Think Small tag:typepad.com,2003:weblog-498012 2011-12-20T08:50:00-08:00 Digital scrapbook of the adman Brett T. T. Macfarlane TypePad Advertising Theory Deadlock tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d8341d314553ef0162fe13497c970d 2011-12-20T08:50:00-08:00 2011-12-20T08:50:00-08:00 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... Brett Macfarlane

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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.

 http://brettmacfarlane.typepad.com/lemon/2011/12/advertising-theory-deadlock.html Hyper Island Founding Principles tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d8341d314553ef0154384a65ea970c 2011-12-14T08:23:01-08:00 2011-12-14T08:23:01-08:00 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. Brett Macfarlane

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.

 http://brettmacfarlane.typepad.com/lemon/2011/12/hyper-island-founding-principles.html Interesting Vancouver Notes tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d8341d314553ef0162fbb857d4970d 2011-10-18T09:00:00-07:00 2011-10-18T09:00:00-07:00 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 -... Brett Macfarlane

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