Partnerships

A great partnership is key in producing great work. To use Luke Sullivan's old adage--1 + 1 = 3.

I'm curious as to how everyone works at the different ad schools across the country. Do you sit down and do strategy for one meeting, then meet again and concept executions at another meeting? Do you try and bang out as much as humanly possible in one meeting?

I know at Brainco, most students are so busy with other projects, it limits students' ability to sit down for really long hours at a time and get a whole lot of work done. We usually will meet between 2 and 3 times a week--sometimes get executional stuff done separately, sometimes everything together, but always come up with strategy together.

Thoughts?

The 800 Project

Starting Monday, July 23rd, we will begin the first annual 800 Headline Project in which all student writers (or art directors if they care to partake) willing to face the fire and brimstone of Sally Hogshead notorious 800 BMW headlines endeavor, will have 8 days to write 800 hundred headlines.

The brand will be posted on the Midnight (EDT) of the 23rd. Feel free to post suggested brands. We'll probablly pick an easier one--because Sally did.

An external Blogger site will be used for everyone to post their headlines. Details will be available there as well.

PASS IT ON! Only the prolific will survive.

Strategy, Execution and Brand Power

I'm sure you've all seen it by now, it's Croix Gagnon and Siavosh Zabeti's (in my estimation) brilliant Lego work they did at Miami Ad School in Hamburg. Although we see Lego everywhere, and I myself would be extreemly hessitant to work on the brand--I think they've managed to pull of a completely fresh, and unexcpected campaign for the toy maker.

Here's my question to you all: Is this an example of great execution? Strategy? Both?

To me, the execution is what's completely fresh. It's simple, its different and we haven't seen it from Lego yet. But I also don't believe that the strategy just plopped out of the magnificent power of the brand either. "It's what you make of it" and the story behind it doesn't so much build the greatness behind it (Lego), but places the emphasis on you (or your child). Imagination of course is the key idea in the strategy, but by simply shifting the attention from the blocks, to the people using the blocks--they've opened up this powerful interplay between strategy and execution. I think so at least.

Or do you believe that the brand--Lego--has so much inherent drama, that the strategy was simply waiting to be uncovered by the next person to dig a half-step deeper?

Curious to hear your thoughts. Thanks!

Why didn't I think of it?!

This was done by BBDO Atlanta a couple years ago. So simple, so brilliant. Makes me go: "why didn't I think of that." I'm sure all of you portfolio students have had this experience--or perhaps the inverse, when you create an ad you didn't realize has been done before.

I'm curious what your experiences at your school is like when this happens. At Brainco, its usually: sorry, can't do it. Unless it wasn't smack dab simple (or smack dab good for that matter).

Too Easy? Or Well Done?

This campaign was done by Brett Beaty (AD) and Rick Williams (CW) of The Creative Circus for Elimidate. Here's my question: Is doing an ad for Elimidate too easy to put in a student book?

I know at Brainco, it would be highly unlikley that any teacher give us this assigment. There's a lot of inherent drama built in. Luke Sullivan writes in Whipple to pick boring products. But is this just an old idea that needs to be changed?

That being said, I like the last of the 3 the best. They would be best without the solution line telling you who wins--and overall the writing could be funnier.

PBS Frontline

The above is a campaign worked on at Brainco for PBS Frontline. The art-direction will likely become photographic.

Lines need more pushing? Better imagery for the last one? Too much like Fallon's Time Magazine campaign?

Boys & Girls Club

This Boys & Girls Club of America done by Nic Howell and Jess Davis of Miami Ad School in San Francisco. Thoughts on strategy? Execution?

Metro Transit Campaign

The above is a campaign for Twin Cities Area Public Transportation. Thoughts on the campaign? Do they need a headline, or would it be better without? Thoughts on photography?