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ITISPTWC Episode 42 – Jay Coen Gilbert

A bit of a different chat this week: it’s not a start up and it’s not an ad person, but it is someone who is deeply embedded in a conversation we all need to have right now: how do we do what we do in a such a way that it has a positive impact on the planet and the people on it? That’s an enormous and complex question, but if you’d like to explore it, this episode might be a good place to start.

Jay is a very successful businessman who built sportswear company And1 to $250m. You can find a more detailed bio here, but I wanted to talk to him because he started B Lab, a nonprofit organization that harnesses the power of private enterprise to create public benefit. In other words, he is helping companies to consider their impact on the world beyond their bottom line. Current B Corps include Ben and Jerry’s, Etsy and Patagonia.

That’s not to say that the bottom line is unimportant; the B Corp ethos will only spread and grow if it demonstrates that it brings economic viability to social and environmental improvement.

So we discuss all that and…

What’s best for the world rather than best in the world.

Using business as a force for good.

And1 vs Nike and capitalism.

Fair/unfair advantage.

Stakeholder governance vs shareholder governance.

A global movement.

Spreading the word beyond the early adopters.

Interest from Fortune 500 companies.

Financial compromise?

How does this work for ad agencies?

Convenience vs doing good.

What makes a ‘good’ company and why?

Diversity (particularly ageism).

The B Corp scoring system (complete with baseball analogy).

Other resources: B Corp’s site; assess yourself; steps for start ups; a company that makes starting up as a B Corp easier; and an article about that company.

How to assess your impact (are you ready to become a B Corp?).

It’s worth pointing out that in the US there is a similar thing called a Benefit Corporation. Here’s an explanation of what that is and how it differs from a B Corp.

Here’s Jay’s twitter feed, along with his TEDxPhilly talk on better businesses:

And here’s the chat, the iTunes link and the Soundcloud link:

If This Is A Blog Then What's Christmas?
If This Is A Blog Then What's Christmas?
ITISPTWC Episode 42 – Jay Coen Gilbert
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If you’re still there when it’s all over I’m scared I’ll have to say that a part of you has gone since the weekend.

When will you be replaced by a robot?

Your brain hallucinates your reality:

Brilliantly dark miniature scenes (thanks, D&C).

How movies make money (thanks, J).

And here’s part two of that.

Movie dialogue coach runs through some accents (thanks, J2):

Kubrick: practical lighting:

Pop culture characters if they were real (thanks, T).



ITIAPTWC Episode 41 – George Prest

Here’s my chat with George Prest, former ECD of DLKW, DLKW Lowe and RG/A.

He’s now a partner at You and Mr. Jones and a founder of Blood Global.

His journey from copywriter to those things is an interesting one, mainly because of the left turn his career took between Lowe and RG/A.

We discuss all that, along with the state of the industry now and what the future might hold, as well as…

Going from the information department at M&C Saatchi to Watford.

…and on to BBH.

Working on the stuff no one wants to work on.

Wolfboy!

Lowe.

‘Turbulent but creative.’

Le Sacrifice.

A new Lowe.

DLKW.

The dream job that wasn’t.

SXSW.

RG/A (& Unilever).

The need for a different kind of company.

Blood.

No departments or job titles.

A different kind of pricing.

And a different kind of agency (that isn’t an agency).

Ethics.

George and Mr Jones.

We have no idea of what this is going to look like.

Driving a car at 100mph and ramming it into reverse.

A post-advertising age?

But still a creative age.

Here’s the chat, the iTunes link and the Soundcloud link, as well as some of George’s best ads:

 

 

If This Is A Blog Then What's Christmas?
If This Is A Blog Then What's Christmas?
ITIAPTWC Episode 41 – George Prest
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I’m not denying, we’re flyin’ above it all. Hold my hand, don’t let me fall. You’ve such amazing grace, I’ve never felt the weekend.

Karl Lagerfeld’s sideways library (thanks, D).

All of Saul Bass’s movie posters.

The ten best jokes from the Edinburgh Fringe (thanks, P).

Time travel subway car (thanks, D):

The 20 worst directors of the 21st century so far.

Sportswriting’s ‘filthiest fuckup’ (thanks, T).

Bike Life:



Here’s a very good ad

It’s been a while since I saw one…



ITIAPTWC Episode 40 – Danny Brooke-Taylor

Sorry about the gap since the last one (how have you coped?).

Anyway, rather than dwell on that, here’s Episode 40…

When I emailed Danny to ask if he’d chat with me for an hour he happily agreed, I then said I hoped he’d been inspired to enter the industry by the ad agency his dad worked in on the show Me and My Girl, which also featured ‘wild child’ Joanne Ridley, and Robin’s Nest star Richard O’Sullivan. Danny then explained that Tim Brooke-Taylor was actually his uncle, but he certainly remembered the output of the Eyecatchers ad agency.

We didn’t talk about that, but we did talk about his journey from non-London agencies to London agencies to starting Lucky Generals, which means this episode kind of continues my mini-start-up series.

We also discussed…

From Manchester to Watford to Manchester to London.

Making Tories look stupid.

Raising your game.

TBWA post-Trevor.

MCBD.

A lovely pisshead guy.

Dare developments.

A little bit of Mother.

Working out who you are.

Do what you’re best at.

Just say no.

A creative company for people on a mission.

If you’re a creative company, you have to create.

Keeping an open minge.

The self-proclaimed nicest guy in advertising.

Here’s the chat, the iTunes link and the Soundcloud link.

 

If This Is A Blog Then What's Christmas?
If This Is A Blog Then What's Christmas?
ITIAPTWC Episode 40 – Danny Brooke-Taylor
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But I know I’m on a losing streak ’cause I passed down my old street. And if you wanna show, then just let me know and I’ll sing in the weekend.

Mountain of Hell race (thanks, E):

Russ Tamblyn dancing:

Each US state depicted by one representative photo.

Stripped back brands.

Cool abandoned places.

Did this Ian Botham interview inspire David Brent? (Thanks, J.):

Fuck-off amazing sandcastles:

The best rappers deconstructed (thanks, P):

Websites for time wasters (thanks, D).



Looking like soldiers waiting to drown, and I’m not around no more. And looking at people that don’t make a sound when music’s around the weekend.

Cool vid:

2 years and 2000 attempts:

The story of Losing My Religion:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zd2_RHEetM4

Cool animation:

A very famous farter (thanks, D).



ITIAPTWC Episode 39 – Vic Polkinghorne

I’m not sure which episode of my start-up series this is, but does that really matter?

Of course not!

Here’s Vic Polkinghorne on how the excellent Sell! Sell! began, and how it’s still going strong after twelve years.

We also the discussed the very interesting start of his career, which led me to write the following vaguely cryptic descriptions…

Dropped out of art school/shitty jobs/started a band/promoted the band.

‘A good use of your brain.’

Not exactly a bidding war.

Read all the advertising books.

And create a fully-finished portfolio.

Kind of a bidding war.

The madness of St Luke’s.

Teaming up with an account guy.

Off to Lowe (for a few months).

“I assumed I was going to start my own ad agency.”

Karmarama.

18 months planning Sell! Sell!

Getting the creative work to be brilliant for a reason.

“It was a bit bumpier than all that.”

“We had no idea of what we were doing, really.”

More expensive than M&C Saatchi.

Why ‘Sell! Sell!’?

Initial clients.

Matt’s departure.

12 years in: longevity?

You can find all the fine work of Sell! Sell! right here.

And here’s the chat, the iTunes link and the Soundcloud link.

 

 

If This Is A Blog Then What's Christmas?
If This Is A Blog Then What's Christmas?
ITIAPTWC Episode 39 – Vic Polkinghorne
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Snooker loopy nuts are we, me and him and them and me. We’ll show you what we can do with the weekend.

Best subtitles ever (thanks, D).

Pet brothers from other mothers.

Cool vid made with no CGI (thanks, J):

And behind the scenes:

Seven seasons of Game of Thrones in a tapestry (thanks, G).

Fun base jumping off a cliff (thanks, T).

Very fat cats (thanks, L).

Where do ideas come from? (Thanks, J):

McGregor/Mayweather bad lip reading (thanks, J):

Slash piano (thanks, M):