been brushing and flossing those teeth and keeping them healthy, eh?

With one week left until we break up for christmas, all has been go go go.

Firstly, WK london. Lovely day out, met Lucy Collier a senior creative. Unfortunately her partner Darren was out on a shoot.
Pretty much the whole class came, on one fat school trip. The agency as a whole has a real nice feeling. Not just because it looks oh so trendy and south east london, but everyones friendly and seems really passionate about working in the ad business.

Lucy liked our campaign. Think we were the only pair to have a solid thought and executions... 12 executions a PB! But i have to agree with her, maybe a bit safe with using stains but we did a really fresh approach with them. Again the copy wasn't the strong point but as you would have it, a great line has since popped into my head a week later.

Iris- hmmm still no feedback. Has anyone else heard from them? Iv'e emailed twice. So unfortunately cant tell you the outcome of that one.

Meanwhile , in the Uni bubble...

10 portfolio campaigns worked on, 3 comps and 6 d&ad briefs examined.

So heres what's been influencing us lately.....

pretty please with cherries on top

can anyone who visits my site, fill out this simple and beautifully designed questionnaire.


Thanks

Click Here to take survey

Dirt is good.

I attended Iris Potential on Wednesday and after a 4.30 start and getting home at 12,I have just about recovered.

The day started off with the usual introductions around the boardroom table, lots of names and faces quickly sweeping by but with copious amounts of coffee and muffins I soon felt settled and comfy.

After a nice PowerPoint we moved up into there creative area, and had about 5 hours to come up with an integrated campaign for a moisturising brand for men. Some people came in their teams; unfortunately Aaron wasn't allowed to come with me as we hadn’t entered it together. Which was a shame, because we have been producing some nice work lately. So I was put into a three. Not the ideal situation, when you want to shine! But luckily Vanesh was a great personality and I already knew Laura from my course.

We came up with some, what I felt was safeish ideas, nothing that was an instant click on the good feeling button. But from the feedback we received from Conrad and the guys they seemed to like it. I can’t say much though yet as the brief is live.

Apart from that the day went quickly, had a mini interview with a lovely lady, with some interesting questions. I think this went well, but we mainly just kept talking about cider. The common interest we had from our Somerset roots!

Overall, great experience, met some nice people, would have preferred a smaller team or with my own partner, but hey you can’t win them all. I do have a mini regret though, didn’t get much chance to speak to Mike and Phil, but I have to say you two were for me, the team that produced the best work of the day.

We should be getting feedback from the day in two weeks!

At the same time, Aaron was at Uni presenting to Nick Holmes our Amnesty ideas. From his feedback we got chosen as one of the top four teams and are off to Weiden and Kennedy to meet Lucy and Darren and present our work. They have set us Persil.

The reason they have set us Persil is that they believe that in every student book there should be a soap powder, car, beer, bank or airline. So we have Persil, which they want us to produce something fresh, original and with a new perspective.

So, off we trot.

www.

help,

i was trying to explain a newish technology where a series of digital panels that are inside tube tunnel plays when a tube goes past. And so then the ad looks like its playing in your window for a few sconds. I cant find the website, but i know there was a site by the compnay that made them. Any help? ive tried google and cannie find a thing.


Many thanks

Got a brief...??

Simple answer, put a donk on it.

Bit of entertainment whilst scamping today for amnesty.

A Different Kettle... of fish

Been a busy bumbler this last week, so thus lack of blogging.

However, had a great chat with Nick Holmes from Different Kettle, see http://www.differentkettle.com

I was expecting a brief to be fired at us, and to present the following week and get his expert feedback. But he actually proposed that we have to write the brief ourselves for a product. He had a simple formula to what should be included.

These were:

Who are we talking to

What do we want them to do

Why do we want them to do it.

And that’s it.

A bit different to the crammed A4 piece we get with thousands of sub categories.

I found it a great exercise because it really helps with clarity of thought and brings some focus back into creative work. This week for instance doing our own briefs has been a challenge its amazing where ideas go wondering but have little relevance to what you are trying to communicate. So I’m going to try this formula to see if it gets us anywhere.

We were then giving Amnesty International to advertise, in which ever way we think to who ever and communicating whatever. I was a little annoyed with the old charity thing to work on, however the best 6 teams will go to WK London to do a brief for them. So an fantastic opportunity.

Meanwhile 10 weeks till Christmas and 10 briefs to do!

Ogilvy Fellowship

I received an email today about the Ogilvy Fellowship programme. see www.ogilvyfellowship.co.uk


Seems a great idea, three years of placement. Has anyone else applied for it?

I have had a crit in ogilvy one already and the place seemed rather swish, but i'm not sure if this would be the right route for me to apply down. I think they do some great work. But if i did get a place would it be quiet restrictive staying in one agency for that long when your fresh and new. hmmmpfff!

Anyhow, whilst i make a dilema about applying... check out there tips on getting into advertising

Top Brands

We have to think of ten brands which will eventually go to 6 or 7 for our portfolio. Here are our suggestions so far... What shall we not touch with a barge stick and what shall we tenderley love for 6 months? Or if anyone has any other suggestions for brands/services/products etc let me know!

We have already had advice that we are choosing too many luxurious brand names. We need a good mix to show strength in all areas and some brands already have great creative work that would be hard to top. What do you think?


1. Oxford English Dictionary ( which we re developing from my first press ads)
2. BMI Baby service aeroplane
3. Yakult
4. Pie minister, see http://www.pieminister.co.uk
5. Aston Martin
6. A Band- Maybe advertise an up and coming band as a brand
7. Crayola
8. Corona Beer
9. RSPB
10. Science Museum
11. Schuh ( shoe shop)
12. Bourjous (women's make up, french brand in UK)
13. Royal Bank of Scotland
14. Skype (internet phone service)
15. Virgin Radio
16. Canderel
17. Gu puddings
18. Jacob's Crackers
19. Piz Buin (sun care lotion)
20. Green and Blacks Choc

Guidance

Firstly, i have a team!

Secondly, I have been emailing agencies today for guidance or useful contact to mentor my work. Give feedback etc. Not looking for placements but just someone to send regular scamps to and tell us to scrap it or develop it.


So, if any one ever reads this that is in the industry and has any useful emails or contacts or knows anyone that wouldnt mind a few emails a month saying "what do you think" then please email me.

I would post all my work on here but from reading other blogs I'm not sure its a great idea, i think i should remain fresh and anonymous... what's everyones thoughts on this?

First day back

Books

I need a blumin good book to read as i have just finished The Green Manifesto by John Grant. I actually enjoyed it, good case studies which brought the theory to life. So... Any suggestions?

Iris

I received some good news yesterday... I have been chosen to attend the next workshop stage at Iris, who hold a graduate placement scheme! Wooo. Check out the link to know more of exactly what I am on about!

http://www.iris-global.com/irispotential/

Im so green with envy

I'm very annoyed that i cannot attend any of the dates above for greengaged series of lecures at the London design festival! Dammit,part time work! But if anyone goes. Can you please take lots of pics and tell me lots of green design information.


kind regards.

Electronica Portfoliola

i'm starting my own digital portfolio. I thought it was about time i started learning dreamweaver and flash. I have an idea for a interactive portfolio, but as you might be able to tell, it may take a while for me to complete this project! But iam determined to have a sparkly website by christmas!

But what do we think... Is the digital portfolio the way to go? Or is it like post vs email scenario? You just can't beat a good parcel!

Hello.. Is it me your looking for?

On my quest for a partner, i have been confronted with maybe a dilema. Shall i go for a girl or a guy?? I know it may sound trivial, but which is the best combo? The advertising industry seems to be dominated by males and a strong female team might be the most employable approach. But then, we all know what girls are like, they let politics get in the way of work. Where as an all boy team might be more desirable as they have that blokey attitude and things seem like less of a constant dog fight. Or is the mixed team the best, a bit from both worlds being able to contribute to briefs from both genders views.

However, i am sure there will be those that argue, talent comes first, but i cant help thinking, that the team structure is probably one of the very first impressions you can give to an agency. Is there a current trend in combinations?? In your experience who make the best teams?

But for now, let Lionell entertain you....

Here's a top tip, twist it and it won't stick

Does anyone else love the Jamie, Sainsburys ads? Not for sheer creative concepts, or cutting edge art direction, but just because he's acting like a complete twat. Add Jamie, wave a fiver in your face,then hijack a car/bus, tell you how to cook, harrass your family add a "top tip" mix with a lisp and you have a craking ad.
oooh jamie... tut tut. It just confirms, I'm definitely a Ramsey Girl.

Tonight Matthew, Iam going to be...

Whilst blog stalking I came across this guy... Tom Fishburne. Brilliant drawings linked to marketing and consequently has a few books. I particularly liked his “which creative are you” drawings. I'm not sure which one I would come under... maybe genius/wannabe

"Man is at his vilest when he erects a billboard"

As you may have read in a previous post I’m researching into environmentally sustainable advertising. Mainly for my diss but also to integrate into a portfolio idea. I have been questioning if there is such a thing as advertising that has minimal impact on the environment? I came across this quote from David Ogilivy " I have a passion for Landscape, and i have never seen one improved by a billboard. Where every prospect pleases, man is at his vilest when he erects a billboard." And i think he's right, they are a blot in the landscape and don’t really offer anything back to the world, except being huge communication devises.


Then i started thinking about possible practical ways advertising could improve the landscape. I thought of bio-degradable billboards, of which i soon googled and found a company already making these. http://www.biobanner.co.uk/. It's a great idea, especially good for direct mail. However a tree is a tree and despite what we do to try and create minimal environmental impact, or try to offset our actions and therefor i think digital is still probably the future of sustainability.


One last shot... provided by http://www.inventorspot.com/ I love the simple idea and message it communicates. One more tear... now thats three trees you have killed!







I will keep you posted on my environmentally sustainable advertising ideas.

Getting my name out

I'm currently in a dilema to whether sending out a self promo pack to agencies is the best way of contacting them and getting noticed, or if a simple email and attached PDF is the way to go. We even did a module on self promotion, of which mine looking back at, is slighting on the embarrassing side. I think maybe if you get a great concept to show your creativity, personality, art direction skills, then its a much more appetising way to sell yourself.

But with thousands of graduates sending out useless bits of junk, do many agencies want to just see your book and not gimmicks. I remember seeing on WK's blog how Ida and Fabian got noticed,which is shown in a previous blog of mine.....Attaching a massive poster of themselves looking into the agency, which ultimately got them a placement and job. I have also been told of one team actually stalking a CD for a month, bit creepy.

So let me know of any good promo stories and example work, or if i should just to stick to my good old pdf's and phone calls.

Visualising

Whilst browsing the net i found this really interesting visual, not really because of its athestics but what it's representing. Its a visual of how the internet would look. Pretty much like a ball of mess but in some shape. It got me thinking i wonder if you could visualise the advertising industry, and how its all linked. just a thought....

GRT Awards

I attended the GRT book crits last friday in Tequilla. It was a fantastic opportunity meeting 6 creative directors continuosly for 3 hours! I had to admit I didn't get the best start, arriving a tad late due to a national express bus leaving me and a fellow passanger at the services! So, after turning up a tad flustered after running through various tube stations, the afternoon was worth all the stress of getting there.
I met the following people which as expected gave me varying feedback.

Simon Bosworth CD TDA
Trevor Chambers CD- Start Creative
Iian Hunter- Wunderman
Jamie Bell- Creative Group head, Wunderman
David Harris- CD and GRt Trustee, wrote the Brief.
Chris Catchpole- CD Catchpole and Friends

Ill write general comments about each brief i had in my book.

1. Photolibrary. Everyone remebered it clearly, so must have been a rememberable piece. Many however prefered my digital version, which suprised me! Maybe the bakery is leaning towards a didigtal future.

2.Covent Garden Soup. A brief I did for Mother. Tv campaign showing a cow eating the ingrediants for soup and producing fresh soup! A few guys thought it was a tad mad, but all seemed to like it in a quirky way. It was suggested like most of my campaigns i should extend the idea into other mediums.

3. Oxford English dictionary. All liked the client i used and my idea as shown below but all think i need a grounding bit of copy. Simon Bosworth picked up on my lack of copy but gave me a great tip of getting into copy, think of it like a conversation and edit down. Again, campain is extendable, sigestions, sms text.

4.Bulldog. Natural male grooming products. This piece was done for YCN. Bad press form this, completley told to scrap it by a few. The image didnt seem right at all, which i agreed. Maybe re-do with a more ruggeded,manly,essex biy attitude.

5.Grazia. Done for DandAD, as you can imagine seen thousands of times over. A few guys likeed the piece suggested i should scamp it all to the same style as previous as mac version wasnt giving it justice. A few said my scamps were great and could run as they were.

6. Nivea- As seen below. All said it was great, but not much else, so i think despite it winning i will eventually move it aside for third year work.

So overall, increase my copy, find a decent partner, go back to a few people with my changes.

Winner

Last Thursday I attended the Clear Channel Student Awards at the Orchid Bar, Piccadilly Circus. It was a great night, meeting some top contacts and picking up the catagory winner for "Sponser Judging award" for Nivea Visage Young. It was a good first awards ceremony and the free bar certainly helped! Let me know what you think of the campaign.

Heres the judges comments:
The Nivea judge was impressed as this design fits the brief and reflects the brand personality. The creative is young, fresh, girly and engaging, and all relevant brand elements have been integrated. Furthermore, the creative idea was carried across the different outdoor formats very well, being innovative at the same time.

I'm a naked creative

thats right, i have no internet. So this blog is coming from an internet cafe and im being charged to write on my blog! Ive also missed the opportunity to grab the new 3G iphone online, which has now sold out. Gutted.

Good news though, got a few contacts about partners, this dating is all exiciting. Does anyone have any good tips on finding the perfect creative partner? Or disaster stories?

Right, im off as i cant afford another minute. Meanwhile im in London for the next few days and will tell all when i return.

Sustainable communication

Recently I've had lots of insight into sustainable advertising and graphics. It all sounds a tad boring and yet just another area where we seem to be lectured on saving the world. I'm not a hippy,druid or ship jumping green protester but since ive started researching into the subject I'm actually getting more of a positive solid view towards sustainable business'. Take Three Trees





A sucessful business with clear ethics with great work. Also futerrawhos spokesperson at D&AD was really inspiring and these people are really passionate about trying to change the way creative industries work to benefit everyone. It's a quickly expanding area, but i just hope that its not companies trying to jump on the bandwagon with the whole "green" image inevitably cashing in truck loads from companies trying to prove they are fashionably green too. But then again if there still producing fantastic work as well as being sustainable, who can knock em.

Tell me your thoughts on these kind of business. Should i be aspiring to such levels, or is it a green wash out??

Digital Disciples

I'm having a crit next week and every crit I've had I have been told about the importance of expanding concepts to new and exciting digital formats. I don't know if its just in my little uni bubble, but im just not getting reved up about it all.

Whilst reading "Digital Disiples" by Patrick Burgoyne in this month CR I found a quote which pretty much back up how i feel :

" Digital advertising has produced nothing of any note. If all about being entertaining and engaging, then we havent done anything significant yet. We're still making shitty microsites" Flo Heiss, Dare.

Im sure that i will come round to the idea of thinking digitally maybe first, rather than a last medium and doing it not just to impress creatives to give me a job but that its the best and most exiting,challenging way to communicate.

Im going to work on some more digital responses and post them here shortly.

What do we think?? Is the classic age of press,tv and radio really dying out to digital?? So i try thinking digitally first?

On a happier note. This new Advert ticked all the bakery boxes. Lovely

dictionary

some ideas i recently did for a placement. let me know what you think.

you win some you loose some. Clear channel and GRT

This blog is in need of a revamp as the bakery team has changed. Unfortunatly not all the ingredients for a great cake happened and im in search of a new copy writer. So if anyone actually reads this and is in there final year at uni looking for placements or indeed finished uni, then give me a quick email and ill post some of my work up.

But for now.. good news! Im in the clear channel final and will be attending the award ceremonies next week and the following day im shortlisted for the GRT awards, which includes a three month placement and 5,000 bursery.. no pressure! ill put more info on the competions and work i entered for it on here soon.


Emily

white season

Thought i would post an ad i saw for BBC 2's white season, and since being in London for the week i have been feeling alienated and its a good issue to look at and i think it often gets covered up because people don't want to be un-"PC" Lovely ad though, a simple beauty but at the same time has caused a lot of controversy. Which really highlights what the series is about!




As for the idea bakery- still in YCN doing some work for their extension of their site called agency YCN. I've really liked being in this environment so far and been great to witness such great illustration and graphic talent. I think im going to improve on my illustration and graphic skills myself- i feel inspired and it may make a good contribution to my future executions if i brush up- and more employable being more flexible skill wise! The award entries are also flooding in,,,, epppps, somewhere in the pile is our puny little boards screaming for attention. Next year im going to plan months in advance my ycn tactics.

But for now.... more thinking must be done.

ads for ads sakes

I've been really getting into me graphical design eye lately and i think there's one thing similar between both skills.... graphics for graphics sake and shit advertising that doesn't communicate anything. I came across these posters done by a company based in Romania called OkapiStudio.... I think they illustrate my point brilliantly.






Emily

Shock appeal: The sickest show on earth

Whilst reading the Daily Mail today i was suddenly really shocked at the below image which just popped out and amazed me! I couldn't quite believe what i was seeing... a lion... on a horse?!?! Photoshop instanly sprung to mind, but no, it was true, and then i realised being quiet sensitive to animal cruelty that it was indeed real and infact the animals were being poorly treated as well, all in aid of human entertainment. Despite it being a horrible image, it struck me how powerful a shocking image can be and how quickly i went from thinking about the headline to being really interested to understand what was really happening in this image! I think shock appeal really does work to quickly commuincate and stand out from the crowd. Poor animals though :(




Emily

rev that engine

I,ve been stalking again and haven't yet seen the new Honda ad on tele but I found it on youtube! And since it was done my WK i was interested to the creatives behind a once again very strong advert! There have been mixed reviews to its success but i think it has an engaging and clear message! Below is the a version showing you behind the scenes. After watching it at 12:14pm after a tiring day I'm feeling ready to get up and make an ad! Very inspiring... one day.....



Emily

cross stitch

I've been helping the boy with his latest cross stitch graphic piece to promote the end of year show. Thanks to my lessons in year 4 i had some use! There's some classic examples on the net of shit patterns which all look abit dated. However moving this idea into the advertising area, i thought why not have big billboards where people are free to stitch stuff to their hearts content, kind of like a mass grannies meeting on the street. Have no idea what this could advertise just like the idea of the public being able to stitch what they like and like the knitting craze start a cross stitch one. oooooh yeh!




Emily

YCN London

Yesterday took us again to another book crit to visit Nick defty in whitechappel in London. Had a really good talk and probably one of our best results as we will hopefully in easter have a week there doing a project for them. It was interesting to go to the very place that sources young talent and creates awards for us to enter. I think because it's aimed at young creatives, we were really felt welcome and our struggle already to get noticed in the industry was acknowledged! It's going to be a great week, and we both look forward to the challenge!




Emily

Samaritans

We were asked about half a year ago to submit to a live brief to attract volunteers for the samaritans by the regional area people. We got chosen and has since had our work sent to the printers. However since seeing bbdo in london's tele version it makes ours look kinda lame. But still i think we show a clear message and in a more utopic light! But still the graphics in the ad are brilliant and i couldnt peel my eyes away! cant wait to see it in my lounge think it would also work well as a radio ad.





emily

Leith

We have been away for far too long! Mainly and admittedly because we have been left a little deflated after our rambles around the country! We love the constructive criticism and know that we have a long way to go, but our portfolio is still feeling a little bruised!

Our last crit took us to Leith in Edinburgh where we met the creative director Gerry. Lovely guy and knows his stuff! A few comments he made about our work:

1. Can we describe each campaign in one sentence? If we can't, why not?!? and provided examples like the gorilla,skoda cake, bravia paint, as ads you can talk about in even a few words. So yes, I think he's right we have kinda overcomplicated nearly all of our briefs and perhaps been creative for the sake of it and forgotten to communicate!! oops.

2. In terms of art direction, dont have too many elements on the page.

3. Look at every D&AD annual right back to the first ever one... See the masters at work. He mentioned this as our Platignum Pen campaign has been done before. Good for our confidence of a great idea but not good if we are supposed to be cutting edge,fresh and forward thinking creatives.

4. You don't always have to just put in ad ideas in your porfolio, how about other ideas you have about absolutly anything??!?! We agreed, we need to expand our little bakery minds and start baking some beauties! So from now on, Nikki and I are going to be brave and post all and any ideas we have on this site, and hopefully get some comments and maybe inspiration for our work. Right here we go......

Emily