Literally! (I’m so sorry). Win one This month we’ve celebrated winning the Best Integrated category at this year’s Institute of Internal Communications Awards for the internal visual language we developed for our most excellent friends at Standard Bank. The judging panel was effusive in its praise of this monster piece of global brand identity work, scoring it 19… [ MORE… ]
Brands are important. Yes, they can be shallow and no, they don’t bring about world peace nor the end of poverty, oppression nor torture. But as this world goes, they are important. In their strength or weakness ride the incomes, livelihoods and happiness of billions of ordinary people like you and me. An organisation’s brand is the particular… [ MORE… ]
I’ve just moved house. One of the side effects is that I’ve essentially been moonlighting as a secret shopper – liaising with the various companies involved in the laborious process of relocating. From banks and credit card companies to retail websites and media suppliers. Given my day job is ultimately about helping (in some small part) organisations’ people… [ MORE… ]
You know that poster you just composed? Lose the last line. You know that presentation you just created? Take out every second bullet point. You know that email you just wrote? Cut the word count in half. Strike that. Quarter it. You know that ad you just crafted? Delete that clever intro you’re so proud of. You know… [ MORE… ]
I’ve probably mentioned before that I’m a bit of a sceptic when it comes to the dark art of Planning. By which I mean (loosely) using numbers to steer, measure and maximise creative effectiveness. Perhaps it’s because I’ve seen many presentations where the statistical insights seem to have absolutely no causal link with the resulting strategy. The non… [ MORE… ]
A client once told me they’d been on an ‘agency management’ course where they’d been told a clever little trick for getting the most out of agencies. And, in hushed tones reserved for the most game changing of revelations, here it is: ‘Never accept their first ideas.’ Predictably, this struck me as idiocy. I understand the (facile) rationale… [ MORE… ]
This branching video from Tippex is a clever use of youtube. Though beware the blue language in the set-up video. To me, it’s not only a touch gratuitous but also a rather uncomfortable fit with the brand it’s promoting.
My boss often likes to suggest he taught me everything I know. My standard rejoinder is that he’s only taught me everything he knows. Such is the hilarious quip-foolery that makes working at WMW like an unending episode of Friends. Hellish. But here’s an example of something invaluable I did learn from Our Dear Leader: the value of… [ MORE… ]
I’ll be popping on a more constructive post shortly, but sometimes something catches your eye you just have to share. In this instance, it’s the intro copy to an app for a certain well-known vendor of American college-wear. Before going any further, I strongly recommend you brace yourself. Whiplash from the inevitable cringe reflex is a real possibility.… [ MORE… ]
Today a member of the Client Service team wondered over with what he purported to be a new brief. “So what’s the message?” I enquired. “They just want something generic,” he replied. At this point I ambled to the nearest available corner, curled up into a foetal position and started singing ‘Row, row, row the boat’ in an… [ MORE… ]
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