Grey’s Post

Championing UK's Creative Powerhouse At the prestigious Ad Association's LEAD conference, Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer underscored the vital role of the UK's advertising industry in the nation's economy. Emphasizing its influence and innovation, Frazer heralded a new era of advertising excellence and creativity. #advertisingandtheeconomy #AIinadvertising #collaborationfordigitalsafety #CreativeIndustriesVision #creativityinadvertising #CultureSecretaryLucyFrazer #Ethicaladvertising #LEADconference #onlinesafetyinadvertising #UKadvertisingindustry

This is David Ogilvy, widely regarded (alongside Claude Hopkins), the father of modern advertising. If you know brands like Rolls Royce, Schweppes, Guiness, Shell and Dove soap then you know his work. And if you have purchased these or many others I have not mentioned, then you understand the power of his pen. He wrote a book titled Confessions of an Advertising Man where he revealed all the inner workings of the ad world, except one. Regardless, the one thing he did say that stuck with me is, “you cannot save souls in an empty church.” It does not matter how great your idea or product is. Without customers, it is an empty church. The most important problem to solve as a founder, therefore, is not creating products but, in the words of Gary Halbert, “finding a starving crowd” with cash in their pockets: This combination, starving crowd with cash in hand, if why companies exist. The question, therefore, is how does one find a starving crowd with cash in hand? That’s the subject of today’s newsletter. publishing tonight at 7pm. Get it here vusisindane.com/founders

Get ready to groove with the latest feature in our '3-0 with our Jury' series—patrik partl, the Owner and Creative Director of BROKKOLI Advertising Network Advertising, is here to share his rhythm of creativity. 💛🥁 Early to Bed, Early to Rise: Patrik's party prep starts with a restful slumber. Tucking in early ensures he's recharged and ready to dance through the night. 🥂 Cheers to Creativity: When it's time to celebrate, Patrik's go-to is a refreshing glass of water. Simple, classic, and always in style—it's the perfect toast to innovation and longevity in the ad world. Celebrating a Legacy: With 30 years of advertising genius, Patrik reflects on the enduring value of a great idea. "A compelling, original idea can still touch, move, and inspire people," he says, highlighting the campaign 'Real Men of Genius' as an exemplar of creative brilliance. So, let's raise our glasses (filled with water, naturally) to Patrik Partl and three decades of unforgettable ads that have moved us, shaped us, and inspired a new generation of creatives. 🥳

In the current game of attention-getting - in advertising. What matters more ideas or vibes? Well, that's what James asks in this piece entitled Vibertising - where he talks about a range of recent work, much of what does the rounds here on LinkedIn - BA, Liquid Death et al. https://lnkd.in/gT-mmnyd And it's a great point, isn't it? Where are the big global ideas? And do they really matter? Advertising as we've come to learn is all about memory structures, so if your vibes are good and you land some kind of message - then is that job done? As Cannes kicks off - will be interesting to see if vibes or ideas win the day.

An ancient Greek orator inspired 3 of the greatest ad men. David Ogilvy wrote about him in Ogilvy on Advertising and Confessions of an Advertising Man. Rosser Reeves wrote about him in Reality in Advertising. And Robert Collier wrote about him in The Robert Collier Letter Book. Who was it? Demosthenes. Cicero called him a perfect orator. Antipater of Macedon had him tracked down because he was afraid Demosthenes would lead revolts against him like had with his predecessors Philip II and Alexander the Great. Demosthenes could move the masses to his will with the power of his words. In Ogilvy's words, "When Aeschines spoke, they said, 'How well he speaks.' But when Demosthenes spoke, they said, 'Let us march against. Philip.' I'm for Demosthenes." Demosthenes became a great orator by studying and emulating the great orators of the past. Passion moves people. But here's the dirty little secret: so do structure and principles. It's not surprising that Ogilvy, Reeves, and Collier admired Demosthenes. They were all proponents of structure in advertising. They all drew inspiration from their past. They all knew moving people to purchase started with time-tested structures. If you read any of the great books on advertising, you will see the same structures repeated decade after decade. So, it's often surprising to see the lack of those structures in modern advertising. Are modern ad men not studying what worked, or are they convinced they know better than 100 years of success? #advertising #marketing #advertisingandmarketing

Always think customer first. Even if your client doesn't. Subjectivity, spurious insight and reverse engineering can really hamper effective marketing and creative. In 1979 there was a pitch that reflected the customer experience went down in advertising folk law (and has been told many times). Towards the end of the of the 70s British Rail faced significant public backlash. Funded by taxpayers, the service was plagued by late trains, neglected facilities, and rude staff. The new chairman sought a fresh advertising firm, while some believed the issues went beyond public relations. The incumbent agency, Saatchi & Saatchi, faced a challenger in the smaller Allen Brady and Marsh (ABM). ABM needed a disruptive approach. On the day of the pitch, British Rail executives arrived at ABM’s office, finding a messy reception area with dirty coffee cups, old magazines, and overflowing ashtrays. After being ignored by the receptionist, they decided to leave. At that moment, Peter Marsh appeared, and said ‘You’ve just seen what the public thinks of British Rail. Now, let’s see what we can do to fix it’. Effective creative starts with understanding the customer and their problems. The communication in most cases should focus on how the brand, product or service is the solution. Watch: If you have the time, below is a link to a 1979 documentary of ABM and how they worked. https://lnkd.in/epvmfVyS

Ad agencies, advertising themselves. Mad Dogs & Englishmen, 2001. "We have found that the average recipient of this coupon spends approximately 15 minutes trying to place it in the trash. 15 MINUTES!!! Imagine if you could get a consumer to spend that kind of quality time with your communications?" #advertising #adsforadagencies

Ad agencies, advertising themselves. Mad Dogs & Englishmen, 2001. "We have found that the average recipient of this coupon spends approximately 15 minutes trying to place it in the trash. 15 MINUTES!!! Imagine if you could get a consumer to spend that kind of quality time with your communications?" #advertising #adsforadagencies

Enjoyed this piece by Conrad Persons, President of Grey Group London, discussing the crucial progress and challenges in DE&I within advertising. A must-read for anyone passionate about driving meaningful change in our industry. Via The Drum- Diversity's False Dawn: Why Advertising's Progress Must Evolve #DEI #Advertising #IndustryInsights #DiversityInclusion #ThoughtLeadership

We found this 2010 interview with journalist and author Natasha Vargas-Cooper very relevant to understanding the state of modern advertising. In this intriguing stroll through history, they explore the cultural landscape that influenced the '60s and revolution. What spoke to us was that how a brand makes you feel truly matters. #branding #brandstory #marketing #advertising #brandadvertising #bespokeagencydc #brandingagency https://lnkd.in/dxYtJbBq