The Dubai Egotist RSS Feed

Dear Jr Creative, Earn Your Place. You’ll Be Better For It.

Tue, 21 May 2013 14:32:43 +0000

Dear Jr Creative,

I’m a firm believer in earning your keep, starting from the bottom, doing the less than desirable well, before moving up.

Prove yourself on what seemingly matters little, and people will notice. I promise.

At the very least, I promise I’ll notice. Because it’s the unorthodox grind of a route I took.

I was a rich kid from the suburbs. I was embarrassed by it. I hated it. It was a 90’s thing.

In High School, and in Gen-X “rebellion” against my white collar family, I worked for the Las Vegas Water District doing underground construction.

I dug ditches and changed water lines during the Vegas Summer for 8 dollars an hour. Not desirable work. And the guys I worked with could smell the rich kid on me. They busted my balls mercilessly for it.

I dug the shit out of those ditches. I loved it. I used my hands. I used heavy machinery and pneumatic tools—I drove a dump truck (which is awesome by the way).

All I wanted was the respect of these old guys changing water lines in the desert. Dudes that worked so fucking hard. For so fucking little. To feed their families; their addictions; their gambling debts.

Eventually, I’d earned a bit of respect.

I worked hard…”for a skinny rich kid.”

One day I mentioned to the crew lead: “Fuck it. I like this. Why not full time?”.

He pulled the truck over to the shoulder of a mountain road, heading North towards Mt. Charleston, looked deep into my face, “Every single one of us would give the world NOT to be here. Stop your blue collar charade. Go to school like you’re supposed to. Get out of this shit.”

So I did.

That was my last of three summers working for the water district.

I went to school for business. Marketing & Advertising to be exact. Which, aside from teaching me some business basics, really just help develop my aptness for bullshit.

Luckily for me, somewhere along the line, I learned a real skill and about this thing called the “Internet.” It was a place I could upload the photos I was taking (and developing in a darkroom, btw). I learned some Photoshop and HTML skills because of it. Eventually, I started freelancing: horrible graphic design and web work. Whatever I could get—fucking rave fliers, man. I just wanted to learn. The beer money was the gravy on top.

My first “real” job out of college was resizing graphics for an eCommerce company. I showed up for the interview on my skateboard, handed the HR lady my resume and said, “I’ll take anything. I know Photoshop. Here’s my book.” I didn’t even know what a “designer” was. But that’s why I was there. And by no means was I a designer; Photoshop monkey…maybe.

Ninety people had been laid off a month prior to me being brought on. I was the first hire after those layoffs and in the eyes of everybody…I was “that guy…”

I was at the bottom of the totem pole. Where I belonged.

The only thing I had going for me was a fear of “sucking.” And for the record, I sucked. (Certainly compared to the kids I see today).

“…good enough to resize graphics” was what I overheard the Creative Director say, just around the corner.

So I resized graphics. I resized the shit out of graphics, learning to code HTML along the way. I unlearned what I learned in business school. And learned…business. I developed site and page concepts for fun. Always showing my boss. Wanting critique. Always trying to get better. People noticed. He noticed. I gained more and more responsibility and more importantly, trust. Never begging for more money. Just wanting to do more work, better work.

To not suck.

Eventually, I took over as Creative Lead. I redesigned both KBToys.com and eToys.com. Enterprise level eCommerce stuff. Real businesses, making real money. I thought the designs were pretty damn good for the early 00’s. Some of the first .com’s to switch to 1024x768. We won some eCom industry awards. It moved product. I thought I was hot shit.

I was far from it.

Fast forward a decade and I’m blown away by the level of talent that’s out there. Kids today come out of school with so much fucking skill it’s crazy. But with all of that skill, in so many, there is equal-to-more parts hubris. An entitled attitude that seems to expect everything for nothing.

Somewhere, along the lines, we (everyone) got sensitive. We started giving trophies for last place. People forgot how to take criticism. We started (and continue) to want to spare people from the realities of what it really takes. Close counts. Thanks for trying. Better luck next time—even worse—Fail Harder.

I hate this phrase more than anything.

“Fail Harder” is a manifesto for the delusional, the lazy—the lotto dreamer.

Celebrating failure is a cop out. Be pissed that you fucked up—when you lose. And know why.

Fail “Smarter” maybe. But failing hard is for losers.

Industry-wise, we covet the idea. Not its realization, it’s viability.

“I want to be an AD. But I don’t write and I don’t design. I’m an idea guy”

“No, no, no, i’m a UX guy. I don’t do wires and I don’t do finished design. I just explore interaction concepts.”

“I want to be a CD. But I don’t like talking with clients.”

“My new Web 3.0 business concept doesn’t have a revenue model—it’s like Instagram but with animated gifs of kittens.”

Ideation in a clientless vacuum; devoid the realities of real life (inside an agency or any company for that matter). Feasibility. Budgets. Client bureaucracies. The fact is that big ideas take time to sell. They die. They have to be reborn. And that it’s your role to breath the life back in. But only if you really give a shit.

The “idea” is the tip of a gigantic, shit stained iceberg of work. And if you aren’t ready for what it takes, or worse, you think “that it’s someone else’s job” to push your idea from ether to reality—reconsider your profession.

My advice is simple: don’t be the entitled kid. The kid who over indexes in ambition but lacks any real passion—any real drive other than a new title at a new agency.

Be the kid who wants to learn even when he doesn’t have to—the designer who wants to learn to write, to code, to understand business because it makes the design better.

Don’t be an industry douche. They call themselves ninjas or gurus…even evangelists. They’re the ones who will tell you, to your face, that they are smarter than the other guy. They’re the ones who have stopped reading by now.

Don’t be the kid who hops around. Don’t be the kid, who, when given the chance, will opt for the bare minimum. Who scoffs at perspective. The kid who will jeopardize the team to spare his fragile ego. The kid, who, when faced with a situation that gets difficult, says “I’m too good for this kind of work. I deserve better.”

Nobody deserves shit. Until you do. And even then, never admit it.

I’m now the old guy. I get it…

I’m not saying you need to go out and work construction. But it’s good to know where you don’t want to be. And understand why.

I know I don’t want to resize graphics anymore. Why? Well…because it sucks.

But I’ll still dig the shit out of a ditch.

- Dave

I should note, that my teen “rebellion” against my Father was laughably ironic. My dad was blue collar. A cowboy who changed tires on big rigs before finishing college and becoming who he is today.

Behind my teen angst, unbeknownst to me all that time, I was trying to be just like him.

What a silly little rich kid.

David Snyder is Executive Creative Director at Firstborn. Living in Brooklyn. He likes progressive thought, design and technology. He eats and libates well. This editorial original posted on Medium.

We're Looking for a New Owner/Editor for The Dubai Egotist

ego_maniac — Sat, 18 May 2013 13:26:09 +0000

Local

Hey Dubai.

Know anyone who wants to run this site? We don't. That's why we're asking. Lots of bennies. Find those here, as well as how to contact us: www.theegotistnetwork.com.

– Management

A Boy and His Atom: IBM's Smallest Stop-Motion Film

The Dubai Egotist — Fri, 03 May 2013 18:46:22 +0000

National

This is what it must have felt like for viewers of Sallie Gardner at a Gallop.

Shift_ It

The Dubai Egotist — Thu, 02 May 2013 06:55:52 +0000

National

It shouldn't scare you that ads like these get more views/likes/shares than your last big budget car ad. It should inspire you. We'll take authenticity, passion, and good old fashion fuck it attitude over post-production any day.

The official commercial for Arlen's Transmission in Burbank, CA and another catchy number from “Internetainers” Rhett & Link.

Nissan's Tyre Wreaths

The Dubai Egotist — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 17:14:26 +0000

Local

We like designs that look good. We love designs that do good, too.

To promote tyre safety and drive business for Nissan service centres, TBWA\RAAD Dubai meticulously crafted floral wreaths out of old and worn tyres. An inspired design solution that combined the universal symbol of mourning with the tyre itself. Thumbs Up

First Domestic Abuse Ad to Run in Saudi

The Dubai Egotist — Sun, 28 Apr 2013 10:57:31 +0000

Local

Shouldn't it say "Some things shouldn't be covered?". Because you can cover abuse.

In any case, it's a step forward. One would hope that in a few years, there'd be no taboo subjects left. Thumbs Up

Art, Copy, & Code

The Dubai Egotist — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 07:54:38 +0000

National

Advertising re-imagined. We live in exciting times.

World's largest message in a bottle. But what message?

The Dubai Egotist — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 06:12:34 +0000

National

This is either a brilliant idea or a painful reminder of the number of plastic bottles floating in the sea.

The World's Largest Message In A Bottle (text version) from Niche AS on Vimeo.

“No gays please, we’re advertising.”

The London Egotist 2 — Sat, 20 Apr 2013 09:15:49 +0000

This post originally appeared on the DLKW Lowe blog >. It's been reposted with permission. For obvious reasons, the arguments made below don't apply to Dubai, but they do raise interesting questions about how much advertising should reflect life. So, enjoy.

Advertising is a pretty progressive industry. We like to think of ourselves as an enlightened bunch. Some of our best friends are gay. Hell – some people in advertising are actually gay. Seriously. And yet, we all seem reluctant or incapable of portraying same-sex lifestyles in our work.

There are gay creatives, planners, producers, directors, clients and actors. And yet in adland, it seems gays don’t need mortgages, don’t drive cars, brush their teeth, play bingo or use low-fat spreads as part of a calorie-controlled diet.

There’s no question we should include ethnic minorities in our advertising. Who would even dream of digging their heels in to preserve an all-Aryan cast? We’ll feature empowered women. Strong-willed kids. And moonwalking Shetlands. But where’s even the token homosexual? They can’t all be at G.A.Y. screaming for a Kylie encore – or in hiding, surreptitiously unpicking the very fabric of our society.

Did Chitty Chitty Bang Bang’s child-catcher change tack and start prowling the streets playing Barbara Streisand from a float pulled by French bulldogs, loaded with rainbows and glitterballs?

Dropping the G-Bomb

Benetton have deliberately courted controversy over the years – some executions playing ‘agent provocateur’ with same-sex relationships as their political football. But why can’t gays feature in ads because they’re normal consumers who just happen not to be heterosexual?

Look, it wouldn’t take much to stand out a mile in the UK straight-acting ad-scene. Feature gays. Leading normal lives. Arguing over dog food, trying out sofas, comparing their car insurance, living out their later years with a private pension.

Ikea ran the first gay commercial ever aired on US television in 1994. It ran for a few weeks until there was a bomb threat at one of their stores and was subsequently pulled. Have we moved on since then?

It must seem alien for gays to see themselves represented in TV shows and films but have their very existence given the cold shoulder when the ad break arrives. The few examples I’ve seen just use homosexuality as the rug-pull, the reveal, the joke. “Oh I get it, she’s actually a lesbian.” Gag, packshot, endline. Cheap.

JC Penney vs One Million Moms

JC Penney in the US used Ellen deGeneres to front their campaign which led to a storm of protest spearheaded by a Christian group calling themselves One Million Moms. They wrote, “By jumping on the pro-gay bandwagon, JC Penney is attempting to gain a new target market and in the process will lose customers with traditional values that have been faithful to them over all these years.”

So far, so predictable. But two silver linings emerged:

1: One Million turned to be a tiny fraction of that figure.
2: The backlash spawned its own backlash. The #StandUpForEllen campaign gained 50,000 signatures almost overnight and helped prompt JC Penney to er… ‘come out’ and say Ellen was their perfect brand ambassador.

In that distant land called real life, gay marriage is here. The Prime Minister – a Tory – is pushing for more rights for gays. And who’s to say he’s wrong?

Guinness made an infamous commercial portraying a gay couple back in 1995. It was ready to run, word got out, people were up in arms, the world was clearly going to end and the client lost their nerve. And in so doing, they compounded the very problem they set out to address.

Is it time for another try?

Papas and Papas

One recent exception is a Mamas and Papas campaign in the UK for their Urbo buggies, featuring heterosexual mums and dads, single-parents and a genuine gay couple and their little boy, Blu.

The press release states, “How We Roll celebrates the diversity and individualism that forms the makeup of the modern family, for whom parenting has simply become a positive extension of their current lifestyle.”

There have been mixed reactions. On Netmums, some are highly supportive – “The world is changing and it’s about time all loving parents are catered for in adverts” – while others chime in with not wanting to have this sort of thing “shoved in my face.” Freud would have a field day.

Even the gay community was sceptical. Were they being used simply as a PR stunt? Were the ads really running? It seems there are pitfalls and suspicion whatever your intentions.

Creatives want to create. We want to invent brand new stuff, never before seen. And yet there’s this vast expanse of unexplored territory: overlooked at best, taboo at worst.

It’s a rich, emotive area, surely. Love against all odds. Unconventional is cool, right? Overcoming prejudice, defying conventions, being true to yourself. You could have this space all to yourself. Column inches galore and plaudits for being progressive and well… real.

It doesn’t have to be gratuitous. No need to shock. In a way, the most shocking thing is that one of the most enlightened industries in the land is lagging so far behind the real world.

Dove Real Beauty Sketch Comedy

The Dubai Egotist — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 19:16:58 +0000

National

The film that launched the "real beauty" campaign was spot on in its tone. Unsentimental (even though it packed an emotional punch). Real. It respects its audience enough not to spell everything out. This, on the other hand, plays like an episode of Oprah.

Facebook Phone... Home.

The Dubai Egotist — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 19:13:07 +0000

National

The film is emotive and simple (thank god because we were getting lost reading about it on Mashables). A consistent follow up to Chairs and Stories. But we don't quite understand the potential of the product. It seems like a minor enhancement over simply having the Facebook app. We missing something here?

A magical little brick of butter named Lurpak

The Dubai Egotist — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 18:27:17 +0000

National

The food looks divine. The cook looks like a goddess. Not helping that we're seeing this right around dinner time.

Dubai through minimalist eyes

The Dubai Egotist — Sat, 30 Mar 2013 10:39:01 +0000

Local

A stunningly original look at the city of superlatives. By Matthias Heiderich.

See the rest here:
http://www.behance.net/gallery/UAE/7251299

Turn any website into a 3D maze

The Dubai Egotist — Sat, 30 Mar 2013 09:00:40 +0000

National

From Chrome Japan.

Less Apps, More Apples

The Dubai Egotist — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 19:49:35 +0000

National

Spotify is For Music

The Dubai Egotist — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 19:20:41 +0000

National

There isn't a single thing in this film about Spotify as a music streaming service. But that's okay. Chances are, you've heard enough about it from countless sources—friends, blogs, Facebook newsfeed. So, what is this film about if it's not about a music streaming service called Spotify? It's about music.

Dove Men Don't Use Women Shampoo

The Dubai Egotist — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 06:45:16 +0000

National

Brazilians sure know how to have fun with advertising.

Oreo takes the high road on Twitter

The Dubai Egotist — Sat, 23 Mar 2013 12:06:50 +0000

National

GoPro Array - Everyday Bullet Time

The Dubai Egotist — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 06:07:30 +0000

National

Awesome hack.

The Astonishing Rise and Rise of The Harlem Shake.

The London Egotist 2 — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 17:46:29 +0000

Collectively these videos may end up dwarfing Gangnam Style. At one stage last month new versions were being uploaded at a rate of 4000 per day. There’s every niche and sub-niche covered. You want walruses and sealions? You got ‘em.

We’ve seen the Norwegian Army get involved, Wieden’s in Portland, Channel 4 and even my in-laws were persuaded to bogle with traffic cones on their heads in a charity shop while the manager’s back was turned.

It all started in Queensland, Australia with 5 teenagers in morph suits. And it has blown up beyond all comprehension. They may get some fame – even some girls – but it’ll be interesting to see if they can monetize this monster. Could they ever repeat it? The odds say No.

Vine-intolerant

Ironically it exploded at the same time another short-form video format launched – Vine. Unfortunately Vine seems too inflexible to carry this type of execution so it’s been bypassed. Shame – what a way to launch yourself – with a pop culture phenomenon that will no doubt feature in everyone’s end of year round-up of 2013.

The mutating meme

What’s interesting is that this meme is evolving. The rules are gradually changing and right now these are the ingredients one needs to make your own Harlem Shake:

one lone shaker with optional but preferred helmet on
several bystanders who look unaware or uninterested in the activities of the lone shaker
when the bass drops there’s a hard cut right on the beat and the locked off shot switches to the same same scene but with everyone in fancy dress going batshit crazy
optional: a lone person standing still in the midst of all the lunacy
the last second switches to slow motion to match the low time-stretched lion roar in the song

There’s even a site that will turn any other site into a living breathing Harlem Shake:

Try your own at http://hsmaker.com

Inevitably the early-adopters are already disowning this phenomenon now the squares have caught onto it. And no doubt it’s jumped the shark when mainstream TV stations do their own versions.

Douglas Rushkoff, author of “Present Shock: When Everything Happens Now” says, “Something like this stands in for the centralized broadcast spectacle. It’s interactive, in that people actually *make* one of these things. And being in one, or knowing people who are in one, or even just knowing this phenomenon exists *when it’s happening* is a form of connection. In some ways, the brevity of the fad makes it all the more tempting to participate in. It’s going to be over so soon that you want to get in on it before it’s not cool any more.”

If you didn’t make your own within a fortnight of the first you missed the credibility boat – unless you bring an Earth-shattering twist to the format.

Goodby Silverstein + Partners have released their own gentle backlash video – a charming swipe at other agencies that jumped on the bandwagon. Their message: we’re in the business of creating cultural phenomena, not straight-up mimicry.

However, you have to wonder how it blew up so big so fast? And could a brand ever pull it off? Cadbury’s have perhaps come the closest with “Gorilla” and “Eyebrows”. Consumers are no mugs, which is why they’ll resist any prompting from us to spread overt brand messaging on our behalves.

5 factors that made Harlem Shake go BOOM!

Here’s the thing. It’s not even a great song. Released for free in the summer last year it’s highly repetitive and doesn’t really go anywhere. It does however work very well in this 15 + 15 second UGC format. The crescendo building to the bass drop just underlines that sense of anticipation, waiting for all hell to break loose.
It’s stupidly easy to make your own. People are uploading their own versions at an astonishing rate. And is it any wonder? You need a cameraphone, 2 shots, enough people willing to make idiots of themselves (seemingly no shortage) and the track. You can even put this together on YouTube when you upload it – no need for any editing software. I managed using my phone and nothing else.
The joy of it comes from the anticipation and the explosion of unfettered WTF anarchy when the bass drops. You could watch each one over and over and see something new to LOL at every time. There’s a man in a bra standing completely still, there’s the account guy for Nike on a trike, there’s my sister-in-law with a lampshade on her head.
With so many versions out there, it reaches a critical mass where mainstream media gets hold of it and adds more fuel to the fire, so even the luddites get to hear about it.
It’s funny and there’s a constant supply with something for everyone. Not in an intellectual or cerebral way. It’s an outlet for puerile, infantile stupidity that connects with our inner 10 year-old. A pleasure that gets more guilty as we get older.

Gay abandon finally found an acceptable outlet. Let’s enjoy it while it lasts.

So you can sing along at home, here are the lyrics in full:

Con los terroristas

(Do the Harlem Shake)

Con los terroristas

This post originally appeared on the DLKW Lowe blog

Disney's follow up to Paperman

The Dubai Egotist — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 12:18:14 +0000

National

Behold, Croissant de Triomphe, one of the most beautiful things we've seen recently. We smell a renaissance at Disney.

Art, Copy, & Code

The Dubai Egotist — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 19:46:11 +0000

National

Inspiring and relevant series from SXSW.

Start with Axe, End with (a hint) of Sex

The Dubai Egotist — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 20:39:12 +0000

National

Rather tame ending.

Leo Burnett | DIFF Film Personality Test

The Dubai Egotist — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 21:34:18 +0000

Local

Leo Burnett Dubai created series of credible Inkblots designed to build interest for the festival by giving people an idea of what films they may be interested in. After taking the tests, people were directed to a list of movie trailers, based on their interpretations, which were available to watch at this year’s festival.

Don't know about you but for some reason we kept seeing horses. Thumbs Up

Harlem Shake Volkswagen Edition

The Dubai Egotist — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 07:28:18 +0000

Local

We like the ballsiness of a big brand embracing Internet culture. But it's about 6 weeks too late. Just not sure if this stupid song is the best example of the Passat's speaker system. A mild Thumbs Up