The Power of Metaphor
Anyone in the creative field … advertising copywriters, promo writers, scriptwriters and conceptual thinkers should watch this. The power of the metaphor goes beyond just the condensing of information … it allows for emotional weight to be embedded into meaning. And brings your words to life.
How to Successfully Pitch A Radio Show
I’ve written about how to successfully pitch TV shows now it’s time to listen to something a little different since there aren’t any pictures involved. But just because the concept is sound-driven doesn’t mean you shouldn’t read this because many of the concepts in this blog article are going to be applicable to television pitches [...]
If you want a job in commercial editing, become an assistant
Below is a blog I wrote for a client a few weeks back. I have been so busy this summer blogging for others that I realize that I am neglecting my own blog … a state of affairs that I will have to remedy. A few days ago it was announced that celebrated creative cheerleaders/co-chief [...]
From Tragedy Comes Comedy … and Creativity
I love creativity. I especially love it when someone finds comedy in tragedy and exploits it via social media. Here’s an example of someone who has seen the upside to the London Riots. Like it or not, time and energy has been devoted to putting a spin on the traditional “celebrity look a likes” theme. [...]
Fragile Bird: City and Colour Music Video
Those who know me know that I’ve been doing a lot of blogging for clients these past few months. It’s been fun, but it’s coming to an end. And my poor blog has been ignored as of late. It’s time for an update. Here’s one that I wrote for a postproduction client of mine. The [...]
Props to Pirate Radio
Radio doesn’t hog the spotlight the way film, television and viral does. It’s not as glossy as print. Or as awkward as digital is with its growing pains on display. Radio is a horse of a different colour. And on radio, you can have a horse of as many colours as you like … without [...]
Oscar Contenders: Kirk Baxter & Angus Wall, Editors for The Social Network
This is an article I wrote a few weeks back for a client. Enjoy! Good editing can be explained as a combination of great storytelling, and crafting great performances with an overall stylistic approach that works naturally with the film, and the vision the director has for that film. It’s seamless … you shouldn’t know [...]
McEditing: Why Ad Agencies Are Killing The Business
Happy New Year. I heard recently that an editor who was once with one of Toronto’s top post houses had left the business … only to return later as the in-house editor at one of the city’s bigger agencies. That left me scratching my head. How can an ad agency that has long blown it’s [...]
Creative Professionals: Where is your career headed?
At the start of every year, everyone comes out with a bunch of predictions. If I had a crystal ball I’d probably jump on the bandwagon too. Luckily, I’m as mystified as many of you are as to the future for those toiling in creative ventures. This article is a Scott Belsky mash-up … a [...]
Is the Big Ad Idea A Thing Of The Past?
I found this article interesting because the message “The Big Advertising Idea Is Dead” comes from a Digital Agency. There’s nothing wrong with having another opinion, and perhaps the iterative model works in the digital space. Tim Malbon of “Made By Many” also seems to be on the iterative bandwagon. I’m on the fence. But [...]
What he said …
If you still have your head buried in the sand, it’s time for you to come up for air. Take a look around you. Ideas are still where it’s at, but the business has CHANGED. Read on. BDW NY Making Digital Work NYC: Day One 3 DECEMBER, 2010 | WRITTEN BY EDWARD BOCHES A look [...]
A great quote
No one remembers boring ads. But they never forget how boring your brand is. Credit: Lee Clow’s beard Why is this a great quote? There are far too many clients out there who want advertising and digital interaction that is safe, familiar and predictable. What they are missing is the big picture: the impact it [...]
Banner Ads: Why Creative Ideas Will Save Them, Not Google.
During the final keynote at the 2010 IAB Mixx conference held in NYC Google Executives predicted that by 2011, online display market will be a $50 billion dollar business with half of online ads featuring video, and 75 percent containing some sort of social element. This morning, I found an article at MediaWeek.com. The article [...]
Writing in Twitter’s Shrinking World
In my corner of the world, it seems that everyone is on Twitter. All of my friends are Tweeting. Somedays, it feels like almost everyone in the ad/digital/marketing industry worldwide are Tweeting. And all this activity is contained within my little old 17″ screen. It’s an incredible shrunken world … all at my finger tips. [...]
Will The New Twitter Save Our Engagement? #fail #TheNewTwitter
Dear Twitter Ever since we announced our engagement, I’ve had a sad feeling in my heart. I’ve been thinking a lot about you and I lately. All the good times and laughs we used to share. When we first started out things were different. We were more open with each other. We used to stay [...]
Brand New Pencils, Brand New Books … and a Brand New Theme
I’ve always been a fan of the fall. The season of death if you want to be morbid about it. I love the hard sunlight this time of year. And the snap of crisp air. It’s jeans and sweater season. On television and online there’s a slew of new and returning shows. It’s also a [...]
Online Advertising Has To Change
If you are a fan of advertising and social media you should follow Edward Boches. If you don’t know Edward, get to know him. He’s a marketer, Blogger, and Chief Creative and Chief Social Media Officer, at Mullen in Boston. Plus he’s smart. I read this and wanted to both share it and keep it [...]
RIP King Richard: Is the CBC doomed?
Love him or hate him, Richard Stursberg, CBC’s recently axed head, understood the writing on the wall: the CBC cannot afford to continue with an umblllical dependence on funding from the government. Richard’s passionate vision was for a public broadcaster who was financially self-sufficient. To that end ratings mattered, simply from the point of view [...]
“King Richard” Stursberg leaves CBC
Richard Stursberg, head of CBC’s English services, is leaving after six years in the position. CBC president Hubert T. Lacroix announced his departure Friday in a statement to employees. Lacroix gave no reason for Stursberg’s departure, which is effective Friday. “When Richard was appointed executive vice-president of CBC Television six years ago, he brought with [...]
Creatives: Check out behance.net for portfolio display – now + to LinkedIn
I use Behance.net as my main TV, print, online, digital design, interactive and radio portfolio. I have to say that as a service it rocks! Simple design. Easy to use. Stuff looks pretty good. http://www.behance.net Check it out. Now some GREAT news: Creative Professionals can now display their Behance portfolios on LinkedIn. For more info [...]
How To Be a Successful Social Media Writer
The internet has dramatically changed the way people get information. I can remember research searches lasting weeks, with countless trips to the library, and endless hours spent hunting down topic experts. As more and more people have gained access to the Internet and started to use it on a daily basis as an information source [...]
Cannes Lions: Top 18 Commercials from the Ad Festival
Click here to watch the best of the best commercials from the 2010 Cannes Lions Ad Festival
2010 Cannes Lions: Was this year a game-changer?
I read this article this morning on adage.com and found myself nodding my head to many of the point made. Rather than just a summing up of the 2010 Lions, there were some significant points made that we creative can use as a wake up call. Advertising is changing … and it’s just a matter [...]
Is Content Promotion and Promotion Content? Where’s the line in the sand?
One of the most difficult debates that creative people face involves the combining of traditional advertising and digital media. In the entertainment industry, advertising creative people are in the business of creating promotion, while web designers/producers are in the business of creating content. At CBC, much of our digital output revolves around create sites that [...]
Which Will Be Bigger? Social TV or 3DTV?
We North Americans witnessed the birth of Social Television via Big Network Events such as the Oscars and MTV Music Video Awards Shows last year. Social TV’s birth happened in the form of live Twitter and Facebook feeds that crawled across the bottom of our TV screens, allowing viewers to chat, comment and react to [...]
An Ad Age Field Guide for Navigating Manhattan During Upfront Week 2010
An Ad Age Field Guide for Navigating Manhattan During Upfront Week 2010 From Fox on the Upper West Side to CW in the Garden, a Map to The TV Networks’ Presentations Broadcast’s Youth Market Starts at 44 Why Advertisers This Upfront Will Pour Billions Into Network TV Prime Time to Reach Increasingly Aging Demo NEW [...]
How QR Code Technology is Getting Better
QR or Quick Response code technology has really taken the digital world by storm, thanks to leaps in both apps and smart phone technology. Anyone with a smartphone can scan and read QR codes with the click of a camera, and anyone with access to a computer can generate QR codes themselves. In the entertainment [...]
Were Their Good Old Days Better Than Yours?
Everyone in advertising has at least one entertaining story to tell about the good old days. If Mad Men is your only reference point, then you’re likely asking yourself, when exactly were those good old days?. When I first got into the business, the good old days had already come and gone, according to one [...]
How To Come Up With Better Ideas
Whether or not you’re a digital creative, ad creative, graphic designer, industrial designer, package designer or accountant, ideas and concepts are a necessary part of taking your work to the next level. So how come some people have lots of them and others struggle to come up with just one or two? It’s all about [...]
Mobile Advertising is Hot and Getting Hotter
The future is calling. Mobile’s day in the sun is coming … for both consumers and advertisers clever enough to harness it. 3G is soon to become a thing of the past when 4G (call it LTE or WiMax it’s all the same) becomes available. And yes, it’s blazing fast compared to 3G. I hear [...]
