we are create(or)die

we're a London-based, youth-orientated, creative communications consultancy. This is our blog. It's our place for ideas.

Albion Society: Gen Y talk looks interesting...

Talkers include and Battlefront Campaigner Eliza Robeiro and young entrepreneur Emi Gal.

Flipboard: Pretty awesome.

We've taken three things from the video below.

1. social media as we know it is in its infancy, the possibilities are much greater than what Twitter & Facebook are offering now.
2. print will be an odd niche within 10 years.
3. everyone's gonna have an iPad-like device within 5 years.

More info about Flipboard. Here's a lengthy interview with founder Mike McCue and preview of the app in action http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7umqKbQ3PA

Nike: Simple + Effective World Cup Strategy

Have a look at the post below. W+K's & Nike's World Cup ad.

That's how you use creativity and a lot of (expensive) exposure to create big noise surrounding your brand and product. Brilliant.
 
However, we're even more impressed with Nike's less grandiose idea that has made a similar level of noise.
They have made all they players in the World Cup with a Nike contract wear the same boots. Same colour. Same model. Same everything. 
If you've watched the World Cup at any point in the last two weeks you've seen this particular shoe adorn the foot of at least 10 players on the pitch at any one point. 
 
 
 
 
You can't not see them. Meaning if you watch the all the 64 games in the tournament. You've been exposed to this product for 5,760 minutes. Yep. You've been staring at the same boot for 96 hours.
No matter how many times, you've watched that epic ad on YouTube and sent it to your mates, you nor they will watch it on repeat for 96 hours. And bearing in mind the World Cup will be watched by over a billion people, that's a LOT of exposure.
 
It seems like such a simple, obvious, idea; but have a look at Nike's competitors, they didn't employ a tactic like this and they are being drowned in exposure when watching the games.
 
Really simple idea, relatively cheap to execute and a truly massive exposure. Hats off, Nike.

Nike: Write the Future by W+K

Wieden + Kennedy London, Portland and Amsterdam have been diligently at work for the last 18 months preparing their new World Cup campaign for Nike. They've produced an epic 3 minute viral, which interestingly enough is 'Unlisted' on YouTube, which means the video can only be viewed if the viewer has received a link or seen it on another site. It's a really cool way of measuring a vid's viral nature.
Write Your Future is a really simple and powerful concept, it will be interesting to see how the populace takes to it. 
It will be supported by loads of other content, which W+K say will be a part of a 'fully integrated' campaign, so look out for more executions. Enjoy:

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Great idea: Square.

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Here's one of those ideas that you feel a little sick when you see 'cause they're so simple and brilliant you wish you had it yourself.
Cash is clumsy, hardly anyone I know uses it, with debit and credit cards being the much preferred payment method.

Square, which was started by the same dude that created and founded Twitter, Jack Dorsey; is a great idea which democratises payment and being a merchant. It allows anyone with a smartphone to receive payment by plastic. I think it's going to be an awesome innovation for small businesses and sole-traders. How many times have you been into a cornershop or market stall or independent food place to learn they don't accept cards? Well, there isn't an excuse any more, Mr. Small business owner.

I love the way it combines simplictity and utility and is genuinely really useful. A winner. 

Make that Meeting Matter!

We've had our fair share of meetings. We, like everyone else have noticed they sometimes can be unnecessarily overwrought, time-consuming and even downright useless. There are loads of online sources all offering cures for meeting-itis, that look at how they can be more productive in regards to wasting less time. There is a great vid from Work Smart series the Fast Company and Gina Trapani who is the author of Upgrade Your Life and founding editor of Lifehacker.com here:

 
Being aware of the necessity of meetings at work and aware of its pitfalls we've tried to make meetings enjoyable and productive here and here's a few things on what we've done. This is not an advice article by the way, we're just sharing our meetings ideas. Tackling each pitfall one by one.
 
Overwroughtness: When it comes to impressing that prospective new client, partner or anyone on the other side of the desk or coffee table; people tend to elaborate. Language, ideas, keynotes, everything. We find that the truth looks best naked. Let nothing obscure what meaning you're trying to convey. We speak to everyone in meetings as conversationally as possible to ensure clarity, if your friends can easily understand that joke you heard or that article you read, why shouldn't your clients just as easily understand that idea you have? We recognise some people are impressed by 'big words' but more are impressed with clarity of thought, we go for the latter.
 
Time-consumingness: Again, there's loads of great ideas floating on the interweb, like no chairs. No Blackberries to aid distractions, and all that, so check that video out above. We just make sure everything is covered on the agenda in the time allocated and no more. Not complex, but it works for us.
 
Uselessness: We make sure that an agenda is laid out beforehand. Not a formal, rigid, this-is-everything-we-will-discuss-no-more-no-less type of agenda just a points-on-what-we-are-going-make-sure-we'll-talk-about-and-reach-a-conclusion-on-type-of-agenda. We like to send this to everyone coming to the meeting a few days before to get things added or taken out. So everyone knows and can prepare for what will be talked about.
When we're meeting someone new, we ask at the beginning how much time is allocated for this. Can't tell you how many times we think we've been afforded an hour when all we get is thirty minutes.
We also prepare for it. Not rigidly, but we think it works to bring notes along attached to the points in the agenda, like questions or points to raise.
Finally, we try and find conclusions, surely you met to get something resolved. So hopefully we leave knowing what the next steps are and when they'll be taken. 

John Lewis shows that traditional still works.

No doubt you've already seen this:

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It's Adam & Eve London's new spot for Britain's stateliest department store; John Lewis. OK, it's a beautiful, well written, great-looking TV spot. No big deal right? Well including this blog it's been written about thousands of times in blogs and in mainstream printed media, the YouTube vids have been seen hundreds of thousands of times and this activity resulted in a 40% increase in John Lewis sales. 
In a time where the competition for brand saliency is getting increasingly hotter and agencies and clients are pushing for more 'innovative' and integrated solutions; this spot churlishly spits in the face of the rationale demand these demands. Who would of thought that a single TV spot would cause such a splash?
We think it's a simple case of delivering creative that resonates with people, regardless of how you do it; whether you employ an integrated campaign or digital mediums or whatever. Notice how subtle the John Lewis message is weaved into the overarching narrative of the transience of life. That's something that reminds people simply to live well and try to enjoy the ride as best you can. Simple message, simple execution. Winner.

Quality and Compromise

Got some great advice from a friend: 

"Don't put your name to something that is not great quality. It's like that Brian Wilson (from the Beach Boys) quote: "beware the lollipop of mediocrity, lick it once and you'll suck for ever"

Avoid adequacy like the plague. Always.

Let it Ring Campaign

Just stumbled across this piece of public service communication from a Belgian shop, sadly, I do not know the name of.
A great example of bold, innovative and creative public services comms that has the power to change behaviour, by allowing people to participate first-hand with the experience.
As the old  adage goes, "Tell me and I'll forget, Show me I may remember, involve me and I'll understand"

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Be Friendly and speak to everyone.

You never know who you'll meet. You could be reading this on your iPhone sitting next to the person who could change your life forever. So follow the above tips and you can't go wrong.
Today I went to Doug Richard's School for Start-Ups Conference at the Royal Institution of Great Britain, with my formidable business partner Daniel Brown.

There I met the wonderful Phillippa White, the founder and driving force behind the International Exchange (TIE). TIE is a social enterprise that teams people from the advertising and communications industries in developed countries (notably the UK), with NGOs in developing countries (notably Brasil) who lend vital communications assistance and expertise to effect social change. So in layman's terms: Dave from W+K London say, goes to Brasil for 3 months for help an AIDS charity communicate their cause, in order to increase donations, awareness, etc. 

We've looked at the website and the case studies, provide some interesting reading, TIE do some truly inspirational and intriguing work. 
Right now, Phillipa is looking for an experienced business development professional to help develop TIE for the next year, this person will have to be able to work in Brasil for a year and have experience in the communications industry and be able to do this for free. Big ask, but this is an amazing opportunity for professionals to do something great on their upcoming sabbatical, while living in Brasil and still stay sharp for when they return to work. If this sounds interesting, get in touch with TIE, here.