Shakespeare was right when he wrote, “All the world's a stage.” People play many parts in the stories of their lives. Entries in this section explore those stories. What’s driving people? What roles do people want to assume (or avoid)? What experiences are they seeking? How does “the scene” they find themselves in affect their story?
It has been long said that brands that help people help business. Being a marketer means outfitting the stories of peoples’ lives with brands and marketing. We’re tool makers and symbol designers. These entries will highlight examples of how marketers have enabled the stories of people’s lives in a way that helps business.
Great collaborators know that nothing is particularly hard if you break it into small tasks. Most often, those tasks come up as a strategic or procedural question. Entries in this section will feature the questions that collaborators must answer, and the best practice tools and techniques that we use to help them answer those questions.
New podcast: Richard Schatzberger, Co-Founder & Chief Technology Experience Officer @ CO:
Steve Jobs on “Concurrent Creativity.”
“On Creative Collaboration” podcast with Chris Yeh, Internet entrepreneur
Love this definition of insight from Wendy Gordon
Love how PETA uses the news and injects itself. K. Kardashian this time.
New podcast. Suzanne Powers, Global Strategy Director of Crispin Porter is my guest. “On Creative Collaboration with Scott Lukas.”
Nine Things Successful People Do Differently by Heidi Grant Halvorson
NPR’s Planet Money on why wedding dresses are so expensive
Podcast: Mark Sherwood, Director of Integrated Planning at Saatchi & Saatchi NY
Our new podcast. Guest: Mark Wnek, creative entrepreneur and ex-Chairman/CCO of Lowe New York
Can I change my brand’s personality? Hilarious Liam Neeson scene from “Life Is Short”
Great comms speaks to a mindset: “Hey adult, it is ok to read teen stuff.”
This mom should be in marketing. Great story framing and great “prop” to use.
Congrats to our friends and clients at Lowe for this IPA Grand Prix winning idea.
Amazing tagline and jingle list from Tagline Guru.
Manhattan Mini Storage: Outfitting the love/hate relationship between NYers and space.
How do I get my people to know what to do without telling them? Add technique.
Reblog: “RSAnimate: Prof. Renata Salecl explores the paralysing anxiety and dissatisfaction surrounding limitless choice.”
Great Range Rover ad.
French Connection: The Suit. Fantastic example of a brand enabling a story.
How to get better insights? Louis CK on George Carlin and how to go deeper.
Why should I budget 20% of my workshop for improvisation? The 25 greatest unscripted scenes.
Ten dinner topics that will lead to an argument.
The most interesting thing about Dos Equis: The agency says “man.” The client says “bottle.” ????
Apple University organizing for success when Steve’s gone.
Do people recognize culture? Evidence: The color of thoughts from “The Color Of.”
Ad Age’s headline “Cannes Ad Agency Wins Top PR Prize at Cannes” is all wrong. We’re all in PR.
Conan O’Brien’s 2011 Dartmouth College Commencement Address
A book that reveals the dark side of being a parent. “Go the f@*k to sleep”
Product of the week: Blocks you “drunk posting” on social networks
Realistic dinosaur walking around at school
Thelonius Monk’s creative brief for playing with him.
What are the different ways to manage a brand story for growth?
Rules create creative freedom. Great point by Mario Pricken.
Hoover organizes soap fans to save soaps. Good community/FB tactic.
Just a fantastic “old school” TV ad. You’ll never guess who it is for.
How do you feel about your favorite company now that you know its politics?
“Agency of the Future” vision docs from Chiat/Day, circa early 90s
Four recurring myths we apparently really want to believe. Thanks Cracked.
What are my team’s different learning personas?
The Bud Flag Can and Patriotic marketing.
What if I attacked my opponent on their strengths?
From one-eyed stray cat to “Pirate” — now this is marketing.
From the Dosage archive: APG-US agendas, attendees, speeches.
Astounding numbers about Facebook. Perhaps part of a story to pump the brand for an IPO?
The new Beetle. VW’s hippie story is now over.
From the archives: How to plan advertising UK style? Old BBH, BMP and other docs.
How can we filter ideas from a media POV? A criteria list based on what both marketers and people care about.
The IT guy who hacks the computer of a potential employer to demo his skills.
How do we create a local movement? – A “one-letter-that-looks-like-lots-of-letters-to-lots-of-editors” campaign
Always great to revisit the very best cases. IPA winning papers BMW Films, Lynx (Axe) and Effie winner for Anti-Tobacco “Truth”
A “spectacular” cultural idea: Hyundai wall projection in KL
From the archive: Jane Newman’s collection of early account planning documents, speeches and memos.
From the archives: How to do ads for Apple. Old Chiat/Day document.
A shift in cultural frame makes all the difference: The Tempest Freerunning Academy’s cool video
Would a branded system benefit my company?
Advertising quotes. Pithy stories to live by if you are in advertising.
Tiger Moms. Parenting with tough love.
Why should we get stimulus and response right? RSA Animate and Steven Pinker. Fantastic.
Reality Media: The Coca-Cola Happiness Machine
How to plan advertising (old school edition). Attendee list and speaking notes from the 1992 Account Planning Conference
Corning’s future with glass.
What are different ways of looking at competitive sets?
How should we visualize our ideas? Use this periodic table of visualizations.
How important is it that we feel it works?
Facebook Breakup Notifier
Brands that outfit the “drugs that make you smarter” story.
USA Inc. A basic summary of America’s Financial Statements by Mark Meeker/KPCB
Why do we tell stories? Because we want to be immersed.
Helping now: Google and the Japanese Earthquake
Winners from TED’s Ads Worth Spreading
Is there a better way to think about the people on briefs than “targets?”
Exactly which prices are rising via WSJ infographic.
John Stewart describes why corporations don’t need Americans anymore.
You May Never Fail on the Scale I Did
Bugles Claws: When a story to live by reveals itself
Logos that fit Lowe’s story: The global network with deep local expertise.
Genius edit: Everything you need to know has been told to you in the movies.
Is there a better way to direct creative craftspeople than giving them “the proposition?”
Photosniper. How a design decision evokes a whole other story.
Why it will be hard to resent the super-rich when they reject the rest of us.
Not just a fame artist. How Lady Gaga has turned a meat dress into a costume of hope.
“How to werk. Tips from expert collaborators.” Free Dosage download.
What’s the right mix of creativity types?
How employees who work at the most loved companies describe the brands they work for.
What role should my brand/company play in the stories of people’s lives?
How can we look at competitors differently?
Why a 36″ waist at Old Navy is really 41″?
Did we like Seinfeld because we loved Mickey, Minnie, Donald and Goofy first?
How Google helps prevent suicide (and other tales of changing the story).
Should marketers follow what’s working for someone else?
A Vatican approved confession app? Yes. Only $1.99
Is living backwards really that bad of an idea?
Should facebook be called fakebook?
Portlandia: How satire can kill a story to live by.
