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Tiny Story

The Chicago Egotist — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 19:28:08 +0000

National

Animators, Sebas and Clim, have created a story with the simplest possible elements; a dot, a line, and a colored background. Simply awesome.

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Ira Glass On Storytelling

The Chicago Egotist — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 17:20:02 +0000

National

Ira Glass on Storytelling from David Shiyang Liu on Vimeo.

The only way to get better is to keep making stuff. Keep making stuff Chicago!

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Dutch Settlers Almost Bought Manhattan For a Tin Of Altoids

The Chicago Egotist — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 16:08:09 +0000

Local

What if? Would we have more windmills? Would weed be legal, for real? Would everyone ride a bike?

Brought to you by Energy BBDO. Great Art Direction, of course.

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Video Killed The Radio Star, But The Internet Killed Pretty Much Everything Else

The Chicago Egotist — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 15:15:57 +0000

National

Via Thought Catalog.

While we were sucked into the internet reading and searching and not creating anything yesterday, we found this article interesting. You are most likely doing the same thing right now, give it a read. Be inspired.

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It's a Snap

The Chicago Egotist — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 17:07:09 +0000

National

This amazingly bizarre ad for higher education has been making the internet rounds. Two things we love about this. 1. Aaron is wearing old Reebok Pumps and 2. We are all still talking about it.

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The Addy's Results

The Chicago Egotist — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 16:05:24 +0000

Local

Curious about who won what at that Addy's last week? Maybe you were there and it's all too foggy, well the lists of winners are here. Don't have time to click? Burnett and Gyro took nearly all of the Golds. Who is Gyro you ask? This is Gyro.

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Be an Intern For Under Armour

The Chicago Egotist — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 16:00:25 +0000

National

Got what it takes to be an intern for Under Armour? Students, apply through the Under Armour Facebook page by submitting a 140-character cover letter. Applicants are also being challenged with creating their own Tumblr page to prove that they have what it takes to be part of the Under Armour team. The five interns will be selected to work in five different positions: copywriting, marketing, graphic design, social media, and film making. You have until Feb. 27.

Red Tettemer + Partners created this social media campaign for UA to snag smart interns.

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How To Outrun The Inevitable - Robert Campbell

The Dubai Egotist — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 15:30:00 +0000

There are a lot of agencies out there.

In China alone, there’s said to be tens of thousands.

TENS OF THOUSANDS!!!

However amongst all those – not in China, but generally – there’s a few that have a ‘global’ name.

Traditionally, they fall into 2 camps:

Those who are living off their legacy and those creating it.

Yes, that’s harsh – and there’s a whole host of reasons for it – but that’s pretty much how it feels.

Of course, these two states are in a constant state of motion … one good campaign can lift an agency from the past to the present and vice versa … however the agencies that tend to have the greatest momentum are the ones that seemingly are continuously creating their legacy rather than riding on their past.

Now in no way am I suggesting an agency purposefully ‘takes a back seat’ – there are many reasons why that can happen – however the point of this post is that as much as there are many agencies out there who are grabbing a bunch of the headlines right now, there’s 2 that are seemingly always at the forefront of commercial creativity.

BBH and W+K

Now without doubt there are some fundamental differences between the 2 companies – some good, some not so good – however the thing I find fascinating are their commonalities, of which a number of them, I believe, have directly enabled them to succeed while others have fallen.

I should point out that what I’m about to write is my perception.

The fact is I’ve never worked at BBH and while I know many of the guys there very well – I am still basing my views on observation and here-say.

And as for W+K. Well while I have had the pleasure of meeting Dan and his senior management team, we’ve not really talked about this sort of thing … most of the time I’m getting bollocked for something.

But that aside, here are 5 things that have made these agencies so creatively influential for so long.

1. Consistent Management.

The guys who run both these agencies have been at these agencies a long time.

Better yet, they are the people who founded these agencies – so they have a vested interest in maintaining the culture of the place rather than just go after the profit, regardless of the implication.

That said, they are constantly introducing new people into positions of influence and power.

Younger people. Talented people.

People who bring new perspectives and thinking to the table so while the principals of the company will stay the same, the expression of it is at the forefront of the times.

2. Control, Not Controlled.

In short, when you own your company rather than a holding company with masses of shareholders, you can control how your company grows and where your company goes.

Basically, control means you can focus on the longer-term, bigger play rather than purely focusing on hitting the next quarterly target.

It’s probably the best ad for communism you could have, ha.

3. A Willingness To Fail.

Both agencies try stuff.

Better yet, the want to try stuff.

There is a reluctance to rest on their laurels.

This isn’t just because they believe to stick with what you know is the surest way to future failure, but because they are adventurous by nature and they believe great things happen from experimentation, even if on first impressions, the result is not quite what they hoped.

They also put their money where their mouth is.

They don’t expect clients to fund their adventures into the unknown, they’ll pay for it … be it in the activities they do or the people they hire.

For both, failure is NOT trying stuff.

4. Culture, Not Function

When I first joined W+K, people talked about it’s unique culture.

To be honest, I’ve heard this sort of thing before and almost always it’s turned into a crock of shit … because the culture that was there was because of the people in the place rather than the company.

But in W+K and BBH’s case, I believe it’s true.

Sure, the people that work there enhance and develop that culture, but there’s a strong philosophical view that permeates every element of both companies.

It’s not about the press releases or the credentials deck … it’s about their standards … their expectations … their beliefs.

They actively encourage trying new things … exploring new approaches … not going for the lowest-common-denominator or the category convention … standing up for what they believe in …

In short, it’s about filling their company with interesting and creative people who share their beliefs [even if they express it in radically different ways], rather than simply those who can perform a specific job function at the lowest price.

5. Involvement, Not Observation.

Northern wrote a blog post recently where he said he was convinced the reason older, senior people lose their dynamism and originality is because no one challenges them and they don’t get in enough situations to be told something they don’t know.

Very true.

However one thing I really like about W+K is that while the senior guys are ridiculously talented and smart and experienced … they welcome opinion, debate and challenge. From everyone. Literally everyone.

I remember the first time I met Dan and John and had an ‘out of body experience’ where I saw myself telling, arguably 2 of the most respected ad guys in history a bunch of stuff I think we should be doing.

OK, so Dan said, “you’re fired” … but he listened and that’s more than many would do.

The other thing is they are all deeply involved in what’s going on.

Not in the sense of dictating outcomes or decisions, but being part of the chaos – contributing, listening, exploring.

Sure that doesn’t happen on every single piece of business on every single campaign, but you’d be amazed how knowledgable about what’s going on. Seriously, you just need 2 minutes in the company of Dan or John or Dave etc and you know that they are absolutely bursting with dynamism and originality, even though by the protocol adopted by many agencies, they should be put out to pasture by now.

Why are they like this?

Because they still care. I honestly think it’s that simple.

They still want to learn. They still want to do stuff. They still want to push boundaries.

It’s fantastic and I honestly believe that one of the reasons this is the case is because they seek out people they regard as talented and interesting … people who can push them … their colleagues … their clients … and their agency to a different place.

Not being scared of change or youth or provocation shows people who are very confident with who they are … which for all the ego and posturing that goes on in this industry, is very rare indeed.

Of course you might think this is all bollocks … and maybe it is, however I can tell you from my time at W+K and my relationship with BBH that I see all this time and time again.

Sure it’s not always perfect, sure there have been some bad mistakes – but that aside – the fact they have been at the forefront of mass market commercial creativity means they must be doing something right … something few other companies have been able to pull off over 30 odd years which is why I honestly believe these are things we could all benefit from following or learning – whether we work in a company or want to start our own.

Making money is not hard.

Being the creative industry darling for a moment in time, is not out of the reach for all.

However making money while sticking to your principals and being an acknowledged leader in [effective] creativity for 3 decades is, and that’s why W+K and BBH stand out from the crowd.

While both agencies shun propriety processes in favour of being judged by what they do [rather than what they say they do] … the reality is you can’t ignore how their principals, philosophies and approach have directly contributed and impacted to the work that so many of us [general public, not just adland] hold in the highest esteem.

Saying “it’s all about the work”, might make a nice headline that people can gravitate to, but a great creative legacy starts way before the brief lands on the table.

----------

By Robert Campbell, W+K's Asia Regional Head of Planning. Reposted with permission. Read the original blog post here (and don't miss the delicious comments.)

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26 Letters, 26 Famous Films

The Chicago Egotist — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 18:38:05 +0000

National

ABCinema from Evan Seitz on Vimeo.

The letters of the alphabet dramatically animated by 26 famous films. It took us a few watches to figure them all out. Ok we haven't figured them all out. What is Z?!!!

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LED Shred

The Chicago Egotist — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 16:27:01 +0000

National

Fashion photographer and filmmaker Jacob Sutton wrapped, snowboarder, William Hughes in an LED suit filmed him shredding the French Alps. Sick visuals. Check out more on Nowness.

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Luminous Field in Millennium Park

The Chicago Egotist — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 15:17:29 +0000

Local

GO! GO tonight! You only have until Monday before this installation is gone. This is so cool. Oh and learn more at all of these great links.
Luftwerk
Explore Chicago

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Surviving SXSW

The Chicago Egotist — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 19:00:59 +0000

National

Lucky enough to get to Austin this march? Well there are few things you should know and Austin's GSD&M has created a cool survival guide using Pintrest. Check it out, super cool way to use the popular visual bookmarking site.

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Fast Company's Most Innovative Agencies

The Chicago Egotist — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 17:00:51 +0000

National

Fast Company recently released their list of the most 50 innovative companies. Check out the top 10 in advertising. Interesting to see a couple of brands, not agency types, on the list.

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WANTED: The Guy That Stole Our Pen

The Chicago Egotist — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 16:00:33 +0000

Local

You think someone stole your pen? Why not create a WANTED poster of the suspect and flood social media with the posters.

Energy BBDO has created a cool Facebook App to go with their "The World's Most Stolen Pen" campaign for InkJoy. Maybe a headhunter will get you your pen back, you will for sure be entered to win $2,500.

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Wood That is Better Than Wood

The Chicago Egotist — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 15:22:09 +0000

Local

Ok no joking. For the first time ever Eastman Chemical has decided to advertise to consumers and Shine in Madison has created the new campaign for Perennial Wood. Smart work from our neighbors to the north.

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Mattstache

The Chicago Egotist — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 22:00:59 +0000

National

Happy Friday everyone. It's time for a cocktail.

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Red Field Notes, Just In Time For Valentines Day

The Chicago Egotist — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 17:00:26 +0000

Local

Field Notes: Red Blooded from Coudal Partners on Vimeo.

Via The Denver Egotist, they beat us to it.

Bryan Bedell, who works for Coudal and Field Notes made this amazing video for his wife — and to promote the new red Field Notes for Valentine's Day. Top that fellas.

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Future Hipsters

The Chicago Egotist — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 16:30:48 +0000

National

Oh so perfect. Might as well check out their tumblr too. Oh and then go to Social Media Week, duh.

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Don't Leave These Guys Stranded

The Chicago Egotist — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 16:00:11 +0000

Local

51 Degrees South is a side project of Jamie Gallant and Vern Cummins. Jamie is an Associate Producer at DDB here in Chicago. Pretty sick side project Jamie. One of the better produced Kickstarter videos we've ever seen too. Help a guy out and kick a few dollars his way at the Kickstarter page.

We want to know more about these Falkland Islands!

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Time Out

ttownsend — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 15:18:53 +0000

Every day we see on the news how our economy, our country, and our species, globally, is slipping. We think globally and act locally. We adopt charities in Africa. We occupy Wall Street. We lift up the common man, worry for the middle and lower classes. And above all, we love resenting, and hating, the rich. Then we rush together for the Super Bowl to celebrate the most ostentatious display of wealth, insensitivity and celebrity idolatry imaginable. To me, the most glaring contradiction is nothing new to sports and media, just more obnoxious in these times -- having a major car manufacturer give a brand new sports car to the multimillionaire who was just crowned a bigger multi-millionaire. While Detroit is running commercials during the same game that acknowledges, in words and pictures, the Super Real World of joblessness, foreclosures and suffering families in fallen cities, they follow up by giving a brand new sports car to the least needy person in the world. And we scream and cheer. (What?) Even Eli didn't care. Did you hear in the audio track, "Oh Eli, wait! You might want the keys!" Guess how many families could use the car Eli already forgot he had?

But this year's crowning irony were the two words at the end of Madonna's millenia-spanning spend-a-thon of enormous casts of dancers, soldiers, and cheerleaders jumping across moving sets of chariots, grandstands and marching Roman armies, navigating multiple stage transformations and the additional counter-celebrity who joined her. At the end, they present the phrase, "World Peace." (WHAT?) If the Super Bowl was just the yearly ritual of rabid football fans who were loyal, captivated students of the games, I would have no problem with deserving football junkies spending whatever they want to express a love of the game, their passion, the moment. But it's not a football event, it's a yearly American reaffirmation that no matter what we say in our self-righteous blogs, our political discussions, and twitter feeds to CNN, we really do love our celebrities, we do love that they are rich, we love mega-productions of epic scale, and we all secretly feel that if we raise a beer to the screen and scream that one day a year, even if we don't know a touchdown from a home run, we count too; I am a part of this bombastic show too; I am in the midstream of what matters most today; I'm part of what my world is obsessing about right now. I can always return to my more-aware, more sophisticated, more critical self tomorrow, and remember that I hate suffering, and therefore the evil money empires that enable it. But first, I want to find out how they got those monkeys into those suits! That was awesome!

---
Tom Townsend is co-founder and Chief Creative Officer of Rodgers Townsend, a DDB Company located in St. Louis. Previously, he was Senior Vice President/Group Creative Director at DMB&B.

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10 Best Online Ads From January

The Chicago Egotist — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 17:10:22 +0000

National

Via The Wall.

Online ads mean not being regulated to :30 and result in great content. There are some gems in this list, definitely worth a peek.

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The Button Museum

The Chicago Egotist — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 16:58:38 +0000

Local

Busy Beaver Button Company is being featured on Time for their collection of political buttons. Cool. Be sure to check out their current designs too.

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Go See Some Art!

The Chicago Egotist — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 16:13:12 +0000

Local

February 9th (Thursday) from 5-9 Utopic is having a Gallery Event. Local Chicago artists Amy Huisinga, Chris Colvin, Erin Murphy, K.A. Letts, Karen Morgan, Ken Wilson, Kyle Van Heck and Tracy Ostmann will have work on display.

Hey, maybe you will find something sick to buy.

RSVP: 312.836.9000 or artviewing@utopic.net

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Go Ahead Play Cupid

The Chicago Egotist — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 15:30:24 +0000

Local

Digitas and Walgreens want you to Play Cupid with your Facebook friends. Pick a couple of friends that you think would be a perfect match and put their faces into a fun photo and send it to them. You get a coupon for Vday gifts at Walgreens and everyone laughs at the funny photo you have tagged your friends in.

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Camera Phone Love

The Orlando Egotist — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 14:00:00 +0000

Local

Do you like taking and sharing photos using apps from your camera phone?

That's what the Orlando camera phone show Depixtions is asking camera phone enthusiasts. Participants can use whatever apps on their phones they want, as long as the photo was originally taken with a cell phone.

All of the approved submissions will be printed and displayed at the gallery show to be held on March 10, 2012 at the Orange Studio. Each print will be for sale and with all proceeds going to New Hope for Kids.

Submission deadline is February 17th.

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