Reese's Peanut Buttercups

I'll keep this short, but I really like the work on Reese's. It's simple, bold and actually makes me wanna eat more Reese's, not that that's too difficult. Also appreciate the design work that seems to come from the packaging. If anyone knows who's doing this work, give them a pat on the back. That's all for now.

Optimism abroad.

Now that I'm back on NYC time and 2-weeks of laundry's been done, I thought I'd drop a little post about my latest project/adventure. One of the great things about working on global business is opportunity to travel to far-away lands and work with people off our usual radar. In this case, it was a production company called Rebolucion in Buenos Aires. Our director, Luciano Urbani, was fantastic. He was a 1st AD for years, then made the switch to directing about 2 years ago. Suffice to say, he runs a tight, fast-moving production. He's creative, passionate, energetic and of particular importance, very collaborative. Truth be told, the spots are simple, lifestyle stories, nothing that will wow the juries at Cannes. But as I've said in a previous post, I think every project's an opportunity to work on a skill and on this one, we tried to tell the stories as beautifully and interestingly as possible. Just saw rough cuts and I think we'll be in great shape. But beyond the spots themselves, the adventure was pretty cool, too. We did all our prep in Buenos Aires, then took a 3-hour ferry ride over to Montevideo, Uruguay. It's summer there, so between 85-90 degree weather and 15+ hours of light, it makes for a great production situation. That and crews that seem to bend over backwards to make things happen. It's one of the amazing qualities I've found with many overseas production companies. They take nothing for granted. They know we've come a long way to work with them, when we could have easily stayed somewhere closer to home. And they know we could have shot with one of the "usual suspects." So they try harder. They ask about other projects coming up. I had a choreography team offer to do test films to help sell another project we're working on. It's amazing, refreshing and makes me want to see these people succeed. Sadly, I think it's something many US-based companies have forgotten. Not all, of course, but many. And it makes me all the more excited to continue working abroad. That, and the frequent flyer miles do add up.

A New Beginning - Life after Hyper Island

So as some of you already know, I recently took the Hyper Island 3-day master class, a pretty intensive digital immersion seminar. And i have to say, aside from tv shoots in exotic locations :), it was probably the most inspiring and exciting experience in my 20+ year career. Going into it, I was expecting a very technical experience, one that I feared would leave me scratching my head. But as I quickly learned, while I might not be working as much in digital as I'd like, I'm certainly living in it. And quite comfortably, I might add. In fact, it's become everyday life and the hesitation to embrace it is like denying gravity. What's at the core of digital? It's not so much the technology or the medium, but an evolved view of the user and the value of connection. From my perspective, I don't think those elements are new to my thinking and my career. And I've been blessed to work with many other curious creatives, account folks, planners, even clients, who'd probably agree. Now, we have new and better tools and evolved strategies...less communicating to, more connecting with. In short, I left Hyper Island extremely excited by the possibilities. My "ah ha" moment was the realization that while I'm not a techie or a programmer, I don't have to be. I simply need to apply my creativity in new ways, and I can do that. I love to do that. There are new tools to play with. More creative ways to connect. More interesting options coming along every day. In truth, the digital revolution is a true creative person's dream come true, not a death sentence. And while I might not have been an early adopter, I'm here now and I think my best work's ahead of me, not behind me. In closing, if you have any confusion or hesitation about the role of digital and social media, take the Hyper Island class. Even if you don't, take it anyway. You'll drink the Kool Aid. And it tastes really good.

Optimism goes a long way.

And in this case, it's off to Argentina.

International shoot, check. Fairly big budget, check. Great director, check. Amazing shooting board, check. Dramatic location, check. Hundreds of extras, check. 2 camera crews, check. Hyper-talented post-production team, check. Outstanding editor, check. Excited (and super supportive) clients, check. Exciting digital program, check.

I'm not one to count my chickens before they're hatched, in fact, I'm terribly anxious about every production, including this one. But that being said, I can't imagine all of the above would have fallen into place if a few months ago, we'd seen a creative brief for a power toothbrush and said "Screw it...they'll never buy anything good."

Believe that something can be good, then get to work making it happen.

Stay tuned...

Polishing Turds

As the saying goes, you can't polish a turd. And while it may be true, I think there's still value in polishing anyway. Why? Here goes. Not to diminish the role of inspiration, but to some degree, I think creativity and execution are both skills. And like many skills, they get better with practice. After 20 years in the biz, no brief or timeline intimidates me that much. I know that one way or another, I'll deliver something. It's simply the result of experience and repetition. So when we come across a less-than-stellar assignment, instead of bitching, why not use it to hone a skill? Try out a type treatment. Experiment with the photography. Better integrate it with the digital stuff. If it's TV, use it as a film school lesson on lenses, lighting, camera moves, etc. Try to see it not as the turd it is, and might still be, but an opportunity to flex some creative muscle. In the end, it still might be a turd, but you've done more than just flush and your creativity will thank you for the exercise.

An unfortunate observation and a positive outcome.

Like many ad folks who spend their day in front of a computer, I visit my fair share of ad blogs and websites throughout the day. But as much as I dig the scoops, I can't seem to get over the amount of negative energy in the typical "comments" section. Maybe it's the freedom of anonymity. And maybe it's just the vocal minority. But for people who work in advertising, it seems like a waste of energy, not to mention a life, to spend so much of it bashing advertising. Yes, clients can be frustrating. Yes, there are difficult characters. Yes, that award-winning spot never ran. Yes, yes, yes, there are things in the biz that are less than ideal. But come on. Compared to 95% of gigs out there, it's hard to beat advertising. At least I still think so and as a result, my blog's found it's true calling and name: Creative Optimist - a rare breath of hope and optimism in the world of advertising. A few years ago, I started outlining an idea for a short book titled "An Optimist's Guide to Advertising." The gist of it is that for every tough brief, impossible timeline, absurd mandatories and tiny budget, every now and then, someone cracks it in a way that I find truly inspiring. It's not always the work that wins the awards, although sometimes it does, but it's the work that wins my respect. I'll be looking out and shouting out for the things that inspire, entertain, move and persuade, despite the odds. Stay tuned for more positive observations on advertising, life and the world, not to mention updated work.

For the introduction of the new, ultra-slim Pulsonic power brush, we debuted at the epicenter of slim and stylish - NYC Fashion Week. As an integrated effort, it encompassed multiple touch points – event marketing, digital ads, site experiences, in-store displays, blogger outreach and celebrity endorsers. In the 3 months following the event, we achieved an amazing 200 million media impressions, and exceeded sales goals by 17%. And all without TV.