For us, it makes a great test. Reduce the campaigns in our book to one line and see, which of them could make it on the List. A relentless way to judge an idea. See for yourselves – could you make it on the List?
Thursday, May 22, 2008
The List
We got our hands on a nice little List. It contains the best strategies, young creatives used in their portfolios. Some might recall it, as it's been around for some time now. John & Chris, now a creative team at Fallon, collated this List back in the day, when they used to teach D&AD and Miami Ad School classes. Some of these ideas are pretty fucking great. There's hardly need to see the executions, you get it immediately – and feel the envy. As John & Chris say, all of the guys who made it on the List have jobs now.
For us, it makes a great test. Reduce the campaigns in our book to one line and see, which of them could make it on the List. A relentless way to judge an idea. See for yourselves – could you make it on the List?
For us, it makes a great test. Reduce the campaigns in our book to one line and see, which of them could make it on the List. A relentless way to judge an idea. See for yourselves – could you make it on the List?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
32 comments:
the Dot Cotton one was done by a bucks team (unless it's just a funny coincidence) Thought you'd be interested to know as you're too ex bucks.
Some good thoughts going on there, although I'm not a fan of every single one of them.
No no no.
I think the majority of those are turd.
It's exactly like you said Wal: "There's hardly a need to see executions."
Which means once you've seen one... you've seen them all. So they're not really campaigns. They're one offs.
Some are good, like the Black & Decker, but most are too "studenty" if you now what I mean.
Not sure either. Some of them make me think of those terrible chain emails jokes mixing brands/slogans:
Trojan. Just do it/Connecting people.
Gay & Lesbian Asoc. Think Different.
etc.
Lowest common denominator humour.
have any of you guys above actually got jobs? I maybe think not.
I'm the annon from 10:32.
Does working at DDB count as having a job?
One-offs? They're not one-offs...they're campaign strategies (all except dot cotton). I'm not saying they're all great, some aren't. But they're a great discipline to teach yourselves, so holding back on being executional until you've got a solid idea to start with. It's a quick-fire way to get a shit hot book. And yes, one of mine is on the list. We used to see Chris and John a lot when they were at TBWA - fantastic guys, super enthusiastic, taught us a lot. The Kawasaki strategy is possibly my favourite book strategy of all time...
Kawasaki
Give us your money and fucking die.
Quite cool.
Haagen Daz
This one is simply not true.
http://lifeandhealth.guardian.co.uk/food/story/0,,1614126,00.html
Tampax.
Ok, why not:
Your period shouldn't stop you from having something sticked up your fanny.
Open University.
The way out from ignorance - and the way in too.
Madame Tussauds.
In here Pamela Anderson's tits look real.
Colgate
Not true unless you shit and masturbate everywhere and shag your mother and sisters
Daz
It's actually fat kids who get picked on. By smelly kids.
Ipod.
(That one is dumb as fuck).
Right, I could get a job at Fallon now I suppose. Not that I would want to work with people who think shit like that is any good.
oh, but the pamela anderson thing, I love it.
When Fallon shoots "Have a cool death", we'll talk my friend.
I'm just going to say you should be more discerning than that, Jai.
About Pamela, yeah I love her tits too.
I know of a team who have just been hired at Fallon!
They has some much better strategies than this list and it's also been kicking about for three years.
Some news one would be nice. they all feel a bit stale in my eyes.
Not saying my book was full of great strategies, but those thoughts would only work in certain agencies. WK would think you were off your rocker with some of them!
The Haagen Daz strategy used to be for McDonalds, which would then make it a truth cause Maccy's is the most requested food on Death Row!
This is a good exercise to do, just write lines, makes you quicker at coming up with ideas and then moving on to a new thought.
Cause you have to get quicker with ideas when your in a job! Deadlines and all.
Yeah, it was for McDonald's...it was mine! We made up the fact anyway, but everyone seemed to believe it (probably is true)! I didn't even think it was that good a strategy at the time...it didn't stay in our book for long, good fun though.
Carbs:
1. Who'd that be?
2. Are you at Wiedens now?
3. Well done on Mini Man club.
"The most requested last meal is a cheeseburger and French fries"
Whole article is here.
http://lifeandhealth.guardian.co.uk/food/story/0,,1614126,00.html#article_continue
Might as well be McDonalds. I think it's good, could be quite dark.
1. Not going to name them, not sure how they would like their names shooting across the blogs, but they came from Man Met like me. Same place as Chris and John!
Us lot from Man Met seem to have a no die attitude in this advertising game! Also didn't really study it (aka Watford or Bucks) so we're learning as we go.
2. Not at Wieden! My book tanked there!
3. Cheers, the mini work tells you who we work for!
My book strategies were
Vanish - Always wear your good clothes
Remmington - Look Human
North Face - Challenge the elements
Slimfast - Get a better boyfriend
Ryvita - Your blank Canvas
Slag em off if you want!
@ Curb:
Nice strategies.
(shame about w+k, I guess you needed to add some product ideas or designy stuff on top of that)
Agree on McDonals.
@ everyone who rushed to comment:
This is what makes this blog so much fun to read.
The bitterness and the know-it-all attitude is great.
@Carbs
Yeah, I posted the McD thing earlier.
I like your strategies.
Didn't get the Ryvita one, though.
@proxikid
Well teach us, dear. You're the one with the dream job, aren't you?
@3:57 pm.
Did I slag one of your strategies off? Did I say any personal insults to you? Wait, you're not Pamela, are you?
No need to get personal but you're right, maybe I'm a twat, or a bitter creative or even work at McDonalds. Who cares.
That doesn't change the fact that most of those strategies would never work in the real world. It's an insult to anyone's intelligence to pretend they do. Unless you're Pamela Anderson.
There's a time for book work and time for agency work!
As creatives we should be able to do both!
Do what you want with your book cause its the only time you can really!
O'really? is a cock.
Not understanding in the case of Haagen Daz that it works well cos it's a perceived truth and also is an unexpected association for the brand.
And the Tampax, for example, is great :girls breathe a sigh of relief when they get proof they're not preggers. It's so true!
Some of the lines, like the slimfast one is a bit well-trodden now and the Colgate one seems a tad
odd.
Good to know a cock grabs your attention, mate.
Ryvita - Your blank Canvas
One of my fave's, a really nice thought in my opinion.
yeah yeah yeah, euros is shite. I'm sure you're much better than Gerry Moira and Mark Hunter combined together.
6.22
would not be hard mate.
whats life like at euros?
Best strategy we've seen in a students book for a while was for Shloer Sparkling Apple Juice - Champagne for Muslims
From a watford team no less... big up to the Shezza!
Champagne for Muslims - love that!
Hahaha I love reading comments on your blog guys - they always turn into heated discussions.
Some of them are just plain weird/don't make a lot of sense in present day. Speaking from a girl's perspective, Tampax is the best one there. Other than that, Kawasaki is only other strong one. But I definitely agree that writing t a brief is the easiest way to crack something great if you know how to write. Certainly given me something to think about having just finished my advertising course yesterday and in need of some new campaigns to write!
Discussion is now open to further argument ; )
John and Chris spoke about this list when they came to see us. It does seem like a bit of an old list now but the lines would still work.
Slim fast is such a student brief its appeared in that list, carbs book and our book. I'm guessing you finally got to see chris and john then lads?
Is it just me or is this list a load of bollocks?
Leave John Webster out of this
yay!
the tampax one is ours.
for the record the other ideas in our book (that got us hired at bbh) were:
travelcard - get stalking (publishing celebs addresses)
dateline - marry them off (aimed at mums with old children still living at home)
Robinsons - Isn't water boring? (since done by hhcl)
Kinder Surprise - eat the egg not the toy
Pringles - For god's sake get your mates round (sad loner types doing obsessive things - since done by axe in South Africa)
Vision Express - Kid's Eyes Need Watching (the serious campaign...)
The Milky Bar Kids Reunion
Ariel Colour - Be Seen (people meeting a gruesome end because their clothes weren't bright enough - a bit negative that one)
and tampax. the highlight of which was a bunch of pissed girls singing 'Bye Bye Baby, Baby Bye Bye' by the Bay City Rollers.
Have a nice day
George and Johnny
Church: The original screenplays - "10 things I hate about you" starring Moses and God etc. etc.
Skoda: When Skoda was bought (by VW) Czechoslovakia split into half
VolksWagen: Lemon? More like the paradise of fruits / Not ugly anymore and still gets you there etc. etc.
Impotence: Smoke weed! Gets you "fucking" careless
My point is that not being a creative, allows me to get closer to the edge. Isn't that the joy of thinking?
Post a Comment