Think Small

Advertising Theory Deadlock

It seems there are new battle lines drawing up in the world of advertising.  Simplisticly, they followed a journey that went like this:

1. Model A is no longer relevant.  It is replaced by Model B.

2. Oh wait.  Actually, we didn't move from A to B, but now models A though Z can work. 

3. Hold on, all that stuff in Model A still works.  I did some of that Model B and then M stuff, not sure if it was any different or better.  So Model A still works and is therefore the focus of most efforts supplemented with a smattering of other stuff.

4. No, you didn't actually ever commit to B nor anything one thing C through Z.  Actually, you tried to do them all, at the same time, badly.  Just as I can buy personalised Nike I want personalised ads.  Stuff for me, only when I want it where I want it.  This is the post industrial mass advertising revolution damn it.  Don't you get it?  A revolution!!!

And there you have it.  Two factions lined up behind Stage 3 or Stage 4.  It's not communism, or socialism nor even anarchy.  In fact, it looks a lot like the US Democrat Vs. Republican divide.  Two parties closely fighting every election collectively representing most of the country. 

One for big government, the other for small government.  One about the individuals, the other about the macro economy. 

Each are a system of governing.  Each with different values, personalities, divergent self interest and ways of working.  Both kind of do the same but to different ends through different means yet still with a lot of overlap at the macro level.

If I was creating a business from scratch today I would almost certainly look to work in a way aligned with point 4.  That would be so fun.

If I was handed one brand/category in a conglomerates portfolio of brands in a commodity category used by 75% of a country's population and no discernible beneficial historic perceived differentiation or spastic inconsistency I would probably align with Point 3.  Can still do some amazing stuff such as what 98% of Old Spices activity is, stuff under Point 3.  I would try to do Point 3 really brilliantly and break all the rules inside that model as much as I can get away with inside the machine of super conglomerate company culture.

Hyper Island Founding Principles

Came accrosse these today from the Hyper Island folks. 

They call them principles but are also kind of rules.

1.Remove silos, subjects, barriers, titles

2.Active lifelong team learning

3. Challenging open-­‐ended projects

4. Immersive technologies

5. Agile working methods

6.Build on the work of others

7. Reflection and evaluation

8. Change is constant

I like them.  Partly because some stand the test of time and others are rather philisophical statements around how to approach the type of work that seems to increasingly work really well.  Specifically the importance of teams working together, being agile with each other and egalitarian.

These principles don't guarantee great work but are a great way to work.  In this day and age it also problably creates more and more of the great work out there.  Presumably.

Interesting Vancouver Notes

Interesting Vancouver happened.  It was different than prior years, as planned. As always.

I am rather proud of how Lauren, Mark, Jason and James have grabbed the event, stayed true to its ethos, while enlivening each year.  This year, found a new venue, brought in some other great volunteers.

I was rather gutted not to be there.  They again humoroured me and asked for a video to participate from abroad.

I am not an innately interesting person, hence why I first organized the event to celebrate other people's interestingness.  Nonetheless, rather than just say hi the obligation to attempt interestingness led me to ramble about something increasingly of personal interest:

Unreasonable people.

I like unreasonable people, because unreasonable people do unreasonable things.

This doesn't mean they are rude, nasty or hatful.  In fact, many are lovely, warm and compassionate people.  Though that's not always the rule.

Rather, as a rule they all don't do the reasonable and usual thing.

For those there last Friday, following is the promsied links/notes.  For those not there, the video will be up eventually on interestingvancouver.com, but you’re probably better off watching the good speakers.

Walter Bornnetti

- Reasonable people don’t accomplish unreasonable feats

- Especially when it comes to climbing mountains, cliffs and hanging glaciers, never climbed before, with traditional gear

- Read My Life in the Mountains

Peter Marino

- Luxury architect, who in his motorcycle fetish uniform and black leather pants 365 he designs the most striking retail spaces of our time

- Even if you do not buy into luxury goods, when in Tokyo, Paris or Milan steal the experience of walking into his shops (Dior, Louis Vuitton, Ermengildo Zegna, etc) for overwhelming luxe

Woody Allen

- Some say it's unreasonable he still gets to make movies

- Watch Midnight in Paris his recent film worth it because of his amusing depiction of Earnest Hemingway

- Few have more consistently written such striking and true, yet accessible prose as he, much is being revealed as the Cuban government opens up his final studio.  Read The Paris Wife or Vanity Fair's tale of first expeditions to his work 

Robert Capa

- Known best as the first photo journalist on the beach on D-Day

 - Read Slightly Out of Focus

- Telling, revealing and brisk tale of the mold maker of today's vision of a war correspondent. 

- Would you risk your life for an unproven profession?

 

John Jay

- A Chinese kid from Ohio who grew up in the back of a laundromat and became the creative director of Bloomingdale then the man behind Nike's golden era at Wieden & Kennedy

- Eat at Ping in Portland - honouring the Chinese heritage of the Pacific North West

 

Stumptown

- Why is a daily indulgence to indulgently terrible?

- Why can't coffee reflect a terroir?

- Why can't a decent coffee be served in a rock and roll vibe without pretension?

- Drink at Stumptown in Portland, Seattle of New York.  Beans might be available in Vancouver to experience Dwayne Sorenson's answer

 

Douglas Coupland

-      I recently visited Picasso’s rarely open only intact studio at Cahteau de Vauvenargues

-      Picasso was a great multi-diciplinary artist, probably only truly on display at this, his last studio

-      I realized there, Douglas Coupland, is Canada’s equivalent – from books to sculptures, to park designs to art installations, to historian

-      Celebrate this wandering around his Vancouver scuptures or his non-fiction

 

Obsessing & Making

 

Teen targeted creative is tough.  Always has been.  Less to do with short attention spans or some hackneyed assumption like that.  More because of how obsessive teens get about something they like and satisfyingly fueling that obsession.

Many times on teen work to frame the creative/strategy with clients or internal teams we'd first talk about just how obsessive you get about stuff when you are young - when you're not sure about yourself and figuring out your place in the world.  That hat, that car, the dance, a new track, the skate deck, Walkman/Diskman/iPod, the game that weekend or whatever else that consumed every non studying moment of your life.  Total bloody obsession.

Thinking whether something was obsessible helped make better work rather than something superficially, ahem, "cool."

As people get older they forget what it was like to be so obsessed about thing.  We forget the feeling, in your gut, front of the brain, of obsessing.  Reading and re-reading the magazine, replaying the song, logging into some form of email.  Over and over again.

As a child I obsessed about making stuff - specifically drawing comic strips or clay superhero figurines.  However, I never had the tools to do it well.  I had a great upbringing but it just wasn't in the family culture (engineers, lawyers, etc) to buy specialized art supplies.    But still, I obsessed,and tried, badly, to draw comics and attempt figures of Flash.  It just never worked out.

I worry with so many lame and formulaic "social engagement" campaigns and the lazyness of BuddyMedia type tactical tool we are turning away from so much potential never before available.

I love that kids, and everyone else, today can obsess and get so deep into their obsessions to actually make stuff with a possibility to make it great because there are so many tools at finger tips.  I love that.

This Coke Zero Make It Possible thing seems kind of cool in that regard.  It's not another lazy be in our commercial as an idea because there actual is no idea.  It is an outlet for obsession with dance or music.  I like that.  A lot.

Death of a Revolution

The word revolution is regularily frivolously used.  Especially in advertising. However, no matter the hyperbole revolutions do happen.  Rarely though do they come to a finite end.  Sure a regime may be toppled but the values and philosophies of the revolution morph the moment what the revolution revolted against dissolves.  Often the instigating revolutionairies are left behind.

A book on wine was the last place to expect insight into revolutions.  Noble Rot detailing the dramatic changes in Bordeaux going from over priced garbage wine in glut to high priced low supply high quality was painful for many, instigated by a few, at the mercy of large global forces.

The author William Echikson sums up the Bordeaux revolution, and all other revolutions, quite nicely.

"Bordeaux's revolution was coming to a close.  Most monumental political, economic, and social changes overstep and devour their instigators, provoking an almost inevitable reaction.  The comings years looked tough for Bordeaux.  Many garage wineries would close up.  Many ambitious new wavers might well go bankrupt.  Even the well-established estates also looked set to struggle... ...But the rovolution's work would leave a positive legacy."

In other words: the dream doesn't die, just the dreamer.

Image: Montmartre cemetary taken on a walk home January 2011.

Things the British Say, A Lot

Every country has things they say that are said so often nobody realizes really they are saying them all the time.  They in fact are little codes that evolve a language to a social group.  To outsiders their repetition stands out and sparks curiosity.  Following are a bunch of things I've noticed people say a lot.  All lovely little words or phrases.  Might start using them a bit more:

 

Whilst

Boring

Please

Proper

Populist

Ambition

Golden Ticket

Who's to blame

Great British... (pub, cheese, bunting, ale, hound, etc)

yallrite (Translation: Hello. Are you alright and is everything good today?)

Paris' Spring and Retail as a Cultural Entity

One of the many special experiences living in Paris was getting to know, and in a way grow up with, the team at the restaurant Spring.  A small kitchen putting out a simple dinner nightly.  Suddenly they are one of the most heralded and internationally acclaimed restaurants in Paris.  While becoming the NYT's Paris poster-children is great for them what I really loved how they became part of the culture of their little nighbourhood as told by this video.  

 

Lots of little shops I frequented to and from the Spring boutique or waiting for someone to join for a glass of wine.  The ancient presse guy mostly. Stirs my nostalgia for his nostalgia.  I'd explore this neighbourhood often with the uninhibited spirit of curiosity an expat in Paris becomes endlessly adicted to.

One of the reasons I loved living in Paris was studying first hand the fabrics of rich and deep communities.  Understand what makes a real community from people that have loved and hated each other for centuries.  Living myself as part of a small multi block neighbourhood where inhabitants, businesses, local government (even for my sub, sub, micro, sub region of Paris), community organizations, unions, busybodies, the three homeless people, my barber, the team of youths who hanging out late night at the local Place St. Lazarre, prefecture police, the weekend CRS riot police visits and our street cleaners served a inter-related and mutually respected (with continuous paradoxical distrusted) community.  

Mostly, I loved seeing how an individual business seeped into the fabric of the immediate neighbourhood.   Most businesses in the developed world have become little more than the immediate square footage of their retail outlet and maybe a bit of a contrived "community" activities department to help "strengthen bonds" with local community through a few activities outlined in the binder from head office.

One day I will open a retail entity but I am not too sure exactly what it will sell.  I'm actually not too worried about "what" just yet.  What I observed, noted and lived in Paris was individual businesses as cultural entities - that is much more interesting.  Proprietors whose existence seeps beyond the walls of a lease and deep into the pores of the local neighbourhood and more deeply into the fields, factories and workshops of the producers.

A great business strengthens the community every day through what it does as a mainline pursuit driven by the humans behind it.  

I learned a lot about this by getting to know the team at the restaurant Spring.  Though they suddenly have become THE restaurant in town it is actually a very simple place.  You just come, sit down and have dinner.  No menu, no fuss, just brilliantly aligned to the seasons and what intrigues the chef Daniel at any given moment or a surprise dropped off by a local supplier.  Better, go the the wine boutique for a great recommendation from 8€ to a modest mortgage.  It's all very real without being REALtm - without the obligatory chalkboard and heritage furniture, vintage tea spoons, typwriter in the window or irnonic anything.  

Marcus, Bloggers Drinks and Bubble Bobble

Last Friday an internet worm hole opened up landing me in Shoreditch of East London.  A "Bloggers Drinks" event instigated by the presence of The Kaiser himself - Marcus Brown.  

I have internet known Marcus for about 5 - ish years - amidst all his extensive commenting, conspiring and publishing enable by the power of the internet.

It was about time our paths crossed in the analogue world.  Partially to snuff my curiosity whether he really exists or is an elaborate post-digital trans-media ARG narrative invented and curated by an idiot savant holed up somewhere deep in the axis of evil.

In fact, Marcus exists, and refreshingly was just as one would exist.  There were discussions of Bubble Bobble, meta-media, trans-gender-media,  jukebox functionality and WAM respectfully.  The Truman's Beer at Ten Bells was brillaint.

It is always fun meeting folks you know from the internet, like chatting with someone you grew up with for a period in life.  You have mutual reference points and a shared interest. It only gets weird when someone inevitably mentions how weird it is - which was Marcus' one obvious fault.

See you again Marcus.  

Multi-Plane Camera - Retro Craft Week Redux

Back in the halcyon days of blogging and the fraternity of the web I did a series called retro craft week when going on vacation or feeling lazy.  It celebrated the great craftspeople who make great things - and have for a long time before the world of 11's and 00's.

In that spirit here is a video of Walt Disney introducing the multi-plan camera and how it gives cartoons three dimensions.

 

Truth, Lies and Rioting

Walking through London streets this week a plywood magnate must cautiously smile.  Though certainly not with pleasure. Jogging the 6 miles from Fitzrovia to our temporary home in Chiswick Tuesday, the night after wide-spread violence, streets were vacant but for police officers and crews boarding up shops with fresh plywood. 

From the small independent shops who form social fabric to the corporate behemoth Universal records who form culture - scale and ownership structures didn't matter for rioters looking to steal and destroy.  Up went the defensive plywood on shops big and small.

The pundits, academics and politicians are promptly stating grand theories and reasoning while jockeying for air time and headlines.  Sensational videos aside, the stories from average people in the wrong place at the wrong time are compelling for the insightful balance of terror and calm.  Mixed with the odd voice of reason from surprising places, such as Russell Brand in The Guardian, enlighten the truth and complexity behind what the riots are symptomatic of.

As with most things increasingly are these days, the causes and fixes are too complex for a snappy headline, overly crafted slogan or simplistic reductionistic PowerPoint slide.    And while theories are of necessity one must recognise we are in an age of learning new social behaviours.  Hundreds of kids filmed knowingly by CCTV camera, hovering police helicopters, roving news helicopters and their friend's Facebook Feeds partake in criminal behaviour leaving a trail of unprecedented evidence.

While every nation has its ills, England in all truth is on a relative basis a comfortable place to live.  As the rioters wearing 100£ trainers transmitted photos and plans to each other on their smart phones the layers of cognitive dissonance stack high.

  It is a great time to park theorisation of the events and observe evolving behaviours at a broader level. 

• When friend's iPhone photos become evidence in court leading to a conviction does it induce more law abiding behaviour or make image capturing events socially unacceptable? 
• Does the public shaming of 'thieves' on the front pages form a more effective deterrence and form of justice or an enticement for fame? 
• As social media becomes an easy pariah for governments to attack, what ways of communication will inevitably fill the void if restrictions are put in place?
• Does the mix of class and race rioting shoulder to shoulder (and today line up one after another in courts) reinfice and tear apart multi-cultural unity?

Brands, who love to talk about how much they are loved must wonder what they have done. Are the really loved?  Is it love if someone goes to the extent of breaking the law to get their hands on a product for free or the greatest disrespect when one will go to great length to not part with their own money in exchange for it?

Well, it will take a while to figure it all out.

 

Heads Down In London

 

After three and a half weeks in London, it is clear it is a great time to be in advertising.

Not for all the reasons well paid agency executives like to plod out as a facade of optomism.  You know, the 'never been so much creativity and innovation about, we can do anything...' line.

No, what is great is that walking around SOHO, talking to people at agencies here and abroad, heads are down working.

Not conferencing, parading as gurus, whinging or penning another article claiming the death of something.

Nope, the smart people are just getting on with it.  Taking the brilliant principles of creativity mastered by Mr. Bernbach & Co. and matching it with the robust body of knowledge of digital (couple decades worth of info now) and social (a very productive 10 years) along with all the other theories and stuff to make smart stuff that is interesting and works.

Yes, a lovely time to be in our business. Right, time to get on with it.

Goodbye Paris, Hello London

Today is my last as a resident of Paris.  A day that closes two chapters of my life.  One chapter living and working in Paris - an extraordinary place.  The second and more significant chapter being nearly nine years at DDB ending.

Tonight, stepping onto the platform at London's St. Pancras Station, with my wife, will be the first time I walk on British ground as a resident.  Though I have always been a citizen it will now also be a home.

On Monday I begin at Saatchi & Saatchi London working on a pan-Euro brand to be shared later.  Of course, I would not step across the well worn Nothing is Impossible granite entry tile if it were not for a superb role with a great team and superb leadership.

Admittedly it is with heavy heart but a deliberate choice to leave DDB - time will tell if it is a permanent breakup - but it is the right decision at this time personally and professionally. 

I have given a lot of me to DDB and it has given much back exponentially. An infinitely appreciated return entirely at the hands of the people I was fortunate to work with.  Most particularly the folks in Vancouver, Toronto, Chicago, London and Buenos Aires. They truly hold up to the Bernbach-ism of Talented But Nice.

Our stay in Paris was not as long as originally intended, but leaps of this type in today's environment come with high degrees of uncertainty.  As expected it was tough, and while gaining the respect of the French at one of Paris' most Parisian of agency is rather challenging it is superlatively rewarding once gained.  We leave having grown as people (yes, I know that sounds lame but its true) and fallen in love with a city and the far reaches of France.  We will be back, repeatedly.  Not a moment of regret for uprooting from a comfortable gig in North America and I greatly appreciate the DDB Paris team for bringing me in.

To close my DDB life it seemed right to celebrate the work I felt most fortunate to be a part of.  I don't generally like talking about my work but I thought it the best way to thank those I worked with on these and every other campaigns totaling over 200 creative and effectiveness awards.  This primarily is for those whom I sadly know didn't receive my personal note last month.  Sorry about that, but still, thank you.  That goes for you too Mr. and Mrs. Clients whom are equally intertwined with all this.

Right then, now, if you are in London - stay tuned for our "Patriation Celebration" coming this fall and some other endeavors for 2012. 


Favorite Creative I Was Fortunate to be a Part of and the Shiny Things Most Appreciated:

1. ICBC CounterAttack - (New York Festivals United Nations Award) Firstly it was rewarding to stem, after over a decade of decline, a recent increase in drunk driving accidents. Secondly it was flattering to see a certain car maker and agency in Colorado land of a rather similar execution.  Oh and one of the first viral sensations and Canadian ad to break 1 million YouTube views - an impressive number back in 2005 before there was such a thing as "viral style" to ads.

 

2. The Weakshop - (Cassies best of Show 2010 & 2011) A real product line and retail entity devised for people who don't drink enough to get them to drink more milk.  It did that and the hyper-integrated / transmedia / mulit-platform or whatever you want to call it proved the possible incremental gains of not relying on TV.  Interestingly, at the Canadian Cassis last year it won be of show as digital films.  This year, the same creative was re-edited and ran on TV winning TV best of show.

 

3. Stolen Car Show - (2004 Cyber Lion)  A car show that never happened but for Miss Stolen Car Show to encourage teens to use anti-theft devices.  Included through blog characters and MSN Messenger auto-response program what people today call a "social media strategy."

4. Youth Against Gang Violence - (Media innovation awards & CMA gold integrated) A labour of love to combat what tore at us the most about the city we loved - its drug trade and gang violence touching every social strata.

 

5. Midas Chase - (the 2009 One Show Gold Broadcast Pencil, FailBlog)  A campaign to sell winter tires that would never have happened if we didn't propose and succeed in re-investing usage royalties to head office and develop creative based on national insight.  This is the campaign I am most proud of and enjoyed the most developing through all the usual hurdles and challenges.

6. Lipton Ice Tea Tokyo Hotel - (Euro Effie Finalist) The reason for my most to Paris and like most international tranfers in advertising they don't bring you in because everything is great and running smoothly.  The dancing however, is sharp...

Patricia Wells & Digital(ish) Stuff I Like

Recently I read a book by Patricia Wells (go ahead and snicker) who covered restaurants for the NY Times and other publications in the 80's  during the rise of Nouvelle Cuisine in France, and ultimately the world.  A manifesto espousing fresh ingredients and simple preparations was published as the chefs behind the movement practiced the commandments in their kitchens.  

However, she noted that the first few years of this new "movement" started to get silly.  Once the backlash of 40$ for two steamed asparagus stalks peaked, the fluff was culled and the real innovation started.  The creativity in cooking returned to what was on the plate not the idea of eating something called Nouvelle Cuisine.

It feels, I hope, we have passed the silly phases of digital (wave 1: 1997 to 2000, Wave 2: 2003 to 2006) and social (2007 to 2010) and we are getting down to ideas that inherently are good and interesting that use technology but the ideas remain the master.  Rather than ideas to the master of technology.

With this though, here are a bunch of things I like at the moment:

Jay-Z Decoded

Yes, it has been covered a lot and won loads of trophies, but it amazes me more don't talk about how remarkably they blended a book about urban culture with urban culture so seamlessly and credibly.

Perrier , Le Party

While sex sells everywhere few places allow advertising to be as sexy as France.  While a bit of a gimmick to get you to watch more and share it hits the point, refreshes a long running campaign idea and makes me maybe want to see what happens.  Love it's not just a "extended" edit of a TVC or lazy "you choose the ending" bollocks.

Kaiser Chiefs, Future is Medeivel

 

First and foremost a musician's first field of creativity is music itself.  While the promotion is important bands are superbly great for letting others be creative with the other stuff.  As album covers, music videos and concerts are well mined fields it is cool to see the very economic model be open for creativity.  WK gets big ups for the totality of the endeavor - a transmedia initiative that is so much more than and meaningful than just take a bunch of characters from a TV ad and give them profiles online (aka 'Lost' Syndrome)

The Parisians, Cover Take Over

A simple idea that does what many have tried - to use iTunes as a medium itself.  Again, an ad agency (mine in fact at DDB Paris) is behind this one.

Pepsi, Pepsi 10

I like that Pepsi is getting closer to innovation.  Causing it not talking about it. However, it feels like their object is to be closer to innovation and be able to say the world trans-formative a lot.  Being on the cutting edge isn't an end, but a means to an end whatever it might be.  While small $10,000 grants is a start that some may scoff at - kudos for Pepsi doing what many brands just talk about.

T-Mobile, Angry Birds Live

While the genre of "take something from the oline/mobile world and do it in the real world, film it, post a video online" genre does seem overly pervasive/tired few have the right and credibility as T-Mobile to keep rocking it.  Fewer, rock it this well.

Tragedy of a Brand's Perceived Ideal

It has become fashionable to "fail fast," "let go of control,"  "embrace failure" or whatever aphorism you like.  But to most it is just fashionable to say but not so much practice this philosphy in practice.  Not because they are cowards but they don't really understand to what end failure is required in a world where being wrong or off 0.03% is punished mercilessly by the markets.

Recently, Conan, a wonderful recent failure, said this at Dartmouth's graduation:

"It is our failure to become our perceived ideal that ultimately defines us and makes us unique. ... Whether you fear it or not, disappointment will come. The beauty is that through disappointment you can gain clarity, and with clarity comes conviction and true originality."

Each individual on a brand has a perceived ideal of what it should be.  Usually this is based in some way on what it is.  A few may have a vision of what it could be or might be.  

This vision of what it could be will be at odds with the former group entrenched in what it should be.  Unless, they are open to something original and better.  However, inherently that means something they think is wrong or at best is not right enough.  That is okay, if they are okay with crushing their personal ideal.  If they are not, expect more of the same. The same results if they are lucky.  Diminishing results more likely.  The tragedy of becoming one's percevied ideal.

Everything Has Always Communicated

It is an old adage that everythign commmunicates, whether you intend to or not.

But, in many ways this has become limited as everything changes so much and so frequently.  Or at least we perceive it to.

Consequently, things that last become mundane and of low communication value, in case something changes tomorrow.

But, if something is designed to last, even just a few years, it can be used in helpful and elegant ways.  Even something like a plate can be informative, suggestive and environmentally responsible by avoiding the need of another surface to need to be bought, printed and handed out.

Sadly, the above was just a "retro" design, yet enduring in its asthetic intrigue and a whistful sense of longing for it to be usable today.  But, in a time where everyone is falling over themselves to be just in time, there is something confident and remarkable about being timeless. 

DSK Design Boom

 

While the internet and rolling 24hr news channels did what they do best - breathly moment by moment updates on what is happenning, the dailies and weeklies in France did what they do best - provide context, colour and the big picture analysis of what happened.

A man is facing prospect of trial.  The media has put the world's coverage of the situation on trial, so to the American Justice system, the French justice system, the IMF, the Socialist Party, a nations view's on privacy and the behavior of powerful old men.  All brought to life in words and illustration.

 

 

Time Implosion

The world has been going fast and faster and fastest for a while now.

Accross time and geography.

The internet for the past 40 years has exacerbated this.  Tangible and especially heightening our impression of everything accelerating.

We have now acheived real time essentially.  Get information instantly.  Transmit and complete tasks instantly. Manufacture new products faster than trends can support them.

The next leap will be some form of reshaping time and space.  Till then we have essentially acheived 'peak now.'

Till the our scientists get cracking and figure it out, we should celebrate the acheivement of nowness, and move past the acheivement of instanst life.

It is a good time to think about long term implications of instnantaneous everything.  I love this Google film emotively highlighting a life of instantaneousness.  Figure out how it can do things better, not just differently. 

Just as globalization economically is delivering diminishing returns and returning to tighter geographical and cultural roots is paying greater returns (eg. McDonalds localizing menus in no-markets) how will we deal with peak now when it comes to consumer content and interacting with people we know and entities like brands, governments and associations.

This is bigger than a regectionist group like Slow movements (though they are certainly symptomatic) but a slow reframing of how we deal with information.  As news cycles are essentially hours if not minutes down from days or weeks not too long ago how will we seek meaning over information.  Meaningful comprehension of complex situations.  Rich storytelling that compels when you already 'know.'

Right, well time to head to a terrace and figure it out.

Best Part of May Day (Rock n'Roll)

The best part of May Day?

This Guy:

In the middle of hundreds of thousands of socialists, communists, lenninist, unionists and others this guy stompted on the hood of his Triumph and rocked.

There is something visceral and I love about the energy of manifestations in France.  People giving a damn and taking to the streets.  It also feels in some ways like a time past.  People now have other options to inspire and instill change.  This guy did feel like a time before I was born when rock and roll was the voice of disent.

The crowd tends to be older at these manifestions, 50 something.  I was in Prague in 2000 during the IMF protests/riots- I was 23 and many others seemed about my age.  Maybe it feels old on the street because the youth are at home doing change rather than walking down the street yelling about change.  More likely, as with most things in our frangmenting world the new and the old are equally important to moving forward.

Becoming French

It was just the other night when interacting with a police office, it occurred to me that I had become fully French.  Was doing things once unthinkable for me.

While there is a curiously large genera of generic and boring books by Anglos complaining about all things France, I moved here to experience first hand all things French.

While I will never be French by blood, some major milestones seem to have quietly passed indicating adopting French-ness in my way of being.

- When a police officer lectures me not to ride my bike the wrong way down a street rather than apologize as a polite Canadian should I respond challengingly with comment? (a sarcastic version of WHAT?) and inform him the signage needs to be improved and it is his duty to do so to protect the safety off people such as I.

- Sometimes I will now walk two steps into the street, then look up at what traffic is coming.

- I will discuss with my fromagier between the Brie Mieux and the Brie Melun which is more in season and whether any come close to the superior Coloummiers (which is made but a few KMs away.)

- When my frommagier refuses to cut my Coloummiers into quarters I don't quietly accept the half, I keep asking "C'est pas possible?" maybe throwin in a shrug or two until he relents and quickly cuts in down to the desired size.

- Find 8pm a normal time to be at the office, but locked out if arriving at 8am.

- Believe a one hour lunch is a right and 2 hours acceptable but feel guilt when eating at my desk for disrespecting the food I eat.

- Will drink a glass of wine at lunch (not daily, but sometimes...)

- Consider champagne perfectly acceptable for a weeknight without need of an occasion or the belief it is in any way decadent.  Simple appropriate for what we are eating.

- Will fight to the death that a grape growth on one side of a hill versus the other will yeild a better wine, intrinsically not because of artificial snootiness.

- Have a drawer of scarves for every season.  Never leaving home without one.

- Despite 20 moto-scooters and swarms of zooming cars will put nose in the air and cycle directly accross any roundabout (Opera, Bastille, Republique, etc. ) knowing I have the right of way and confidence everyone will allow passage.  They will only honk or cut you off upon your hesitation. (Never hesitate.)

- Have adobted an esoteric hobby (collecting 1920s and 30s sports photography.)

- Own a professional grade set of boules for petanque

- Love a goot protest.

French culture and society is impressively strong and set in its ways. Bless them for it.  It is what I love about them. It is what makes the country what it is.  Gives a profound identity and shorthand for what France and the French are all about. A strength indentity and conviction most countries lack, all countries would kill for.

And serioulsly, Liberté Egalité Fraternité, is the greatest strap line in the hisotry of communications.

Ideas, Rules Doing and a John Jay

Our industry has a lot of great minds and a lot of opinions.

But opinions aside, its what one does that matters.  The actual ideas.  The ones that get made, and made great.

Whether an idea is in the form of a script, a way to look at the budget to make the impossible possible or what a prospective client sees in the lobby on pitch day - they all matter.

But some people do more and do better.  No matter how old I get, they are a kind of hero.

Few know the name John Jay.  But anything he does, says really, amazes me. 

Sharp, profound and informed.  Above all, makes you think a bit different and better about something.

A knower of art, retail and how a restaurant can reshape a neighbourhood while reinvigorating its past  (Ping.)  A genral doing of things.

These are the types it is great to see enter halls of fame. 

I don't know Jon, but I know I like what he's done.  Even if it was only the skewers at Ping, I would hold that opinion.

These are his rules stolen from a WK blog:

1. Be authentic. The most powerful asset you have is your individuality, what makes you unique. It’s time to stop listening to others on what you should do.
2. Work harder than anyone else and you will always benefit from the effort.
3. Get off the computer and connect with real people and culture. Life is visceral.
4. Constantly improve your craft. Make things with your hands. Innovation in thinking is not enough.
5. Travel as much as you can. It is a humbling and inspiring experience to learn just how much you don’t know.
6. Being original is still king, especially in this tech-driven, group-grope world.
7. Try not to work for stupid people or you’ll soon become one of them.
8. Instinct and intuition are all-powerful. Learn to trust them.
9. The Golden Rule actually works. Do good.
10. If all else fails, No. 2 is the greatest competitive advantage of any career.

 

The Inaugural Tour de Paris

With the early arrival of summer sun and the scheduled annual return of tourist flocks this weekend was a good time to explore unexplored parts of Paris.

This city, while maddening at times just as frequently offers elements that comprise the best of urban living.  At the top of the list of brilliance is Velib’, the now much duplicated bike sharing scheme. 

The Velib’ system and my scan card were reason to arrange an adventure.  While Paris is about 8 intimate KMs across, the circumference was a mystery to me, much because of the fortress of automotivity La Periphique.  A modern fortress wall ringing the city. 

The mission was simple, circle the outermost reaches of the city.  The areas many cross but few notice.  An exercise in nothing more than fulfilling curiosity.  Tracked by reapplying the app Skitracks.

Stage 1

La Tour de Paris started with a short Prologue from home to the dry cleaner.  Just to get the legs going and  complete a quick chore

Stage 2

From my cleaner near Centre Pompidou the second stage finished at Bercy Park.  Once the sprawling wine warehouse district it was “modernized” in the 90’s to a centre of chain restaurants and dull shops.

Stage 3

The charm of Paris was abruptly lost as the Eastern edges of the city host heavy industry on the banks of La Seine.  Home to the plants, that make the aggregates, that make the foundation on top of which the gorgeous zinc bars of St. Germain sits so confidently.

Stage 4

A comforting return to Haussmann fingerprints as 6 story buildings stand at attention lining the boulevards.  This stage finished dramatically at the ancient book market where I furthered my collection of old original sports photography and journals.

 

Some amazing shots from 1927 to 1929 editions of Le Mirior des Sports.

This was also the first feeding station as heralded baker Poilân has one of their three shops here in this most distant of outposts where vendors wonder how you discovered them.

 

Stage 5

One of the longest stages along the massive boulevard housing the above ground tram, its lawn and superb vacant bike lanes.  Great cruising right across the Western reaches of La Seine.

Stage 6

Where Bois de Vincennes on the East side is the classy park, Bois de Boulogne on the West of the city up against the ritziest of neighbourhoods is certainly the sleazy older brother.  Renown for the peering eyes of prostitutes lining the forest edges.

Stage 7

The first mountain stage, climbing behind Montmartre was unremarkable except for the vibrant Turkish neighbourhood at the end serving as the second feeding stop.  The Turkish lemon soda that seemed to be a good idea, was a bad idea.

Stage 8

While one almost always feel truly safe anywhere in Paris this is the one area you are likely a bit on edge.  Housing tenements, shoeless prostitutes and homeless men guzzling 1 Euro bottles of wine over Backgammon atop carbord box tables.  The forgotten corners of Paris.

Stage 9

From the upper-right reaches on the well redeveloped canals of Port de Villette the second mountain stage with long long stretches of ripped up boulevards and car chocked roads. 

Le Fin

While hundreds heavily armed riot police keep casual eye on a protest it was time to conclude they way many things end, or start in France.  Avec une verre de champagne.

So, that was the inaugural Tour de Paris.  If you come to Paris on vacation there certainly are better things to do.  If you want to see the unknown parts of Paris on the most low performance but high style bikes going, well I can only say “bonne courage.”  You will finds markets no book writes about, thriving ethnic communities and quaint neighbourhoods that seem worlds away from the centrall masses of Paris.

The distance?  50.7KM.

Old internet and new possibility

 Date of creation of important "new" digital things changing today's game:

2007 - iPhone

2006 - Twitter

2004 - Facebook

2001 - X-Box

1995 - Amazon.com

1993 - Mosaic browser and mainstream launch of World Wide Web and brand websites

1982 - Bloomberg Terminal

1970's  - TCP/IP (protocol that connects computers allowing them to "talk" to each other)

1962 - ARPANET, precursor to "internet" first existed conceptually in an academic paper

 

It is often amazing to step back and look at how old many of the "new" things in marketing and communications are now.  Yet, there is an attitude we still are figuring them out.  That they are "new media" and just give it a fling and see what happens.  Failures are okay.

It is a bit of a lazy attitude. 

By reverse logic it is like saying we are still figuring out TV given the fact failures still make it to air. 

Failures under the guise of newness are not okay.  Risk taking on account of what is possible, certainly is okay.

We are at a new point of maturity where we are familiar, generally, with all the new tools and channels.  However, we are just as susseptible to the amazing.  Maybe increasingly more so as "average", "hackney" and "mediocre" invade more and more parts of our lives.  Attack us from more and more angles.

Interestingly, 1962 the year the first inclings of the internet was being formed was also the year Think Small, first hit magazines.  The ad that many link to the initiation of the Creative Revolution.  A war still being faught every day on every front in every medium.

Just interesting to think that the first steps of the creative revolution took place the first days of a global telecommunications network.  They really are brothers in arms.

Advertising Diapers

Admittedly babies scare me, probably as much as a retail creative brief on the fact Target carries Huggies.

In an age of complexity, simplicity remains king.

This ad, film, viral, YouTube thing, or whatever other medium of moving picture and synched sound you prefere is one of my favorites of 2011.  

Love it, tough brief, goreously simple idea, done with taste and simplicity.  Not a pun in sight thankfully.  A retail message well dropped. (Oops, sorry, I punned.)

Introducing SHOUTtr

Well, kind of introducing SHOUTtr.  Intenet, we need your help.

Here is what Shouttr is all about, as explained to a few people I directly asked to maybe help make it happen:

I am a pretty positive person, but sometimes I can get frustrated, discouraged or disapointed.  It is the nature of what we do, and if you care about what you do it probably happens to you too.

I loved the anonymity of early days of social networks.  Amongst many things you could say anything, cause nobody was there but a few like minded folks, but now stuff easily gets taken out of context because one's audience is too diverse. 

Plus nobody swears like they do in real life, except the odd person just for effect.  It can be cathartic, I am sure science proves this somewhere, or should.  But the back channels are no longer appropriate.  My mother might find out, amongst other people. 

 I want to create Shouttr.com, a place you can vent.  Say whatever you want.  Anonymously.   

Just an input field to enter important things like F**K F**K F******G D**N S**T F**K.  UX primatively consisting of a SHOUT button to submit and a stream of past SHOUTS. Maybe just noting time and date.  Geo tag would be nice but not necessary for launch.  No profiles, no following.

One could even use it for something positive, maybe you are someone too humble to boast, but really want to shout about something great you did, to someone, anyone and but noone in particular who might catch you. (FYI, swearing is not mandatory.)

Of course, no hate speak.  Just good clean venting, out into the voide. Using the power of anonymity to make oneself feel better.  SHOUTTING feels like Rocky @ 3"57 .

Drop me a note or comment below if you can help. Feel free to nominate other people. The domain with a trying too hard cleaver typo is registered.  Just need to make it.

Venetian Skate Gang

A lazy Sunday in Venice wandering the back streets of Rello Santa Sofia.  Where Venetians live like they always have, since long before the industrial tourism complex swallowed much of their swamp.

A small skate session, the best dressed skate session of all time, takes place.  Global culture localized at its finest.

Three boys, two skateboards and one self apointed instructor. 

Freestyling:

 

Strike a pose young man, strike a pose.