In the elder days of Art Builders wrought with greatest care Each minute and unseen part, For the Gods see everywhere. -Henry Wadsworth Longfellow In his pithy and spot-on book, On Bullshit, Harry G. Frankfurt writes about the above lines of poetry, “The point of these lines is clear. In the old days, craftsmen did not cut corners… These craftsmen did not relax their thoughtful self-discipline even with respect …
Healthy Teams Make Great Things
Collaboration is the key that unlocks creative greatness. The best films, music, food, advertising, media, and so on, are all made by teams. Therefore, joining a highly functional team and learning to be a productive member of the team is the way forward for ambitious makers. Two professors at Abilene Christian University in Abilene, Texas wanted to bring this message to their students and the world. Mike Wiggins …
First Apple Crushes It, Then Samsung Uncrushes It
Last week, when people from the advertising industry began to dump on Apple's new iPad advertisement on LinkedIn, I wondered what the fuss was about. Turns out that people working in creative industries don't like it when the richest company on earth wantonly flattens guitars, books, collectibles, and other art objects. If you haven't seen the spot, here it …
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You Don’t Watch The Oscars for the Commercials, But You Could
Traditional advertising showcases are few and far between today, along with opportunities to appeal to a mass audience. Last night's Academy Awards is one. According to Variety, the 2023 Oscars earned an audience of 18.75 million—more than double the most popular shows on TV (NCIS and FBI). The best "commercial" of the evening was "I'm Just Ken,' performed by Ryan Gossling and Mark Ronson, with a guest appearance …
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Pet People Have Unique Priorities (Which Freshpet Fully Understands )
Friends, relatives, and strangers may from time to time voice contrary or judgmental opinions about a pet's place in the family. It typically goes over like a fart in church, and this ad campaign from Freshpet makes comedic light of that fact. https://youtu.be/vp0KBkum8Ug?si=q1FspFzT1JoB3Xh2 Pepper, the dog in "Dinner Date" is a scruffy little scene-stealer. What a good boy. I also love the closing line …
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Russian Instruments of War Artfully Repurposed by Ukrainian Musicians
Since the start of Russia's lethal attack on Ukraine (a war that has killed or wounded 500,000 people), the resilience, grit, and heart of the Ukrainian people have offered a steady beacon of light and hope for a better future in an otherwise dark time. Now, this new campaign to support German nonprofit ArtHelps from agency Jung von Matt amplifies this resilience and showcases the unique talent and inventiveness …
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Play with Words and Images
Edward Ruscha is an American fine artist with something significant to say about pop culture and advertising. His work, which sometimes looks like an ad, also has something to teach the makers of pop culture and advertising. According to The Tate: Words and phrases are at the centre of Ed Ruscha’s work and first appear in his paintings as early as 1959. The use of words and text in twentieth century art can first …
David Droga Is Always Making, Shaping, and Creating
In this on-camera interview, CNBC’s Tania Bryer asks David Droga, founder of Droga5, CEO of Accenture Song, and the most awarded person in Cannes Lion history, what his secret ingredient is. Droga replies, "Not piss a lot of people off...No, I don't know, I've always been restless and curious. I've been lucky that I've worked around the world in different markets, which gave me immense opportunities to work with …
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