Junior - Celebrating life at the bottom

Jul 26, 10

The Monday Morning WHIP // 83

You might think Stan (http://branddna NULL.blogspot NULL.com) bangs on an awful lot about folios. Take it from us, he knows a thing or two. And after sifting through the work of some of the industry’s best thinkers all weekend, we think he’s got enough reason to tell us what’s what when it comes to that pretty little book that might just get you a job.

Last weekend I judged the Direct Marketing section for the MADC Awards. I have judged direct work a couple of times before, but this time was very different.

Sure there were the usual selection of clever mail packs and three-dimensional pieces, but what was noticeably different was the sheer breadth of work entered into the category. Much of it already awarded at Cannes earlier in the year.
It’s as if direct has become the new place to be for creativity. Well this year anyway!
Yet hardly any of the kids who come to show me their folio have direct ideas in them. Mind you, they don’t have many digital ideas either.

What I can’t work out is why.

WHIP | Tags: DIGITAL, DIRECT MARKETING, FOLIO

Jul 25, 10

Junior Event // 19

Junior last Wednesday was pretty rad. We had Jason Ross – the Executive Creative Director of CHE (http://www NULL.che NULL.com NULL.au/) give us 8 tips in 8 minutes, at the grand ol’ time of 8pm. According to the Chinese, the number 8 (http://www NULL.beijingmadeeasy NULL.com/beijing-society/china-lucky-numbers) is as lucky as it gets. So if you happened to find yourself there, be sure to think of yourself as one of the lucky ones.

It’s also pretty darn lucky we filmed the whole thing just in case you missed it.

ADVERTISING, DRINKS | Tags: ADVERTISING, CHE, DRINKS, JASON ROSS

Jul 24, 10

Juniorversity // 06

There’s no need to explain who the accomplished dude below is. He has changed the way we live. Watch this video and he might change the way you tackle life too.

JUNIORVERSITY |

Jul 19, 10

The Monday Morning WHIP // 82

This week’s Monday Morning WHIP was submitted by Glenn Peters (http://nightwatchman NULL.blogspot NULL.com), a Melbourne-based freelance writer. If there’s one thing a freelance writer knows about – it’s time management. So take note.

Agency slow-time. Hours, days, weeks get entered into timesheets as “Admin Time”.
So what do you do?
Get yourself known as the agency’s best ping pong player? Stare at The Age (http://theage NULL.com NULL.au) online?

Why not make yourself indispensible?
Talk to people. Nobody will hate you for looking eager.

Re-read an old brief. See if there was anything you missed that might spark off something for the next one.

That killed-off idea from last month? Fix it. Make it better. Mock it up.

Read industry blogs then move on.
What’s happening in art? Ever read that Fin Review in the kitchen? Nobody has. That’s what your clients are reading.

Make a topical ad.
Make anything (lots of award winning work was made during Admin time) but just stay away from the table tennis table.

WHIP | Tags: GLENN PETERS

Jul 12, 10

The Monday Morning WHIP // 81

You can’t polish a turd. And although you might be able to make it a good looking turd, it ain’t gonna fly with Stan (http://branddna NULL.blogspot NULL.com).

Had a creative team show me some concepts this week for a project I’m working on. I asked which was their preferred idea and they pointed to the first concept.

When I asked them why, they rambled on for what seemed like an eternity. Yet when they finished talking I was none the wiser.

So I asked them to explain the idea in a sentence. They couldn’t.

This is because what they had wasn’t an idea. It was a look. A feel. A design treatment.

So I gave them another chance to explain their idea.

They couldn’t.

Now some people might like cool looking stuff. Some people might be happy with well designed things. But not me.

I want to see ideas. Most creative directors do. And if you don’t have an idea, no amount of design or polish is going to hide that fact.

WHIP |

Jul 05, 10

The Monday Morning WHIP // 80

Are you striving for mediocrity without knowing it? Stan (http://branddna NULL.blogspot NULL.com) wants to know.

Close enough is just not good enough.

Unless of course you’re striving for mediocrity.

In which case it is perfectly acceptable.

WHIP |

Jul 02, 10

Junior Event // 18

“Blow your wad in the first paragraph.”

That was Jo Walker from Frankie (http://frankie NULL.com NULL.au)‘s opening tip. So we just did.

Here are some photos.

DRINKS, WRITING | Tags: DRINKS, FRANKIE, JO WALKER

Jun 28, 10

The Monday Morning WHIP // 79

However cryptic, this week’s Whip is one of Stan (http://branddna NULL.blogspot NULL.com)‘s best. Give yourself some time to think–enlightenment will come.

Another weekend rolls around. Another Saturday morning where I sit and wonder what on earth I’m going to write for the Monday Whip.

Over the last couple of weeks I’ve been working on a big pitch, which has proven an excellent source of Whip material.

But now the dust has settled on the pitch I found myself sitting staring at a blank piece of paper.

Much like I do every day it work.

And much like I do every day at work I scribble a few thoughts, toss around a couple of ideas, then get started.

Most times it’s a struggle. Sometimes it comes within minutes. But unless I overcome that piece of blank paper I will have nothing.

And nothing isn’t going to inspire you. Nor will it keep me in a job.

WHIP, WRITING | Tags: STAN, WHIP

Jun 26, 10

JuniorTV // 05

Our inaugural Sydney event featured two of the most awarded creatives in Oz – Matty Burton and Cam Blackley from Droga (http://droga5 NULL.com NULL.au)5. Before you get too excited, there’s just one catch. We didn’t have a spare ticket to Sydney for our usual cinematographers. Darn. Instead, we made do attempting to piece it together with friends of friends and boyfriends of friends, and what you see is what you get. Infact, Matty and Cam were so good – we didn’t edit this at all (which worked pretty well for us un-film-editoring folks). Now, take out your pens and paper, cause you’re gonna wanna write some of this down!

JUNIORtv | Tags: CAM BLACKLEY, Droga5, MATTY BURTON

Jun 21, 10

The Monday Morning WHIP // 78

Dude, don’t think so much, you’re gonna give yourself a headache. Simplicity is the key. Sit down, make some stuff, and listen to Stan (http://branddna NULL.blogspot NULL.com).

While working on a pitch recently I watched suits and strategists going around in circles arguing propositions.

Not just for an hour or so. But for days.

Without a proposition there is no brief. And without a brief work cannot commence.

Or can it?

My motto is to worry only about the things that you can control.

I can’t control the circular habits of suits and strategists. So I put pen to paper instead.

Rather than waiting, I start generating.

So by the time the brief is ready I already have a body of work.

Obviously much of it will not be right or even usable, but by exploring many different territories with complete creative freedom, I will almost certainly stumble across one or two ideas that fit the brief.

Which means that when work is supposed to commence, I am already halfway there.

WHIP | Tags: WHIP

home //
wtf? //

drinks //
interviews // whips // dear-junior //