Lately I've been deep in the throws of an RFP. And there was an evening earlier this week where I simply ran out of gas. Needed inspiration. So I went to my usual sources and, within about 45 minutes, was right back on track. Just needed a little push...
Since our business is subjective, I think advertising folks need inspiration moreso than most industries. It's the dream of being involved in that one ad that gets talked about, winning that pivotal piece of business or bringing a new idea into a meeting that pushes everyone to think a bit differently. Those moments are rare and we strive for them constantly. But sometimes, the road gets dark, you start overly-questioning things and it just seems extremely difficult to get where you want to go.
So with that, below are some of my personal sources of business inspiration. Yours to play with, if you wish. I know there are way more out there, and I'm hoping others will add their own sources of inspiration so we can all be better. Some of mine are...
Abbott Mead Vickers. Yes, I know they're AMV-BBDO but I'm a sucker for the original. It doesn't matter, they're great no matter how you slice it, and whenever I need a jolt of great work, I go there. Their creative is wonderful and the way they speak of themselves even better. While the Guinness stuff is forever classic, there's a portfolio of goodness there that always makes me say, "Damn, I'd like to be involved in work that good."
Russell Davies is the best industry commentator I've found. He's a planner from the UK. The strategic mind behind all that great Honda UK stuff. Matt Jarvis at Deutsch told me about him and I'd like to spread the word as much as I can. He's an amazing thinker and has a fantastic grip on all the web can offer. If I'm ever not feeling in-touch or relevant, I go there and I always learn a few things.
If I'm confused and overloaded with information, I seek out Al Ries. The classic author of "Positioning" always makes sense to me, and I get a kick out of his AdAge articles. (With the exception of his prediction about the iPhone.) It's amazing sometimes how my feet land back on the ground after reading his stuff.
Observing people, brands and the way the two come together is always fascinating. coBRANDiT usually has great video posts on this topic. Part aggregator, part original finder, there's usually interesting stuff there that can inspire me to look at the human side of things.
Ed Cotton from BSSP has created something very interesting with InfluxInsights. New ideas combined with intellectual thought, and if I'm ever feeling too smart about something, I go here and immediately realize, I've got a lot to learn still. Influx is chalked full of thoughts, ideas and new stuff that always make me excited to be in this industry.
Podcasting has yet to reap all the success it was supposed to when it came out; I recently read there are only about 2 million dedicated Podcast listeners. However, one that's really great for me is BusinessWeek's Cover Stories. Here the editor of the magazine (who came from Fast Company) interviews the writer behind the week's cover story. It's great and serves as a quick 20 minute way to stay tuned-in with leading companies and business in general.
Anyway, those are six things that regularly inspire me. Anyone have more??
Some things I find helpful for inspiration. These are both fairly obvious, but can't be ignored.
Adcritic Top 20 - I recently went there and found a campaign for Sears Die Hard car batteries. So damn funny and told the product benefit in an incredibly simple, fun way.
http://creativity-online.com/?action=adcritic:tvvid
Cannes Awards - Whenever I want to see some amazing creative work, this is the place to go. The best that our industry has to offer.
http://www.canneslionslive.com
Posted by: Pat Meeley | August 03, 2007 at 04:16 PM