It’s a discomforting thought, having spent twenty-five years in advertising,
when you face the fact that consumers hate what you do now more than they did when you started.
There is an upside though.
As an experienced battle-hardened storyteller, my job has never felt more important.
Because brands right now have to earn the right to be listened to.
Lazy agencies, lazy media people and lazy marketers still exist but they are living on borrowed time.
Brand equity can be eroded very quickly.
For all the talk of big data and dynamic creativity, the fact is if you’re boring the shit out of people,
you can be as intuitive and ‘one on one’ as you like, people will still ignore you.
Two words. Ad Blocker.
As more and more marketing dollars are spent on short-term rubbish, you need a champion of brands,
an experienced strategic creative thinker on your side who can provide heavyweight support when needed.
I like to persuade with the work I do, but without the feeling of the hand of the brand on your back.
I don’t write a blog about advertising. I let my work do the talking.
I read Vance Packard’s ‘Hidden Persuaders’ when I was an art student.
Those two words have always appealed.
I love my role as CCO of quietly influencing consumers. A puppet master, except you can’t see my strings.
I love to help clients with big-picture brand positioning. I don’t want to be a planner. God forbid. I just love getting to a truth.
And you can only get there if you strip away the jargon and help land ideas in clear and effective ways with consumers.
I love to build a team around me.
I am proven at building extraordinary, diverse, multi-faceted creative departments.
I’m a passionate football fan. Obvious analogy perhaps but I want to be a great football manager.
Spot young talent. Nurture them. Make them famous.
Raise the agency’s game.
We all win.
I have worked with some great people over the years at world-class agencies.
I have stood on the shoulders of giants.
Well, quite tall people at least.
Here is some of my work.
New work.
Older work.
And print ads.