Podcast: If This Is A Blog Then What's Christmas?

Sep 18 2017 September 18, 2017 September 18, 2017 No Comment by ben

ITIAPTWC Episode 44 – Libby Brockhoff

Libby Brockhoff is the current CEO/Founder of the agency Odysseus Arms. You can read all about them here.

We discuss how that agency came about, but we also discuss how Libby became one of the founders of Mother.

It was a somewhat circuitous route, but when it finally happened she was just 27 years old.

I think that’s pretty amazing: to have started the most revolutionary ad agency in living memory (and given it the name which then spawned a million other agency names that weren’t actual names), come up with it its internal structure and creative blueprint, and turned the London advertising scene upside-down at the age of 27? Hats off.

And, let’s not forget – very, very few women had ever been creative leaders of ad agencies at that point. So Libby broke through the conventional age and gender conventions to change the ad scene forever.

Colour me impressed.

Here’s a brief rundown of what we discussed:

Hooked by exposure.

A crazy Cajun at the University of Delaware.

5000 started. 5 finished (including Libby).

D&AD education.

Lots of great US agencies then GGT.

And Tom, Dick and Harry. I mean Mother.

You have to keep moving.

The creative core of an agency is what’s most important.

Launching Channel 5.

The genius of Robert Saville.

Everyone does everything.

Leaving Mother to become a mother.

Then back in.

Starting up again.

Why ‘Odysseus Arms’?

Why Odysseus Arms?

Caitlyn Jenner.

SF.

A creative and female agency CEO.

Here’s our chat, the iTunes link and the Soundcloud link:

If This Is A Blog Then What's Christmas?

ITIAPTWC Episode 44 – Libby Brockhoff

00:00 / 1:13:08

Sep 04 2017 September 4, 2017 September 4, 2017 No Comment by ben

ITIAPTWC Episode 43 – Ben Priest

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I sent Ben an email a while ago to ask if he’d do the old podcast.

He kindly and politely declined, saying he’d done a few already and didn’t want to repeat himself.

So I waited a bit then asked him if he’d do a more start-up based conversation and he even more kindly said yes.

We had a delightful chat, after which Ben revealed to me that he’d just done Dave Dye’s podcast.

Darn, I thought. Dave’s podcasts are much longer than mine, so he’s bound to have covered everything I did, and more.

So I listened to Dave and Ben’s chat to see where any repetition might have occurred. I’m not going to lie to you: if you’ve heard Dave’s some of mine will sound familiar. But (oddly enough) there are enough differences that you’ll hear a ton of really good stuff here that isn’t covered by that conversation. This makes me think that there’s one really great 2.5-hour Ben Priest podcast that you could create by splicing the two together.

Anyway, as I said, this one is more about the genesis and progress of A&E DDB and…

Starting in account management.

The promised land of Lowe Howard-Spink.

The loneliness of the creative director.

Slight rewind to Simons Palmer Denton Clemmow and Johnson: one week on placement and an ad in the Book.

Olympus.

The leap to CD.

Finding the other founders of Adam and Eve but doing nothing about it.

Then doing something about it.

The importance of chemistry.

A ‘difficult’ legal situation…

We ignored all the advice/It’s not rocket science/Everyone’s winging it.

A bit of an outsider.

It feels like it’s all happened to someone else.

The name.

Never do any training.

John Lewis Superbowl.

Starting up is the most fun you can have in advertising.

The good thing for lazy old me is that Dave already collected Ben’s best work together on his own site, so check it out there.

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

If This Is A Blog Then What's Christmas?

ITIAPTWC Episode 43 – Ben Priest

00:00 / 1:11:40

Aug 28 2017 August 28, 2017 August 29, 2017 1 Comment by ben

ITISPTWC Episode 42 – Jay Coen Gilbert

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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?

ITISPTWC Episode 42 – Jay Coen Gilbert

00:00 / 1:02:49

Aug 20 2017 August 20, 2017 August 20, 2017 2 Comments by ben

ITIAPTWC Episode 41 – George Prest

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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?

ITIAPTWC Episode 41 – George Prest

00:00 / 1:05:30

Aug 17 2017 August 17, 2017 August 17, 2017 No Comment by ben

ITIAPTWC Episode 40 – Danny Brooke-Taylor

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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?

ITIAPTWC Episode 40 – Danny Brooke-Taylor

00:00 / 1:17:38

Jul 30 2017 July 30, 2017 July 30, 2017 No Comment by ben

ITIAPTWC Episode 39 – Vic Polkinghorne

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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?

ITIAPTWC Episode 39 – Vic Polkinghorne

00:00 / 1:27:57

Jul 15 2017 July 15, 2017 July 16, 2017 No Comment by ben

ITIAPTWC Episode 38 – Matt Keon

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It’s another start-up episode! Well, semi-start-up – I spent about a third of the chat getting some of Matt’s background before delving more deeply into how 18 Feet and Rising came about and all the pros and cons of the path they created for its future.

As I say in the intro, it’s interesting how many different stories there are behind the creation of an agency. Matt’s route to his own place is similar to Mark Denton’s, in that he was invited by someone else, but it’s also like Dave Dye’s because the responsibility for the creative output lay almost entirely at his feet (all 18 of them).

For more background, including all the ads, everything ‘Matt’ can be found here. Otherwise, listen to us discuss…

Beginnings in Sydney.

A trip to the UK.

…which led to Singapore.

…and back to Sydney.

…and back to the UK.

To Fallon and the unique advice of Richard Flintham.

So much stuff to do…

Creating 18 Feet and Rising.

…with no clients.

And no briefs.

What was new and different?

The wild card or the more interesting option?

A place creatives would want to come and work.

Increasing human potential.

Money.

Chasing the feeling of the first time (and not catching it).

Always get clarity between you and your partners.

The relationship between money and output.

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

If This Is A Blog Then What's Christmas?

ITIAPTWC Episode 38 – Matt Keon

00:00 / 1:08:08

Jul 10 2017 July 10, 2017 July 10, 2017 4 Comments by ben

ITIAPTW Episode 37 – Dave Dye Part 5

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Continuing the start-up theme, we now have the inception of Campbell Doyle Dye.

I remember at the time that it seemed like the ultimate agency dream team: Walter Campbell, creator of many brilliant TV ads, together with Sean Doyle and Dave Dye, creators of many brilliant print ads (this was basically pre-digital, kids). They added the new business guy from the most successful agency in the country and the head of planning from the Agency of the Year.

What could go wrong?

Well, as far as the work went, lots of things went right (see below). But a combination of circumstances conspired to give the agency itself a slightly rocky start and a premature end.

But the details are fascinating:

To Testa or not to Testa?

Agencies start up by accident.

Chemistry, chemistry, chemistry.

9/11…

WPP or Omnicom.

How did new business arrive?

Mercedes.

McCain.

‘What have you done as CDD?’ (Even though CDD had just started.)

With three CDs did someone need to be in charge? (Yes, and it was Dave.)

Award-winning work on Adnams.

Even more awards for Merrydown (‘It’s drunk by students and tramps, and that’s not good’).

People inside and outside circles.

Too casual?

Would Testa have been the right decision after all?

And here’s the real lesson: every start-up situation is different. If someone sets up with three mates in 1980, it’s not the same as three completely different mates in 2002. It can’t be. The dynamics will always be different. You need friction, but not too much. You need chemistry, but that can be precarious. You need a vision, but you need that vision to be shared by a disparate group of people. Good luck!

Here’s the chat, the iTunes link, the Soundcloud link and the excellent work:

Merry Down Idents Merrydown Cider ‘Robot’

‘Free Beer Tokens’ CDD, DPS

If This Is A Blog Then What's Christmas?

ITIAPTW Episode 37 – Dave Dye Part 5

00:00 / 1:16:51

Jul 03 2017 July 3, 2017 July 4, 2017 1 Comment by ben

ITIAPTWC Episode 36 – Mark Denton Part 2

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This week’s episode marks the start of a series (I hope) on the mysterious subject of start ups.

Mark Denton has started five different companies, each with their own particular set of circumstances.

So, despite his protests to the contrary, there’s plenty to learn here:

“I never ask the sensible questions.”

“My brief: be as good as CDP was back in the seventies.”

Five different games?

“I’ve never got out of bed and thought ‘I’ve got to earn a load of money today'”.

Never stopped doing the work.

“I like scaring myself.”

“I wish I’d been kicked out a year earlier.”

What you stop to think about what you could lose, you stop yourself doing something exciting.

Good old autonomy (that’s what it’s all about).

Hanging on to a winning formula turns into a losing formula.

Joining Therapy.

More ‘no deep thinking’.

Answer the phone.

It all happened by mistake.

Starting up Mark Denton Design by accident.

Seduced by other things.

The better the idea, the more people will want to get involved.

You want a box of comedy chocolates.

Coy.

“I didn’t realise it was dead.”

And if you want to get into his orbit, go and see his exhibition, 6:30-8:30 at the Jealous Gallery in Shoreditch, this Thursday, July 6th.

Here’s a delightful critique of his work by Alan Ford, who played Bricktop in Snatch.

And here’s a taste of things to come:

Here’s our chat, the iTunes link and the Soundcloud link:

If This Is A Blog Then What's Christmas?

ITIAPTWC Episode 36 – Mark Denton Part 2

00:00 / 1:08:26

Jun 26 2017 June 26, 2017 June 26, 2017 3 Comments by ben

ITIAPTWC Episode 35 – Chris and John, Part One

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Chris and John are probably the hottest creatives in the world right now.

OK, they didn’t do the statue of that girl for some client I can’t remember, but they did do this:

I don’t pay much attention to awards these days, but I think this has won all of them.

But they’ve done bloody loads of other great ads, and their story contains many a wise word.

And they’re very nice blokes.

Hooray!

Our chat contains the following kinda stuff:

Not Watford, but a course that sounds a lot like Watford.

Press gang the drama department into helping you.

Two years to get a job.

Get interviews with a portfolio that’s ‘so wrong and bad’.

Bad news on a photocopier.

Cream and a chair.

A ‘shit’ book and a job!

Work hard (and steal briefs).

Make friends with the account peeps and planners.

Invite people into your ‘marital bed’.

Starting an internal agency called Upstart.

John Smiths and the primacy of the knob gag.

Working in the window of Selfridges.

Tony McTear: ‘Steal Briefs’.

The benefits of restlessness.

You haven’t made ‘that’ ad yet.

Richard Flintham: ‘Just fuck it up’.

Clients take the biggest risks.

Cake.

Good old Julie Andrews.

We got about as far as the beginning of the Channel 4 years. The rest will be in an as-yet-unrecorded Part 2.

Here’s the chat, the iTunes link and the Soundcloud link, and some of their best work. You can find the rest of it, along with other fascinating stuff on their site.