For 80 years work in our industry has continued to operate based on the same method: An advertising idea finds its way to the consumer through many different media channels. It’s not just our instinct that tells us it’s not working that way anymore – the facts that define our client’s success and thus our success show us it’s not working anymore. But what happened exactly?

The world changed, faster and more radically than anyone suspected. The consumer changed more fundamentally than any market research has indicated. Media, as we understand it, changed completely, more than publishers and media houses could have ever foreseen. And technologies have changed with a speed that challenges even the fastest super computers and insane future scenarios.

All this is nothing new. It is common knowledge among every junior accountant executive and product manager. Every informed creative director notices it and every intelligent-minded agency uses it as introduction to their presentations. The novelty is the consequence and it is more basic, fundamental and revolutionary than all other changes in our industry combined. But let’s start at the beginning.

An agency, advertising a product or brand always works towards the same objectives, regardless of creative, media, market or discipline – and that is to find a statement, a position or a benefit for the advertised product/service. And in its role, the agency is acting as an extension to the client‘s marketing department, which is itself an extension of the client’s product development department.

Furthermore, agencies translate the statement, position or benefit into an advertising idea that – no matter how exceptional the format and execution may be – in the end it always states the same -- and that is: "Look how cool I am and what great things I can do." How many people do you know who talk like this and are regarded as cool or interesting? An advertising message is presented to a target group. Old world. Old thinking. Old format, or as I call it: Creativity of first dimension. But is that really creative?

Posted on September 15, 2008 5:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I sat down with a young guy recently to review his book. He'd gone to a good, graduate level creative school. I liked him. Turns out we had some commonalities in our life and background.

But nothing about his portfolio of work excited me. It looked like so many others I see. There were spec print ads that used quirky visual solutions – but not in a very sophisticated way. There were the out-of-home guerilla-ish ideas. Books these days are often so formulaic, it's unbelievable.

So, as nicely as I could, I asked him if he ever did digital work – anything on the Web. "Oh, yeah, I love that stuff. But I've been told to keep that stuff out of my book because it will just typecast me. I'll get stuck just being a Web guy." Typecast? The fastest way to be typecast is to show work that's not reflective of our current reality and where the world is headed. This guy should get a refund on his tuition because his professors gave him such profoundly bad advice.

A creative book is, after all, simply a means of showing a prospective employer how you think. How you solve problems. What kind of intelligence and insight you bring to a creative challenge. I suppose it does level the playing field to some degree when all books have essentially the same kinds of work. Then it's all about the quality of the ideas – the creative thought – rather than how it's delivered.

Except that's presuming that how and where you tell a story – and in what combinations – isn't nearly as important as what you say. I know there are agencies out there whose go-to media continues to be TV, print and radio. At DDB, our world is very different. And we need to see candidates who reflect a new way of tackling the world. How do they think about sight, sound and motion in a digital age? What about social media? What about surrounding your audience rather than using a single media in hopes of snagging them? Imagination in the delivery of ideas is a lot about what creativity is these days. It's what makes campaigns greater than the sum of the individual executions.

Well, if your book is tradition bound, it's going to be tough to excite us. Some of the people I've been most excited about hiring recently are those people who clearly understand communications in this digital age, but also have the knowledge, desire and skill to ideate in traditional media. They know how to bring it all together. To surround an idea.

Without those skills, a candidate isn't likely to find a job here.

Oh, and don't just assume I'm talking about creatives, either. The same is true if you plan to be a great planner, media strategist, or account person. It's a new day.

Posted on June 12, 2008 7:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

"If you're planning for one year, grow rice.
If you're planning for twenty years, grow grain.
If you're planning for one hundred years,
grow people."

Chinese Proverb

For many years, I had that proverb written on a piece of paper tacked up on the wall behind my desk because it always reminded me that our business is a "people" business.

Our lifeblood is talented people: people with ideas, people who think in new ways, people with the ability to look at business problems "upside down" in order to find fresh compelling insights and solutions, people other people like to be with. One of the things I want DDB to be known for is attracting the brightest, most talented and most diverse group of people to our company and to our industry.

I would love to hear from you on what makes a great working environment. Describe your best work experiences and what made them special for you.

Bob Scarpelli, Chairman & Chief Creative Officer, DDB Worldwide

Posted on May 13, 2008 4:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (8)

I love this quote from Arthur Koestler, "The more original a discovery, the more obvious it seems afterwards".

For some reason perhaps because I travel so often, when I think of this quote I conjure the image of luggage on wheels. Robert Plath is credited with this innovation. Remember the days of lifting our luggage? I still have marks on my shoulders from garment bags. And let's face it, early portable computers were hardly "portable".

Plath was in great position to introduce this 'eureka' product as he was a pilot. So he shrank the boxy suitcase, put an extended handle on it and added wheels. He started with 100 bags which he sold to fellow pilots starting in 1989. By the mid 1990s, Plath's Travelpro was a $50 million business. This now obvious innovation has changed the way people travel. We now take more than we need because we are not hefting it.

Too often in creativity and innovation we seek something completely fresh and entirely groundbreaking. Plath did not invent luggage or travel, he disarmingly and cleverly enhanced both. As creatives, we are all on a quest for the new and the bold. But we should not lose sight of obvious, easily introduced solutions that are original discoveries in their own right.

Posted on March 26, 2008 5:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Following the loss of our dear friend and colleague, I'd like to share last Saturday's memo from Chicago agency President Rick Carpenter:

"It is with great sorrow that I write to you this weekend. But I wanted you to hear this difficult news from me first. Last night, Paul Tilley tragically died at age 40. The reality of this news is difficult to comprehend. It is such loss for DDB, but also for our industry, our community, and certainly for his family and all who loved him.

Paul was a mentor to many, a friend to all. His ability to lead, inspire, and yes, entertain will be so greatly missed.

Our thoughts are with his family and with one another during this very difficult time."

Posted on February 25, 2008 4:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (48)

AdAge provides an interesting list of trends for 2008. It is worth examining some relevant ones for their potential impact on creativity:

Marketers Hit a Rough Patch
This covers a potential slowdown in the economy. If this is realized we will have to make do with less which will foster more innovation and creativity – a cycle that we have experienced before that weeds out those who are not focused on making creative pay off in the short and long terms.

Innovation and Creativity Rule
AdAge says, "Marketers' ingenuity will continue to expand as the competitive marketplace challenges brands to devise ways to reach their audiences online and via other "out-of-the-box" avenues. Targeting consumers using unconventional methods in creative places will be the gold standard for outstanding creative. Marketers won't run away from traditional media -- but will leverage technology and new media to accentuate message delivery to consumers and customers. There is no turning back -- and creativity will rule." This is all good stuff for our profession and it means we will all be personally challenged in the time ahead.

Get Serious About Accountability
We keep hearing about ROI and metrics (I covered this in an earlier post) and we have heard it for years. Our challenge is how to truly measure creativity without removing the magic.

Digital, Digital, Digital (and Portable Too)
The channel and the technology will force us to adapt and master new creative applications like never before.

The 'Brand Swarm'
Kudos to my colleague and partner, DDB CEO Chuck Brymer whose "swarm theory" has captured the attention it deserves ("the notion that people and their opinions coalesce to form critical forces that massively influence marketplace ideas and concepts"). Chuck will be bringing out more on this in 2008 and its impact on creativity will be huge.

The Power of Strategic Alignment
As Adage states, "Marketers succeed when brand messages are fully integrated and synchronized across all media channels". More than ever creativity is the glue to bring together that alignment.

Any comments on these trends and their impact on creativity?

Posted on February 21, 2008 5:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

I have many years in the business and have accumulated a corresponding number of reasons why ideas get shelved.

Of course, every situation is just that - situational. And often we find it easier to point the finger somewhere else. Over my time I have seen ideas denied the light of day using the following "explanations":

We tried that before and did not work
I do not understand it so no one will
It is too complicated
It is too simple
It is too expensive
It has not been done before

I think the difference between good ideas and great ideas are that great ideas find their time. Often it is not the idea itself but the timing of their introduction. How about you - what examples or reasons have you experienced where ideas were shot down?

Posted on February 15, 2008 5:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)

Recent talk has advanced the theory that the internet will actually drive more creativity over time.

This is becoming hot as the technology like image and video search become more common. According to Tim Armstrong, Google's North America president-advertising and commerce, social networks such as MySpace and Facebook "will expand the need for creative." In a talk Mr. Armstrong had with AdAge, he envisions a day with paid-search ads. This will force more creativity in online advertising. My questions are how do we prepare ahead of the technology and isn't a great idea still a great idea regardless of the channel of delivery?

Posted on February 11, 2008 5:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

The debate continues on the relevance of
Super Bowl.

In fact, we have a survey on our homepage asking your opinion so do that if you get a chance. For this discussion, I am truly interested in what you think of Super Bowl as a venue for advertisers, what worked this year, and what you see happening in future years. Share your thoughts.

Posted on February 5, 2008 5:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

I subscribe to the notion that great creative is driven by context.

The definition of "great" being; influential, original, honest, purposeful, and memorable. In this blog we have so far covered where creative inspiration comes from, measuring creative, and the components of a solid brief. In this post, I want to explore context. It was Frank Lloyd Wright who said, "Always design a thing by considering it in its next larger context - a chair in a room, a room in a house, a house in an environment, an environment in a city plan." And Robert Wieder pushed the notion of context by stating, "Anyone can look for fashion in a boutique or history in a museum. The creative person looks for history in a hardware store and fashion in an airport."

This is really about building an integrated brand experience where all of the touchpoints of the brand are supportive and consistent. A brand only works if the larger context is understood and embraced. Often the most successful brands are credited with having a compelling story. The story provides the context for why the brand is important and why it should matter to the person who may consume it. Apple tells a great story of creative empowerment through its products. Harley-Davidson provides context through freedom of expression. Great brands are supported by great creative that understands and communicates the context.

Posted on November 26, 2007 5:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (10)