Newsletter #276: Introduction
Happy Friday (is it Friday? EDIT: NO, JAMES, IT IS NOW SATURDAY) it’s Friday at the point of writing [this section]. How’s your week? Mine has been better than last’s. Which is nice.
Spent the day with a great client on Wednesday, noodled on a few meaty problems on Thursday, reviewed a bunch of stuff and took a brief on a new project on Friday. Mondays and Tuesdays are for to do lists and meetings (in case you were wondering).
ANYWAY.
The aim for next week will be to block a clear two or three days and finish the #OgilvyTrends2019 presentation so it’s ready for proofreading (HI MARSHALL).
What else can I tell you? OH. I had some lovely replies in my inbox over the past seven days, mainly in response to the burnout issue I wrote about. The over-riding theme(s)? You’re not alone, and it gets better. Especially if you manage to make it out alive.
SPEAKING OF MAKING OUT ALIVE.
The draft of this week’s FTOF is a monster. So here I am about to write it up and I think we… might… just… make it… MAYBE.
Hang tight, fam. We’re going IN.
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1. RIP STAN LEE.
I don’t know where to begin.
I truly don’t.
Let's try this.
I'm 12 years old. It's Saturday morning. I tune in to watch Defenders of the Earth on whatever TV show was on BBC1 back then (was it Going Live?) and it doesn't come on. Instead, I get this new thing called X-MEN. It is the best. The soundtrack. The characters. All of it is stellar. There are earlier MARVEL memories (Japanese Spider-Man movies spring to mind) but X-Men is where it began. I remember figuring out Marvel Heroes lived in real cities (not made up places, like Batman and Superman) and this fascinated me.
I’m 15. I've opted for art at GCSE and my then girlfriend's really like my sketches. He buys me my first comic book. Wolverine #90. It has fold out pages and it is a phenomenal read. I spend my weeks recreating the pencils from the page into my sketch pad.
I buy every comic from #90 onwards (and get a C in Art for my GCSE).
I’m 17. I’m at college. The walk to the town from the college takes me past a comic book store. I go in. I ask if they have any X-Men stuff. They do. I see my Wolverine #90 on the wall behind the counter. I know I'm in the right place. I pick up the first X-Men comic I find - Uncanny X-Men #341. If you know it, it's the Cannonball v Gladiator issue and it is a classic. I start drawing again.
I'm 20. X-Men comes out at the cinema. Hugh Jackman shouldn't work as Wolverine but he does. He really does. Stan Lee is in the movie and it makes me smile. I dig up my card collection and start thinking about creating a display of some kind. I remember the original X-Men - and I go back and discover a whole wealth of X-Men stories I'd never seen before.
I’m 23. The girl I'm dating is a total nerd. She has Spider-Man sheets on her bed and is a huge fan of the movie. She indulges me on my comic book obsession. We decide to settle down. X-Men II hits the cinema (I see Stan Lee again and I smile) - life could not be better. Also: X-Men II is amazing.
I'm 26. After a whirlwind couple of years, my marriage has fallen apart. I'm living in my mate's dad's spare room and life is not great. I get some money together and I go to Thailand. I book myself into fasting retreat and I rest and recuperate and genuinely rediscover myself. I meet someone. On the day I break my fast we go to the cinema. The only thing they have on is X-Men III. We, along with everyone else, have to stand before the trailers for the King. I eat a tomato for the first time in my life and it tastes amazing. The film is terrible. But holy sh!t, my life is about to turnaround and the only Marvel moment I have is X-Men III... Brilliant.
I’m 28. Christopher Nolan's sequel to Batman Begins is out in a few months. But somehow, somehow, Marvel has managed to get together a movie about one of their least known superheroes, Iron Man. We go and after the movie ends, we see Nick Fury tells us we're part of something bigger. My inner nerd goes crazy. Four years later The Avengers will be formed. Incredible.
I'm 30. I'm in Los Angeles. I meet my friend Matt (hey Matt) for a beer and he introduces me to his friend Ryan. Ryan is the social media guy at Marvel. We hit it off and come firm pals - and end up meeting up for dinner or drinks whenever he is in town.
Reading Ryan's posts over the past few days has been incredibly moving. Go watch 'This Week at Marvel', you'll see.
I'm 33. After an amazing first date - where I confess my love of all things comic bookery - the woman I will spend the rest of my life tells me we should take things slow. A week later she paints me picture of Wonder Woman. It's amazing. She is amazing.
I'm 35. The same woman paints a picture of Catwoman but can’t get the eye right. I pick up a pencil and all the muscle memory returns. I finish the work in ten minutes and leave for the day. I have stacks of comics in my cupboard and I can't wait to share them with our children one day.
I'm 38. Marvel's Spider-Man has come out on PlayStation and, having seen every single damn thing that Stan Lee has ever had a cameo in at this point, I am unsurprised to find him turn up in this. The cameo itself is wonderful. 'You two were always my favourites', Stan says, to Peter and Mary Jane. It is so perfect, so poignant.
A few months later Stan Lee passes away. I actually cry! When I look back, there is so much in my life that is punctuated by his influence.
There is SO MUCH in the comic book world that wouldn't be here if it wasn't for him.
So much.
Right now though, I just want to dig up my Stan Lee's how to draw comics book and start sketching again.
RIP Stan Lee. There are no words, man.
None.
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2. BIG TRAIN
This is an 1100 word Shortlist article that, while celebrating exactly why BIG TRAIN was so brilliant, is just basically a big fat sign saying GO AND (RE)WATCH BIG TRAIN YOU LOON!
So please, do that. If you don't have it, maybe get it for yourself (and everyone you know) for Christmas.
The article is a good read too (and littered with clips, obvs).
....
..
.
While we’re at it, I’d strong recommend Man Stroke Woman as well. For the same reasons. Underrated, under-watched, under-appreciated.
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3. F**KING HELL, FACEBOOK
I mean, where do you start? What a bloody week.
First, if you've not read the New York Times article, 'Delay, Deny, and Deflect' this week. Please fix that, right now. It's a doozy.
Advertising folk, bastions of morality, came out fighting! 'No Morals!' they cried, twisting the knife further.
And the impact on morale is [of course], AWFUL. That is a read and a half.
In short, it has not been a good week.
Could Zuck or Sandberg go? Possibly. Doubtful. I'm kinda with Om on this. But time will tell.
.....
In other Facebook news: Facebook is to let French regulators investigate its moderation process AND, although it should (and will) die in a trash fire, Facebook is going hard on Portal and has reportedly spent over $40m of TV advertising to market it to new buyers. CRAY. Especially as, y'know, TV is dead. HA HA.
OH, and echoing what it did with Snapchat Stories, 'That TikTok thing is nice, we'll copy it!'
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4. EZRA MILLER, FOR PLAYBOY
If you've been anywhere near the internet over the past two days, you would've almost definitely seen the photos of Ezra Miller. Not the amazing ones from the Fantastic Beasts premiere(s), no. I mean the ones he did for Playboy. Here's one:
There's the old joke of 'only reading Playboy to look at the pictures' (one that I think you can probably trace all the way back to Adrian Mole) and for this article, you could do just that. But if you did, you'd be missing out on an incredible interview.
So hey, go read Playboy. Yeah?
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5. IT'S (NEARLY) CHRIIIIIIISTMAAAAAAAS!!!!!
Breaking a personal rule by bringing up the C-word BEFORE my birthday (November 21st, cards and gifts can be sent via the work address, thanks - or you know, just send me a tweet or something, it's fine), I thought it was high time I pulled together all the Christmas ads and review them - because, given I've had my hand on ZERO Christmas ads this year, that is precisely what one does.
First, we need the ads.
Here is a YouTube Playlist with probably all of the Christmas ads that matter this year. There are 20 altogether (across 18 brands I think), so get watching and tell me if you agree or disagree with the super short one-liner reviews below. Oh, and I should also state that a number of Ogilvy clients appear below. My opinions are mine, yeah, not Ogilvy's. So we're all clear...
Shall we?
1. ARGOS: CHRISTMAS FOOL.
Not a fan. Don't get it. Like Argos, generally. Like the line too 'Foolproof Christmas' but the Christmas Fool isn't a thing.
2. BARBOUR: THE SNOWMAN
Classical work, adopted. Lovely. But a bit boring.
3. CINEWORLD (ER WHAT).
I'm not sure how this snuck on. But I like it - mainly because it's not your standard WHITE Christmas. So ten out of ten for flying he representation flag, Cineworld. This is a choice that you definitely made and all the better for it.
4. CADBURY: SECRET SANTA
'This is really creepy! Like, a bit 'Do you want to play a game? I'm expecting that kid in the garage to sneak up on that guy with a tool from the box and stab him with it!' - Not my words but those of a loved one who responded quite viscerally when I showed them this ad.
5. ALDI: CHRISTMAS CARROT
There are two here, a teaser then the full thing. I don't know why I'm including both but I am. Anyway, they're both bonkers. The first one is alright as it riffs on the Coca-Cola truck (which is always worth mocking) the second one is a Christmas fairytale, littered with bad puns and, well, I'm kinda left wondering who this one is for. Good work on showing the product throughout mind.
6. VISA: KEEP IT LOCAL
Probably one of my favourites. If not, my absolutel favourite. Watch it, you'll see. Also: VERY MUCH playing in the same space as AmEx though (famous for its 'small business Saturdays' work). But yes, support your local high street this year.
7. ASDA: BRING CHRISTMAS HOME
I really like this one! Although I must admit, I spent the first 30 seconds thinking it was a Virgin ad and couldn't quite work out how this related to broadband. But nope, it turns out it's ASDA. So yeah, nice ad - how is it uniquely Asda though?
8. CURRYS: CHRISTMAS UPGRADED
Neat idea. Loses a couple of points because that first line triggers my home assistants but that moan aside, I think it's a neat concept well executed.
9. BOOTS: GIFTS THAT GET THEM
First up, I should say that this is OGILVY WORK. However, having known about this idea for months now, I still cried when I saw the final article just the same way I cried a little tear the first time I read the script. This is really bloody good and I'm proud of our lot for delivering something truly magical and standout for Boots, again, this year. Disagree? FIGHT ME.
10. WAITROSE & PARTNERS
Two again here. I lol'd, twice, at both. I miss ads that make you laugh. And Waitrose, especially given that they're kinda always in the shadow of John Lewis, have done a bang up job. The second one really makes me chuckle.
11. HEATHROW: THE HEATHROW BEARS
This is a LOVELY ad. Lovely. But!!!!!!!! Why am I seeing it? I watch this and my planner brain kicks in and goes 'Oh, wow! This is SUCH a good ad for ex-pats! You really want to get them to get home for Christmas! So why the bloody hell am I seeing it? It should be shown all over the world - but NOT in the UK! Grrrrr. Anyway. Lovely ad. I just hope they happen to be buying media in the Costa Del Sol too. Because right now, it's wasted.
Sidenote: we did this for BA a few years ago. Targeted ex-pats specifically. Drove huge results.
12. ICELAND: THE GREENPEACE ONE
I'm a bit over this now.
- No, the ad wasn't banned.
- Yes, the ad was bought from Greenpeace.
- Yes, the ad can't be shown on broadcast TV.
- No, I don't care.
- Yes, the agency absolutely knew about this.
- Yes, it's a great PR job (well done).
- No, it won't make me shop at Iceland.
All I'll say on this is, good luck trying to pull any favours with Clearcast in future.
13. VODAFONE: GLIDE THROUGH CHRISTMAS
This is also Ogilvy work. But I kinda file this under Cineworld as it's not normally the kind of brand that you'd expect to play in the 'Big Christmas Ad' space. It's a bit whimsy, which I like - and the end punchline makes it (i miss those in ads too).
14. TK MAXX: THE NEVERENDING STOCKING
Ogilvy client (but this is not our work). I like the absurdity of the work and is LEAPS AND BOUNDS ahead of everything else I've seen, which is definitely a GOOD THING. This really made me laugh, actually - just the sheer absurdity of it all.
15. JOHN LEWIS: ELTON JOHN
Ahh, bloody hell. They did it again. You can be as cynical as you like but this really is something spectacular. Christmas time for advertising really is when you get to see the best of our industry. Utterly and simply gorgeous.
And yes, actually, John Lewis do sell pianos.
16. SAINSBURY'S: THE BIG NIGHT.
'Oh, it's too similar to that other John Lewis/Waitrose one from a couple of months ago though!' - I don't care. This is bloody great. THAT PLUG THO!!!!! YES! Ahh, lovely.
#PLUGLIFE.
17. BURBERRY: CLOSE YOUR EYES AND THINK OF CHRISTMAS
It's Burberry. Big names. Big clothes. Big production. Ahh, just watch it and soak it up. It's ever so fashion. Because of course it is. It's Burberry.
18. KFC UK
The third and final 'What are you doing here?' Christmas ad. Neat idea. I wanna see this on Boxing Day.
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BON-ME, BON-YOU, BON-US.
NOW NOW, YOU DON'T HAVE TO READ THEM ALL.
- Here's two and a bit minutes with Rory Sutherland which starts with a great quote and goes on from there.
- This is a bloody good read (open in incognito tab).
- I am really interested in what Global are doing with OOH.
- RIP William Goldman. It feels cheap putting this down in the bonuses but holy christ, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid? The Princess Bride. Wow.
- While we're at it, I didn't want to put this obit up top because the headline is a bit rubbish, however, this is a fair look back at Stan Lee's life and worth ten mins of your time.
- 'Most disappointing under 30' - brilliant (via Keano)
- The Duke of Cambridge, Prince William, gave this speech about cyberbullying and social media. This is the highest office talking to such an impactful issue. Eloquently too. You should read it.
- Mark Ritson on excellent form here: 'Why Gary V is wrong wrong wrong' - it's a great article. Expertly researched and perfectly put.You should read it. Then you should go and enjoy the comments underneath Mark's Linkedin post linking to the article. Lol-tastic.
- The ISM calculator is essential. What's your score?
- YouTube vs Article 13
- Good luck, Publicis. I hope others follow.
- PARKLIFE!
- MAKE YOUR CREATIVE COMEBACK HERE!
- Big fan of The FT having a tool that detects if you quote too many men.
- DETECTIVE POKÉMON - TRAILER! YES!!!!
- While we're at it, here's the new DUMBO trailer too! Only problem being here is that Tim Burton hasn't made a decent film in about 15 years. I remain hopeful.
- A good old fashioned lol.
- A perfect summation.
- Here's your weekly Red Dead Redemption update: first an amazing video that covers the detail in the game, second, for the hardcore, here's a spreadsheet calculator for the Trapper and Pearson etc.
- More Queer Eye!
- Buy an advent calendar for a food bank this year.
- I've got a lot of time for The Depolarization Project.
- A NEW EXOPLANET!
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