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Kenny Powers (MFCEO) channels Steve Jobs for K-Swiss' latest

The Minneapolis Egotist — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 16:20:17 +0000

National

Alright, so maybe he's just dressed like Steve Jobs. Whatever. Yes, it's a funny schtick, but it was funnier the first time. Now, it's just Kenny Powers yelling about a shoe.

[By the way – unless you work at Sneaky Pete's, this video is NSFW]

Agency: 72andSunny

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jcpenney's first Ellen ad

The Minneapolis Egotist — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 15:06:56 +0000

Local

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Now hiring: Social Media Intern, Red Circle Agency

The Minneapolis Egotist — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 14:22:59 +0000

Local

Red Circle Agency is hiring a Social Media Intern.

Remember, Minneapolis Egotist members have access to job postings three days before non-members, so join today (it's free!)

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Check out Carmichael's new office mural

The Minneapolis Egotist — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 14:06:19 +0000

Local

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Holmberg Design on reclaimed wood, angle grinders and old metal type

The Minneapolis Egotist — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 16:00:41 +0000

Local

After Jeff Holmberg got his hands on some old barn boards, he hand-weathered the wood, made some ink stamps and used old metal type to fashion these wooden posters. He describes the project as "an exploration of our daily need for perspective, contentment and who we become in encouraging others." They are for sale. You should buy them.

MORE IMAGES

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Pixel Farm Knows Audio

The Minneapolis Egotist — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 15:30:48 +0000

Local

Ken Chastain - Chief Composer/Audio Engineer
Joe Mechtenberg - Post Producer
Jesse Marks - Audio Engineer
Zac Bates - Audio Engineer
Edited by Paul Clark

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In Germany, "Feeding Your Wild Side" has nothing to do with Sasquatch

The Minneapolis Egotist — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 15:00:25 +0000

National

Over at AdWeek, somebody knows somebody who saw this in Germany. It's probably a one-off, in-store stunt. But it's not a bad idea. The more meat your grab, the more meat you see. (Carmichael - you taking notes? Love to see some of this action over at Bobby & Steve's.)

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Curiously Illustrated Altoids ads

The Minneapolis Egotist — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 14:21:46 +0000

National

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Peggy, Roger, Betty, Pete, Joan, Don

The Minneapolis Egotist — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 15:55:53 +0000

National

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New Subaru TV

The Minneapolis Egotist — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 14:00:31 +0000

National

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AdFed Media Auction, this Thursday at Kieran's. Be there.

The Minneapolis Egotist — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 17:29:53 +0000

Local

Details

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Fallon for the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas (print)

The Minneapolis Egotist — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 15:21:01 +0000

Local

BIGGER

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Josh Thacker's latest is nothing short of poetry

The Minneapolis Egotist — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 15:00:17 +0000

Local

Josh directed this piece for Michael Lee. It is amazing. Other than the plows finally plowing, it's the best thing you'll see and hear all day.

Chicago's bean is looking mighty fine

The Minneapolis Egotist — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 14:14:43 +0000

National

Artists: Sean Gallero and Petra Bachmaier of Luftwerk
more photos

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How To Outrun The Inevitable

Egotist Network — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 19:30:00 +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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May The Force be with you. In Danish.

The Minneapolis Egotist — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 17:10:11 +0000

Local

Watch this. Crazy.

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Throwback! "Don't belittle the Powerball. It's always big."

The Minneapolis Egotist — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 16:00:00 +0000

National

Remember Colle+McVoy's Powerball work from way back when? This would have been a cool guerilla tactic for that campaign. Now it's just cool street art. via Wooster

Here's the C+M campaign, compliments of Street Factory Media:

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Get your creative juices flowing with Liquid-Plumr's latest spot

The Minneapolis Egotist — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 15:00:32 +0000

National

Welcome to Monday. Let's get this week started right.

Agency: DDB SF

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Now hiring: Design Intern, Christiansen Creative

The Minneapolis Egotist — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 14:28:58 +0000

Local

Christiansen Creative is hiring a Design Intern.

Remember, Minneapolis Egotist members have access to job postings three days before non-members, so join today (it's free!)

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You could not do this at Buck Hill

The Minneapolis Egotist — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 15:00:41 +0000

National

Beautiful. Mesmerizing. Confusing. What is that fluffy white stuff on the ground around him?

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A new Atmosphere video for your Friday

The Minneapolis Egotist — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 14:31:33 +0000

Local

Filmed October, 2011 through January, 2012 Atmosphere's latest music video was a learning experience for all involved. The collaborative effort included The Minnesota School of Business, MTS Digital Media Academy, Rhymesayers Entertainment, Visumm Media, Alex Horner Pictures, Hickey Photography, Hanson Creative Group, Justin Staggs, Jeremy Wanek, Tom Okins, Nick Mihalevich, and Cinequipt.

It's a good tune. Looks great. Well done, everybody.

Producer: Sam Kovar (MSB)
Director: Nate Maydole (Visumm Media)
Director of Photography: Alex Horner (Alex Horner Pictures)
Art Direction: Kate Hasnon (Hanson Creative Group) and Nicole Nelson (MSB)
Editor: Nate Maydole (Visumm Media)
Visual FX and Design: Jeremy Wanek (MSB Digital Video Alumni)
Concept: Nate Maydole (Visumm Media) and Justin Staggs (Filmmaker)

And the making of:

Producer: Sam Kovar
Director of Photography: Tom Okins
Audio Engineer: Nick Mihalevich
Editor: Sam Kovar
Additional Editing: Trey Wodele and Tom Okins
Photography: Bill Hickey

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Campbell Mithun is hiring on the account side

The Minneapolis Egotist — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 00:23:19 +0000

Local

Campbell Mithun is hiring a pair of account executives.

Remember, Minneapolis Egotist members have access to job postings three days before non-members, so join today (it's free!)

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Runner Runner Gallery presents: Mano A Mano - TONIGHT!

The Minneapolis Egotist — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 19:26:38 +0000

Local

WHERE: Runner Runner Gallery, 219 North 2nd Street, Suite 200, Mpls, MN
WHEN: Feb 16, 2012, 6PM – 9PM

Tonight, the Runner Runner Gallery is exhibiting the works of two talented Minnesota photographers: Becky Olstad and Colleen Mullins. Olstad studiously captures boxers in her “The Sweet Science” portfolio while Mullins unobtrusively observes holiday travelers in her “Pictures of the Floating World”.

The gallery will also be featuring work done by clients of Partnership Resources, a nonprofit day program serving adults with developmental disabilities in Minneapolis and St. Louis Park.

As usual, there will be free booze and appetizers. You should go.

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Target's Chalet at the Winter X Games

The Minneapolis Egotist — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 18:44:37 +0000

Local

Here's a glimpse into the creative process and a look inside Target's athlete Chalet in Aspen.

via

Agency: Target inHouse
Executive Producer: Devin O'Brien
Creative Director: Jason Langer
Art Direction/Design: Phil Clark & Kristen Stiers
Production: Matt Birkeland, Andy Dosdall & Katie Wright
Video Director: Andre Durand

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2nd Swing's New TV Spot, Starring Matt Burgess

The Minneapolis Egotist — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 16:00:45 +0000

Local

Copywriter: Matt Burgess
Producer: Matt Burgess
Creative Director: Matt Burgess
"Talent": Matt Burgess
Also, a big shout out to the generous MPLS ad folks who helped Matt make it happen.

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