The cure for the common blog

So I guess first of all, welcome to our new audience. Up until this week we've blogged for our eyes only. So now it's my turn again - but this time with the eyes of the cyber world upon me. It's the difference between singing your heart out in the shower or behind the wheel in the fast lane and taking centre stage at the karaoke bar.

Now our Woodreed blog is open to the outside world will it change the way we blog and what we blog about?

Can I, for example, talk about the sublime scene in this week's Mad Men where Peggy called the bluff of her abrasive new art director and they found themselves stark naked brainstorming new creative concepts for Vicks? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdKSDqo9FaU Can I ponder whether that approach would ever see the light of day at Woodreed - Jodie and Dave any thoughts? Or would I be venturing perilously close to employee litigation? On second thoughts......

Or could I dare comment upon the wannabee creative from the same episode who'd hopefully recycled one tired and hackneyed line across endless ads in his book: The cure for the common bank, the cure for the common chair, the cure for the common beer ... What agency would ever do such a thing?

Or should I be more business like and simply muse about how I'll be feeling this time next week? Once Charlotte and I have presented our masterclass on the power of brand as a tool for employee engagement to 200 delegates at The Travel Convention in Malta? What's really excited me putting that together with Charlotte has been the power of our presentation. It really is the culmination of so much great insight and experience - so will we inspire or will we be ....?

I'll let you know next week.

A pack of lies

I haven't felt the need to offload my frustrations on this blog until now! I'm going to make this quick otherwise my blood will boil and I'll work myself up into a frenzy, which will result in giving my Creative Director palpitations. Bless him!

Ready? Products that don't work.

GGGGGGGGGGRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR. False promises and big claims lead to disappointment, and me, going out with a very large spot on my face, so big it has its own personality! There are so many spot treatments on the shelves that promise to rapidly reduce swelling which is a blatant lie. Read the oxy promise on its packaging. It clearly states 'vanishing' which in my opinion is misleading. But we still buy these products. Why? Can someone please enlighten me?

Just do it....

It’s lovely when you spot a campaign that is so in tune with a brand’s essence. It’s lovely for it not to be awash with product, product, product. It’s lovely seeing it executed so simply (we’ll overlook the heavy retouching), yet for it to still evoke the very essence of the brand and the reaction it’s begging for…makes me want to get my trainers on and just head East (well nearly…)

Speaking the right language

Now there’s not a lot of things that can make me burst out into hysterical laughter on a Monday night but the genius and utterly brilliant Inbetweeners on E4 is one of them. For those who don’t know the show revolves around 4 boys enduring the angst, embarrassment and awkwardness that are the latter teenage years. From Will’s witty retorts to every gruelling put down, Neil’s perpetual dimness, Simon’s complete inadequacy at everything and Jay’s barrage of exaggerations, lies and apparent nymphomania, it really is pure gold.

I believe its utter brilliance is borne out of the fact that it is, well, spot on. My husband and friends love it, the buzz around facebook before and after each episode says it all – it strikes a cord with all of us. Though sure, a bit exaggerated at times, it does depict the way the guys I went to school/college talk, behaved and communicated. The constant put downs, vulgar innuendos and never ending teasing about each others mums, it’s perfectly observed. They’ve nailed their target audience and consequently landed themselves a winner. A brilliant example of how understanding and engaging with your audience can establish a loyal, enthusiastic and devoted fan-base.

I can bet though that my mum, nan and many other people I know just wouldn’t get it and would think it was most probably ghastly, disgusting and nothing but darn right rude. Indeed you may be one of them. But that’s the joy of it.

When Ads ring true.

It is rare that I see an ad that rings true. When I first saw the Foster ad ‘Good Call’ I laughed out load. A short while later I realised how true it is. I was at a party one weekend which was fueled with good spirits and nice fluorescent makeup due to having been at Gay Pride all day! Like most parties there were a few unknown appearances. I soon found myself cornered with a genuinely nice guy who was a ‘space invader’. I started to get more annoyed as I backed away so much that I ran out of floor space and found the wall against my back! There was no immediate rescue for me as I looked around the room for a friend to read my eye signals to come and take me away. I then suddenly remembered the advert and started laugh. A truly good advert is one you can actually relate and bring it into really social situation.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMgIJuzvH24

Looking into the eyes of souls

Being the utter romantic I am, I treated my better half to a day of enlightening culture a couple of Saturdays ago, by taking her up to London as a treat for her birthday .

The trip involved a spectrum of creative visits including the awe-inspiring Applestore in Regent Street, Libertys (and other out of our price range retail venues), sandwiches in Trafalgar Square, an afternoon visit to the National Portrait Gallery, a nostalgic visit to our one time favourite restaurant in Soho when we were courting called Ketners (previously owned by Ronnie Scott's but now sadly a Pizza Express), and then finally to see the stage play of Rosemary's favourite book "Birdsong".

"The highlight of the day you ask?"

The National Portrait Gallery.

It wasn't just the fact that there was, in one place, an amazing collection of portraits from the early Tudor times right to up to the modern day, or the wide range of medium used (there was oils, watercolors, silk screen printing, photography, etching, pencil and ink amongst many others), but it was the sheer brilliance of how all the artists manage to capture the personality of each of their subject matter, so much so that when I actually looked into the eyes of some of them, I was overwhelmed with a sense of actually recognizing their character and sprit. Frightening.

Looking into the eyes of William Pitt, I was immediately aware of his arrogance, his autocratic (management) style , his sense of power, where as with Sir Francis Bacon I instantly recognized a vulnerable, helpless but belligerent soul. I almost felt sorry for him.

The power of pictures, the power of art, I'm so proud to be part of an industry where this is so important!

If you love "people watching", take a visit to the NPG, you will undoubtably be mesmerized for hours on end.

Brand of brothers

Is it just me or is politics super exciting these days?

It’s like a brilliantly cast soap opera with all the complexity of characterisation and glimpses into the human condition and foibles that you could ask for.

We began with the gripping expenses scandal that rocked the H’s of P, followed closely by the edge of your seat election results and the will he won’t he drama of Brown’s resignation. Even Queeny’s been on the scene and she only usually gets unfurled at Christmas these days. Just when I thought I couldn’t get enough of witnessing the burgeoning love affair between the double C’s (Cammy and Cleggy) along come the battle of the Millibands – joy joy joy. Oh what a brave new world we are in.

With my marketing head on, I have been equally as fascinated with how the two parties of the coalition have had to reposition themselves, adjust their messages and try to work out what they say and how to the electorate. Never been that bothered about door step campaigners until recently when a chirpy Lib Dem chappy came a knocking. All he wanted to do was canvas (pot holes, street light etc), all I wanted to do was to ask him how he was grappling with the new (sub?) brand that is LibCon / ConLib and if he thought Florence Cameron looked more like Dave or Sam (that bit was a joke)

Also, now Ed is in (was Ed David’s David or David’s Goliath? Hmm) how is he going to position himself and his party? Embrace brands and work the media a la Blair with an Alistair Campbell side kick in place like a media savvy Robin or eschew comme Brown and pay the price? What brand will he become and who will help him position it and what model will New new old Labour use? Ooooh just too exciting.