Rant & Roll 6 : Ideas Exist Outside

Up.
Don't need no links. Just go google it. Better yet catch the movie.
Signs.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uy0HNWto0UY

The House of Small Cubes
http://vodpod.com/watch/1418143-the-house-of-small-cubes-la-maison-en-petits-cubes

I've been having a very existentialist week
Probably attribute it to the hectic work schedule
combined with the hallucinatory state of being in and out of fever
and losing at scrabble (resoundingly) to my senior writer
and his art director
and watching a great campaign being built before your eyes
(petty i know, but i'm jealously competitive that way)
and having to juggle my 2nd week on the job as a new husband
and enduring middle-management flak (i know, it's lonely at the semi-top)
and acclimatizing to my newly renovated office and workdesk
and having my annual introversions which coincides with the kancils
(are we better off than last year creative standards-wise?)
and feeling like clients use us as dildos for creative masturbations

Funny how i always use work as a salve for my wounds
If you're down, drown yourself in what you love to do
If work's down, drown yourself in some other end of the advertising pool

But you know what?
Sometimes you've just got to get out of the proverbial pool, and take a dip into the ocean

Because Ideas Exist on the Outside.
They exist beyond finding 'that one insight that's so valuable'
They exist beyond 'what do consumers want and need?'
They exist beyond 'that one tagline that rules them all'

UP - is the most refreshing piece of storytelling i've experienced this year. It put a smile and re-wet my contact lenses in the cinema.

SIGNS - a simple piece of storytelling. no verbal dialogue. and yet so much is said. the most amazing thing? it's from an ad agency. Publicis Mojo. I love them.

HOUSE OF SMALL CUBES - poignant piano piece plays the protagonist poetically through the most precious memories of his life.

I'm sure there are more examples out there in the world. But right now, the above three reminds me of one of the most important aspects of addressing the greatest fear of the creative person.

The fear? Not having any more ideas.
The address? Definitely not your advertising agency's.

Days 40-45: Of gym rats, squirrels, grunt training, fresh fish and sun-baked walking.

Wow the above title sounds just like a haiku
A very badly written one but oh well this ain't a haiku blog
This week's been quite good exercise-wise
Did my first solo dentsu park training, and i must say it's good. Shall continue to do so.

Day 40:
Quek dropped me a quick message
and we went off for a true fitness rendezvous
some strength training
did better than the last few rounds
but the finale was the leg squat-lunge
couldn't complete the 5 sets cause of sunday's gym trainin.

Day 41:
FUTSAL!
Didn't do many runs.
By my hamster-wheel standards anyway
Legs felt a little lead-like
but still managed to do 2 volley goals outside the box
overall, good cardio with plenty of breaks in between

Day 42:
What a surprise
A weekday at 5pm without rain!
called quek but he was busy
so i decided to take things into my own hands instead
Practiced the moves from celebrity fitness training with quek
Feels good to know the ground movements are smooth
I think it's an important regime of my training that i've been neglecting
training movements on my own
a lot of the moves in my jogo in the roda
right from role movements are developed from self-training
Alex was there to provide some spotting, discussions and even some contributions on street fighting and grappling techniques
i still prefer running away and stabbing them from the back

Day 43
Filed an application for official training with Her Majesty (that's my wife)
went for dinner,
she meekly gave her demure 'please don't go' tactic
but seeing the determination in my face, relented
i went there late, just as well cause i really didn't want to go through warmups
it's been 4 out of 5 days of training in a row!
Some basic drills that i'll revise at the park
Rasteida frente, my favourite
but this time there was a nifty leg shuffle to surprise the opponent with a tesoura bachu
i still prefer tesoura frente and think there might be a chance of pulling it off with the same move
definitely need to practice this with quek to sort it out a little
otherwise, revisions at park will be bencao-chapa, chapa-escourao, duploesque, flying armada thingy... yeah.
Also had a nice samba training, getting ready for lynn's sisters wedding.
We were a bit rusty. My ears were a bit dainty.
but otherwise, twas a good session. Very liberating for my spirits.

Day 44
Lynn's sister's wedding.
I had this sequencia solo that i was mucking about at the park
i think i shall utilise this as my base solo for these few months
also something i shall work on at the park during practice.
Au into qaeda-de-rins, into headstand then handstand back down into qaeda then role into flippetyflop armada compasso au semao... phew that was a mouthful.

Day 45
Charity Roda at rumah Nur Salam
Nice benguela paced games with the crew
god i miss a good roda
energy was good
movements were very basic, but i kept a very simple, sturdy benguela game
movement around the roda was good
vision and anticipation was sharp
i shall try to focus more on gaining tactical advantage and capitalising on it
at the next non-performance roda.
Stanley's developing some malandragem. i shall up our games a lil.
marissa's always been my weight-to-weight roda and training partner, will see if i can try and use more movement around them
Perereka and Malcolm are the regional specialists, will force them into a smaller game and restrict their movements to see if i can take advantage of the situation better.

While taking a shower i thought of this quote
to be considered in my 'one-day-i'll-actually-do-it' tattoo
Roda de Vida, Jogo de bomba
i gotta check with rafael
but i think it should roughly translate into
Play well in the roda of life.
Because that's what capoeira is you know... life.

Rant & Roll 5: creatives! it's not just at work you need suit-like friends!

You pray that your friends are as efficient in time management as the good suits in the office. Certainly they're better than i am!

And yes. The unbridled joy of finally qualifying for marriage.

The culmination of months of hard work

Photos courtesy of Norman Tang of Sunday Photography Studio

It had to happen.
It was going too smooth.
Even my bride wasn't surprised at my apparent absent-mindedness.
I've spent months choosing the ring.
Weeks preparing logistics and stuff for the registration.
And the days leading up to it fretting over the guest list.
But i could've potentially ended up with jack. Not juli.
All because I didn't bring my identification card.

What can be learnt from this experience though?
Since this blog's posting is about ranting and rolling?

Well.
How bout this.
Lesson 1:
ORGANISATION!
Imagine that you spent a week working on some crazy-assed it's da shit award-winning creatives
Clients have approved it
On the day of launch
Someone forgot something as simple as, well... the thumbdrive that contains all the final artwork
And then unsightly things hit the fan, because clients have trusted you, brought their friends and colleagues along to show off, your entire team's counting on you,
AND YOU FORGOT YOUR THUMBDRIVE?

Creativity is important. But just like the gym. You gotta work your left side as well as your right.
(It's a metaphor for the left and right brain ok!)

Focus. Make a list. Check it twice and thrice. Rehearse it in your head. Keep a notebook. Preferably not a smartphone. Cause you'll end up playing Bejeweled 2.

Lesson 2
YOU'RE ONLY AS GOOD AS YOUR TEAM.
Yes. When unsavoury things hit the fan, one can't possibly clean it up himself.
You need a bunch of people who accepts your mistake
and focus on the problem at hand as a team
rather than pointing at the fan and saying, 'you did it!'
I am rather fortunate to possess such individuals in my circle both at work and in life
(they're mostly the same people. lines blur when you do what you love as a job)
So if you've a great team around you, which i do, it shows!
and how would you know if you do have a great team?
All i can say is, remember the fan?

Lesson 3
THE SHOW MUST GO ON
Often. People freeze. Or they hide under the table. Or they point finger. Or they take emergency leaves.
If the fan's stuck because of regurgitated undigested substances
It's your reaction to it that matters the most at that moment.
Smile. Own up. Follow through.
Do what you can. It doesn't have to be a domino effect.
Be resourceful. If it's mission critical, stall, buy time, distract, entertain, divert.
Laugh in the face of potential danger and imminent singledom.

Lesson 4
BUILD GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR CLIENTS
Just because you're creative don't mean you can hide in your little room to brainstorm and win trophies.
Meet the clients.
John Hegarty did. David Ogilvy did. Akira Kagami did. Everyone in the Copy Book did.
And that's cause the best ads came from insights into the client's business
and nobody knows it better than they do
and even if they didn't, and you knew better than them
that's when you know they'll trust you with their business.
In this case, it was my wife-to-be
she didn't freak. she laughed it off. and that really helped calm some nerves.

All in all.
It was a memorable way to kick-off matrimony
And in the end
The drama and suspense worked to our advantage
All because of the above lessons
which hopefully i will take the next time metaphorically faecal matter hits the fan professionally.

Day 39: Return to celebrity fitness

It's been a while since i've been with the boys at celebrity
Nice to steal a little dude time with them
Did a fairly straightforward training regime
feeling a little fluish from the week's festivities
nothing like some sweat out to get the system up and running
wanted to do some weights after
but was in dude mode so decided to hit the sauna and some coffee
i can't remember when was the last time i was there
but i'm such a noob at this gym thing
definitely more of a running rampant and games kinda person
gimme the capoeira academy or a futsal field any day!

started with some simple tempo drills
followed by some tempo switch to tesoura frentes
nice little benguela move that i'll work on
the tesoura frente definitely suits my physical shape and size better than the other tesoura
cause i'm small sized and it's hard to wrap my legs around the opponent to get enough leverage

this was followed by meialua to negativa dentru then switch to tesoura frente
also useful cause the opponent might be used to getting a vengativa from there
but if you're able to squeeze and slither the other way, you'll surprise him

speaking of slithering
this was the more advanced switch to the tesoura frente
compasso troca into entrada
you do half a compasso, do a quick switch up by lifting both legs - basically to avoid the negativa
but you use your momentum to follow up with a tesoura frente
it's very technical
and if you've got a good basic on your esdobrado it helps with the move
i found that if i slide my leg to catch the base it helped me with the move
just gotta find a way to practice that in the roda
or maybe the park with cueca
which is a little rare these days with the rain and our conflicting schedules
sucks being an adult sometimes.

floreia was the same as above
compasso meia troca entrada but this time into a ponche
i'll work on my twist-over version instead
still a little wobbly
try to get my footing right...

the above drills definitely complement my jogo style
so i'll work on them a little more.

Rant & Roll 4: 95percent... c'mon rawkstars where's that 5%?

http://95percent.com.my/main/95-the-advertising-academy/idea-rawkstarrs/

I love doing community service at 95percent
If there's one thing i learnt
I owe it to the people who've given their all to make me a better adperson
to make a difference in someone else's life too

Janet Lee's a great mentor to the young uns
Peter Gan's the war vet that's seen it all - and yet still comes across patient and paternal
If you're looking for a grooming school before getting into the meat-grinder that's the ad industry... there's no better place to start

so before i continue pimping them too much, let's get to the low-down.

(honestly, i only get paid a notebook every time i show up
but the notebooks are priceless for me thoughts and scribbles
certainly cheaper than one of my writer's moleskin)

Subject: 9 students
Topic: develop a strat deck

I had the privilege of sharing the panel with Joseph Icannotrememberhissurname,
Strat Head at DraftFCB.
So being a creative person, of course i'll let the pro do most of the talking
and honestly
the questions he threw at them
would've daunted the most seasoned strat/creative/suit if they were unprepared

which brings me to my next point
preparation!

I still don't understand why strat presentations have to be so dry
probably because there isn't any creative input into it
so as i'm writing this in vain hopes that more people will read my blog postings
i'm also talking to myself, noting the lessons i've picked up

might as well do it in pointform:

1. strat. in any agency marketing tool speak is essentially salad dressing for these two words: 'common sense'. If it isn't. Then it's your job to make it so. You have to convince the clients with your strat that it's plain 'common sense' that this is the strategic direction, and that i would be an idiot to think otherwise!

2. strat. in any agency marketing tool speak can actually be simplified to 5Ws and a H. Who, Where, Why, When, What and How. In no particular order. The only reason agency networks complicate the above is to make themselves sound like the only people ever to invent it. And therefore convince the clients that they can't live without them. A bit like choosing one beef burger over the other. The essential ingredients are the same.

3. strat. should always lead to selling the big idea. everything else that you put in your strat deck that doesn't do so, should be taken out.

4. strat. is the idea. the idea is the strat. just do it was a strat. impossible is nothing is a strat. ultimate driving machine's a strat. and they're all big ideas too. so stop thinking of strat as the foreign alien domain of 'the planners'.

5. strat. is what every ad person should inherently possess. suits will write better briefs. creatives will be better creatively. and strat people, well they won't have jobs. which should be the case anyway because it's because of the lack of strat inherent in suits and creatives that's giving them this fat paycheck called common sense. don't feel bad for them. they can always be clients. which means we could be selling better ads as a whole, cause we're not hoarding all the best people in the ad industry.

so in conclusion. Idea Rawkstarrs. you've got all the ingredients to make a beef burger.

some of you have toasted the buns. some have made the dressing. some have even grilled the beef. but nobody's giving the panel a nice tasty fresh off the grill beef burger with maya, egg and double cheese patty, extra mustard, no cabbages please.

better start cooking.

Day 36, 37 & 38: Free-flowin futsal, Birthday Roda with Rafa + Raped by Cueca at the gym

Day 36

'Tis a good day

My suspicions are founded - i need contact lenses to play futsal

these high-index glasses mess with your peripheral vision

i had a great run, stamina was top notch, got some great assists and goals

Day 37

Made it to the birthday roda of my main man Rafael

Rafa made short work of all the juniors

i think they didn't put up much of a fight

perereka was unceremoniously dumped out in 15 seconds

i had a nice angola game with rafa

it was a 'conversation between brothers in the roda'

two children playing, smiling, teasing, both throwing hidden movements nobody else saw or understood

well rafa did put an elbow up my nose... but it was all good.

cueca had a nice game too

durim survived.

god talking about it makes me miss capoeira already

Day 38

hit the gym

cueca promises to get me in shape in time for my wedding dinner next year

for some reason i've put on 2kgs

i don't feel it

my kicks are strong, my jump is good, stamina's rockin

but when i look in the mirror... gah!

i just gotta keep the faith.

Cool Use of ELECTRICITY by Saatchi & Saatchi South African for Osram Light Bulbs

When no one's at the bus stop

When someone's at the bus stop.

Photos from adland.tv

It's tough going at the outdoor categories at cannes

most of the ads are game changers.

i find the media category all the more refreshing

i wonder if the media people in other countries are scary creative

did they think up all those stuff?

or did the creatives force their hand and made their job even more challenging to change the game?

6 categories into the outdoor shortlists

the only notable was a very well art directed perrier billboard from ogilvy paris

and a dopey billboard campaign featuring americans climbing the mexican border to break into mexico for some sol beer

not exactly what i was looking for

a lot of the shortlists were also not google-able

i really wish cannes would just show the shortlisted work as well

anyway

i don't think this Osram bus stop won anything

it might've been too deceptively simple as an idea

but i thought it was a fantastic way to communicate Osram's committment to the environment

and a simple community message, 'use electricity when you need it'

nice and simple

once again, another saatchi's office puts a smile on my face

i just might be a closet fan after all.