OK, everyone and their mother has probably used this as a title in a post.

The new Old Spice work has inevitably all of us chatting about in our agency walls. Good, bad or overhyped, the experiment is advertising gold (or Titanium, whatever). In my mind, there is absolutely no disputing the genius of the original advert (I’m on a horse), but this expression has really taken on a life of it’s own. Within my own “twitter land” it was hard to find a tweet that wasn’t about Old Spice the past two days. Yes. Old Spice. Amongst jaded, angry advertising/marketing professionals. We too are mesmerized by the man in a towel.

What Ian Tait and his brilliant team at W+K have done so beautifully (as described on copious news sites: Fast Company, Read Write Web and many many more) is orchestrate (da-dah-dahhh) an incredible social idea. Take something funny–an incredible television asset (with some one very funny) and make his voice come to life and truly interact with the audience-empower them to step into the proverbial shower with this guy. Giving an idea legs. And a towel. I think it’s left many, many of us wishing we thought of it first.

And the understated smarts of the piece is there is no “microsite” or “hub”  being used. It’s using existing spheres- youtube and twitter– and creating an incredibly agile piece of communication art. I think this is what makes this so awesome. Using the tools at hand–people (user generated content), a very smart influence strategy–answering Ms. Milano and Mrs. Kutcher is a marketing trick, a damn good one.–existing mediums and a great character to make something just a little magical. Sorry cynics, these guys got me.

Well done w+k. Well done.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Surrounded by boxes in mid-relocation– I have to write a few words to support Bud Caddell and his quest to write the book on the changing world of strategy. Bud has a phenomenal blog which I’ve followed for quite some time and admire his thinking tremendously. He decided to start a project and see how the “network” could help guide and shape the writing of a book. Awesome idea. I’m thrilled to say that he’s reached his first goal of $5K, but that’s just the beginning. I’ll get to the point–support him here to contribute whatever you can to his kickstarter project. You won’t be sorry.

So why am I supporting his project?

1)  I truly respect what Bud has been doing for ALL of us. He asks provocative questions. Invites us (the readers) to become involved, then allows us into his world and way of thinking. I loved the Web Video THUNDERDROME from sxsw he did with Mike Arauz (well, the presentation. I was lame and not at sxsw this year…). He’s given a lot of himself and for that I’m truly grateful. I know how much time, passion and heart this job takes, Bud’s doing this to the nth degree. It’s driving me to be better and want more from my own work. He’s “gifted” us for a long while, it’s time to show support.

2) To put a bit of my money where my mouth (and heart) is. This whole social world we live in has REAL, inherit value. There are still naysayers that still refuse to “get” it. This project and hundreds of projects like it, fly in the face of this. Collaborative creation is our future. Embrace it.

3) Camaraderie. This social world we live in has allowed me to connect and chat with amazing people.  Virtually meeting awesome folks (like minded and not-so like minded), chatting about the ways of the world, sharing struggles and victories in our day-to-day, there is a bit of an unspoken bond.

4) Becoming a little part of something I truly believe in to be awesome. And absolutely necessary.

Support him now. Please and thank you.

Inspired by a recent conversation with the most awesome Edward Boches, I wanted to take a minute or two and talk about the evolving role of planning in agencies. Granted there are countless posts on “what is planning”  from people far wiser than I, but I will make my little attempt here to talk about some actions we can start really implementing.

First of all awesome folks like Mr. Boches, John Winsor, Ben Malbon, Gareth Kay, Faris Yakob, Mel Exon but to name a few are leading the charge to a smarter way to approach the strategic process. All of these folks inspire me everyday to push forward and continue to try to be that “catalyst for change” (urgh, gross marketing language. Apologies). Now it’s time to start taking what we’re learning and making the change happen.

As planners, we started understanding our profession as the “voice of the consumer”, which is still relevant in some respects. However, that has changed because the consumer has their OWN voice now (gasp, I know). So what to do? Well, we’ve evolved to embody a business consultant/strategist all in the neat little package of creative thinker/inspiration. Throw in some savvy research abilities in there and you have the role of a planner in many of agencies. Whoa.

At the nifty little planning conference back in October, the rally cry began for us to really start to CREATE more and bring more to the process. Adrian Ho and Rob White from Zeus Jones challenged us to think about Modern Brands.  How do we integrate all the “new” mediums, technologies and ways people are connecting into our work? Jason Oke and Gareth Kay redefined how we think about “Connections Planning”, Frank Striefler (with myself in a supporting role) reminded us that advertising doesn’t matter as much as we like to think and challenged us to create value by investing in people/ideas and breeding advocates. And if you were like me you started with SO much enthusiasm and excitement to “make stuff”. And then reality hit. And now it’s 6 months later…

I pose a few ideas that I feel have helped changed my perspective of what I do. I don’t want to sound preachy (but inevitably will), because I’m far from perfect. But I do feel that if we start thinking about things we can start doing we will unearth something really quite neat. I encourage you to chime in with your thoughts, it’s only the start of the list. And I hate the sound of my own voice…

Experiment, play and understand. Be a voyeur, better yet, be a participant…there are so many interesting experiments and fun things going on the interweb. Chatroulette terrified me, so I made friends try it for me and report back (some things scary, some things insightful) or participate in web experiments like the wildly awesome the3six5 project or little scraps of paper, (great explorations in lifestreaming and creative processes) or set up a Kickstarter project for your community. There’s so much to do, but you must be willing to  try. Inspiration for a great connections insight could very well lie in this kind of experimentation. And if not, it’s just fun. And no one can take this knowledge away from you.

Be social. Talk to your friends in the industry and almost more importantly, far outside of it (hello lovely people!). Engage in social media. Start talking, eventually people will listen. Or die trying. There are so many incredible people in the Tweetverse to learn from. Some are stateside, many from outside. I discovered Made by Many through Twitter, and find them hugely insightful and inspirational. Learn from new folks with divergent perspectives, it makes you better. Listen from within as well (media, PR, creative, digital, search…), insights are everywhere if you’re open to them.

Think content strategy. Now. Yes, it’s one more thing that we need to get a (fast) handle on. The essence is that we have a whole “changing world” of communications and social media is a massive part of it (duh). And if you’re anything like me, scrambling to figure out how to integrate it into your “normal” strategic processes. It’s building models to shape our thinking around creating a cohesive content strategy. Models that will likely need to change within the time you “start” the deck and finish it. Accept it. Breathe. Iteration.

Note, not talking about a “social media” strategy, but a content strategy. It’s less about the medium itself- it’s not *just* about having a mere “presence” in social, but doing something worthwhile in the space. Of course you have to understand where it goes to make something truly relevant and engaging (with the “right” people), but helping to shape those inherently ’social ideas’ (thank you Gareth Kay) that turns into content is hugely important part of what we can do.

Re-think the brief. It is what we do, I’ve come to accept it. Changing what a brief means can be a great means of starting to change the paradigm. Realizing that the “piece of paper” isn’t going anywhere (except for perhaps an iPad brief, which would rock my world), we’ve got to think about ways to express and inspire in fun new ways. A video montage?  An offsite? Perhaps dressing up and rapping a brief? OK, perhaps not the last one. But that would be awful entertaining… Also realize that there is no “passing of the baton” anymore–the brief is just the beginning for us. It is the era of the iterative brief. Evolve, be flexible, and know when to stand up for what you believe in when you have to. I know this is redundant, but it’s really about creating ideas/stuff, not just the set up or “the deck”.

Be genuine, treat your teams with the utmost respect. There was a disturbing article in AdAge recently that talked about  the brief writing process and it actually made my stomach turn. “Talk to the Creatives on Your Shop’s Team Like They’re in Kindergarten” Needless to say it was riddled with self-righteousness and ridiculous claims that things need to be dumbed down for briefing/development. There’s a difference between making things understandable and digestable and being childishly simplistic. We lose key ideas if we make things too simple–sometimes three words just won’t cut it.

Don’t be afraid to consider yourself “creative” You are by trade, in a creative profession. Some of you will think this goes without saying, but there are some who are afraid of tiptoeing over into creative strategy. While this is just my opinion, creative thinking should come from every orifice of an agency. Don’t limit yourself. If it’s an authentic part of who you are, don’t hide from creativity. Be fearless (you’re gonna get shot down a few times), be open to conversation and take the time to learn from your creative department.

Put some madness back into method. Wise words from Devika Bulchandani when talking about how planners are often seen as putting method into madness, the reverse is really what is true. Take a bunch of disparate pieces of information (consumer insights, connections insights, digital technologies) and try your hardest to pull together. It’s not easy and I can’t say that I’ve done it perfectly myself quite yet, but it is our constant challenge.

Again, I welcome more ideas, recognize that this list is HARDLY exhaustive, so let’s start creating together.

Recommended watching: RedScout’s series on the future of planning.  http://vimeo.com/redscout

(image via Behance Anna Rusakova)

Warby who?

Warby Parker people. And for all of us who relish in our four-eyed status (it’s the ONLY way for this gal!), but hate paying over $500 for a pair of new specks, these guys are a dream come true. Funky, vintage-inspired glasses for under $100. That in and of it self should be pure awesomeness, but hold on there’s more. Great value and good design? Check.

For every pair they sell they give one to a person in need (AKA the TOM’s model). Fantastic. Social goodness baked in? Check.

Now for their model. Completely web-based-tricky for something that relies so heavily on how it looks on your face. Their solution? Make it easy. You can try a pair on virtually-upload picture and see how the glasses look. Not perfect, so they also give you the option of having the ship up to 5 frames to you and trying them on. Completely free.

And if you need more awesomeness/”modern brand” talk. Just take a gander at their naming inspiration:

“We’ve always been inspired by the master wordsmith and pop culture icon, Mr. Jack Kerouac. Two of his earliest characters, recently uncovered in his personal journals, bore the names Zagg Parker and Warby Pepper. We took the best from each and made it our name.

Kerouac inspired a generation to take a road less traveled and to see the world through a different lens”

Enough said.

http://www.warbyparker.com

There are naysayers who believe that losing that elitist cache of the ever sacred “brand” will take away its inherent value. A luxury brand has no place being social.  I would argue the opposite. Like it or not, being social will increasingly become the marker of the value of your brand. It’s not about throwing up a twitter or facebook page, but finding that special social idea, like Art of the Trench, that will make your brand come to life for those who love it. Or look at Hermes (yes, you heard me right Hermes), who has started to dip their toe in the digital world, with quite a lovely site, which gives you the opportunity to design your own Kelly bag and interact in a quaint “Hermes world”. http://www.hermes.com/

It’s about people taking ownership in something, feeling as though they belong to this world of fashion-the new world is about inclusion, not exclusion. Approachability is not a dirty word anymore. Speak to people as people. Respect their intelligence.

Many wise people have written about the changing face of authority or influence in the communication model. The “death of the influencer” may be at times a bit overstated, yet there is a lot of truth to what the OLD notion of “authority” is. Today’s consumer doesn’t want a stogy fashion editor to tell her what she should be wearing. She wants to learn from her peer group-whether it be a “real life” peer group, or those she admires on Polyvore.  He will trust his peer group over all else (far above advertising per-say), and a close second, complete strangers she entrusts in the digital world. Companies like ModCloth are leading the way for fashion (“Be the Buyer”, constant social games/communication) and will continue to grow in relevancy as they mature. Will luxury fashion brands be able to answer the call? Innovate or die.

Up for it?

Technology began as an austere, cold concept. Technology as we understand it going into 2010 has evolved so far from those fearful notions of Y2K in 1999. In 1999 computers and technology were helpful parts of life, yet still feared. Uncertainty, uncontrolled-lest we forget the sheer terror of the clock striking midnight December 31, 1999? What is this machine capable of when the numbers changed?  But times are a changing as we shift into a new decade. Technology is yet again re-born with a more human face. And no, I’m not talking about Max Headroom.

But how and why did this happen? Well, it started when innovation found a soul and beating heart. And then the magic began. The machine became less…machine-y. Thanks to brands like Apple, technology became approachable and easy.  Designed FOR humans and the way they interact and behave rather than just pure utility. Techno-phobes, who were plagued with deep-set fears of being unable to program a VCR began to dissipate. Technology became our friend and trusted partner.

Then this little thing called social media emerged. And suddenly (actually not so suddenly) technology wasn’t so scary any more. It became what connects us to other people, places and things in our lives that truly matter. “Googling” became the way to answer life’s great questions. And soon enough, life without technology was a distant memory.

I don’t often write about a single campaign persay, but this is going to be an exception. The Google Chrome work is just too good to not talk about here. BBH Labs London/NYC and Glue have put together a fabulous series of video vignettes in support of Google Chrome-bringing to life the heart and functionality of the Chrome browser.

Click here to view the embedded video.

This is a case study epitomizes so many things that illustrate the “best in show” of campaigns: storytelling, a “big idea” (and to some degree, a series of smaller ideas that build into a big idea) and extraordinary creative execution.  Watching “the making of” is quite an experience. The meticulous (and potentially dangerous!) use of mercury, harpists delicately interpreting the finest motions (wearing a mask) and the absolute passion of the crocheting director is awe-inspiring. And it made cold technology something warm and inviting. It was a human experience. In that beautiful notion of life and art meeting technology. In a very Google sort of way.

Click here to view the embedded video.

What is a “google experience” –to anyone who attended the recent planning conference reading this, let’s go back to that session building apps for Chrome. We learned that everything about google is about solving user problems without ever disturbing the user experience. Seamless integration. But it always comes back to being about appealing to the most human needs in technology. This campaign is an artful, fun and approachable manifestation of that idea.

You MUST read this article from BBH Labs to get a true appreciation:

http://bbh-labs.com/google-chrome-behind-the-scenes

Please feel free to comment on and add in your favorites as well!

For true online (incredibly designed) experiences:

1) The GOOD 100

(http://awesome.good.is/good100/good100.html)

What isn’t GOOD about GOOD? Saving the world with good design (intelligent, functional and beautiful design has been a part of their ethos and this GOOD 100 is no exception. Simple iconography is your navigation for 100 of the most important, influential and intriguing ideas/people/things in culture.

2) digg Labs 365

(http://labs.digg.com/365/)

The extraordinary digg Labs presents a year overview, proving information and content aggregation can be quite beautiful. Pick a day and digg will help you find the top stories, images and video.

3) Forty for 2010

Wolf Ollins/Wallpaper (http://www.wallpaper.com/fortyfor2010)

In a great partnership brand consultancy and Wallpaper join forces to bring a very fresh perspective to a “trend” report. Categories ranging from money to communities to energy to computing, they do a great job of illustrating truly innovative brands/mindshifts and beyond in a very clean, well designed experience.

4) A Year in Ideas

NY TImes (http://www.nytimes.com/projects/magazine/ideas/2009/#a)

The consummate year in review from A-Z the freshest ideas of the year. Ad folks have plenty to play with, as well as a ton of great cultural, sociopolitical, tech and even sports innovation.  Each idea is coded with a handy icon, incredibly well organized piece of NY Times goodness. Lest we forget the ad that watches you…

As for presentations my favorites were:

1) Most Contagious Report (http://www.digitalbuzzblog.com/slideshare-most-contagious-2009-pres/)

I find this to be the most comprehensive of any ad industry cutting edge case study reports. Great format, interesting writing and fabulous examples that will intrigue and inspire.

2) FEED Report from Razorfish: (http://feed.razorfish.com/)

Now that we have all (thankfully) shelved the phrase “Web 2.0″ we can all collectively sigh in relief and sit back and take in what the future TRULY holds for us in technology.

3) Top 10 Trends by David Strutts: (http://www.slideshare.net/Stutts/10-trends-to-watch-in-2010)

Some really nice tech trends from David Strutts, with a good balance of cultural trends as well. Idea of “niche user-generated humor” is a fun one to explore.

As a woman who spent much of her adult life in Southern California, where surface level beauty is critical part of everyday life, I know first hand the role of advertising and celebrity has in shaping the notion of what beauty is. The Betty Friedan in me wishes I could stand triumphantly in front of you all and say that I don’t subject myself to fitting the standards the fashion magazine set, but that would be a lie. I, like millions of others am lured by the hope that the beauty industry sells surrounded with vats of products that promise a more beautiful, better me. But things are starting to change.

The Campaign for Real Beauty by Dove years back, spoke volumes on the unrealistic notion of beauty. But if this was all so true and we as a population were so fed up, why does popular culture still celebrate this impossible “dream”? Beauty plays such a critical role in our lives-it is a benchmark of success, of wealth, of status. Sacrificing this all together is not an option for many. But paradigms are slowly shifting to take us all to a more honest place. Transparency is meeting beauty as it has in so many other categories.

Click here to view the embedded video.

I think that beauty and fashion are at the same crossroads so MANY things are right now. We’re redefining these old conventions. The hilarious, very honest Chris Rock documentary “Good Hair” is a great example of this changing ideal. We are living in a time of transparency and all of a sudden, there’s an openness that didn’t exist a few years back. There’s a pride in honesty. It takes too much energy to hide these beauty secrets. Whether it’s admitting you’re addicted to the “creamy crack” (relaxer) or unapologetically not wearing any make-up, we are becoming more and more proud of being un-done. Does this mean you will see women forsake their favorite products–hardly! but it does give permission to throw on sweats and maybe just a fabulous pair of sunglasses without the makeup. More than anything, we’ll live to tell  the story. Girlfriends, sisters, co-workers, it’s now about unveiling your secrets to the most amazing you. Go ahead. Admit it.

Baby steps.

One of the biggest reasons why I got into advertising was because of my fascination with products and why I could become SO enamored, if not obsessed with simple things based on well, the way they looked. I have bought plenty of inferior products JUST because they looked so darn nice.

But what is it about a perfectly designed package that is so intriguing? From the pretty silver Nordstrom boxes to Tokidoki patterned yogurt cups (thank you Yogurtland, we really needed that), to some incredibly off the wall packaging that surprises and delights. It’s that little pièce de résistance that makes a good product, GREAT. An easy example would be Apple, but they are just great all around, so almost beyond this conversation. Same to say about a brand like Method, who have become synonymous with artfully designed packaging.

An old example, is FRED water. Yes. I drink FRED water. And get laughed at nearly every day. But why? For me it’s yet another form of my style and design ethos. It’s about self-expression (realize this is water we’re talking about) . I won’t drink from a regular shaped bottle. Square bottle. Round peg, square hole conundrum. Other than just being somewhat of a rebel (drinking water), it’s just the right size of bottle for me. I’m a rather little person and it fits in my hand perfectly. Not to mention the horrified glances I get at the gym when people (rightfully) think I’ve got a flask rather than a bottle of water. And I love it.

Now this is no recent phenomena or burgeoning trend. It’s just a fact of consumer behavior. Often we like shiny things. Or at least interesting things. It’s not about a particular style, as different styles appeal to different people. The point is to HAVE a point of view. Whether you are coming from a highly sustainable place (100% compostable packaging like the new Sun Chips bag), or minimalistically designed with an incredibly modern aesthetic, or even designed with a retro vibe (like the new/old pepsi can), packaging can change the discourse of your brand incredibly easily-the incredibly ordinary can become extraordinary in one wonderful swoop.  As Richard Bates from BIG (Ogilvy) mentioned back in 2007 in Fast Company:

“Packaging has the potential to make or break a product.” He cites the iPhone and Chanel’s packaging as examples, explaining that the high sheen lacquer finish of the latter’s cosmetic product packaging “fingerprints like crazy: when I watch a woman hold a Chanel compact, she is constantly burnishing it and making it beautiful. The nature of the packaging engages the consumer with the product — the interaction just adds to the story.” He also surmises that the black polishing cloth included with the iPhone could elicit a similar consumer product relationship.”

My favorite spot to check out the latest in packaging goodness is dieline.com. Some incredible innovations and incredibly inspiring. Following is a smattering of some fabulous examples.  http://www.thedieline.com/blog/

Images via www.dieline.com

The energy in the advertising community has been dulled the past year or so.  Quiet.  A little afraid to make any sudden movements.

At the risk of sounding overly optimistic, there is something in the past few weeks/months that has started to shift. Something in the air that faintly hints at something new. That something new is a revival of the creative spirit and yes, change (hate to use that word because it is now SO incredibly cliche).

My first, very real hint of this came at the planningness conference where change was abuzz everywhere– but there are many, many more indications of a shift, as highlighted in the article from the NY Times yesterday (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/29/business/media/29adco.html?_r=3)   From Maurice Lévy, at the Publicis Groupe, who predicted on Tuesday that “the advertising market is starting its recovery” as Publicis begins to see organic revenue growth in the second half of 2010 to the amazing new innovative agency Victors and Spoils starting up.

The beauty of all this is that it’s not just about agencies making money again (which from the perspective of a person in the industry IS a good thing!) but in a bigger sense, these “bad times” have come at possibly the BEST time possible. The power of the “digital” world has really started to come into fruition. People are finally using the principles of connectivity to COLLABORATE and CREATE–with or without the aid of us marketing types. This coupled with strained budgets taught us all to push our thinking in new ways. Was it perfect? Absolutely not. There were a lot of mistakes to be had. But now it feels like we’re coming together COLLECTIVELY and saying “OK, times are changing. We need to change with them. Let’s do it”

An agency like Victors and Spoils is absolutely the definition of what this means in our world. It’s groundbreaking and will take us to the next level. Other similar agencies have existed (like Genius Rocket), but perhaps it’s the buzz John Winsor and team have (John just coming off the successful release of his book Baked In-HIGHLY recommend BTW) And yes, it is absolutely a controversial method. Some people will love it and see it as the most liberating model the agency world has ever seen, others will feel like it is utter blasphemy. A great place to see the debate is at Edward Boches exquisite blog, Creativity Unbound:  http://edwardboches.com/a-crowdsourcing-ad-agency-can-it-work

After reading some of the comments it’s easy to see that this is definitely a step in the right direction for the industry. It’s gotten us all thinking again. And as we all wake up from the Rip Van Winkle year or so past, let’s stretch out and surge forward towards something new and fabulous.