Campaign of the Week.

Absurdly funny.

Work, Work, Eat, Store, Work, Fork, Knife, Clap?

Monday - Work

Tuesday - Work

Wednesday - Work

Thursday - Work

Friday - Work

Saturday - Work

Sunday - Work

But it's totally worth it.

Slacking off.

Well this blogging every day isn't going great since i missed the last two days but i'll round up now.

Had a review for some work on wednesday and been in a pre production meeting this afternoon in preparation for the shoot tomorrow. So i'm going along for that which will be great experience. Working on a couple of other briefs and settling in. Really cool place to work, been reading some books today whilst wandering, one of which being 'Norwegian Fairy Tales' which was very interesting and looking through annuals that i haven't seen. It's great being in an agency and just taking notice of what goes on and how it all works from the idea to the production of it. Very interesting. Also had a chat with a guy in a London agency about what i should be doing and asking about his experiences so all very relevant. 

Maybe some exciting news tomorrow, but will have to wait and see!

The 49th Wonder of the world

Who would have guessed it.

Remove dents in carpeting

If you've recently rearranged the furniture in your living room, you know that heavy pieces can leave ugly indents in your carpet. Use ice cubes to remove them. Put an ice cube, for example, on the spot where the chair leg stood. Let it melt, then brush up the dent. Rug rehab completed.

Day One

Well i'm sitting in a bar in Edinburgh after a good 3/4 hours trying to arrange something so that i'm not sleeping on a street corner! Numerous plan's have fallen through but i've got a bed tonight and hopefully i'll have everything sorted for a month by tomorrow lunch time! With it being Edinburgh fringe festival it's a bit mental but should be a good month as there will always be something good going on!

On topic; My first day was good! Two hour drive up to Edinburgh, arriving early for a nice change! A few short introductions and on with my first brief, i haven't asked if i can talk about what i'm doing yet but i'll just leave it that it's one of the major accounts. Agency has a really nice feel about it and had time to sit out in the garden and take in some sun on my lunch. Not much else to report until i know what i can and can't say.
I'll stick some pictures tomorrow!

Until then i'm going to enjoy my well deserved pint!

The First Placement

So, off to Edinburgh and NewHaven tomorrow. Really looking forward to getting my first agency experience. I'm going to try and update the blog with what i'm doing each day and maybe even post some pictures/videos if i get a chance.

Been working on the book the last few weeks and got 2 campaigns pretty much sorted and started on a third.  So the new book is well on it the way. I feel like the work is much more focused and clear, something that some of my last books work wasn't. I think i've improved my thinking over the last few months and hopefully that will show in the work. 

Currently;

Reading- The Stuff of Thought by Steve Pinker

Listening- Interpol (all albums on shuffle)

Showreel

Just been watching this Showreel from CST, really makes you think about what advertising is about and stuff that can often get lost in the 'creative' part of the job, like selling and getting your brand or product noticed by joe average, arguably the most important person in the whole equation.

Showreel;

http://cstadvertising.com/

Download Showreel;

http://cstadvertising.com/includes/flv/showreel.flv

Opportunity

Since my London visit in June, i've been really busy with things both to do with Advertising and things out of it. Latitude Festival, Touring with my friend Jack Summer for 2 weeks, Recording an album with my band. A lot has happened and now things are just gathering speed.

I'd hoped to being going back to London in early August with a brand new book, but with my NewHaven placement i've put it back until i am ready again. I was trying to rush my book along a few weeks ago and get it together in time to take down but i've decided to take time and make sure i'm taking all the advice i've been given, part of that is giving the new campaigns space to breath and then looking at them fresh and picking holes myself. Hopefully that will be productive when it comes to going back down in the coming Months.

I have a few project's on the go at the moment. Currently putting together something for Stu @ Mother to follow on from his advice in June. And also i'm putting together a film of sorts and other bits of bobs for various people.

Some exciting times coming up i hope. Loads to do, Loads to do. 

Think Think Think!

Strategies

Just got back from Latitude yesterday, had an amazing time and saw some great bands. Sigur Ros blew me away and Interpol were particularly good.

Decided to stick up some old strategies from my last book. Still have to photograph the executions but might as well put up the strats.

Big Yellow Self Storage Company - Hoarders paradise
Elastoplast - The Human puncture repair kit
Greenflag - Starting Cars. Not Conversations
Bacofoil - Do lunch for breakfast
HP Brown sauce - Mayonnaise for blokes
Heinz - You wouldn't run off with a stranger
Bic - Official sponsors of the kleptomaniac society

A selection of strategies from my previous book.

Currently working on a new book. First product being 'Worthington's Creamflow Bitter'

Any comments on the strategies above appreciated! Some went down well other's not so much so be interested in what you all think.

South to Lattitude

I'm off on my travels again today.

Lattitude festival in Sunny (I hope) Suffolk.

Taking in everything from Music, and Film to Comedy and Poetry.

I think the idea is something for everyone.

Looking forward to Sigur Ros, Death Cab, Mars Volta and Interpol as well as several others.

http://www.latitudefestival.co.uk/gallery/index.aspx

Checking back in on Monday!

Late night snack

I've been trailing blogs and websites trying to find interesting stuff about advertising, I've been reading loads of blog but then i end up reading everything and can't find anything else that i can get into. This is something i have known about but yet to read until last night;

http://www.ihaveanidea.org/creatives/index.php?/archives/130-Robert-Saville-and-Mark-Waites.html

Great interview with CD's of MotherLondon and there are loads of others that i've been reading through. You lot reading this probably know about this already but worth a read if you don't. 

Anyone got an good suggestions for reading material? Book, Blogs, Sites etc

Edinburgh shortbread

Aswell as putting a new book together i will also be going up to Edinburgh in August for a placement at NewHaven.

Had this in the pipe line for quite a while but should finally get up there in August i hope! 

If you don't know about them have a look on their site;

http://www.newhaven-agency.co.uk/index.php

They do some great work for Tennents lager, Power League etc

Lovely people and great work so i'm really looking forward to spending some time in the agency!

also you can probably tell by now i'm finding it a strain to relate all my Post titles to biscuits, valiant effort though!

Back in the barrel

Well i'm finally back from nearly a month of neglecting the blog! 

During the last 3 weeks i've been on tour with my friend Jack, travelling around the UK. Great for some inspiration and seeing new places, meeting new people. Had a great time but glad to be back home!

Also been busy with my band. Finishing off the recording process and sorting out our tour in September. 

But anyway, Advertising.

I worked on some product thoughts whilst on the road and have generally been taking in what i've learned from my London Crits and how i can use that experience and knowledge that i got out of it to make my book much better.

Starting formal work again as of tomorrow so i'm excited to get a pen back in my hand and start scribbling. I feel ready to make this next book now and take it down to London in August if all goes well! 

Album & Ideas.

This week my attention has been directed to a different project. I'm busy recording a debut album with my band Fall Short! Conform!

www.myspace.com/fallshortconformuk

Which should take up the next couple of weeks. It's really exciting and i can't wait to have some new stuff recorded. It's been a while since we last recorded and it went well on the first day tracking drums. I'm fully aware this doesn't really concern 'advertising' directly, but it's part of my creative output so i thought it was worth sharing! 

Having some new ideas for my book and some thoughts on how to make it something memorable and different. Still in the early stages of this but thinking time is needed! Plan to stick some stuff out of my most recent book up at some point but short on time at the moment so bare with me :)

Also; Scamp blog is hosting a live chat with Dave Trott to discuss his book 'How to get your first job in Advertising' today (Tuesday 10th June, 9am.) Should be good and just hope i can catch it at some point! 

Another thing too; Added some new interesting blog's on the links section so check them out, all worth a read! 

The London Visit.

Back after 3 days of Crits, meetings and very useful advice. Overall i had a great time and met some really important people which was brilliant.

Day one: 

RKCR/Y&R - Very helpful advice from Jo and Stephen. They said a few of my campaigns were a little confused and that i need to step back from my work and look at it in a different light, this was quite a common pattern that i found throughout the appointments but as i was also told numerous times, a partner would be able to help me with that. 

On a positive note, they liked some of my strategies and told me to work through those with a more concise execution. Also said to go back next time

DDB - Quick meeting with Dave Henderson to show him my book and the work i did for a VW brief i managed to get my hands on. Really liked my work for the VW brief, especially the line i used. Again my book was a little confused and needs to be more focused. Also managed to see Chris and Andy who have just joined from AMV, they said it was great i was down in my first year trying to get opinions and pointers on my work. Both said to go back anytime and stay in touch which was really positive.

Lowe - Great meeting with Peter Reid, loved some of my strategies and just thought i was a little confused and again thought a partner could really help me develop. 

M & C Saatchi - This was the big one, end of the day, meeting with Graham Fink. More than a little worried i have to admit after some of the things i was told. In reality it went incredibly well and it was one of the most inspiring conversations i've had in a long while. Despite telling me i need to start again with my book, he actually liked one of my strategies. That was enough really, after i thought he was going to kill me. No mention of needing a partner, just advice to put myself into my work and that no one can be like me so my work should show that. Great advice from him and he even said to go back and see him any time. With or without work, but just for a chat. That in itself was a great end to the day. 

Day two:

JWT - First appointment on day two was with Mike Mckenna. He told me to get myself a partner as it will be incredibly hard to get anywhere near a placement without one. Again my thoughts were a little confused and i need to make my point clearer. But good advice from him and again he said to go back and see him next time i'm down.

Saatchi & Saatchi - Here i saw Levi and Dave. Both thought my work was mad and very funny which was quite a pleasant surprise. Loved my strategies and making an appointment to see them again next time i'm down. Also commented on me going down during my first year and that is was great that i was being so pro-active. 

Red Brick Road - Next it was Dan and Andy. Told me to work on some of the strategies i'd done and said i was brave to be down so early into my course and to email them some work down whenever i like which was really kind of them. 

TBWA/ - This appointment got cancelled/ never happened unfortunately. Mix up with who i was seeing so i'll have to try and go next time i'm down.

Day Three:

Wieden + Kennedy - Early start in Shorditch with Fabian and Ida. Said my work should be clearer and have bigger idea's. Also said they don't consider anyone for placement who is still on a course but some good advice and great to get in to see them.

BBH - Mad dash across London to get here in time, lovely building and a great meeting with Rosie Arnold. Had a look through my work and chatted about how difficult it can be to find the right partner. Loved some of my strategies and said to work on them and keep in touch for when i'm next in London. Suggested some good stuff to read and was generally lovely and talked to me about BBH and her experiences which was great to hear.

CST - I'd seen Dave Trott before when i went to one of his talks on an evening and was great to see him again one to one. Had some great advice for me and told me that i need to make myself really stand out. I'm selling myself as much as the work in my book. Gave me a copy of 'How to get your first job in Advertising' and answered some questions i had about the business. Interesting insights on partners and made me really think about what i'm doing and things i need to change, in a positive way though! Just great to get to see him and listen to his advice first hand.

Mother -  Last appointment of the 12 and i felt that i had already learnt loads and my book didn't really represent me particularly well anymore. Despite this i had a fantastic meeting with Stuart. He flicked through my book and looked through my strategies too. Thought there were some good thoughts there and they just needed more clarity. Had a great chat with him about other things i do outside of Advertising and he said to stay in touch and make arrangements to go down for a placement. At this point i was really shocked! Totally unexpected, but brilliant and i'm already taking steps to push myself and my work further.

Overall i had a great time and looking back can't believe some of the people i have had the opportunity to see! Really positive feedback on my ideas and basically just need to make my thoughts more concise and clear, aswell as a bit more visual. Great experiance and i've got more out of it than i thought i would of! Everyone was so positive and for everyone to say to go back and see them was fantastic. Thanks to everyone who saw me, it will defintly improve my work and helped me see that i'm selling myself and everything i do, whether it be music i write, videos i make or anything creative i'm involved in.

Work for the next book begins now!