• Trends of 2012: Solitude

    January 23rd, 2012 / Comments (2)

    The “always on” culture that has abruptly emerged as the new norm is here to stay for some time. A recent piece from The New York Times demonstratively stated, “Solitude is out of fashion,” elaborating with analysis of the trending open-space work environments and team-based strategies. This contemporary approach is counter to extensive research touting the benefits of privacy in creative thinking. This culture has been fiercely fueled by the (my) millennial generation and has gained significant acceptance by baby boomers. We have grown up in an age of digital collaboration; now we’re applying these same tendencies to the office place despite making ourselves susceptible to real-life distractions.

    We all know the natural, yet rude, tendency to prioritize instant information from our smartphones over the people actually in the room. This was never more evident to me than Christmas this year. I never thought I would see the day my parents were playing Words with Friends before me. I certainly didn’t expect they would become addicted to the game instantaneously. Prior to this, my mom was notorious for leaving her cell phone in the bottom of her purse - for days on end. To her, it was a device to make calls; not for her to be alert for incoming calls. It’s becoming ever-apparent those days are over and never to be seen again. She’s texting, emailing, playing games, reading books, and verifying bets with my father through Google.

    Despite the added convenience at our fingertips, it can become overwhelming – like a menu at The Cheesecake Factory. Thus, people are increasingly more than willing to pay a premium for solitude – the ability to escape the constant draining buzz. Trend Watching explains,

    This isn’t about consumers rejecting everything that brought them to the city, but about a temporary breather. Remember, no trend applies all of the time. People will forever crave the excitement and choice available in cities; yet still want to escape for a moment.

    In 2011 some brands were ahead of the curve in offering a moment of solace to their consumers. These early adopters compete in industries where such services are appreciated due to the high stress in their corresponding environments. Some examples:

    • In July 2011, Telia, a Swedish telecom provider, launched a free app that enabled customers to disable internet for set period of time at home. They also set up internet-free zones in several public locations across Sweden. (Trendwatching.com)

    • In September 2011, at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo International Airport, Sleepbox launched a small self-contained cabin designed to give users a quiet place to get some rest. (Trendwatching.com)

    • From July to September 2011, the Marriott Renaissance Pittsburgh Hotel offered “Zen and the Art of Detox” – a weekend package that obliged visitors to surrender any digital devices when checking-in. Also, rooms were stocked with books instead of televisions. (Trendwatching.com)

    Brands that, by virtue of their product or service, must compete in a mentally fatiguing space, can embrace the opportunity by providing a counter experience like the examples above. However, most brands do not need to provide such overt forms of relief; they can bake it in to the actual product. Pandora Radio is an example of a highly appreciated, passive user interface. Listeners have one less thing to think about as the stream is designed to anticipate their tastes. Pinterest, with an extremely intuitive user experience and strong social integration, provides a similar release. The mindless nature of pinning offers a pleasurable distraction from daily stressors.

    Facebook, in the short term, offers a similar mental release. In fact, thirty-year psychology veteran, Susan Weinschenk, found that the brain releases dopamine upon receiving notifications of Facebook updates or status changes. In contrast, Facebook has become an eclectic badge of social currency - check-in’s, relationships, flattering pictures, and job title changes; thus truly adding up to social noise. As we become desensitized to social updates we look for other sources of immediate reward like Twitter, Reddit, and sites like Wimp and YouTube.

    At the agency I work for, we have a former Buddhist monk who spent six years on a silent sabbatical in Burma. You read that right…he didn’t speak for six years. He trains employees to practice mindfulness and stress-relieving routines they can implement on a daily basis. In one session, he explained that humans are naturally hard-wired to respond in a “fight or flight” manner. This was an essential tool for survival when humans first roamed the earth. Despite our evolution over time, we still react in a similar manner to alerts, texts, emails, calls, green lights, our significant other calling our name, and so on. We’ve been conditioned to believe that an immediate response is expected, and a delayed response has become an indication of a lower priority. In this new social norm we’ve set ourselves up to strive, long-term, toward solitude…or pay a lofty price to have it right here, right now, between our 2:00 and 2:45 meetings. Regardless, this will be something to watch in 2012 – an opportunity to make your brand the hero.

    As an account manager in Boulder, Dorsey has worked on global and national campaigns for brands like Microsoft and Groupon. Read more of his posts where he blogs at And this....

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  • "What I learned this year" - Lee Einhorn

    December 16th, 2011 / Comments (0)

    Dear SF Egotist,

    Hi.

    I know I’m late. Thanks again for including me in your upcoming piece. I just have one little favor to ask. Do you think it would be possible to get maybe one more day, two tops, to send in my “What I learned this year” assignment? After you reached out to me last month, I was so excited by the brief that I immediately sat down and wrote my entire reply. I felt I was on to something pretty smart so I sold in the idea to my own creative director (Victoria, my wife) and I was done and done.

    But after running it by a colleague at work maybe a week or so later, she had some great thoughts on the main story structure. So, in light of this thinking, I decided to refine it a bit more, eventually almost completely reworking the main story arc while keeping the core idea intact. At that point, it was perfectly where I wanted it to be.

    Or so I thought anyway. You see, after a particularly inspiring director screening at the agency last week, I was encouraged to explore changing course with the media platform. In a moment of total clarity I knew that my story would best be told by filming it with my kids and our beloved family pet Taco, a half Chihuahua/half something who the camera always loves. But after a few initial rehearsals, a general lack of interest from my kids and Taco tearing apart a stuffed turtle, this platform proved to be unfeasible.

    So, back I was, ready to submit the written version of my idea. With my cursor on the send button sometime last week, I suddenly had a new thought that I knew would up the social conversation around my idea. So I made a call, got a developer involved, and the idea is now being kicked around in a loft in SOMA by an amazing flash team who promises to get something back to me this weekend.

    Meanwhile, while I wait, I’ve had some time to reflect on the year that has just passed and the opportunities I was given to lead a number of really great projects. Each one of them has helped to reinforce my thinking that good ideas get great with age. The stories and engagements we develop and sell to clients ripen the longer we live with them and get to know them. We push them, we fight with them, and continuously find and create new platforms to tell them on. In fact, I believe greatness can only come from this process. Too often even great creatives are content with an idea before it has had its chance to reach its full potential. As we create, we need to remember that all breakthrough creative ideas are amorphous, ever evolving right up until the last minute.

    So, in the spirit of creativity, if I can get just one, or two, more days I think you will be really happy with where this post ends up. I just read about a innovative new media tool that I’d like to run my idea through.

    Or maybe just use this note and next year I will learn how to be better with time management. But no promises.
    Onward,

    LEE

    --------------------

    Lee is a Creative Director at Venables Bell & Partners.

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  • "What I learned this year" - Robert Duncan

    December 16th, 2011 / Comments (0)

    that just on the other side of the Golden Gate Bridge there's this big, beautiful city.

    that a "free" video production will cost you $12,083.

    that maybe I am a crazy driver.

    that all the best things in life start as jokes.*

    that birdwatching is fun, but don't call it birdwatching.

    that binoculars are even more fun, and nowhere near as pricey as you imagined.

    that liberals are no less suckers for the Fox spin and that they should shut up and worship the ground Obama, bringer of healthcare, ender of don't-ask-don't-tell, destroyer of Al Qaeda, walks on.

    that my life may very well be a tagline. (And it's not "Technology when you want it. People when you don't.")

    that CB2 exists and has everything you could ever want.

    that maybe I do look better in a beard.

    that things you never thought could happen in a million years do, sometimes overnight (viz: Arab Spring).

    that just as I get really good at my craft, my writing starts to suffer.

    that Lugene was Gary's first girlfriend even before Linda.

    that I may have judged San Diego too swiftly.

    that I gotta get my life back.

    that, no matter what you claim in the SF Egotist, you never really learn. One way or another, you keep doing the stupid, ignorant things you always did. Which might seem to be the beginning of big-K Knowledge—or, in this case, big-L Learning—but don't believe it.*

    *not actually learned this year.

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    Robert is an Executive creative director and Partner at Duncan/Channon

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  • "What I learned this year" - Jonathan Woytek

    December 15th, 2011 / Comments (2)

    Procrastination will cost you. As in, I waited too long to write my “what I learned this year” piece and others have said a lot of what I wanted to say. That risk and change and challenging myself were part of a year I’ll never forget. But it’s probably for the best, since I think they did a much better job than I would have.

    So what did I learn in 2011? Well, I think I re-learned how to learn.

    Coming into a new agency at the end of 2010, I thought I had something to prove. Prove that I had a few years on many people and was a seasoned vet of the ad game. So I said everything with conviction and faked my way through the things I didn’t know. This has certainly worked in the past.

    But this approach failed. Failed because no one gave a shit about any of that. They cared about making stuff. Making great stuff, stuff that you can laugh at, be frightened by, play with, or cry over. So was I ready to be part of their culture? Or was I going to cling to a past that was more about meetings than making. And I say that with all due respect to some of the amazingly talented people I’ve worked with.

    So I learned to learn a new way.

    It started with learning to listen again. To turn off that voice in my head that’s figuring out how to best state my case and start listening to and thinking about what others are actually saying.

    I learned to take criticism and accept it rather than defending my point of view when I knew I was wrong.

    I learned to be mentored. To say, “these are the things I want to do” and trust that people were putting me in a position to succeed, not fail, even when it meant relinquishing control.

    I learned that Shu Lai Zen is way better than Jonathan Woytek paranoia. Okay, so maybe I’m still working on learning this.

    I learned to laugh at myself and enjoy being laughed at.

    I learned that age and experience don’t mean a damn thing in this business. What matters is who’s willing to work the hardest to find an idea they really believe in.

    And most importantly I learned to be truly grateful. Sit down and shed a tear grateful. Not just for the wonderful people I’ve had the honor to work with and the opportunities afforded me, but for the people in my life that put up with the unpredictable nature of this business. Grateful to a wife who sometimes feels like she’s a single parent but never complains, to a son that misses me but never holds it against me, and to an extended family that never lets me forget who I am or where I come from. To all of them, I offer my sincere thanks.

    So there you have it. While I had every intention of making this clever and witty, even to the point of having a copywriter give me eleven funny things to say, I decided to play it straight. Because I also learned to quit being what I think people expect me to be, and just be me.

    Happy holidays bitches.

    JW

    --------------------

    Jonathan is a Creative Director at Pereira & O'Dell.

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  • "What I learned this year" - Chris Ford

    December 14th, 2011 / Comments (1)

    Eighteen months ago a friend of mine called and asked me to come help him run an agency in Sydney, Australia.

    What seemed cool in conversation, quickly proved more complex in the real world. For the first time in my life I had to make a decision not about me and a job, but rather about me and a job and my wife and our two perfectly happy kids and the school they really liked and their friends and all our shit and our house that we’d rebuilt not once, but twice thanks to a dipshit roofer who did his best to burn it down.

    The decision proved agonizing. To the point my wife and I took our best friends to dinner and told them we weren’t going, hugged it out, then turned around and changed our minds one last time.

    So I guess what I’ve learned is, for all the thinking and planning and questioning and angst ridden hand-wringing we did, sometimes you’ve just got to say what the fuck, make a decision and make it the right decision.

    Because, in the end, it will all work itself out.

    Kids.

    Schools.

    Houses.

    Taxes.

    Insurance.

    Whatever.

    Not in the way that you hope. Not in the way that that you planed. But in a million different beautiful and unexpected ways you’ll never see coming.

    Yes, the job sucked.

    Yes, my friend who hired me was gone six months after I started.

    And yes our two-to-three years in Australia became one.

    But at the same time I met a lot of amazing talented people.

    And my kids have seen the world through another country’s eyes, lived two blocks from one of the world’s most amazing zoos and walking distance to two beaches with water warm enough to actually swim in.

    They’ve also got best friends on another continent, seen the great barrier reef, the Blue Mountains and the outback.

    And as for all of the shit we worried so much about before making, unmaking and remaking our decision?

    It just never really mattered.

    --------------------

    Chris is the Chief Creative Officer of Draftfcb in San Francisco.

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  • "What I learned this year" - Alex Lyman

    December 14th, 2011 / Comments (1)

    I was 9 years old and my parents changed everything.

    My house was traded for a boat. My yard was changed for the ocean. The next three years of my life was spent circumnavigating the world. It was life changing and it taught me that taking risks can have big payoffs.

    This year, I pushed myself to take on new challenges, both personally and professionally. I switched ad agencies, became the creative lead on a global account, I proposed to my girlfriend, I bought-out my real estate partner and I became an uncle….twice.

    I’ve realized that the moment at which I've stopped taking risks is the moment at which I've failed as a creative and a human being.

    A new job: I went from working at a large agency, with resources beyond our needs, to a much smaller agency with untapped potential. The place was rife with challenges but also loaded with opportunity. Daunting but rewarding, my ass is always on the line.

    A tough client: Inheriting a legacy client with expectations already set in motion can be difficult, especially when pitching ideas that go against the grain. Although difficult at times, I push our teams not to succumb to the pressures of a client / agency relationship — to never fold just to get a “yes” versus fighting to get a “we never thought of that” (despite the few "we hate its" you may have to hear).

    A personal life: This dynamic also bleeds into our personal lives. Where defining a plan and sticking to it may create stability, it can also leave you feeling uninspired. We must push ourselves on all fronts. For example, I'm an uncle. An uncle!? Both of my brothers now have a kid. High risk, high reward. Myself? I'm engaged! I bought a house in a down market! Need I say more?

    All of these experiences, though scary at times, together form a positive move forward. This leads me to believe:

    Risk = change = happiness.

    Why does any of this matter in advertising?

    Because our industry is changing. People are becoming more wary of taking chances. Too often mediocrity is accepted if not looked for. Agency / client dynamics are shifting in drastic ways – rather than trusting agencies as the marketing experts, clients are using them like vendors. . In order to continue to drive innovative work, creatives / account / planners / etc all need to step up in taking risks.

    In short, see what happens when you rock the boat. It’s taken me places I never thought I’d end up. Maybe it'll take you to new places, too.

    For the visually attuned, see below for the first formula ever defining the path to happiness. Maybe.

    --------------------

    Alex Lyman is Creative Director at Publicis Hal Riney in San Francisco

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  • "What I (un)learned this year" - Mimi Cook.

    December 13th, 2011 / Comments (0)

    Last December, my advertising learning curve looked exactly like a learning curve should: It ascended.

    Then on January 4th, 2011, my learning curve freaked out. I started working at Mekanism.

    After twelve months of work sessions, client meetings and new business pitches, it’s obvious why this new media thing isn’t at all like traditional media. In fact, it’s taught me something almost counterintuitive, which is that sometimes, what we really need to do is unlearn things.

    Things like, brands aren’t in control of the conversation anymore. Consumers are.

    The purpose of branded content isn’t to talk about yourself. It’s to get the audience to talk about themselves.

    And paying a television network to show your content isn’t the same as paying an influencer, because unlike a network, influencers have audiences who trust them. And in social, trust is everything.

    Even how we work feels thankfully upside down and backwards. The internal structure is flat. The process is collaborative. And it all happens impossibly fast -- like, pace-of-social-media fast -- yet no one complains. It actually feels, um, well, professionally responsible.

    For those of you who are beginning your career in social, all I can say is, my learning curve envies you.

    --------------------

    Mimi is the Director of Creative and Brand Strategy at Mekanism

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  • "What I learned this year" - Christian Haas.

    December 13th, 2011 / Comments (0)

    Here are a dozen random pithy (or pointless) observations I made throughout the year, duly noted on my Twitter feed.

    Where 140,000 nerds convene.
    On the way to CES, cabbie points to strip club and says, “Want to go to tits buffet?” Vegas, so classy.

    When it’s pouring outside.
    Golf umbrellas are the SUVs of sidewalks. Everyone says it’s overkill but kind of wish they had one.

    When fashion becomes fascist.
    With Galliano possibly facing 6 months in jail, the fashion industry anxiously awaits the comeback of orange jumpsuits for winter 2011.

    On open television.
    Iggy Pop on Idol stage proved two things: rock and roll never dies, but it looks very unappealing shirtless.

    While visiting the Pacific Northwest.
    Dear Burberry, I have one word for you: Portland. There’s no bigger market for plaid.

    On the 1%.
    Watch "Inside Job" and you’ll finally understand what caused the financial meltdown. Then, go punch a banker in the face.

    On my comedic crush.
    Tina Fey’s book is pure self-deprecating comedy gold. Found out we have 2 things in common—love of work and stress-induced canker sores.

    On magazines for iPads.
    Spoke at #CannesLions: Digital publishing is the Viagra of print media. Brings new hope but no one knows how long the erection will last.

    When fashion welcomes everyone.
    McQueen at the Met is moving. You can feel deep angst in the garments, pain in the contorted shoes—especially when people step on your feet.

    When too much travel takes its toll.
    Dear Pharmacist, the lowest possible shelf is not the best place to put back-pain medication.

    On the sign of times.
    Yahoo CEO fired over the phone. That is so wrong. I mean, seriously, this is 2011, who uses a phone?

    On the time ahead.
    Jobs’ passing may not hurt the future of Apple. But it will certainly hurt the future.

    On 2012.
    @chaas

    -------------------

    Christian is an Executive Creative Director/Associate Partner at Goodby Silverstein & Partners.

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  • "What I learned this year" - John Matejczyk.

    December 12th, 2011 / Comments (2)

    Well, since I generally ask others to do my work for me, I asked a few people in the company to answer the question for me: What do you hope John learned this year?

    Asya, Designer:
    That he doesn't look good in orange. White, Black, Blue, Brown, Purple, but not orange.

    Kacine, Account Manager:
    I hope that John has learned to close the chicken coop at night.

    (JM: There were a few incidents this year of carnage when an unidentified beast feasted upon my daughter’s hens. Very sad. Seriously.)

    Katy, Director of Project Management and Creative Resources:
    I think he's learned that he can't be a dick. His heart's too big and he's too nice. So that's his "thing". He's the nice, great, approachable, smart ECD. Not the dick ECD.

    (JM: I was not trolling for compliments, but thank you Katy. This is in reference to when I tried to be a dick for a while to see if it would make me more effective. It lasted 5 minutes or so, and didn’t work.)

    Lisa, Media Director:
    That the process works better as a team sport, that two heads are often better than one, that vetting an idea or approach through the group makes the work smarter, as everyone brings something of unique value to the equation.

    (JM: I can’t tell if Lisa means I knew this, or learned this, or need to learn this. Let’s hope I already knew it, but if I can improve, let’s go.)

    Carolina, Account Manager:
    I hope he’s learned my name.

    Aaron, Copywriter:
    Never shoot with kids, dogs, and screens. Especially in the same shoot.
    Frank Family 08 is tough to beat on a Monday night at work.
    Aaron is prone to fall asleep in limos.

    Cali, Queen of Stuff:
    My hope is that you realize the importance of surrounding yourself with people that believe as deeply as you do and that quest for greatness is where success lies. I hope you know that you CAN mix business and pleasure! There is a lotta love in this room and that builds respect, which is the core to any relationship! Your spirit is contagious when people are willing to hop on the train and take the ride! I believe in you and will take the train to the end, my friend!

    (JM: Cali joins us from a career in elementary school education, so excuse the exclamation points and delightful lack of snark.)

    Chas, Associate Creative Director:
    John has learned that he can pretend to work on something (like “what have I learned this year”), wait until it’s almost due, and then have other people complete it for him.

    JM: Thanks guys. We’re all in this together.

    -John

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    John is the Executive Creative Director at Muh•tay•zik | Hof•fer.

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  • "What I learned this year" - Simon Needham.

    December 12th, 2011 / Comments (0)

    At the start of the year I read something that inspired me. The gist of it was, as we get older we stop challenging ourselves... whether that be with family, at the gym, at work or things we still want to do but think it's just too late.

    I felt it very poignant and began to view my own life with this thought.

    I felt that maybe I have not been challenging myself as much as I should -- after all, if you are not learning and growing you must be getting stale, old and dull!

    So as this year winds down, I think I can safely say I have grown, learned, and am ‘less dull’ than I would have been if I didn't take this notion to heart.

    How? Well, for one example, I always wanted to take pictures but was fearful of trying to learn the complexities of the technical side of it. After reading the article I've mentioned, I took a couple of classes, spoke to my photography friends and bought a high-end camera. I have had so much fun learning the ropes and my fear turned to joy as my pictures have continued to improve.

    Also this year, although I'm an avid fitness person and boxer, I took on the challenge of doing my first MMA cage fight. Yes, I'm a bit old for this but as you constantly hear from 'old people,' you are never too old. I took it to heart and for the last twelve months I have been combining my boxing training with several other martial arts, and will be fighting in March 2012.

    Finally, I had the opportunity to shoot a Super Bowl commercial this year. It was a pretty scary thought, and it would have been much easier to pass and bring in another director... but in the spirit of my renewed desire to put the fear of God into myself this year, I said, "Yes, I'll do it." The commercial will be out in February 2012, and I have to say, it's not too bad.

    Continuing to learn and challenge myself has been a great learning experience and I will definitely continue it on as long as my legs will let me.

    Here's to unknown challenges for 2012!

    Cheers! -- Simon

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    Simon is the co-founder of ATTIK. In 2011, Simon jumped deeper into his lifelong passion for photography. This is one of his most recent works. Model: Katie Neehan. Photo Credit: Simon Needham.

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