Emir Shafri finds inspiration in Sin City: Day 2
Young & Rubicam Singapore’s Digital Lead Emir Shafri (pictured) was one of 100 young creatives at the recent London International Awards’ Creative LIAisons mentorship programme. Over the next few days Shafri will report insights from each day. Here’s his take on day two.
Like Day 1 of the Creative LIAisons, Day 2 also featured 5 amazing sessions from 5 inspiring creative “high rollers”. Here are some of the lessons I took home with me from each of the sessions.
Mark’s 8 Observations
We started the day with Mark Tutssel, Global CCO of Leo Burnett (pictured below left). He reminded us that the brands we work for aren’t just competing with other brands; they’re also competing with popular culture. He shared with us 8 lessons we can learn from brands that have succeeded in standing out:
1. Make the world a safer place: Use your creativity as well as tools such as technology to make the world safer.
2. Screens on steroids: We now have newer, better ways to tell our stories. Take advantage of them.
3. Superhumans made human: Use your brand as a platform to connect influencers with consumers, by showing that they’re as human as us.
4. Stories, not storytelling: Obsess less over new tools and techniques. What matters more is what’s being told, rather than how you tell it.
5. Shatter stereotypes: Brands have the power to lend a big voice to conversations on breaking stereotypes.
6. Be a force for good: Don’t just think about how you can help your client’s bottom line. Think about how you can help your brand help the community.
7. Human participation: Let real people be part of evolving your campaign’s story.
8. Real-time data meets real-time dissemination: Technology has enabled our consumers to live in a world that’s instant. Use the same tools to make stories that evolve just as instantly with the world.
John on Having Fun
Mr. Dumb Ways to Die and Global ECD of McCann, John Mescall, reminded us about something we forget to do too often: have fun. Instead of case study after case study, his presentation was full of great tips on how to enjoy ourselves as well as adorable dog photos (although I’m more of a cat person).
One of the best pieces of advice John gave us was to have an off switch. Which makes complete sense, because how else are we supposed to inject the world into our ideas if we’re at our desks all the time instead of being out there to explore the world? He also reminded us not to feel guilty, as if we’re slacking off, when we’re not working, because there’s nothing wrong with working in white hot bursts and then switching off to take in the world.
One other amazing piece of advice: don’t be an asshole. Especially as you’re moving upwards in your career. He suggests that when we become leaders, we should be hard on the work, but be easy and nurturing with people. Hopefully, I won’t become an asshole creative director one day. But if I do, please do give me a kick in the ass to remind me of John’s advice.
John (Merrifield) on Beating Real Life
Former agency creative director John Merrifield, CCO of Google Asia-Pacific, was up next. John runs The Zoo, Google’s creative think tank for agencies and brands.
Like Mark, John too believes that our biggest challenge today is that we’re not just competing with other brands, but also with culture. Heck, a cat video shot by a teenager could earn more views than a half-a-million-dollar commercial. So to beat real life, John suggests we work at the speed of culture, instead of creating work that’s isolated from the culture our consumers breathe. John reminded us that having an impact on culture with work people actually want to engage with is a far better reward than awards.
One other lesson I learned from John is that we ought to collaborate like mad, with more than just agency folk. What we do has evolved so much that everyone from coders to architects can play a role in creating innovative work. The more we reach beyond advertising, the more innovative our thinking and our work can potentially become. As John would say: 1 + 1 = 3.
Dörte on Getting Involved in Selling
Quoting Victor Hugo, Dörte Spengler-Ahrens, CCO of Jung von Matt Elbe shared with us that, “All the forces in the world are not so powerful as an idea whose time has come.” Indeed, a lot has been said on the power of ideas. But Dörte cautioned us that all the forces in the world wouldn’t be able to save your idea if it isn’t sold well.
One thing I got out from Dörte’s talk was that us young creatives could get more involved in the selling, instead of simply leaving it to the account person. We ought to be making sure the idea is crafted to be absolutely presentable, making sure our implementation plan is full proof, and working closely with our account management partners to make sure that the idea solves the client’s needs well.
All this hard work can sure tempt us to compromise by taking shortcuts, thinking, “Maybe if I sell 80% of the idea, that’ll be good enough.” But Dörte would tell us that 80% of the idea isn’t the idea anymore. We owe it to our ideas to take it all the way home.
Matt on Being Passionately Curious
Einstein once said, “I have no special talent. I’m only passionately curious.” Indeed, Matt Eastwood, JWT’s Worldwide CCO, shared that curiosity is the magic ingredient that makes our creative brain kick into overdrive in our last session for the day. He started by lamenting that we’re all born curious, but somehow that curiosity is lost when we become adults. He then shared that it’s never too late to regain our childlike curiosity.
He urged us to approach the world with passionate curiosity; to ask “why not” instead of “why”. He asked us to be open to learning new skills for both work and play. And he encouraged us to have fervent curiosity when dealing with the brands we work on too, from being curious enough to learn everything there is to know about the brand, to seeking opportunities to solve problems for our clients, instead of simply waiting around for a brief to land on our desk.
As we ended the second day of Creative LIAisons, our curious minds were still thirsting for more. We made do by quenching our thirst at the hotel’s Monkey Bar, with our fellow young creatives and some LIA jury members. With liquid confidence in our bellies, we were ready to take on day three, which is the day we walk into the tiger’s den – the jury room – to observe the final LIA statue deliberations.