her pieces are influenced by organic patterns due to her background in neuroscience. The piece displayed at Taste of DDB 2.0 uses her favorite patterns and colors as she chronicles her love of fashion design, the awe-inspiring colors and patterns found in nature, and an appreciation of decorative arts.
Arlene Ellis
Below, Creative Department Coordinator, Nina Horowitz, stands beside her photographs. Nina has a longtime passion for photography. She received her Bachelors of Art in photography from Lafayette College and specializes in portraiture, with a special proclivity for photographing strangers. The artwork displayed here is from a photography thesis entitled, "This is She; Portraits of Women from the Lehigh Valley," which serves as a visual introduction into the diverse community of women who live and work near Lafayette College. The woman are photographed in their homes to portray a sense of comfort, price, and intimacy.
Nina Horowitz
A special thank you to the efforts of Karina Argudo, Minerva Garcia, Karin Christina Ospina Tideman, Monica Hudson, Dominick Santiago, the Office Services Team, Ralph Navarro, Peggy Squazzo, Menno Kluin, Jane Piampiano and Marlon Crosbie for making this event possible.
Tribal DDB Recognized as Leader in Mobile Marketing
Tribal DDB Worldwide announced today that it was among the select companies that Forrester Research, Inc., invited to participate in its January 2012 report, "The Forrester Wave™: US Digital Agencies -- Mobile Marketing Strategy And Execution, Q1 2012." In this evaluation, Tribal DDB was cited as a "Leader" in mobile marketing. Forrester examined solutions from nine digital agencies with mobile marketing services, and its Wave methodology places agencies in four "waves": Leaders, Strong Performers, Contenders, and Risky.
"We have been, and will continue to be, very aggressive in the mobile marketing field in all of our offices globally," said Paul Gunning, CEO of Tribal DDB Worldwide. "We believe being named a Leader in this report validates that our strategy is working. We're honored to be among the select companies that Forrester invited be evaluated in its Forrester Wave report."
Much has been written about the rapid pace of consumer adoption of the mobile Internet. In fact, Forrester forecasts that the number of mobile Internet users will grow at an average of 9% year over year for the next five years. In response to this growth, nearly half of the interactive marketers Forrester's surveyed told Forrester's that they planned to increase their mobile marketing budgets in 2011.To make the most of these budgets, interactive marketers are turning to digital agencies to create comprehensive and strategic mobile marketing programs that move their brands beyond experimentation and engage their mobile consumers effectively.
In Forrester's 37-criteria evaluation of US digital agencies with mobile marketing services, it identified the nine significant agencies in this category and researched, analyzed, and scored them. This report details Forrester's findings about how each agency measures up and plots where they stand in relation to each other, to help interactive marketers select the right partner for their mobile marketing efforts.
"Client references figured very heavily into our evaluation and each of the Leaders can boast strong client approval," said Forrester's Research. "Lauded for both their strategic thinking and execution skills, these Leaders produce high-caliber work with client satisfaction to match."
Cancer Council NSW & Tribal DDB call on Australians
Australians can now have a better understanding of what causes cancer, learn ways to prevent it and commit to a healthier lifestyle at a touch of a button, thanks to an Australian-first interactive online cancer infographic launched by Cancer Council NSW and Tribal DDB.
The cancer infographic, Hope - Turning the Page on Cancer, uses creative design and an interactive build to demystify cancer myths and reveal evidence-based facts on what causes cancer, primary risk factors and the five pillars of prevention.
The information is followed by a call to action asking users to publicly declare via Facebook and Twitter, the cancer risk factor they will commit to reducing this year.
"This is a great example of how charities and health organizations such as Cancer Council are embracing social media to engage and influence communities on important social issues. The infographic presents a large volume of detailed information in a really visual, interactive and easy to understand format, which is crucial as we move into a world of data overload" said Matt Melik - Director of Data and Publishing at DDB.
Cancer Council NSW CEO, Dr Andrew Penman, said the concept was developed to help Australians better understand cancer, improve their knowledge and ways they can reduce their risk.
"There's so much information out there so the idea was to break it down so it's easy for people to digest. The reality is 30 per cent of cancers can be prevented through healthy lifestyle choices. The infographic clearly and simply states the facts on cancer and gives people hope around the lifestyle choices they can make to help prevent the disease.
"We are excited to be working in the social media space and hope the launch of the infographic and its share-ability will help Australians better understand cancer and spread the important message of prevention," he said.
Tribal DDB has been inducted as the fourteenth FWA Hall of Fame member today by the Favourite Website Awards (FWA) (www.thefwa.com), an industry-recognized Internet awards program and inspirational portal which honors cutting-edge digital creativity. Hall of Fame recognition further showcases the success of the agency's work for clients including Hasbro, Intel, Philips and Volkswagen.
The FWA Hall of Fame is a dedicated showcase to highlight those recognized at the Favourite Website Awards and agencies that have shown outstanding achievement in interactive design, development, and creativity, and paved the way for the future of innovation.
"We're honored to be inducted into the FWA's Hall of Fame," said Paul Gunning, CEO of Tribal DDB Worldwide. "We're grateful that we have clients who allow us to really disrupt their creative. And we want to thank our employees, who have worked tirelessly and never settled for mediocre ideas."
Since being founded in 2000, Tribal DDB Worldwide has been awarded 37 FWA Awards. The agency has won Site of the Day 29 times, Site of the Month twice and Mobile of the Day five times. Tribal DDB additionally won FWA Site of the Year in 2006 for its Bodygroom campaign promoting Philips Norelco's new, all-in-one electric shaver system to shave and trim men's body hair.
"In 2006, when Tribal DDB Worldwide launched one of the most original online projects of all time with Philips Bodygroom, which went on to win Site Of The Year, I knew that this exciting company was one to sit up and keep a keen eye on," said Rob Ford, FWA Founder. "With over 60 offices spanning 42 countries, this is a true global digital agency and we have witnessed the power of its creativity with amazing FWA winning projects from all corners of the world. Without a doubt, Tribal DDB Worldwide is one of the absolute leaders in this industry."
Tribal DDB Worldwide was most recently honored by the FWA with a Mobile Site of the Day win on December 6, 2011, for the "Philips Wake-App." The mobile app was part of the "Make Me A Morning Person" Wake-up Challenge on Facebook. This social experiment tested whether people could improve how they felt in the morning by swapping their alarm clocks for Philips Wake-up Lights (result: they could). Anyone can use the app to record their morning mood, alertness and ease in getting up. To make the experience more fun, cute animations of toasters, roosters and other morning icons were incorporated into the data to ensure every user a good morning.
DDB gives a warm congratulations to Aki Chang, Daniel Berenson, and Maria Meehan, the recipients of the 2011 Bill Bernbach Scholarship, each of whom will receive $5000 toward tuition to advertising school. The scholarships are thanks to the Bill Bernbach Diversity Scholarship Fund, established in 1998 by DDB Worldwide to provide financial assistance to creatively talented, culturally diverse students seeking an education in copywriting, art direction and design.
The three winners were selected by a committee of DDB Chief Creative Officers, Creative Directors, Talent Managers and Creative Service Managers from across the U.S. The selection committee commended the caliber of talent and diversity of candidates pursuing careers in marketing today. The scholarship gives credence to the investment that Universities and Ad Schools are making in impressive portfolio programs for the next generation of creatives.
Participating AAAA schools include the Ad Center at Virginia Commonwealth, the Art Center College of Design, Creative Circus, Miami Ad School, Portfolio Center, Savannah College of Art and Design, University of Texas at Austin, and University of Oregon. The Bill Bernbach Diversity Scholarship Fund has awarded 55 scholarships over the past 12 years.
In addition to offering a unique opportunity to the recipients, the Bill Bernbach Scholarship has inspired new diversity efforts and research at DDB, such as the establishment of its National Diversity Council in 2008.
Given the current economic slowdown, this year's holiday season promises to find people more financially stretched, forcing companies to think of innovative ways to encourage their workforce to give back to the community and participate in charitable endeavours.
It was in this spirit that DDB Canada brought its unique employee driven Share DDB initiative - which has received many community accolades in Vancouver over the past six years - to its Toronto and Edmonton offices this year.
Showcasing DDB Canada's culture of creativity, Share DDB is a charitable art crawl and auction, featuring unique creative works such as a personalized shopping lesson and tour from a vibrant, young fashionista; a snowboarding lesson complete with lift tickets and lunch; a palm reading session and one-of-a-kind artistic "masterpieces." Each employee at DDB Canada is encouraged to create an auction item, with the emphasis on art and creative pursuits, which is then sold with proceeds supporting local causes.
The three Share DDB events collectively raised $36,550 for four deserving local charities (as voted by DDB Canada staff members): the James Lee Foundation, a scholarship fund created in memory of a very special DDB family member who continues to inspire countless people in the advertising industry; Camp Oochigeas, an innovative Toronto-based organization that offers year-round programming for children affected by cancer; Covenant House, which provides much-needed shelter, food, clothing, counseling and outreach to street youth in Vancouver; and The Hope Mission, which cares for impoverished and homeless people in the city of Edmonton.
Not only was I awestruck by the creative pieces that were submitted into each event, but I was equally as impressed by the generosity of our staff, clients, sponsors, media, suppliers, families and friends who all dug deep into their pockets to support Share DDB to make it a great success.
This year's Share DDB auction items ranged from photography, paintings and handmade jewelry to one-on-one golf lessons, catered gourmet dinners and even included gifts that relay life's little pleasures such as "home-baked goodies every day for a week." Additional luxurious gifts included: cottage getaways, hotel and spa packages, champagne gift baskets and a Thursday night sailing race for six aboard Leonard's Kookaburra followed by dinner at the Oakville Club.
To view photos from the three Share DDB events, visit:
Books are highly subjective - what appeals to some will not appeal to others. Business books specifically tend to resonate best when they address a pressing issue or interest and when they provide inspiration. In previous years, I have contributed lists of the "best" business and marketing books. I have assembled my own and conducted podcasts to share them. Those opportunities were cool but I was never completely comfortable labeling any book "best".
This year I have opted to call my selections 'Top-Drawer'. This slightly tongue-in-cheek honor is meant to describe books that are top-of-mind, notable, relevant, well written, practical, thought-provoking, and innovative. Life is too short to drink cheap scotch - equally so there is precious little time to tolerate books that are not 'Top-Drawer'. Thirteen make the list this year and are in no particular order. Enjoy and I look forward to feedback on the selections.
Best Practices Are Stupid: 40 Ways to Out-Innovate the Competition by Stephen M. Shapiro
The author introduces a great premise ... it's time to innovate the way we innovate. Innovation tends to be episodic but Shapiro emphasizes the need to consistently produce fresh ideas and implement them with passion. He makes suggestions that are great in theory (a little harder in application but valuable) like hire people you don't like, define challenges you want your employees to overcome, and create an environment that tolerates experimentation and failure. The bottom-line...reward success and failure equally, punish inactivity.
A History of the World in 100 Objects by Neil MacGregor
A confession: I love history so may have been unduly influenced with this choice. Yet, it holds amazing business lessons specifically how the best innovations served real needs. From the Olduvai Handaxe to the Early Writing Tablet to Korean Roof Tile to the Ming Banknote right up to the modern Credit Card, these incredible stories from our history offer practical instruction. Let me put this way - wouldn't you like to know the answers to the following to amaze and amuse your colleagues ... When were cows domesticated and why do we feed their milk to our children? Where were the first cities and what made them succeed? Who invented math-or came up with money? All kidding aside, the book reveals "who we are by looking at what we have made".
Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman
Commonly accepted research shows that people buy both on rational and emotional considerations. As a marketer, it is a challenge to brand a product solely on rational aspects. People bond with brands and establish commercial relationships like they do with peers and lovers - the most successful of these are described in emotional terms. Noble Prize winner Kahneman describes two systems that are at play simultaneously in our minds. "System 1 is fast, intuitive, and emotional; System 2 is slower, more deliberative, and more logical." This is the must read book for corporate and brand strategists. Underlying the author's work is how certain constructs in our society bias us even before we cognitively balance the two systems.
In The Plex: How Google Thinks, Works, and Shapes Our Lives by Stephen Levy
Google and Apple have captured the imagination of the masses. Ironically, often when a company is heralded for its incredible practices it can be precursor to its downfall (think of "In Search of Excellence" and "Good to Great"). I also wonder how much is propaganda. Having visited Google in Palo Alto and their substantial New York City location, I would say they enjoy "an atmosphere of the possible". However, it's unbelievable growth will challenge it's ability to protect and nurture what made it great in the first place: innovation mind-set, speed, openness, experimentation, and risk taking. Author Levy keeps a nice balance and is not entirely sucked into all things Google. From my perspective, the moment Google changes its policy on giving employees one day a week to work on anything they want will be the first step in a path to irrelevance.
Pantone: The 20th Century in Color by Leatrice Eiseman and Keith Recker
This is a very creative entry and it will appeal far beyond the design community. Longtime Pantone collaborators and color gurus Leatrice Eiseman and Keith Recker present over 200 touchstone works of art, products, and fashion, matching them with 80 different official PANTONE color palettes. The authors' commentary on design and business trends along with the associated history of hues is thoroughly entertaining. It is very much a social history with significant design and business implications.
Brandwashed: Tricks Companies Use to Manipulate Our Minds and Persuade Us to Buy by Martin Lindstrom
I have been in marketing and advertising for over twenty years and am still fascinated by human behavior. The rational and irrational decisions we make in the commercial world do not get enough attention. While the "big idea" still resonates in brand communications, more and more, consumers are growing in sophistication and gaining increased control in their brand relationships. I appreciate Lindstrom's controversial packaging of this book but branding is a democracy - people vote with their purchases. There is no mysterious cabal pulling levers of persuasion. The most successful marketers treat their consumers with respect and allow them to help shape the brand. Brandwashed is valuable for certain statistics and entertaining anecdotes but the fact that Morgan Spurlock writes the Foreword is telling.
The Lean Startup: How Today's Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation to Create Radically Successful Businesses by Eric Ries
The economy is a train wreck and priorities in our society questionable. One way to help turn the economy around and be responsible is to innovate. Starting a business is an uncertain outing and this is where Ries' book nails it. Entrepreneurs have always possessed a higher risk tolerance than most and we need these folks more than ever to drive employment. However, anyone in business can benefit from thinking like a startup by innovating within their own jobs and given it is a mindset it can also be applied to non-profits, NGOs, public sector, and volunteer organizations. Ries advocates not getting bogged down in excessive planning instead focusing on adjusting as one goes - 'action now' is its rallying cry.
Tribal DDB and DDB took five of seven International Awards for KLM, StarHub, Singapore Elections, Estrela "Come Back Ferrorama," and Tok & Stok Twitter Manuals and was recognized for Excellence in Social Technologies at the Forrester Groundswell Awards fifth annual show, presented at the Forrester Marketing & Strategy Forum EMEA held at The Grove country estate in London November 16-17. The awards recognize excellence in achieving business and organizational goals with social technology applications and the wins further showcase the success of its work for clients.
Tribal DDB Singapore was honored with two Forrester Groundswell Awards. The wins were awarded for the StarHub "Musical Fitting Rooms" campaign in the Business to Consumer International: Mobile Application category and for the "Singapore Spring" elections campaign in the Business to Consumer International: Social Impact category. Tribal DDB and DDB° Amsterdam's celebrated KLM "Tile & Inspire" campaign was awarded the Forrester Groundswell Award in the Business to Consumer International: Talking category.
Tribal DDB and DDB Amsterdam's global "Tile & Inspire" campaign for KLM Royal Dutch Airlines utilized social media to generate crowd-sourced uploads of users' photos to feature consumer faces within traditional Dutch delftware blue tiles on a real Boeing 777-200 airplane. The airline unveiled the Boeing 777-200 airplane exterior wrapped in a selection of 3,965 crowd-sourced tile images and uplifting quotes. The campaign was part of KLM's ongoing effort to generate brand preference via engaging activation campaigns around the Brand's Dutch roots and their brand promise to supply "Journeys of Inspiration".
StarHub's "Musical Fitting Rooms" was developed by Tribal DDB and DDB Singapore by combining music and fashion - two powerful forms of self expression for youth - with RFID technology to create a hyper-personalized experience. Tribal DDB tagged RFID chips to clothes and installed RFID readers with directional speakers in the fitting rooms of selected fashion retail stores. When a garment was brought into the fitting room, the RFID chip triggered the reader to play a music track that matched the style of the garment. An iPad interface installed in the room then provided information about the suggested song, as well as a link to StarHub's online music store. StarHub's Musical Fitting Room introduced young shoppers to music that best suited their style and helped them to better express themselves through both fashion and music. It positioned the StarHub Music Store as the online music portal that is truly in tune with what matters to youth.
Tribal DDB created a useful informational tool before the Singapore General Election 2011 upon recognizing that over 44,000 counts of political buzz exploded on social media, blogs, forums and websites the week leading up to polling day. Singaporeans needed to make sense of it all, so Tribal DDB created "SG Party Time" to turn the data into simple, attractive infographics using data and analysis by Brandtology. The project was part of an effort to encourage openness and real-time tracking of the election outlook while remaining neutral and providing statistical analysis. Users could get a bird's-eye view of on-ground sentiments at all constituencies. They could see how well liked (or disliked) each party was. They could also see what people said about each party, in real time even as speeches were broadcast. In the seven days of campaigning, SG Party Time had over 252,000 page views with 6,000 unique visits per day, an average of four minutes per visit and more than six pages viewed per visit. The campaign was shared over 2,000 times on Facebook and reached an estimated 80,000 Twitter users.
DDB Bazil's Tok & Stok Twitter Manuals strove to achieve the greenest way possible to provide instructions for Tok & Stok's east to assemble furniture. As a solution, it leveraged Twitter to create manuals that were reduced to a mere 140 character tweets providing a link to the assemble diagram. Consumers simply had to find the hashtag of the name of the furniture item and follow the instructions. The promotion caught the media, the current and new brand's fans, architects, designers, and those who were simply considering buying furniture's attention. Through the social network, the relationship between the company and clients was strengthened.
DDB Brazil was also recognized for its Come Back Ferrorama campaign in which a toy company, Estrela, challenged the fans of Ferrorama, a toy train, on Orkut, Brazil's largest social network. The challenge was to prove their dedication by running the train on a long pilgrimage in Spain across 20km, using and reusing 120 meters of track continuously. The groups engaged with the public in real time by constantly uploading videos, tweeting, and providing photos of their five-day journey. The success led Estrela to relaunch the popular toy. Moreover, it sold out within the month and garnered as many as 1230 pre-orders, transforming the company's marketing and business strategy to espouse the digital and social world.
DDB Canada Pays Tribute to the Men and Women Who Have Served, and Continue To Serve, Our Country
It only happens once in a lifetime. On Remembrance Day at the 11th hour, of the 11th day, of the 11th month of the 11th year, Canadians will join in silence to pay their respects to the thousands of men and women who sacrificed their lives for our great country. To honour the courageous, DDB Canada, has donated its full resources to launch an impactful and emotional Remembrance Day campaign, which showcases war veterans in a unique and symbolic way.
Developed for the Historica-Dominion Institute, the largest, independent organization dedicated to Canadian history, identity and citizenship, the campaign was created, leveraging the unique date for this year's Remembrance Day to increase awareness and drive donations to the Historica-Dominion Institute.
A visual representation of the historic '11/11/11' date was created utilising veterans to represent the numbers. Comprised of six Canadian veterans, consisting of three from World War II, and three from the Korean War, the image coupled with the line, 'Remember' creates a simple, respectful and memorable tribute to the soldiers that gave so much of themselves for our country. In addition, the veterans are organised in pairs by military branch: the Royal Canadian Air Force, the Canadian Army, and the Royal Canadian Navy. The diversity of the Canadian Armed Forces is also represented across the six individuals, with one French-Canadian veteran, one African-Canadian veteran, and one female veteran.
Launching at the City of Toronto Civic Remembrance Day Service at Old City Hall, the initiative kicks off with a live visual interpretation of this image. Showcasing a commanding white background with the historic '11/11/11' date in the forefront, it features six cadets standing side-by-side in salute position, each forming the shape of the number '1.' Above the date, the Historica-Dominion's Memory Project logo sits alongside the word 'Remember'.
PSA Campaign by Tribal DDB and AOL Seeks Advisors for Veterans
American Corporate Partners (ACP), a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping veterans transition from the armed services to the civilian workforce, launched ACP AdvisorNet, the only online business related "Quick Question Community" for veterans that provides advice related to career development, employment, and small business directly from business professionals. And in partnership with Tribal DDB and AOL, American Corporate Partners have launched a PSA campaign to build awareness of, and drive participation in the online community. ACP AdvisorNet is a non-profit venture comprised of Advisors (any individual with business experience) and Veterans (those who served in the armed services, as well as their immediate family members) that aims to help veterans achieve their career goals through advice and expertise from business leaders across the U.S. Advisors are asked to connect through Q&A threads and private messaging and to give an hour a month to answering the business questions of Veterans.
As part of Tribal DDB and AOL's pro-bono effort for ACP, the companies have created a marketing strategy and online media traffic drivers to explain, promote and encourage participation in ACP AdvisorNet. The site was designed by Headspinners/TimDev. Banner advertising that will appear on the AOL.com network of sites highlights the new and unique Q&A opportunity that ACP AdvisorNet offers, in addition to providing action steps to get involved. Banners endorse the importance of giving back to the veteran community, underscoring ACP AdvisorNet's unique ability to connect with both business leaders and veterans.
PSA advertising starting this month aims to generate awareness and encourage vets and members of the community to sign up for the program. Advertising will continue until the end of the month with targeted messaging aimed toward veterans and the business community. Interested veterans and immediate family of service members as well as members of the business community are encouraged to register at http://acp-advisornet.org.
DDB New York Designs Campaign for Hertz to Honor Heroes With Free Rentals
The Hertz Corporation launched a new campaign designed to honor and thank U.S. troops returning home. As part of the "Hertz for Heroes" campaign, Hertz will donate a portion of each rental between Veterans Day (November 11) and December 31, 2011 towards a pool of free weekend rentals to be distributed to servicemen and servicewomen. The goal is to donate the equivalent of 40,000 free weekend rentals, an estimated value of $3 million.
Hertz has a long history of helping our armed services and those in the Military. During WWII Hertz retreaded the tires on its cars and focused on maintenance of its existing fleet to conserve resources; during Persian Gulf, Hertz supported its employee reservists including those with the Military Airlift Command, the Strategic Studies Group of the National Defense University at Fort McNair, and the Space Systems Division and employees sent care packages to troops serving overseas; and, more recently, Hertz had employee representation at the Women in Military Service of America Memorial dedication ceremony and has collected DVDs and Videos to send to troops serving overseas.
DDB Canada Pays Tribute to the Men and Women Who Have Served, and Continue To Serve, Our Country
It only happens once in a lifetime. On Remembrance Day at the 11th hour, of the 11th day, of the 11th month of the 11th year, Canadians will join in silence to pay their respects to the thousands of men and women who sacrificed their lives for our great country. To honour the courageous, DDB Canada, has donated its full resources to launch an impactful and emotional Remembrance Day campaign, which showcases war veterans in a unique and symbolic way.
Developed for the Historica-Dominion Institute, the largest, independent organization dedicated to Canadian history, identity and citizenship, the campaign was created, leveraging the unique date for this year's Remembrance Day to increase awareness and drive donations to the Historica-Dominion Institute.
"From Vimy Ridge to their sacrifice during 1944's D-Day invasion, Canadian men and women have selflessly fought for our freedom with their lives," says David Leonard, president and COO, DDB Canada. "To say we're proud to be able to work with our partners and nurture this creative initiative for such a profound cause is truly an understatement."
A visual representation of the historic '11/11/11' date was created utilising veterans to represent the numbers. Comprised of six Canadian veterans, consisting of three from World War II, and three from the Korean War, the image coupled with the line, 'Remember' creates a simple, respectful and memorable tribute to the soldiers that gave so much of themselves for our country. In addition, the veterans are organised in pairs by military branch: the Royal Canadian Air Force, the Canadian Army, and the Royal Canadian Navy. The diversity of the Canadian Armed Forces is also represented across the six individuals, with one French-Canadian veteran, one African-Canadian veteran, and one female veteran.
Launching at the City of Toronto Civic Remembrance Day Service at Old City Hall, the initiative kicks off with a live visual interpretation of this image. Showcasing a commanding white background with the historic '11/11/11' date in the forefront, it features six cadets standing side-by-side in salute position, each forming the shape of the number '1.' Above the date, the Historica-Dominion's Memory Project logo sits alongside the word 'Remember'.
Through the generosity of our media partners, the tribute will be featured in The Globe and Mail, via ten second tags all this week on the History Channel and prominently featured at select transit shelters in Vancouver and Toronto, courtesy of CBS Outdoor and Pattison Outdoor. Printing services have been donated by Clockwork Productions. Our friends at OMD secured the History Channel tags as well as premium space for online banner placements.
We would like to thank The Royal Canadian Legion, Veterans Affairs Canada, The Department of National Defence and the City of Toronto for their support in helping to make this initiative a reality.
This interview with Josh Fehr, Creative Director at Tribal DDB Vancouver, first appeared on Commarts.com in the "Perspectives" section. It covers questions about Josh's outlook on the effects of technology on the creative process and his personal sources of inspiration.
If you have a degree in what field is it?
I have a diploma in graphic design from Dawson College in Montreal.
What's the best site you've seen lately? What's so great about it?
Tough one. I like the stuff the National Film Board of Canada is doing; I love that they're exploring digital ways of evolving storytelling.
If you were to change professions, what would you choose to do?
Something that combines the smell of wood and fresh cut grass.
Design or technology? Which is more important? Why?
Design. They both require great creativity to be successful but it's not just what something can do, but how it does it that gives it its meaning and relevance. When done well, design can take technology beyond utility or even its original intention and change how people do things as well as how they feel about doing them.
From where do your best ideas originate?
I think my best ideas come when I have a great insight to work against and I have someone to jam with. I don't like working in isolation. I also love having lots of reference material and I find that often the best material comes from random stuff I've stumbled across, been inspired by and somehow managed to store in the back of my brain.
How do you overcome a creative block?
It's easy to say "walk away and take a break from it," but that's not always easy to do and sometimes deadlines don't allow it. That being said I think having a life that's not just about work helps a lot. It creates a rhythm where you occasionally check out because something like your children's bedtime story forces you turn things off for a bit. But, an unfinished problem is always there looming in the background and until it's cracked I'll just keep hammering away at it.
In one word describe how you feel when beginning a new project?
Excited.
What well-known site is most desperately in need of a redesign?
eBay.
Do you have creative outlets other than Web design?
I used to take a lot of video of anything I found beautiful, things like jellyfish or ice forming on the tip of a plane's propeller; now it's more photos and they're mostly of my kids.
What music are you listening to right now?
Neutral Milk Hotel, In The Aeroplane over The Sea.
What product/gadget can you not live without?
You can take everything except my motorbike.
What's the strangest thing you've bought online?
My wife does all the buying. She bought the leg lamp from A Christmas Story as a gift for her brother; I don't think it made it one night before suffering the same fate as it did in the movie.
What's your favorite quote?
Not the most profound lesson or insight to pull from the book Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, but there's a line something along the lines of, "you can't make anything of quality if you don't care." It's such an obvious statement but I love the importance it places on needing to care about the things you do; it's easy to walk through life cynical and not trying too hard at anything, but if you care then you must put in the effort to make that thing you care about all that it can be.
Do you have any advice for people just entering the profession?
Know that if you stick it out you will make it... but, approach your career as if you're entitled to nothing and must earn everything.
What's one thing you wish you knew when you started your career?
Everything happens for a reason and the path is a winding one.
Help support Kumiko Ide, Digital Strategist at Tribal DDB Canada, who is nominated for the 2011 Notable Awards as a Young Professional!
Job Description:
Kumiko Ide is Digital Strategist at Tribal DDB - a branch of DDB Canada's digital offering that also includes Radar DDB. She manages the execution of social online campaigns, provides strategic thinking in a multi-platform capacity and identifies new trends, tools, and technologies for clients such as Benefit Cosmetics, the Canadian Tourism Commission, Tourism Kelowna and the Vancouver Convention Centre. In the past, she has also provided media training and online strategy work for Microsoft, HP, Disney, and LG Electronics.
Why this YP should be recognized:
Kumiko is a creative and dedicated Digital Strategist who is unafraid to take risks. She is constantly working to better herself professionally - and able to acknowledge mistakes. Kumiko can lead a team just as easily as she is able to ask for help. She's a collaborator - which in an agency environment, is vital.
How this YP inspires others:
Kumiko inspires her co-workers, employers and community by sharing creative, interesting and unique online tools, trends and technologies on a routine basis. She is the original writer for Radar DDB's daily e-newsletter, The One Thing. This ensures that social media is prevalent in the work that DDB Canada creates at all times. Kumiko also takes on several external projects and speaking arrangements (e.g. UBC, SFU, C4 Leadership Conference), where she shares her insights around social media.
How does this YP support charity and community:
For two years, Kumiko has served as co-chair for Share DDB - DDB Canada's annual art crawl and silent auction. Last year, she helped raise over $20,000 for the James Lee Foundation and Lookout Society. Kumiko raised over $3,000 for the Red Cross following the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami in Japan, by turning her 30th birthday party into a fundraiser. She rented out an art gallery and the only gifts she would accept were auction/raffle items.
Three words that describe this YP:
intelligent, driven, tech-savv
At Tribal DDB Amsterdam, we wanted to create an environment that increased collaboration without increasing noise. We engaged i29 Interior Architects to design our new office space, which now boasts a large open space and flexible desks that maximize workspace and creative interaction. The new structure also features low level acoustics thanks to warm, fluffy sweater fabrics that cover walls, lamps, and the ceiling to absorb sound.
The interior is conceptual, innovative and playful - just like the roughly 80 people working there - and allows for an impressive level of privacy in an open space. The felt is durable, acoustic, fireproof and environmentally friendly, all characteristics that aren't often grouped together when discussing home design materials. An impressive office design for an impressive office. Big thanks to i29, we love it! Check out some photos of the new digs below:
When CNN anchor Soledad O'Brien reported on the horrible aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and returned to the scene on subsequent occasions, she became concerned that while she was doing a good job of reporting on the situation, she wasn't doing anything to change it for the better. When she met some young women whose dreams of a college education had been blown away by Katrina she decided, along with her banker husband Brad Raymond, to help restore those dreams by giving these promising young women a financial boost along with personal mentoring. And thus was formed the Soledad O'Brien and Brad Raymond Foundation, which held its inaugural fundraiser August 12, 2011, at the Bridgehampton, Long Island, home of DDB Chairman Emeritus Keith Reinhard and his wife Rose-Lee. The party, themed "New Orleans in the Hamptons," was attended by more than 200 people, among them Russell Simmons, Star Jones, Cicely Tyson and Pharrell Williams, all of whom dined on the New Orleans cuisine catered for this special evening. But the most impressive guests were the six young women, three of them pictured here, who represented the girls who will benefit from the fundraiser. Said one of them as she broke into tears, "I just can't believe that people like you would care about people like me." For more information go to http://obrienraymondfoundation.com
On behalf of Tribal DDB and DDB we are pleased to congratulate our client, colleague and friend, Mary O'Connell for being one of the 2011 AdAge Women To Watch.
We have had the pleasure of partnering with Mary and her team at Clorox over the last several years, through which we have seen significant organizational transformation with the widespread adoption of digital innovation and best practices. Her infectious enthusiasm and ability to draw from a unique and diverse background lets her bring unparalleled perspective and understanding to any project, making her an absolute pleasure as a leader and collaborator.
Moreover, Mary's desire to continually raise the bar and keep up with the ever-evolving digital landscape ensure that she will continue play an integral role in creating work that fosters meaningful brand experiences. Simply put, she is an exceptional leader who inspires those around her to do their best work. Accordingly, we look forward to seeing what comes next!
ACT Responsible is a traveling exhibition which honors creativity for good causes. The Expo has been stationed at the Cannes International Festival of Creativity displaying the best social and environmental ads from around the world throughout this week. This year, the exhibition examined submissions from agencies from all over the world and narrowed down its list of finalists to 240 of the best advertisements from 130 agencies located in 41 countries on five different continents on behalf of 210 associations ranging from large NGOs to grassroots philanthropies. Visitors to the ACT Responsible Tribute in Cannes had the opportunity to vote for their favorite ads, paying tribute to the pro-bono work done by agencies in an effort to help organizations better communicate their worthwhile missions and to creatively promote important causes. Bernard Brochand, Mayor of Cannes, explains, "It is very important to show that in order to convince people, creative ideas are always the most powerful tool for us, and for advertising."
Today DDB will be receiving recognition at The Expo 2011: Best Social & Environmental Ads from Around the World for its "The Majestic Plastic Bag" campaign on behalf of the environmental watch-dog organization, Heal the Bay. "The Majestic Plastic Bag" was a mockumentary charting the lifecycle of a plastic bag from a supermarket parking lot to the Pacific Ocean garbage patch. Produced by DDB Los Angeles, the spot aims to heighten awareness about California legislation to ban plastic bags and to impassion people about the importance of climate control.
Congratulations to DDB LA and to all of the other agencies whose campaigns are being honored at the tribute!
Our Roving Reporter sits down with AOL's Digital Prophet, David Shing, for an enlightened discussion on his unique role, AOL's presence at Cannes and its changing brand image, and his prescient ideas about trends in 2012.
Shing, a veteran in the industry, and a part of AOL for the past two-and-a-half years, gained his credentials for digital prophecy by leveraging his knowledge of media and marketing and offering a publishing perspective to the digital world. Shing's forward-thinking expertise is in fitting with AOL's recent transformation from its heritage as an old-school access provider to a new media platform that boasts a myriad of content. AOL's makeover has generated passion and excitement not only internally from employees but also externally from bloggers and others in the industry. Shing extolls AOL's new interactive capabilities, encouraging everyone to come "jam on our platform."
The interview goes on to discuss Shing's predictions for the future. He speculates that curation will become increasingly important since it can be daunting to sift through all of the poor quality content disseminated on the web. The introduction of social is altering the way in which information is shared and how content is aggregated and exhibited. Shing's other visionary observation was the need for content to be better wrapped as he observed a dearth of beauty on the web. Unlike the pristine packaging of applications for tablets which prioritize interface and user-friendly design, the web suffers from lackluster displays. Shing forsees techniques and ideologies from graphic design and screen printing reentering the post-digital world to beautify the web and to help content and advertisements work together in unison, both visually and topically speaking.
DDB's roving reporter sat down with Arianna Huffington, founder of The Huffington Post, following AOL's panel discussion at the International Festival of Creativity to examine three important and timely topics in the online publishing world today.
Jeff first inquired about Huffington Post's strategy behind conceiving of and establishing such a clear and authentic editorial voice that has successfully lead to incredible engagement from avid Huffington Post readers. Arianna underscored the importance of striking a balance between curating and reporting to bring the most comprehensive news to readers from around the world, the publication's extensive blogging community, the participative nature of the site which encourages commenting and sharing, and the importance of video as a medium through which to absorb news.
Arianna went on to discuss the changing role of consumers and brands when it comes to content creation, highlighting the trend of brands increasingly espousing the role of publishers in an effort to galvanize engagement. Similarly, consumers are much more active participants in elaborating on or repurposing that which they are absorbing.
Lastly, when asked about how to confront information overflow and establish credibility, Arianna asserted that trustworthiness is the biggest point of differentiation.
Learn how seven creatives from DDB Paris have traveled to and will spend the week in Cannes without spending a dime!
These French creatives used each of their clients and their products to come to Cannes and cover their expenditures while there. The sponsors include almost all of their clients: phones from Bouygues Telecom, outfits from the French Federation of Football, toiletries from Casio supermarkets, booze from Rare J&B Scotch Whiskey, transportation from Minis, insurance from Allianz and sugar fixes from Chupa Chups to name a few.
The name "Autarky" means living without the products we need to subsist. The creatives are forbade from having any other products aside from that which was provided to them. The Autarky Project is an amazing example of inspired ingenuity.
Our roving reporter caught up with Tim and Jenn outside the Palais at the International Festival of Creativity. This interview covers topics ranging from AOL's interest in Cannes, Tim and Jenn's sources of inspiration, and a look ahead to the future of advertising.
AOL, like many internet platforms, is attracted to the event to find inspiration as well as to network with people in the industry. The company aspires to look back at the best of where we've been over the past year and propel that forward.
Both Tim and Jenn attended thought-provoking seminars. Tim enjoyed one from IMC squared on the heritage of brands and how we can attach real meaning to a given brand in the larger context of consumer behavior. Jenn spoke of seminars from advertising agencies on the science behind creativity and how to change our approach to problem solving.
In order to keep itself competitive and creative, AOL strives to tap into the innate creativity of both emerging and well-established artists without constraining them in any way. To do so, it provides them with a platform on which they can run their art and gain exposure without restriction. Additionally, Jenn reflects on how one can gain inspiration and insights from personal experience, such as one's family life and apply consumer strategy to that which is most familiar to gain a better understanding of advertising techniques in action.
Kraft Foods hosted Malcolm Gladwell, PHD looked beyond the horizon, and Diageo talked marketing transformation. Attendees buzzed with excitement and inspiration from these and other events. Jeff Swystun, Chief Communications Officer, DDB Worldwide captured the Festival's spirit through interviews and video from the Palais and the beach.
Eric Schlakman, Associate Creative Director at Tribal DDB New York, on ending childhood poverty, mastering interpretive dance routines, and fabricating one-sentence bios.
Q: If you had to switch roles with someone in the agency, what position would you take and why?
A: Summer intern. When I was an intern, I loved soaking up everything I could from everybody I encountered. And I was determined to win an award and change the world with every brief, no matter how big or small the assignment was. In my opinion, if you don't maintain that naïveté and optimism, then you can't possibly produce good work. Plus, summer interns get the rest of the year off to go party at college. Not too shabby.
Q: What qualities do you look for in a prospective employee?
A: Somebody who's interested and interesting. You have to be willing to learn and explore, but also try to bring value to every discussion. That combo is key. Milton Glaser once said, "The real issue is not talent as an independent element, but talent in relationship to will, desire, and persistence. Talent without these things vanishes, and even modest talent with those characteristics grows." You also need to love the New York Mets enough to talk about them constantly, but not so much that you feel bad when giving me your season tickets for free.
Q: What's one piece of advice you'd give to a new employee?
A: Never order burritos when working late. Bad situation all around.
Q: Where do you look for inspiration?
A: I expose myself to everything. I don't mean that I press my naked body against my office window (though I'm not saying I haven't done that, either), but rather that looking in different, unusual, uncommon places for inspiration always sparks new ideas. The best ideas come from the strangest places. I take classes at MoMA, write for an irreverent ecard site, and constantly scour the Web. By learning, practicing, and observing, I'm able to combine highbrow, lowbrow, and unibrow culture into innovative advertising concepts.
Q: What advertisement do you wish you made?
A: The Aaron Burr "Got Milk" ad, because it changed the way we look at a product that's been around forever, just by being honest about its benefits and telling an interesting story. Any of the Economist print and outdoor ads, because they're insightful, concise, witty and topical--all qualities that I hope my writing conveys. And the Grande Reportagem "Maps" campaign, because it's fucking brilliant.
Q: Can you relate to Don Draper at all?
A: Don lived in Westchester, works on Madison Avenue, and now lives on the corner of Waverly Place and Sixth Avenue. All of those things are true about me, too. Though I usually wait until noon to start drinking.
Q: What publication best describes you?
A: A combination of Wired and Mad magazines. Part geek, part somebody who finds joy in simple ideas like a fold-in page.
Q: What non-advertising-related job best prepared you for your current role?
A: Bartending. It's very similar to advertising in many ways. You have to listen and offer guidance to your clients, develop interesting promotions worth spreading, and find time to enjoy Happy Hour.
Q: What current industry-related trend do you hope gains momentum?
A: Transmedia storytelling. The notion of participating in a program or event or pretty much anything through multiple platforms in real time is where it's at (did I just set the record for most ad terms in one sentence?). For example, Despicable Me and Best Buy let people download an app that synced with the movie, giving subtitles during the end credits for the Minions' gibberish live on their iPhones. Totally awesome. In the hopefully not-so-distant future, I'd love to watch Top Chef and have my phone know that's what I'm doing, then have it send me contestants' recipes as their dishes are being presented (perhaps with behind-the-scenes comments from judges, a live chat to discuss the recipes, and a Google Maps integration to show me where I can buy the ingredients). Then I can start looking for a phone that cooks for me.
Following a very exciting 2010 which saw DDB Europe named Network of the Year at Eurobest (for the second year running!) as well as Network of the Year at the Golden Drum Festival, we have put together a document which embodies the essence of our European operations. We have called it, rather inventively, The Essence of DDB Europe. It gives you an idea of our capabilities in the European region by showcasing some of our work, client relations and recognition.
The 'ad greats' who dominated Madison Avenue in the 1950's and 1960's left the industry an incredible legacy. Among the assets passed down and still passionately referenced are the greats' quotes. Taken in the aggregate these bon mots represent key philosophies of business and commerce. And it is amazing how timeless these musings and lessons remain.
So while the 'Mad Men' era is over, the broader marketing and communications industry is still guided by what these folks had to say. Yet, much has changed in the organization and practice of delivering compelling communications. "Advertising" is too confining a label, consumers play an ever increasing role in how brands define themselves, technologies proliferate at ever greater speeds, and we are now firmly in the grip (and promise) of social media.
This led me to wonder what the icons of Madison Avenue would think about social media, "the use of web-based and mobile technologies to turn communication into interactive dialogue". So I went back to their thoughts to find relevance and application.
LEO BURNETT
He created such characters as the Jolly Green Giant, the Marlboro Man, the Pillsbury Doughboy, and Tony the Tiger. Instead of copy-heavy ads with lengthy product descriptions and selling arguments, Leo Burnett developed fresh, simple icons that came to symbolize easy-to-understand product benefits. By revisiting what he had to say, we can gain some understanding of how Leo Burnett would apply social media.
"Good advertising does not just circulate information. It penetrates the public mind with desires and belief."
Mr. Burnett would love the additional medium but he would be less concerned with reach than he would be with helpful content. In addition to using social media to deliver, "Here's what we've got. Here's what it will do for you. Here's how to get it", Mr. Burnett would imbue a personal and emotional aspect to connect with the consumer.
"I am one who believes that one of the greatest dangers of advertising is not that of misleading people, but that of boring them to death."
Social media is not only immediate and conversational, it also brings the promise of being highly tailored for relevant entertainment. Leo Burnett would use the channel to entertain and inform with the goal being the consumer seeking out the communications rather than being bombarded with them.
"Make it simple. Make it memorable. Make it inviting to look at. Make it fun to read."
Marketing messages are not growing smaller in number. In fact, communications clutter remains an issue in the industry just as it did in Mr. Burnett's time. Social media's promise is to personalize communications so consumers receive the most useful information. Yet at this stage, we are just receiving more and more. To cut through the clutter, Mr. Burnett would employ social media for opportunities to playfully engage people with valuable messages.
"The secret of all effective advertising is not the creation of new and tricky words and pictures, but one of putting familiar words and pictures into new relationships."
This quote has excellent application to social media. Given that the source consumers trust the most for brand recommendations are family and friends, Mr. Burnett would seize that insight and customize communications for groups sharing the same likes, needs, and wants allowing them to spread the word.
A shift is happening in the world. A shift towards a new communication born from social missions. But what is a social mission? And what can it do for the brands we work with every day? Find out how a small experiment made by Volkswagen Sweden put a social mission on the map, and created engagement with millions of people across the world---engagement that continues to this day.
"Content is king!" has been the battle cry for social media for a while now. We create content in order to move our brand perception or lift our products. We create content to engage with people or instigate a dialogue. And we do it well. But we can do it better. And we can realize profit from it. No, let me reformulate that, we can make sure everyone profits from it.
Two years ago we started on a journey together with Volkswagen Sweden. We didn't know the exact effects of what we would achieve but we wanted to involve people in our communication instead of doing a traditional ad campaign. We created The Fun Theory - a theory that fun can change human behavior for the better, built on the insight that Volkswagen creates innovations that make their cars more environmentally friendly without compromising the joy of driving. Our social mission was hence to change human behavior through fun - and develop a platform to inspire people to take part in it. It is a mission that originated from the idea of how Volkswagen develops its BlueMotion Technologies.
It all started with three events, which were documented and posted on thefuntheory.com together with a competition where we asked the public to join in and send us their ideas of how to make the world a better place through fun. After two months we got more than 700 entries from 35 countries competing for the grand prize.
And even though the competition ended more than a year ago, the Fun Theory grows day by day, engaging people all around the world. People share the Fun Theory videos, promote the "theory,"and by doing so, promote Volkswagen's philosophy behind their innovations.
The Fun Theory has today become more than just a campaign; it has become a platform, a way for Volkswagen Sweden to work on improving the world by incremental steps through their own, or other peoples' ideas. In other words, it has become a social mission where the driver is peoples' creativity. The Speed Camera Lottery was the first example of this.
Before leaving Brazil, a friend told me to pay close attention to the looks of children and the elderly, because sometimes the biggest novelty is simply looking at something that has been around longer, in a new way. Today was a day to do that and to discover a view that, in 45 days of travelling, I had not even come close to seeing. If I told you that this happened on a tour, maybe nobody would believe me. But... what if the guide was a homeless person?
Have you ever stopped to think about how many stories these people have to tell? Probably not, right? We were probably too busy to ask, or too worried about that they might say. But a group of people here in London decided to break the ice, simply by offering a pair of socks and sitting down to talk with them, a move that was dubbed The Sock Mob. The idea was not to create a form of philanthropy or charity, but to eliminate some stigmas associated with groups like this one, which prevent them from actively participating in the social and cultural life of the city.
And that's what they did, by creating London Unseen Tours, and by transforming people that have been marginalized, into the protagonists of their neighborhoods' stories. As expected, they create the script themselves. The tour is much more than visiting the local famous places. It is about experiencing a point of view that never had the chance to be seen and that is full of interesting, rich experiences that above all, are completely authentic.
I took the route from Old Street, in East London, a place that currently has a large concentration of pubs and art galleries, but that not too long ago was a dead industrial center after business hours. In two hours, I discovered the location of a cultural center, now demolished, where "too well-dressed" people were prohibited from entering, passing through squares and churchyards where our guide Henry has been arrested for sleeping (as well as other situations involving the police and residents of the buildings) even reaching a pub that has caused a commotion for displaying an unorthodox film involving a woman and a...donkey. With a bit of sarcasm he earned from living on the streets, Henry commented that he "never looked at animals the same way again."
Not even the local circus school was immune to his comments. The journey also included the actual location of Shakespeare's first theater (not the one where everyone takes pictures!), which is already in the process of expropriating the neighboring buildings so that it's reconstructed in five years, and countless other places and stories which make it even more authentic. Not to mention the fact that he says he knows Banksy, as if it were the most natural thing in the world! After the trip, we stopped at a bar to talk a bit more about all of these stories, and of course, you can all do the same.
However, the most striking thing when we returned home, was thinking about the significance of this work for the tour guides. I'm not talking about the perspective of them not having to beg on the street or improving their financial situation, none of that. I am talking about them seeing, for the first time in their lives, that their stories have value, and that what has made them undesirable is also what makes them admirable. You realize that telling the stories, even painful stories, makes one feel like he or she has something to offer people, instead of begging. So they offer everything openly.
They have plenty of what the world searches hardest for nowadays: experiences. Much more than that: absolutely authentic and unique experiences that are ready to be shared! It's strange to think about, but the homeless people of the Underseen Tour represent an image of the repulsion-attraction paradox of a world that rejects the source of what it searches for. I don't know what the future of the project is, but it does not end in itself. Like a work of art, it starts in the frame and continues in the mind of whoever sees it.
The pop up store. This is really a trend that shows how consumer habits are changing. In Mumbai, the first pop up store was opened less than two months ago. The name of the spot is Obataimu, which in Japanese means "overtime" (that extra hour at the end of the work day, that break for a "last drink", a little time for ourselves). Like any good pop up store, they do not have any advertising besides word of mouth from those who found the shop, or whoever can find the location which is passed on in the form of a guessing game.
Whoever has the luck of getting there before it moves on to another location will discover the refinement of the store which offers more than just clothes and accessories, but concepts as well. The pieces are separated according to the style that you convey by wearing them: the Geek, the Bloke, the Collector, the Bum... all with an explanation so that no one passes along the wrong message.
There's even an area to play with the Japanese idea of Hikikomori (a person who is so glued to the computer that they won't even get up to eat or go to the bathroom). People can buy a specially padded laptop cover that doubles as a pillow when the computer is inside it.
The difference at Obataimu is in explaining the production process of everything. So this is the consumer's chance to discover all the details of the pieces for sale. And if that isn't enough, each piece is made by only one person. There is no assembly line. Each team takes about five days to go through all the stages, from preparing the fabric to the sewing, in what gradually becomes the final product proposed in the Craftifesto.
Oh! Can anyone guess where the creator of this project is at this exact moment, looking for the next creations? In the same place where she discovered the leather made from fish scales which almost no one had heard of before it turned into the most "in" and eco-friendly thing in the world. She's in Brazil.
Earlier this year, the Ministry of Culture of Brazil created a portfolio for the Creative Economy. You don't know what this is? Briefly, it is the entire production of economic wealth from artistic, cultural and design sources produced in our country. It's in these sectors that the most valuable (and powerful) elements of our future will be created: ideas. It turns out that they realized this three or four years ago in Thailand, and that is where the idea to create the TCDC (Thailand Creative & Design Center) was born, one of the most fascinating places that I encountered over the course of my entire trip. It is based on five goals:
1) Provide knowledge.
2) Provide inspiration.
3) Provide opportunities for local people in their own provinces (there are mini-TCDCs across the country, in addition to the live broadcast of lectures that take place in Bangkok).
4) Serve as a link between interested individuals and designers (work portfolio available on the Internet and a mural with cards, old fashioned style, at headquarters).
5) Use all of the items above to boost the national economy.
At TCDC, I encountered an incredible place: A library. But a different kind of library where the shelves are filled with samples of every type of material, catalogued by the manufacturing process, with labels explaining how it can be used. I never saw anything like it. The "Materials Room" of the TCDC (in reality, there are only five of these in the whole world) is a paradise for any really creative designer. Have you ever thought about the joy in knowing that "for any problem there is a material solution" right there, behind the door?
But this is exactly the idea behind the place: to provide everything necessary for creative minds to develop products or designs capable of generating wealth and representing Thailand across the globe. The TCDC is not a design school, but it offers full support for the "thinking process" of innovation.
Being curious, I discovered that the other asset of the library is its "Trend Book." Normally, only members have access to the book, but with a little bit of luck I was able to glance through the latest issue: Fall-winter 2012-2013 Interiors.
The TCDC doesn't want to just develop products, it wants to develop ideas because the government has now realized the value that these ideas have in these sectors.
I am in Bangkok but can't get this Paris experience out of my head.
Walking with two friends through the district of Marrais, I came across a souvenir store. It was the sharp eyesight of Batatinha (who manages to see part of a tag at a distance of 500 meters half a second after turning the corner) that led us to going in and noticing, in one corner of the store, some handbags completely covered in graffiti. The designer had used a printing technique where each pixel is directly marked on the fabric, just as though it were a wall. Very pretty, interesting, all that, but what I couldn't explain to myself was why, in a city filled with graffiti like Paris, all the images used were of walls in Hong Kong.
I wondered to myself: Is there something here? And there was. The shopkeeper directed us to the store-gallery where the photographer's work was on display, and it was there that I found ChinArt, where I not only discovered new works, but also a new way of seeing East in the West. Sincerely now, guys, what comes to mind when somebody mentions China? "Made-in-China," harsh working conditions, copies on an industrial scale of everything the West makes? That's why ChinArt was conceived, as an association of fans of China who wanted to show that this image is very distorted.
It's amazing that a country growing faster than Jack's beanstalk continues to generate such great misconceptions. The conceiver of the project knows this, and it was to break this ice that she chose the format of a store-gallery. The idea of ChinArt is not just to sell works of art, but to invite the public to delve into this unknown universe. That's why the store refreshes its merchandise every time the exhibition changes. "It's not like finding a pretty key ring on the shelf of a store without having any contact with the artists' universe. First, you're delighted (and the experience has to be completed). Then you take it home, knowing where it came from," she said.
She argues that if this stereotypical image of China and the Chinese exists, it's because we force them to be this way. The association's mandate is to show that when the Chinese do something for themselves, apart from creating goods for export, they demonstrate how creative, surprising, delightful and fascinating they really are. It is this creative universe that she believes can no longer be restricted to within the country's borders. Very soon, it will overflow with the same force that is propelling the economic growth of the country.
So I say farewell, and leave you with some images of the current exhibition (Chocolate Rain) in the fan page of the gallery.
Recently, the Globe & Mail showcased DDB Canada's office in The Amazing Space, a regular feature that profiles outstanding work spaces in Canada. The open design of our space encourages collaboration and the flow of ideas, and our various meeting rooms share stories of famous leaders, who shook up their respective industries by being enemies of the ordinary or not accepting the status quo. Take a peak inside our Toronto office that celebrates our agency's philosophy of instigation and helps instill our culture of creativity.
Valentine's Day is a great opportunity to let your loved ones know how much you appreciate them. However, according to the DDB Life Style Study®, if you don't get it right this holiday, it may also be a real opportunity to upset your significant other.
When it comes to Valentine's Day, it seems the old adage, 'It's the thought that counts', still holds true. In fact, 77% of men and women agree that they would be more upset that their partner didn't acknowledge the day at all than if they received something they didn't like from their partner.
However, before you send that email acknowledging the day and presuming you're off the hook - you may want to consider how long you've been in the relationship. The survey reveals that for men and women, the more committed the relationship, the more important it is to get the gift right.
32% of married men vs. 23% of men who are dating would be more upset if their partner got them something they didn't like than if their partner didn't acknowledge the day at all.
19% of married women vs. 11% of women who are dating would be more upset if their partner got them something they didn't like than if their partner didn't acknowledge the day at all.
Moreover, the DDB Life Style Study® reveals that the longer the relationship, the more a Valentine's Day gift is representative of how much you really know your partner. Getting a long-term partner the wrong gift has the possibility of sending a strong message that you don't care enough to try to get something your partner would like or that you really don't know them at all.
28% of people who have been in a relationship that has lasted 25 years or more would be more upset if their partner got them something they didn't like on Valentine's Day than if their partner didn't acknowledge the day at all.
In contrast, only 19% of people in a relationship that has lasted five years or less would be more upset if their partner got them something they didn't like on Valentine's Day.
So, what have we learned? If you're currently just dating or in a five-year-or-less relationship - an acknowledgement, flowers, a card and/or candy may suffice. However, if you're in a long-term-relationship and don't know that you're significant other is allergic to chocolate and abhors roses - this could be a long night for you.
Tribal DDB has launched a new fun iPhone game app to mark the Year of the Rabbit.
To usher in the festive spirit, the Tribal DDB Singapore team has created a multi-player game for iPhone called "Bumpin' Bunnies." It's a game with everything - lucky numbers, gold coins, simple game-play for groups and of course, bunnies.
"Chinese New Year is a time for exuberant reunions of family and friends. We wanted to provide an unconventional yet fun way to engage both the young and old, while at the same time spread good cheer of abundant prosperity, luck and joy to all," said Jeff Cheong, executive creative director and head of Tribal DDB Singapore.
As the story goes, the bunnies are here to welcome the New Year, but they need their zodiac coins. Players compete with one another to collect gold zodiac coins. The game was created to be a social magnet, pulling together family and friends regardless of age or gender, in a simple activity that's plain fun and 100% true to the spirit of the celebration.
Bumpin' Bunnies
The bunnies are out of their burrows to welcome the Chinese New Year, but they've lost their gold zodiac coins. And without them, they won't be able to usher in fortune and prosperity! Now, it's up to you and your bunny to save the world. It's bumpin' time! The "Bumpin' Bunnies" game app is now available free for download at the Apple App Store.
I have very strong memories of the incredible people (and agencies) that helped me, as a young university graduate, break into the advertising industry. It's a helping hand that I've always tried to replicate, particularly during my time at DDB. So I'm thrilled to announce that DDB New York is introducing LaunchPad, a unique three-month internship program for advertising students and aspiring entry-level creatives. We plan to welcome our first internship class this Spring. LaunchPad was an idea first established at DDB Sydney. And it was a huge success. Some of the most talented, and awarded, creatives in my department came through the LaunchPad program. So it's exciting to see LaunchPad expand outside of Australia.
LaunchPad is an innovative talent development program that helps entry-level creatives break into the advertising industry. The program is designed to bridge the gap between classroom education and hands-on-application and to help participating students differentiate themselves from other graduating talent. Those selected for the LaunchPad program are given the opportunity not only to work in a true agency environment while collaborating with teams of seasoned professionals, but also to work on live briefs and enhance their portfolios with real client work. Participating students even receive a retainer of $1,500 a month for the duration of the three-month internship.
In Australia, the vast majority of creatives who completed the LaunchPad program found full-time agency employment shortly after graduation. We found that this program truly made a difference to students trying to break into the agency world after graduating, simply by offering them a chance to diversify their portfolio while working in a fast-paced and dynamic agency environment.
Former "Launchies" have nothing but praise for the program. As one student said to me, "LaunchPad has been an incredible learning experience. I've had the chance to work on TV, print and radio briefs and even produced a number of them. I've also worked alongside award-winning creatives in one of the highest-ranking creative agencies. A junior creative couldn't get a better, well-rounded experience anywhere else." And that is typical of the feedback. The first DDB New York LaunchPad begins in early April, and will accept six students. If know any interested candidates, just ask them to send a selection of their very best work to launchpad@ddb.com.
Discussions about the homeless tend to dwell on the negative. DDB Canada chose to show how First United has had a positive impact. We placed 'empty' sculptures of homeless people at various locations in Vancouver, to represent the many people that are no longer living on the streets with the help from First United. The sculptures were accompanied by signs that read: 'HELP get someone off the streets', and change cups held slips of paper that directed the public to the Facebook profiles of Jody, Steveand Gordon to learn more about their true stories of getting off the street.
DDB Canada's holiday card takes inspiration from the best trends, tools and technologies we have seen from both the digital and creative fields. It is a social fundraising project that brings people together to raise money for the Canadian Cancer Society (CCS) -- simply by checking into virtual venues across Canada.
More then 100 "Check-in for a Cure" venues were created at CCS and DDB Canada offices, and until January 1, 2011, DDB Canada will donate $5 for every person that checks in to one of these locations using a mobile device (up to a maximum of $10,000).
"We wanted to try something different for our holiday card this year. Something that celebrates our national network by bringing location and collaboration to the forefront," says Frank Palmer, Chairman & CEO, DDB Canada. "Since, our CCS client is a community-based organization that promotes action and awareness on a local level, we decided to use location as a way to get people involved and raise money for this worthy cause."
People can participate by searching for nearby "Check-in for a Cure" venues on their smart phones and checking-in using Foursquare and Facebook Places. Each check-in is then broadcast to the participant's own personal network. There is also an option for people to check-in directly from the website: http://ddbcanada.com/holiday/.
As more people check-in, the "Check-in for a Cure" site will become livelier as it approaches the $10,000 goal. The illustrations on the site celebrate some of the characters and items that have entertained and inspired DDBers in 2010.
As cancer is the #1 killer of Canadians, you'd be hard-pressed to find someone who hasn't been touched by it. The Canadian Cancer Society (CCS) was the only major cancer charity in Canada for almost fifty years, but since 1998, the number of cancer charities in Canada had grown to over 225.
Given the cluttered competitive environment, the CCS was in need of an image makeover. It was an organization that was 'well known but not known well'. DDB Canada needed to reintroduce the CCS with a bold, modern attitude and give it a new brand voice.
Research unveiled that those affected by cancer were most motivated by ideas about hope and optimism. Furthermore, they believed that they personally could make a difference, and their intense emotional involvement with the disease had manifested into courage and determination. Interestingly, they were talking about cancer in the third person as if the disease could be spoken to directly. The goal was to transform the sadness and anger into a powerful movement to fight back.
The highly emotive integrated campaign called 'Join The Fight' kicked off with a PR event that with a donation, allowed people to throw paint balloons at a giant mural of the word "CANCER" and eradicate the word.
Two gripping short films featured real people speaking directly to cancer. The English version "Fight" presented vignettes of people and their affected family members at home. The French version "Dinner" placed various cancer survivors at a big table and let them berate the unseen, uninvited guest.
These drove Canadians to fightback.ca, a website where we shared stories from survivors, doctors and more. Radio executions used real people talking to cancer, and a series of posters used confrontational headlines like, "Cancer, if you thought chemotherapy hurt, wait 'til you get a load of the new things we're working on."
The PR event generated 3,000 interactions and a 300% increase in traffic on fightback.ca on launch day. The event generated over 17 million media impressions and a cost per contact less that $0.007. There were over 40 million impressions in the first four months of web activity. Overall campaign metrics in the first four months of our web activity achieved 43,604,748 impressions.
Ed Lee, Director, Social Media, DDB Canada, Toronto, was the Emcee for this annual event: "an oral history from the characters that shape our industry". It is a fireside chat (with the fire playing in a flatscreen tv). The three storytellers were Mia Wedgbury, CEO, High Road Communications, Greg Hounslow, Emerging Media Advisor, WestJet, and Jeff Swystun, Chief Communications Officer, DDB Worldwide. Each spoke of their personal and professional lives in a very relaxed atmosphere at this very unique event.
The ads that DDB Singapore created on behalf of the Breast Cancer Foundation hit mass media only last week. But the campaign went viral on the web long before that. Even before its launch in print and outdoor, the work was featured on over 300 blogs, had found fans on FaceBook, and Singapore's leading newspaper, The Straits Times devoted half a page to it. The team has also received enquries from the Sydney Morning Herald on the campaign.
Like all strong communication, the work for the Breast Cancer Foundation is a very strong yet simple insight brilliantly executed.
It takes an hour to get a facial treatment at a spa. It takes only 20 minutes to get your breasts screened for cancer. Yet, the average woman gets eighteen facial treatments and zero breast cancer screenings a year. Which begs the question: are we paying attention to the things that really matter?
After much experimentation, the team arrived upon an execution style that used body painting, optical illusion and photography. We were concerned that nudity in staid Singapore would cause some brouhaha, but a brave client and a receptive audience left us pleasantly surprised.
There are people who do their work. And there are people who do it with passion. There are people who lead. And there are truly inspiring leaders. Keith Reinhard, DDB Worldwide Chairman Emeritus, is one of the most inspiring and passionate leaders I've ever met in my life. And his visit to Riga, Latvia was a dream that recently came true.
My first meeting with Keith Reinhard happened to be soon after I joined DDB. It was at a DDB course "Dialogue with Keith and Ken" in New York in December 2002. His speech about Passion as the most important ingredient in creative achievement inspired me a lot. He said "Nothing great has ever been accomplished without passion. When all our hearts are on fire with passion, we'll do something great together. We'll transform the world." I was also surprised at the openness, warmth and humanity of this person whose responsibility it was to lead a company which ranks among the world's largest and most creative advertising agency networks.
I met Keith Reinhard several more times during DDB conferences and industry lectures. After another very inspiring presentation in Helsinki in 2004, I asked Keith a very straightforward question, "What can we do to get you to visit Riga." And Keith said, "I'll come when you're the most creative and awarded agency in Latvia." We were in the top 3 at that time. Three years later, DDB Latvia was named #1 creative agency in the reputation chart, but in 2009 we received a record number of awards including the Effie Grand Prix and became the most awarded agency in Latvia. I wrote the good news to Keith and we started to plan his visit to Riga.
"The Little Green Guide" is a bilingual (English and Arabic) publication with over 70 easy-to-follow tips to help counter global warming. With an initial print run of 2000, the launch of the booklet was supported by press write-ups to create awareness and to spread the word. It was backed by a host of related environment-friendly activities.
The purpose of "The Little Green Guide" is to drive home the fact that each one of us can make a positive difference to the environment by taking small, simple steps.
The extensive media coverage of "The Little Green Guide" in local newspapers and periodicals, both English and Arabic, elicited enthusiastic response. This led to many queries and more copies of the booklet being circulated.
The simplicity of the project was key to its success, and is the reason why it continues to gain momentum. It elicited active participation from DDB Group companies in Oman, which have recycled around 2.5 tons of paper over the last two years. A similar drive at DDB is now being organized for plastics.
On March 31st, the DDB New York office unveiled a powerful new PSA campaign designed to bring about awareness and prevention of teen suicide, from the US Dept. of Health and Human Services' Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the Ad Council and Inspire USA Foundation. Titled "We Can Help Us," the campaign has already generated a great deal of interest from media and consumers alike, with an exclusive feature in USA Today (view the article here).
News of the campaign has generated notes of gratitude from clients and partners alike, including the following from Jack Heath, President and CEO, Inspire Foundation: "...what your team have done in combining moving personal stories with such powerful and evocative animations has left me humbled and in some cases in tears. These productions speak to a humanity that is truly heroic and transformative - and a humanity that clearly resides in the hearts of everyone at DDB who has worked on this. Your guys have elevated our work to a level I could never have imagined."
Created pro bono, the campaign includes television, radio, print, outdoor and interactive elements, as well as posters in schools and malls. In the spots, viewers are directed to visit us.reachout.com, where they can view and listen to stories from teens who have been there and made it.
DDB Canada has a long-standing tradition of helping worthy causes and charities, by lending our creative and strategic expertise to develop PSA campaigns and programs for worthy causes and organizations. We are a proud supporter of the BC Lions Society's "Eagles in the City" program, which raises funds for Easter Seal Services and the Canucks for Kids Fund. We have participated in similar BC Lions Society public art projects, "Whales in the City" and "Bears in the City" by sponsoring artists to design both a pair of whales and bears. Last year, we were approached by BC Lions Society President, Stephen Miller with a partnership opportunity which involved working closely with the BC Lions Society and providing support in the development of various marketing communications materials. Also, this year we have sponsored eagles that are located in both Vancouver and Victoria. We allowed the local artists, who designed the two eagles, complete creative freedom. Eagles in the City is a creative fundraising program and a great initiative to help support and build the profile of our talented local artists. For more information: www.eaglesinthecity.com
DDB, in partnership with: Ziedot.lv, Swedbank, Maxima, Hanzas Maiznca and many other benefactors, are turning the charitable project "Hunger-free Latvia" into reality. The project's goal is to help to feed those Latvian families that are unable to provide themselves with the most basic items, including food.
It may be that we won't rewrite history but this local grassroots effort shows the good that can happen when a community comes together and embraces a cause. The project is currently in full swing - ads can be seen on TV, heard on the radio and spotted outdoors. "Circenīša Ziemassvtki" a song written by Raimonds Pauls and remixed by a singer from Riga - Alisa Joste- has become the food bank's anthem while its TVC uses an approach which is a first for Latvia - sand art created by talented, young artist, Krišjānis Bols.
We've also launched a partnership with the LNT show "Tautas Balss" in which a report on our project is shown every Monday evening at 19:10. By the way, during the first three shows, more than LVL 11,000 were donated by callers calling the project's charity hotline: 9000 64 88 which means that 1,337 families will receive food parcels! All of which leads us to believe this community will reach its goal.
On the evening of January 14, CEO Ted Kim officially launched the new DDB Group Korea office in Seoul. Attending representing DDB Worldwide was special guest Douglas Faudet, Vice Chairman of DDB Asia Pacific.
Both Ted and Douglas made warm and inspiring speeches to a large group of employees, clients and industry peers. Congratulatory video messages were also played from Bob Scarpelli, Chuck Brymer and John Zeigler.
The new DDB offices are bright and open plan, reflecting the new spirit and collaborative approach Ted envisions. DDB global and local work is prominently displayed as is a DDB achievements timeline from 1949 to present day.
The DDB Korea Group includes Optimum Media Korea and Tribal DDB, with plans to launch Rapp and DDB Health within the year.
On January 12th, a magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck near Haiti's capital of Port-au-Prince, causing massive death and destruction. While the toll is only beginning to be understood, huge parts of the capital are in ruins and there are the eyewitness and news accounts of "total disaster" and chaos.
An estimated 3 million people are struggling with the aftermath of the earthquake. Current estimates of the death tolls from the Red Cross are over 45,000, and thousands more are living in the streets.
At this stage of the emergency response, the greatest priority is providing survivors with medical aid, food, shelter and other supplies. Your financial contribution will provide support for those in need. We encourage you to make a donation to a reputable organization. The American Institute of Philanthropy, a charity-watchdog group, has provided a list of top-rated Haiti relief organizations which you can access here, www.charitywatch.org/hottopics/Haiti.html.
About a year ago, DDB started using Issuu to make the Yellow Papers series available to audiences beyond its main site. The initiative turned out to be successful. We gained a large number of readers above and beyond those who came directly to our site, which is great since the idea was to give away the papers to as many people as possible. Plus, the Issuu document viewer is so well designed that reading the paper directly on screen might not be such a far fetched alternative after all. The hope is to save a few trees in the process. And now that Issuu has just launched its bookshelf feature, we quickly adopted it to showcase our growing collection of Yellow Papers – 19 and counting. If you head to our Yellow Paper section, you will see from now on a mini bookshelf below the most current paper.
I've always been fascinated by the power of entertainment over the human mind, especially with the advent of Web 2.0 and the unlimited possibilities it affords for using video and the internet in the form of a highly targeted, interactive broadcast.
Since 2003, we've been exploring the worlds of music, dance, video games, advergames, TV programming, and cinema, and making them fully interactive Web 2.0 experiences, all the while growing our clients' businesses, even winning a Cyber Lion along the way.
Now, it's time for everyone in this field to take it to the next level. I recently was introduced to Rock Corps, a great initiative sponsored by Orange which marries brand entertainment with social responsibility. Rock Corps has played out in the US, the UK and France with huge success built on a simple concept: the virtuous circle.
Rock Corps is a major concert production featuring top-range artists, such as David Guetta, one of the top global DJs and winner of a Platine album for his last album, When Love Takes Over; Akon, a star in the R&B genre, six times nominated for a Grammy; Busta Rhymes,a top Hip Hop artist; and members of Razorlight, the UK rock band that was the front band for the Rolling Stones in their last tour. The catch is:
The only way to attend a concert is to give four hours of your time to a charity. No snagging tickets from a scalper or through a well-connected friend. And guess what? In every country Rock Corps has played to thousands of young adults, it has "sold out" all the while creating community involvement and some pretty good PR.
So here is my new challenge: to use branded entertainment to make brands contribute to a better society by bringing more fun and more utility to people. Rock on!
Mario Gascon, Executive Creative Director at DDB Barcelona, recently posed these questions to me:
Can advertising help make the world a better place?
Can one idea cause a little miracle?
Can DDB be proud of helping make that miracle happen?
Mario answered each of his own questions with a very proud "yes." Here's why.
DDB Barcelona's client Bellota has made high-quality tools for over a hundred years. The tools are so durable that they are passed down through the years from father to son. Customers say Bellota tools "can be lost but never broken."
So obviously it is a challenge to sell new tools. Plus Bellota's marketing budget is much smaller than their competition's.
Samanta Judez, Director of Strategic Planning, had an idea that turned into a miracle. Sam thought of offering customers 10% off the price of new tools if they donated their old ones at point of sale. It was a simple promotion under the theme "Give your old tools a longer life." But what do you do with the old tools?
Well, with the help of a not-for-profit organization, Bellota sent those tools to villagers in the West African nation of Burkina Faso, one of the poorest on Earth. For the villagers, receiving these tools was a miracle. And the emotional reward of experiencing the gratitude of the Burkina Faso villagers has been huge for everyone involved.
In fact, some of the villagers wanted to say thanks for the tools by sending some kind of gift. And that's why DDB Barcelona now is the proud owner of a sheep and two hens.
More importantly, as Mario pointed out, every so often our profession gives us special occasions when we can feel like more than professionals. We can feel like human beings.
Thanks to Mario, Sam and everyone at DDB Barcelona, I couldn't agree more.
As schools and parents both face the need to trim budgets, and sports being one area that often falls under the axe, private grants that enable kids to participate in sports make a lot of sense. And so does a gentle reminder of the positive impact sports have not only on physical well being but on the development of interpersonal and social skills. KidSport BC, a community-based sport funding program in Canada that makes just this type of grant, and DDB seek to raise awareness of the importance of sports in childhood development and the achievement of success in life with an entertaining TV and radio campaign that to date has received the 2009 Humanitarian Award from the British Columbia Association of Broadcasters and $3 million in gifted media placement.
Learning to give, learning to walk and taking flight
The Foundation for the Orthopaedic Children's Hospital or "el Ortopédico" - as we call it - is one of ARS DDB's oldest and most prized clients. When Eugenio Mendoza, a very important Venezuelan businessman and philanthropist founded the Children's Poliomelitis Hospital in 1942, he needed support for his cause from the best agency in town. At that time he came to Carlos Eduardo Frias, an intellectual and visionary businessman, founder of ARS Publicidad (that's us) who offered to work pro-bono for the hospital. Ever since we've been their "agency of record."
After more than 60 years, it's become increasingly challenging to creatively convince people to give to charities. However, regardless of the current economic situation, we at ARS DDB have been more than happy to work for the Ortopédico during all these years for two main reasons: because we've always shared the common value of educating and investing in the protection of the next and future generations of Venezuelans, and, more importantly, because there are few things as satisfying as knowing that we're doing our part in bringing a smile to a kid who very much needs it.
To that end, we embrace the entire Foundation as a brand, and as such, develop communication strategies for it to grow and achieve its yearly objectives. We, as individuals, also contribute to the Foundation's cause through donations and participation in events. In short, working for the Ortopédico is great. Not only because it brings out the best in people's creativity, but also because the motivation goes far beyond top-or-bottom line results. This in the end yields much higher returns for everyone involved: for the kids and for all of us at ARS DDB.
Using Flickr and Slideoo, DDB is building a World Gallery of its people from each of its 200 offices. These social media tools allow us to populate our website with images of our talented people. The widget can be found in our Culture section and soon also in our Careers section our site. A small but important way of bringing our values of Creativity and Humanity to life.
Many cancer survivors will tell you that their condition not only had huge impact on themselves but on their family. That is why it is important for families impacted by the disease to address it together and heal together. A charity in Canada has developed a program that helps them do just that. "Cottage Dreams Cancer Recovery Initiative is a registered charity that offers recent cancer survivors the opportunity to spend a week at a private, donated cottage to reconnect and rejuvenate with family and friends after successfully completing treatment. For over a century, Canadian families have been finding peace, tranquility and inspiration in cottage country. Cottage Dreams was created with this in mind."
Since 2003, Cottage Dreams have facilitated 452 families (representing 3,100 people) in some of the most beautiful settings in Canada thanks to those donating their cottages for a week at time. Cottage Dreams has criteria on both sides of the equation to ensure the family visiting has the proper facilities and the donors cottage is respected and returned in the same condition. The testimonials on their website are emotional and heartfelt. Visit www.cottagedreams.org for more information.
An honorary CLIO Award was presented to Matthew Weiner, the Emmy Award-winning creator and executive producer of AMC's critically acclaimed drama, "Mad Men". DDB Worldwide's Chairman Emeritus, Keith Reinhard, presented the award at The New Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. The room had a 1960's theme to suit the "Mad Men" salute. There were newsreels of swinging London fashions,1969 moonwalk footage and vintage ads from VW and others.
"What can we say about 'Mad Men'? Has there ever been such a buzz, inspiring fashions, department store windows, a new line of Zippo lighters, not to say nothing of the critical raves, Golden Globes, Emmys', said Keith who went on to confirm the depiction of those days in advertising. Keith shared the story of how he met his wife as she was fleeing an "inebriated account director who was chasing her down the hall. How lucky was I?, he said. " 'Mad Men' has captured the essence of the 1960's ad world and given us a fantastic look at what it was like."
Is creativity something strictly reserved for the creative department?
When Ad Lounge asked me to contribute an original piece of art to their fundraising event, "Art from the Unexpected", I couldn't resist the challenge. Ad Lounge has dared me and 19 other agency and marketing CEOs to create an original piece of art and present the concepts behind our creations at the event. On June 16th in Toronto, each CEO will be given one minute to present their art for auction; providing a fascinating glimpse into the creative minds of some of the industry's leading business personalities.
It might surprise a few people to know that early in my career, I studied at the Emily Carr University of Art and Design in Vancouver. My painting for the auction, "Bloodsport," depicts our current economic climate through the metaphor of a Bull and Bullfighter. Like a top marketer today, a Matador needs to be fit and fast in order to triumph and live.
I was drawn to participate in "Art From the Unexpected" because I welcomed the chance to return to my creative roots - and to support a unique and deserving cause.
Proceeds from the art auction will go to SKETCH; a Toronto charity that provides homeless youths with art studio space and supplies. DDB Canada has also lent its support to the charity auction by donating additional resources and by becoming the only agency Gold Sponsor.
I truly live each day being creative, which is why I see significant value in the artistic outlet that SKETCH provides. Creativity isn't just a vital part of the advertising industry, it's what gets me up and keeps me fresh and alive.
It's also great to see an organization like Ad Lounge use entertaining ideas to rethink industry fundraising events and explore the nature of creativity.
If you'd like to know more, please follow me (@DDBFrank) being interviewed live on Twitter by Ad Lounge (@adlounge) on May 27th beginning at 8:30 p.m. PST.
I was recently asked to appear in a short film promoting Little Black Book Online (www.lbbonline.com), an emerging website that creates online city guides based on recommendations from advertising and production professionals.
As you'll see, my fellow creative directors Sir John Hegarty of BBH, Tony Granger of Y&R and Paul Lavoie of Taxi also appear in the film, which is being seeded through targeted emails and industry websites. You can view it at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfhzxC1E-9w.
The reason we agreed to help promote this site is that LBBOnline.com offers to donate one English pound to One Laptop Per Child (www.olpc.com) for every recommendation accepted for where advertising and production people should eat, drink and sleep in any advertising center in the world.
The mission of OLPC, a nonprofit association, is "to create educational opportunities for the world's poorest children by providing each and every one with a rugged, lowcost, low-power, connected laptop with content and software designed for collaborative, joyful, self-empowered learning." Their mission statement goes on to say, "By giving a laptop, you are helping bring education to children in some of the world's most remote areas. You are connecting them to each other. To us. And to a better future."
That sounded good enough for me.
If you visit Little Black Book Online, you'll find that you can really make a difference just by giving your opinions and a little bit of your time.
I've already listed places I like in Cannes, New York, Chicago and Los Angeles. As the site grows, we'll see if anyone agrees with my picks!
And in addition to donating my acting "skills," I've also made a donation to purchase a computer to give to kids through the OLPC website. It seemed like the right thing to do.
Let me tell you a story, and it all starts with me needing to replace an old pair of my favorite boots that were literally falling apart. And if you squint your eyes even a little bit, I think you might just see a big part of the future of marketing.
Given what's happening in this country right now, it's only reasonable to be purposeful about any purchase decision. So, as I was headed out the door one morning, I said to my wife, "Hey, I think I'm going to order a new pair of Blundstones from Zappos today." My wife, Ann, who orders a good percentage of our kids' shoes from Zappos, informed me that if I ordered by 10am, I'd have them the next day. So I ordered ... hopeful. And five days later, my boots had still not arrived.
Though this order was my first with Zappos, I was disappointed. I wanted my boots. So on my way to work one morning, I Tweeted this (by the way, follow me on Twitter):
I had heard that Tony Hsieh, the CEO of Zappos was active on Twitter and I wrote this as much as a test to see if they would respond, how quickly and in what way. The threat of Endless, Amazon's shoe store, was an extra worm on the hook. Well, within about an hour, I got a notice that I'm being "followed" on Twitter by Tony. Yes, the CEO.
(By the way, to "follow" someone on Twitter is something akin to "friending" someone on Facebook. If you aren't familiar with Facebook, the rest of this post is going to read like total nonsense. I forgive you if you quit reading now. Some of you may ask why I'm being so basic about these technologies. Reality is Facebook has about 175 million users and I know a lot of smart friends -- and marketers -- who are not among those 175 million. And I think I just heard that Twitter is at something like 7 million. That means a lot of people who could use the background info. Pardon this aside if you are not one of them).
Within an hour, I got a message from Tony telling me my boots should arrive that day. To make a long story short, we exchanged "tweets" that day and eventually emails about the source of my frustration and ways I thought they might improve their customer experience.
Zappos has built a reputation as a service company that just happens to sell shoes. How did that happen? I think that's the moral of the story. Tony and his team monitor in real time what people are saying about them on Twitter and in the blogosphere (it probably won't take long for them to find this post). Is that marketing? Certainly not in the traditional sense, but it's working.
Direct Marketers have spent the better part of the last two decades talking about "1to1" marketing, and "customer relationship marketing" (CRM), but it always seemed to me that it was still essentially one way dialogue. Yes, marketers have access to a lot of rich data and laser/digital technology allows marketers to do some amazing "personalization." But in the end, it is still essentially a company talking at a customer or prospect and only becomes two way if the customer/prospect chooses to respond to the query -- usually to buy something.
Well, with the advent of newer digital technologies (like Twitter, for example) the customer really is in the driver's seat. They're starting these conversations every minute of every day. The smartest, most progressive companies are finding ways to engage and respond -- and win the hearts and minds of people along the way.
Numerous articles have covered the increase in traffic and use of social networking sites like Linkedin, Twitter, Facebook, etc. This is attributed to the layoffs and the need to connect, network, and promote one's self. But how can one stand out if so many are doing the same thing? What suggestions do you have for those building their personal brand online?
For an insider's view, watch Charlie Rose's conversation with Reid Hoffman of LinkedIn.
Cotton Incorporated and DDB New York are proud to announce the launch of our new quiz "DO YOU KNOW GREEN?" on Cotton's MysteryFabric.com and TheFabricOfOurLives.com websites.
With everyone jumping on the "green" bandwagon these days, it's hard to figure out what's genuinely environmentally friendly and what's not.
"Do You Know Green?" combines the fun of a game show, the usefulness of an environmental handbook and the pizzazz of a fashion show all into one brain-teasing quiz. Through a series of challenging true/false questions, this quiz will test your knowledge of what's "green" and what's "not green" among the fabrics and other items you use in your day-to-day life. Our lovable characters Jane (the eco-aware cotton lover) and Susie (the mystery fabric misfit will model the "green" and "not green" virtual wardrobe pieces you'll "win" with every right or wrong answer.
Cotton is natural, so it's been "green" even before "being green" was ever in style. In launching this quiz, our goals are to make Cotton a credible resource in helping consumers to separate eco-fact from fiction and, very importantly, to keep cotton top-of-mind for fashionable and eco-conscious consumers.
So how well "Do You Know Green?" Play the quiz now using the link above and tell us what you think...
Be sure to click on the "Send to a Friend" option to pass this quiz along to someone you know who might be interested in being a little bit "greener."
At DDB we enjoy making our clients successful; it is most rewarding when we're able to help them spread goodwill as well. Take the most recent spot DDB Chicago did for Midas to promote their latest venture with Make-A-Wish. Through June 28th, every time someone goes to a Midas facility and orders a vehicle maintenance package, Midas will donate $5 to the Make-A-Wish foundation. Our goal is to help Midas raise as much money as possible for this awesome organization that grants wishes to children with life-threatening illnesses.
Giving consumers the opportunity to contribute to a good cause while having their vehicle serviced can shine a bright light on those tedious Saturday chores! It's our hope that something as routine as an oil change can help to affect a positive change in a child's life.
For more information about the promotion and to see the inspirational spot featuring some Make-A-Wish children, go to www.midaswish.com
At DDB we have a culture that truly believes in giving back. Isn't it about time you brought your vehicle in for an oil change?
Everyone is going green these days. More and more companies are expanding their corporate social responsibility profile through green initiatives. At DDB we care about our environment and so much more. I have enjoyed our green blog and thank all of you who have posted your thoughts and opinions. We have decided to broaden these chats to include all our CSR (corporate social responsibility) ventures. In the coming weeks more reportage and discussion of CSR and DDB will be our focus. We welcome your feedback and look forward to hearing what you have to say.
--Frank Palmer
Social networking site created by Tribal DDB to enlist and mobilize support.
Check out www.thebigwild.org, the new social networking site created by Tribal DDB, the online division of DDB Canada. The new social networking site allows Canadians to share stories and media about wilderness experiences and learn more about the country's wild spaces in need of protection. Most importantly, it will also act as a catalyst to raise awareness and mobilize support for conservation campaigns. The evolving site will continue to have features added throughout 2008 and 2009. Read more about it under "Who We Are – DDB Cares" and let me know what you think.
There is a supplement in the New York Times today called the "Business of Green".
BASF has taken the full back page to profile a story of its plastic bags that have a shelf life of one year then biodegrade in compost within weeks. Their website has eight other cases including; ethanol extract from corn, reduction of diesel exhaust from school buses, and an 80% more energy efficient home. It is too easy to be cynical that this is just BASF marketing when, in fact, the accomplishments are extremely impressive. Check it out at www.basf.com/stories.
We know that going green is good for the earth and we are quickly learning that it is increasingly good for business. But how sustainable is sustainability as a business differentiator? If everyone is doing it - where is the competitive advantage? Green is quickly becoming tablestakes - there may be more risk in not doing it than benefits in doing it. If you agree, how can companies benefit and differentiate in green going forward?
There are those bathroom cards saying that linens will not be washed unless requested. These are truly early efforts in the industry. The hotel industry has been largely slammed for greenwashing (no pun intended). It is making some better moves like championing waste management programs, sourcing renewable energy, and leading some ecological preservation. Some cool examples include:
The Ibis Porte de Clichy has a fa�ade covered in photovoltaic panels, which convert sunlight into electricity
San Francisco's Orchard Garden Hotel rooms have the city's first door-key-card controlled electricity system—remove your card when you leave and the whole room automatically "turns off" (something that Europe has had for some time)
Hotel Triton has decorated a room on each floor using environmentally safe paints, furniture created from salvaged forest-fire wood, and organic hemp towels and sheets
It also appears that a new player is to make its presence known. Starwood Hotels who brought you the W format is now planning One Hotels which will be upscale and green. Do you have any suggestions for Starwood on how to devise a truly green hotel?
Green was once associated with sacrifice - it was painful to be green if you were a business. We associated green with extra cost, extra effort, questionable impact and return, compliance, and sacrifice. That is no longer the case. Green is now associated with strong and important branding, increased revenue, price premiums and deeper customer loyalty. Now green forces you to be better at everything you do. It is an extra lens that promotes greater innovation and awareness of impact. Think of the Lexus Lhs luxury hybrid that is priced at $125,000 and promises (according to their literature):
A Powerful Statement
Three Operating Modes
Responsive Performance
Fuel Efficiency
Super Ultra Low Emission Vehicle (SULEV)
This is a great example of an industry player adjusting their practices to fit today's reality.
Have you any other interesting examples or comments?
Andrew Shapiro of GreenOrder recently spoke at an event on Corporate Image and stated that we are currently using our resources as if we had 1.25 earths. A chilling and very simple description of the challenge before us. Check out more at www.greenorder.com and share your comments.
In my first post, I said that Green is good for business.
That thought is now more widely shared than ever. But decision-makers I have dialogued with are frozen with fear of being labeled a poser, greenwasher, or too preachy and the result is many are not taking any risks in acting and promoting a relevant green agenda. Any business regardless of size and industry can make strides and be proud of what they accomplish. This can be in the following areas:
Strategic Planning: senior management can kick start the whole thing by developing or revising sustainability goals to align with their core business.
Supply Chain and Operations: environmental audits of all practices can point out cost-competitive improvement strategies.
Green Real Estate: a business' physical footprint and practices can create value in real estate.
Renewable and Cleaner Energy: yes swapping out lightbulbs is step one but there are much deeper programs for renewable and cleaner energy projects.
Greenhouse Gas Management: this requires an audit of greenhouse gas emissions to arrive at cost-effective strategies to reduce or offset impacts related to manufacturing, operations, and travel.
Understandably this is an investment but one that will pay off in may ways. Thoughts?
If you haven't already, check out Larry Light's article in the November 12 issue of Advertising Age.
It is called Marketers, Seize the Opportunity to Help Heal Society's Ills. It helps separate the posers from the prophets. And it was fun to read that 360 Vodka is claiming to be the world's first environmentally friendly vodka. This is based on the 85% recycled-content bottle and that all labeling, packaging and promotional materials use 100% recycled paper along with water based inks. Share with us examples of other products that are paving the way...
It is a great question because it puts us all on the spot.
Would you pay more for a product or service based on the associated corporate responsibility efforts? These efforts could include green/environmental programs, trade practices, work and employment policies and programs, etc. A study commissioned by Greenpeace International with Ipsos MORI shows that PC users in nine countries would pay more for an environmentally friendly PC (respondents from Mexico indicated they would pay $240+ more). Whole Foods' entire business model is based on premium pricing for natural products. A recent Maritz study shows that 47% of Generation Y'ers said they would be willing to pay more for environmentally friendly services, products or brands. How about you? Would and do you pay more for services, products or brands that do good? What values are you looking for from the companies you purchase from? Make sure you vote on this very topic off our homepage under "Be Heard."
I wanted to focus on the issue of engaging employees in green programs at work. Omar Michael's comment from the first post mentioned the fact that apathy is a significant barrier to employees getting involved in anything. We know that many businesses invest in a range of corporate responsibility programs to do the right thing and to promote a healthier brand image. The challenges have been sincerity, commitment, and momentum. My query is, how do we ensure that green programs make real contributions and how do we engage employees in the process? Any examples or ideas would be great for this discussion. Share away...
At DDB we have watched the efforts of many organizations as they pursued green as their main focus of corporate responsibility. We have witnessed the posers and the prophets. Like any promise made - there has to be commitment and proof. Recently we were involved in the Green Conference with Advertising Age and Discovery Communications. It was great to see the interest in the subject and growing evidence that corporations were making some real changes (but many, many miles to go). One scary factoid was presented by David Perry of the Aspen Skiing Company that covered the potential disappearance of snow from that region in the next 100 years! Not the type of green goal we are hoping for. I suggest you check out www.savesnow.com to learn more and see a company standing up and doing real green things.
One of the biggest challenges facing companies today in going green is keeping the focus focused. Green is unbelievably broad. Sure there are practices that big, medium and small businesses can change across the board to make differences but it seems to me that a deeper focus will have deeper impact. Also this stuff cannot be pursued so one can send a press release - this has to be DNA bonding material for the organization.
According to a piece in Newsweek, "the number of Americans who say they worry about the environment "a great deal" or "a fair amount" increased from 62 to 77 percent between 2004 and 2006. The 2006 poll was done in March, before the attention-getting release of Al Gore's global-warming film, An Inconvenient Truth." In our business, we know that consumers are rightfully influenced by businesses that are corporately responsible during the purchase process. And with related savings in going green like long lasting and environmentally friendly light bulbs, it is just smart business. Two solid reasons to head this way - more customers and lower costs (green has always been equated with money).
Let me stop myself there even though I have a ton more to say. I am really interested in your thoughts on truly being green, its impact in business, and any great ideas you have to treat this globe we all live on better. Keep it clean, be real, and keep it coming...
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See more from the Int'l Festival of Creativity on DDB's Report from Cannes
