If This Is A Blog Then What's Christmas?

Continuing the very occasional series of creatives who are doing something extracurricular and entrepreneurial (I think the last one was about ten months ago), I present for your inspiration Dogeared Clothing.

It’s the brainchild (that’s a nice word, isn’t it? Like a little foetus that sits in your head, sucking away at your precious nutrients until – hey presto! – it’s ready for you to squeeze it out through your mouth or pen and watch it thrive into a fine upstanding member of society or become a whey-faced twocker with a lax attitude to sexual assault) of my DLKW/Lowe chums Seb Housden and Ben McCarthy.

They say:

‘Simple idea, t-shirt graphics based on books with £2 from each T going to the VRH, who we’ve got an agreement with.’

Log on and buy one.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJtk4akaEME

*Puts on best Andy Gray voice*

Take a bow, son.

Pingu’s The Thing (thanks, W):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ToCq_c3wOM8&feature=youtu.be

Jimmy Kimmel inciting parents to give their children terrible presents, part deux (thanks, P):

100 years in ten minutes (thanks, B):

Harrison Ford watches Indiana Jones for the first time* (thanks, P):

Cheesepeople (thanks, W).

I Tweeted this earlier in the week and people seemed to love it, so check out the website that can turn YouTube into a radio station.

Inception and philosophy (thanks, P):

*Not really. He’s actually advertising some Japanese video game.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JR0aZX1_TD8&feature=player_embedded

It’s engaging, amusing and memorable, and it’ll do some real good.

Nice one.

Here’s an article that sums up what’s been said in this country for the last few years.

But it’s just one reason why D&AD is a dismal load of bollocks these days. Here are some others:

1. The standard of advertising in general has slipped a great deal in the last few years. If the best advertising isn’t as interesting or inspiring as it was a few years ago, why care?

2. There are so many other ways to see the best work of the year before D&AD shows it to you. It’s late, it’s irrelevant and it’s kind of sad.

3. The judges are more international, but they’re also of a lower standard. Check ’em out. Do you give a shit what many of these people think of your work?

4. They pride themselves on diversity of categories but they are too thick to understand that giving out Pencils for Interface and Navigation for Websites and Digital Design means that Pencils don’t matter so much. A bunch of Pencils on a shelf used to mean that their owner was a fucking good creator and executioner. Now it means that you can design a button that brings up a screen really well. Who gives a toss? I’m sure it’s difficult and worth giving prizes for, but really, 99% of us do. Not. Give. A. Fuck.

5. God, I’ve written this so many times. They’re making loads of money. They couldn’t care less. Why do I care? I’m not sure. But good advertising matters, and D&AD used to help that happen. Now it doesn’t. It just makes money and most advertising continues to spiral down the crapper.

What a shame.

Can you do anything to help?

Yep: don’t enter D&AD. No one gives a shit if you win, and you’ll only encourage them to prize cash over creativity (just like those clients you really hate).

Over my time in advertising the ‘other’ awards scheme has been many things: poor cousin to D&AD, cooler alternative, owner of many odd categories (best use of famous personality? Most encouraging change of advertising direction?), the British awards, a bit of a joke and the distributor of the best trophies in advertising.

Well, now it’s something else.

The new president, Ed Morris (along with the fine team behind the scenes) is balancing the awards side of things with a healthy dose of education:

As they put it:

Creative Circle is a literal circle.

A cycle, encompassing all the creative talent in the UK’s communications industry.

We reward the people at the top and encourage them to help the people at the bottom.

And predominantly, we do this in two ways:

First, as an awards body run and judged by creatives.

Recognising and showcasing great ideas, fresh thinking and craft.

Second, as an education body, run and developed by creatives.

With inspiring workshops, enlightening talks, and new initiatives for those starting out.

Eventually, the people at the bottom become the people at the top.

With the circle complete, the cycle continues.

Out with the old. In with the new.

Which all sounds pretty good to me. The next generation is currently being lost to more attractive, creative and lucrative careers/countries, so any efforts to prevent that should be applauded. Crafts must be appreciated and learned; people born in the nineties must be touched, moved and inspired to feel like I did back in ’96, when I would have cut off my shins with a penknife for a CC Gold.

I suppose the next stage is seeing the actions that go with these words. I want this to succeed, so I shall regard the entire enterprise with the optimism of a kid popping his letter to Jimmy Saville in the post.

By the way, for more info, there’s also a blog, and a call for entries:

(Thanks, P).

http://www.dailytorygraph.com/

Santa answers your questions (thanks, P)

Anti-Grinch song is hatespeak (thanks, P).

Best own goal ever:

Kim Jong Il dropping the bass (thanks, W).

Simpsons/Breaking Bad mashup:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=t4Qv2hCprbs#!

Thriller fingers:

Denim. Trending in ’87:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=7xH86zSLS70#!

(Interest declared: I loved working at the agency that did it.)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Droga5 Taps McGarryBowen for Its Holiday Card Business

NEW YORK, NY – December 19, 2011 – Droga5 today announced its selection of McGarryBowen as the advertising agency of record for its holiday card business. The hard-fought win caps a stellar growth year for Dentsu-owned McGarryBowen. The agency will handle lead creative duties for the Droga5 holiday card account.

“We’ve decided to go with McGarryBowen,” said David Droga, Droga5’s Creative Chairman. “After a lengthy review, we simply couldn’t ignore the strategic insights into holiday cheer that McGarry brought to the table.”

Droga5 spent more than $.0005 million in measured media on its holiday card business in the U.S. in 2010, according to Kantar Media. McGarryBowen beat out a host of shops believed to include Crispin Porter + Bogusky, Ogilvy & Mather, Slingshot Dallas, Wieden+Kennedy and Digitas, as well as longtime incumbent Droga5, which was cut from the shortlist in October, marking the end of a nearly five-year relationship between Droga5 and the Droga5 holiday card account.

“We’re surprised about this loss,” said Andrew Essex, Droga5’s CEO. “We helped build the Droga5 holiday card business from the ground up, and we thought we nailed this year’s brief with our integrated idea, ‘Happy holidays to all our friends.’ This was the one blemish on what could only be described as a spectacular year for us, financially and creatively. We wish the Droga5 holiday card team the best.”

For McGarryBowen, which will run the account out of its New York headquarters, the Droga5 holiday card win thrusts the agency under perhaps its brightest spotlight yet.

Ever optimistic, Mr. Essex said, “When one door closes, another one opens. With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, we’re excited to show the world more pithy card magic.”

About Droga5
One of AdAge’s A-List agencies, Droga5 is an independent, award-winning creative and strategic agency based in New York. Founded in 2006, Droga5 now counts as its clients PUMA, Prudential, Amstel Light, Unilever, Kraft, Coca-Cola, Hennessy and UNICEF, among others. For more information, please visit www.droga5.com.