WEBSITE

I'm sick of this blog, so going to get a website up. Teaching myself HTML is easier than trying to upload a JPEG to this thing.

- Thompson

The Film Festival

On Saturday the 20th we had the film festival. We had a few stressful days before trying to get it all finished, but we got there in the end. We will upload all our work for the festival when we can figure out how to get our work on here, for some reason it wont let us.

The brief for the festival was "to make Whitley Bay the next prime filming location for all Hollywood directors."

We were given the brief nine days before the event so we really had to work fast to come up with the ideas, shoot the film and mac up all the print ads.

After looking at what all current film locations had to offer we then compared them to Whitley Bay. We discovered that Whitley Bay had most of the key things a film location needs. Iconic Buildings/Structures; recognisable coast line; a unique lighting that only the North East can provide etc...

So we thought what is holding Whitley Bay back?!?

The answer we felt, was that no good directors had come to show off it's full potential.

After we had come to this conclusion we set out to evoke an emotional response from directors in a creative way.

We posed as wannabe film director and writer and went about making our own film, which was RUBBISH!! But that was the idea. We would make a film that looked so bad, but, it showed off the landmarks of Whitley Bay. The short film was broken up by snippets of interviews of the "writer" and "director" who clearly had no idea about anything.

In the closing frames of the film the "director" is seen bragging about his film, oblivious to the fact it is terrible. Then in the top right hand corner text appears and says:

"FILM WHITLEY BAY.

We have the locations...

... Now please,

we need some decent directors.

After we presented our idea, we were questioned on it, Which was slightly daunting. A load of film buffs poking holes in your ideas. But we blagged our way through it.

Then we watched the pitch from Cravens.

After we had both pitched the audience of advertising and film buffs voted for the winning team. We just managed to pip the creative team from Cravens and won the coveted Whitley Bay tea cosy. We were really chuffed and had a wicked day. A good experience that will only motivate us more.

- Jamie

Hello All

Just checking in to say we haven't died, we got given a live brief a few days ago to be presented to 50 odd film festival heads on Saturday. Been a mad rush, so we're shooting a 2 minute cinema spot and mac'ing up a press campaign today.

Howay Man

It's not letting me upload our scanned images from our book. Pissing me right off. Trying everything!

Y&R/Mother

What a trip.

London was once again, a superb outing. After crits at RKCR/Y&R with Thom Whittaker and Danielle Noel and 2 at Mother with Paddy Fraser, Freddy Mandy and Tim Mcnaughton - we are chomping at the bit and are motivated more than ever to get down London.

Here's some of our notes that we took:

RKCR/Y&R Thom & Danielle

Chewits: Headlines don't match with strategy. Think of more things to do when chewing (mouth training/exercise?). Gurning kids at school discos on pills?

Jif: Nice line, executions aren't very interesting. Too safe. Idea not coming through. Keep product - go mental. It's like a waxwork lemon - plastic surgery for lemons?

Lilt Zero: "Caribbean Vogue" idea much better than ''Kick Back" . Once again, go a bit mental. Stop being safe! Fashion shows ran by Rastas?

Twiglets: Nice line, pictures are a bit forced. Get across the fact that they're fuckin minging, yet really moreish. Push truth more. Don't want it, but you eat anyway. Vanity concious snack.

Innocent: Nice, like idea of drinking a unicorn.

Water Aid: Nice idea, bring it more to life. Get people excited, free ticket? Tunnel take over? Free water, rewarding - make an event of it?

Tipp Ex: Glad you turned it on it's head, facebook - there's more in it, keep looking!

To summarise: The guys said it was a good overall book, keep writing strategies. Think bigger, don't hold back madness. Lateral thinking. Too many FMCG's though. BIG 5. Things your Mam would buy. If it's dark, make it dark.

Mother Paddy Fraser/Freddy Mandy & Tim Mcnaughton

Chewits: (Paddy) Do something different. Same execution pretty much 3 times. Tone of voice funny, so do something really funny. Headline's not working, get back to truths. Unexcpected.

(Freddy & Tim) Hard to show in scamps. Don't rely on executions. Headlines don't help.

Jif: (P) Have direction in mind, art direction. Kind of an obsolete product. Need more of a reason why to buy instead of fresh Lemon. Get back to the product. Cover up product, can ad be used for anything else? If yes, change it. Lemon accuracy?

(F & T) Abit contrived. We don't want to see ads that could run, want to see madness (which works). More visual campaign.

Lilt Zero: (P) Interesting, the way we have focussed on sugar getting you hyper - instead of the usual 'weight loss' way of thinking. Steer clear of cliche'd headlines 'chilled out' etc. Make visuals better and more intersesting. Perhaps use a characters? Nice because nobody else is doing it.

(F & T) Too much going on. Animals not right, especially if using already chilled out animals to show lilt making people more chilled.

Twiglets: (P) Not right. Get shot of 'tastebuds'. Interesting product, weird as fuck - get back to your research (truths, benefits & insights). Plant a cow for Beef Trees (haha, fuckin class).

(F & T) Stick with truth's. Twiglets are really wierd, so be really fuckin wierd with ads.

Ravioli: (P) How do you bring to life the premise of Ravioli running the show. Ravioli is behind the gread minds of the mob?

(F & T): Push as many iconic images as possible

Innocent: Brand is strong, cover up product, could it be anything, cover up product could it be anything else? Set up a problem. Think out propositions.

Water Aid: Studenty, leave it out!

Brilliant trip, it really helped. The guys we went to see were all spot on and we really appreciate them taking the time out to see us!

Next we have NEW YORK on the 29th, going to be a fuckin beast. Trying to get into Droga 5 at present, amongst others.

We will be back in London a couple of weeks after that (unfortunately we're proper skint)!!

Cheers

Thompson and Jamie

Just a little did you know fact...

Imagine you are standing on a street corner in New York. A Japanese tourist comes up to you and asks you what the 'Block' was called. You would admittedly look at him strangely and tell him that where he was was at the corner of 5th and Main. "No, but i want to know what the Block is called" he repeats. You assure him that Blocks don't have names, roads have names, the Blocks are the unnamed spaces between the named roads.

Interestingly , if you found yourself lost in Japan and you went up to a Japanese man and asked him what the road you were on was called he would look at you very confused. "Well this is Block 19 and that is Block 18...?" he tells you. You see in Japan, Blocks are named, and the roads are the unnamed spaces between the named Blocks. So a typical address in Japan is House 23, Block 19, District 3 etc..

Also if you were a post man in Japan it can sometimes be very confusing where houses are as they don't follow any real number system, at least not as we know it.

In Japan the first house built on a plot of land would be house number 1. Then the second development would be house number 2 (house number 2 doesn't have to be near house number one at all, it can be the complete opposite side of the block).

Sometimes we assume that different cultures act, think, do the same things as we do. I think sometimes we take that for granted.

- Jamie

(By-the-way, if you don't believe me google map it)

Some Contact Details

If anyone wants to get in contact here are our Facebook details. Feel free to add us. London next Wed, need to do some graft this week get it all drawn up ... then Road trip!

Right - I'm Excited

London again next Wednesday, travelling down in Jamie's wagon - Ben and Davey Mac also coming down. Cannot wait to get back into agencies. So far we have crits lined up at Mccann's, RKCR/Y&R and Mother (x2, thanks Paddy!). Lots of graft to do this week. Amendments to past campagins, new campaigns and writing up a couple of comedy sketches we have, to put in the book (why not, eh!?).

Huge thanks to all the guys who are letting us pop into see them! Top people!

Howay.

- Thompson

This Past Weeks Work:

Work to follow, i'm trying to sort out my scanner.

Campaigns for Jif (lemon juice) and Lilt Zero will be posted, along with the idea for Tipp-ex we posted earlier on in the week!

Cheers

Simpler Times...

Sometimes I wish I could go back to these days, everything was simpler, your only worry was: "Which picture am i going to colour in today, the one of the happy go-lucky squirrel? Or the fortuitous friendly dog nibbling at a ragged shoe?"

- Jamie

The genius of David Doublilet.

David Doublilet is a photographer for National Geographic. His wildlife pictures, in my opinion, are second to non. In this series, one example shown here, where the camera is on the water line has prompted an idea. If you take the idea of the image being shot in line with the tarmac, imagine a street scene with people shopping on the top section, then below them is the floor, ground, wires, tubes and dirt. Under all of this is an underground rave. I mean RAVE. hundreds of people dancing with strobe lights and and a DJ. The Brand Fred Perry-Subculture is about getting bands recognised by targeting music lovers who are at the fore front of music, interested in going out and searching for new music and "underground" music. This idea would have many different executions, showing just how diverse the genres of music are on the site.

- Jamie

Clever Thinking

Genius.

- Thompson

Tipp-ex

"Every student creative team has an idea for Tipp-ex"

- Adsoftheworld.com.

.... So we made an app for that.

If it is so easy to make an advert for Tipp-ex then why should it be only creatives that can do it? To make a Tipp-ex ad all you have to do is take a picture of some kind of mistake, be it on a piece of work or indeed in life, cover up the mistake in Tipp-ex and put a pack shot and logo in the bottom right hand corner. For example: John Terry walking out of that Wayne Bridges house, with Bridge's girlfriend and her face is covered up with Tipp-ex.

The app we have in mind, is for the iPhone. Basically, you could grab pictures from the memory of your phone and open it up via the Tipp-ex app. Then, you would be able to edit it, using your finger to draw a white line (think brush tool on photoshop, but only in white). After the ads have been made they can be uploaded to a website of just thumbnails made just for the homemade adverts, it is free for people to browse & view the user generated content.

The Baroque Period - Not Just for Public Schoolboys

Lush for a Saturday night strategy writing session for Coors Light! I don't often listen to orchestral music - but it really helps me concentrate (and reminds me of my GCSE music exams haha)

- Thompson

Sketch Idea #1: What if Being Homeless was a Job?

What if they turned up to work in their suits and ties and got changed into their homeless gear?

Picture this...

One man in a room. The room looks like a changing room in a gym, with lockers around the edges and benches in the center. A man is in a suit getting undressed. Then another man walks in, it is clear that they both know each other they exchange greetings:


"Alright Jeff?", "Barney!! you old sod!" (posh accents). They carry on taking about everyday things whilst getting changed. But there is something not right with this scene. They aren't putting on gym gear, they are getting dressed in tatty clothes! They ask each other things like "what fragrance are you going for today?" and the other replies "ermm well i was thinking about stale wee. You?"... Then they start ripping their clothes so they look rags, and adding dirt to their faces. It is clear they are dressed as homeless people. They then move from the changing room to another room set out like a dispensary (think SWAT team gun cage). They are greeted by a guy in the cage. One of then says "Hi Larry, i think today i will have one cute dog, a crutch and a recorder today" Larry answers "oh, no metal leg today? What about you Barney, the usual?", "yes please old kid, oh and i think I will also have the beaten up McDonald's cup for the change". They then get all their begging "add ons" and leave through a door onto the streets.

A very freaky scene I think, just what i was thinking this morning and it made me laugh!

- Jamie

P.S If the layout looks daft with the pic, it's this editors fault. It looks alreet on my Comp. Lots of love. Thompo

Music is subjective, I know that cos I am a creative!

Alright you musically illiterate oaf! You're going to get taken to the swings with this selection of chilled out audio undertones!



It's ok, i know. I know it hurts, but shhhh. No one wants to see you cry!

- Jamie

EDIT: Be quiet man. Haha

- Thompson.

Musical Differences #1

As Jamie's music taste is fuckin garbage, i'll be doing a weekly 'musical influences' post, to school him on some real music and not that shite whats played at fun pubs.















Get on that Jamie son!

- Thompson

Ameriquest Commercials

Was just browsing youtube and came across a really funny bunch of TV ad's from DDB, Los Angeles for 'Ameriquest' who were a mortgage company in the US before they were sold in 2007.



I think they work well with the line - 'Don't judge too quickly - we won't', as we can all relate to what it's like to be involved in a misunderstanding - and I'd presume it would be a royal pain in the arse if you were rejected for a mortgage for something as trivial as somebody getting the wrong end of the stick about your financial situation.

Crit Feedback #1

Hello all,

Last week, we popped our proverbial cherries in the way of 4 crits at agencies in London. We saw the following teams: Kate & Claire (McCann's), Ben & Jonny (McCann's), Laura & Joe (BMB) and Gav & Danny (MCBD). After getting alot of feedback (positive and negative), we are taking the advice on board and are making amendments to our book, in preparation for heading back down the smoke on the 3rd March. Also, when daahn the capital, we went to CST to see Dave Trott. The bloke is a fucking god, i'm telling you. We visted Thom & Danielle (RKCR Y&R), who were excellent. Was class to speak to a junior team and really helped us with regards to how we should go about impressing! We then visited Fallon's, to see Graham and Phil, where we presented a campaign we thought up over lunch (an hour before we went, as our 1st attempt was rightly deemed shite by Gav and Danny), which was a live brief we'd been given for Innocent Smoothies.

Campaigns so far and general feedback we recieved:

Twiglets (Great line, but visuals not linking too well with Twiglets.. More work needed)
Lilt Zero (Too safe, push it lots more)
Innocent Smoothies (Generally liked line, optimism not right route to take...)
Domestos (Gratuitous use of shit on toothbrush)
Heinz Ravioli (Funny, keep working executions)
Water Aid (too annoying for charity campaign, will piss off potential donators - good thought though)
Bet 365 (Shite idea, but good service - work on it more)

Campaigns we're going to work on next:

Chewits Xtreme
Tipp-Ex

To be honest with you, for 4 days worth of graft - we got some fucking brilliant feedback, but still have lots of work to do. Obviously, there is always room for change, and peoples opinions varied for different things - but if we keep this work rate up, things will only get better (surely)! Also, going into these big agencies makes me want a job even fucking more, man!