Huxley Quayle von Blog

A great way to spend 2 minutes

I ran across this site, www.twenty120.com.

What you'll find is a really cool collection of two minute short films from avant-guarde directors. Lots of creative inspiration here.

My fav is Mother's Day, by David Lobser.
 

Model schmodel!

So here we are, six months into launching our "new model" agency. After a couple of other new agencies have launched saying pretty much what we said when we launched we began to wonder if there really is a new model? 

Maybe the differences in agencies has nothing to do with new models or old models. Maybe it has to do with the evolution of smaller companies who become larger. It seems to us that new agencies launch with passion and an "us versus the universe" mentality, which as a newer shop fighting to thrive, I can tell you that you need to survive. 

For us, it's all about the creativity, the work, the innovation and the passion. As a newer shop without a large management structure it's easier for us to be innovative. When we want to go do something, we just do it. When a larger agency wants to do something innovative, people have to meet about it. Reports have to be made. Boardroom battles have to be waged. Money has to be made. 

Maybe this is the real difference in models. At one time, most agencies were small, hungry, innovative and passionate. Then, at some point in their existence, this shifts. They become financial organizations, often with shareholders or holding companies to which they report. 

At the beginning, every agency, no matter what they say, is just a collection of passionate people trying to do their best. They almost all have the lofty goal of making a difference. So the new model for us isn't about interactive, or digital, or non-traditional or any other "buzzword du jour". 

Our new model isn't a new model at all. It's the only model. People working together to do their best. Hopefully that's where we'll always be. I'll let you know when I buy an Aston Martin.

Who would have thought selling people something they can get for free would be so huge?

We read this last week on the Fast Company website and thought it was an incredibly interesting look at the bottled water market and the power of branding in general. 

Message in a Bottle

Wednesday, 21 November 2007 

Americans spent more money last year on bottled water than on ipods or movie tickets: $15 Billion. A journey into the economics--and psychology--of an unlikely business boom. And what it says about our culture of indulgence. 

The largest bottled-water factory in North America is located on the outskirts of Hollis, Maine. In the back of the plant stretches the staging area for finished product: 24 million bottles of Poland Spring water. As far as the eye can see, there are double-stacked pallets packed with half-pint bottles, half-liters, liters, "Aquapods" for school lunches, and 2.5-gallon jugs for the refrigerator. 

Read the whole article at Fast Company

Here's some proof of what we call Return on Involvement.

I read this today on the Marketing and Innovation Blog. ExpoTV has done some pretty compelling research about the power of engaging people in an online conversation. Here at HQvB, we think that creating online communities for people to get involved with brands is key to marketplace success. 

But that's not to say there's not a role for what people call "traditional advertising". There is. We think the best use of traditional advertising is to point people to these communities. To get the ball rolling on a bigger brand idea that involves people, and then let them use their own social network to spread the word. 

I had great success a coupe of years ago at my last agency when I did this for a campaign for the Canadian Tourism Commission and Toyota. We used TV to get the ball rolling, for a just a few weeks, and then let people who we got involved in the online community use their social networks to get others involved. It was a huge success. Here's more proof that this thinking works: 

Consumers Itching to Talk to Brands 

by: Matt Rhodes 

"A new study from ExpoTV shows that 55% of consumers want an ongoing dialogue with brands. The study investigates how brands and consumers interact, and in particular how consumers want brands to engage them. And the results are exciting. In addition to the 55% wanting an ongoing dialogue, 89% of respondents said they would feel more loyal to a brand if they were invited to take part in a feedback group. These results mirror our own experiences, where involving people in a true feedback process has positive impacts on loyalty and advocacy. "

Read the full article here

This video sums up exactly how we feel about the ad industry. And why we started a new vision.

Inspiration, anyone?
by geertdesager

Some really cool animation.

How long before we see this in an ad? I bet two months.
MUTO a wall-painted animation by BLU from blu on Vimeo.

Ever wonder why your agency charges outrageous fees and commissions?

Maybe this article from Ad Age about the Cannes Festival gives a new perspective. Not since the heady days of the eighties have agencies reveled in this kind of excess at their clients' expense. We here at HQvB wonder what the total would be if you added up all the parties, drinking, yachts, penthouses and other associated costs with these self-indulgent masturbatory ad events? 

It's definitely time for a new vision. Here's an edited version of the article.

Cannes Can: No Recession on Riviera Economy Be Damned, Creatives, Marketers Set to Throng Big Ad Festival 

By Laurel Wentz Published: June 16, 2008 CANNES, France (AdAge.com) -- 

Skyrocketing gas prices, credit crises, procurement officers: none of these can stop the ad-world extravaganza that is Cannes. This year's festival will be the biggest ever, complete with more entries, more delegates (especially more marketers), more agencies planning beach bashes or lavishly catered parties, and an even bigger presence -- and yacht -- for Microsoft. 

Somewhat surprisingly, Americans aren't deterred by the weak dollar that has pushed delegate fees above $3,000 and room rates at the beachfront hotels such as the Majestic and Carlton to close to $500 a night. Mr. Thomas estimated up to 800 of this year's 9,000 or so attendees will be from the U.S., up from almost 700 last year. 

Even agencies not known for their Cannes parties, such as Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, Fallon and Avenue A/Razorfish, are throwing bashes. Lowe has a penthouse, and Tribal DDB is borrowing Yahoo's. 

On Thursday night alone, there's the Dentsu sushi party, cocktails on London agency CHI's boat and a Havas-sponsored Craig David concert at the Carlton after "portal Terra's late-night party at Pierre Cardin's lavish villa hanging over the ocean." Before-beach parties will be hosted at the Carlton by Young & Rubicam and on a stretch of sand Publicis has branded La Plage Publicis. 

Don't forget the hot-ticket USA Today dinner for the U.S. judges (if you don't have a ticket for that one yet, you aren't invited). And Thursday isn't even the big party night (that would be Friday). There are even a few new venues, such as the eccentric but cool boutique 3.14 Hotel, where each floor is a different continent and Goodby is doing cocktails. 

Passion can be the key to performance, says the Globe & Mail.

In the Report on Business today there's an article about Biovail's Eugene Melnyk's bid to take back the company. It goes on talk about how many corporations do much better when the entrepreneur who started the company comes back. Bombardier is another example cited. 

"...passion, and it isn't something you can measure by checking a box. But it happens to be essential. A large shareholding by management - skin in the game - might be the most important governance policy of all." 

We couldn't agree more. 

How is a group of managers ever going to have more passion for building a company than the people who founded it in the first place? They won't. 

We think it extends past that. How is a group of people who work at a large agency, with all the departmental in-fighting, the politics, the financial targets set in New York or London, the posturing, the careers planners, ever going to be able to put more passion into their clients business than a group of people who have struck out on their own to chase a dream?

It's official. Green is now mainstream.

The environmental movement even has it's own tv network, Planet Green. I don't know if it's going to last. After all, even though people are concerned about the environment, as I am, do they really want to sit at home and watch shows about to green your toilet? 

Still, as new network, it'll get some novelty ratings as everyone like to be in on something new. If I was an advertiser in the US, I'd jump on board for the first couple/few months for the positive brand association. But I wouldn't commit to more. Here's their launch ad. Kinda' funny. 

An interesting take on consumer choice.

Barry Schwartz, speaking at the TED conference, argues that in today's world we have too much choice. He goes on to argue that the insane number of choices we have in just about everything we do and buy, has led to less satisfaction, not more. What can brands do about this? As we see it, creating a strong brand can help decrease the amount of choice people have, and therefore give them more satisfaction. After all, even though there are numerous MP3 players on the market, is there really any choice outside an iPod? Anyway, it's an entertaining talk.