Russell Davies

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video time again

Luca commented a while ago suggesting that I did more video and less audio stuff. Because he can understand me more on video. So here's some more video. Blame Luca.

This little piece references the Odeos I got sent from people who clicked on that Odeo button on the right, namely Luca, Dave (of funkypancake) and Curtis (of simonsound). I mention the simonsound Noisy Matchbox project in the video. Well worth investigating. Ethnographic sound art. Or something.

june30th.mp3 (audio version, about 8MB)

june30th.mov (quicktime movie, about 10MB)

I really like the Odeo questions thing, please send more.

June 30, 2006 in Account Planning School Of The Web | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBack (0)

IT conversations on Thursday 7

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This is a bit of pre-listening for anyone who might be coming to Chris Forrest's WARC thing next week. And it should be of interest to y'all too. It's an interview with Robert Scoble and Shel Israel, authors of Naked Conversations, about 'The Corporation in a Blogging World'.

June 29, 2006 in IT conversations | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

books are good

               

B    Downtown Alive 17Mar06 16    O - Frank\    K    S    Blackie    O    O    K    S    B mosaic    O    O    Kk    S             

People are always asking me (you know, maybe twice a year) what books they should read about planning and stuff. And I always say Eating The Big Fish and Truth Lies and Advertising. Because they are both brilliant, and they basically tell you how to do the job.

But now I'm also, probably more usefully, going to refer them to this great post at the Fallon Planning Blog. Great job Mr Aki Systems 2600.

Get these books, read them, especially How To Plan Advertising and Why We Buy.

Maybe if I'd read some of these books when I started out I wouldn't be so frightened of focus groups.

As you can see I've gone a little crazy with Spell With Flickr.

June 28, 2006 in advice | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

bonfire of the bathroom

Burberryinvite_11

I met Neil Boorman of Bonfire Of The Brands fame today. What an excellent fellow. He's going to let me record an interview with him to post on here sometime so if you've got any questions or thoughts for him stick them in the comments.

Talking to him reminded me of a thing I did once - take a picture of every brand in our bathroom - it was up on the blog in the early days but I took it down for some reason. So, for any newcomers who are interested here it is again. With over 70 brands in such a small room it really makes you think about how pervasive they are. (Sorry about the photo quality, this was a couple of cameras ago.)

Baby_1

June 28, 2006 in huh? | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

rest day

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No football today. My football mug will have to remain in the cupboard. It's not right.

June 28, 2006 in diary | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

an idea idea

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People often tell me that they'd like to do a blog but they can't think of anything to blog about. Psshhaw  I say and point them at a blog like Niazipan. He's just set himself the task of coming up with an idea every day and blogging about it. (And these are advertising type ideas, since he's an ad creative, he's not formulating new technologies for nano-tube fabrication.) It's not easy but it's do-able and it's great discipline.

This is the kind of simple little hook you need to get you going. Something small and do-able and regular. Every day, every week, whenever, whatever. Just something that you know you're supposed to do. And before you know it you've been blogging for six months and its easy.

(And it adds to the charm that there hasn't been a new idea since Friday. Come on Martin!)

By the way, doesn't it seem remarkable that there aren't more blogs by UK ad creatives? I only know of this and Scamp, which is also good, but shouldn't there be more? Or am I missing something?

June 28, 2006 in ideas | Permalink | Comments (9) | TrackBack (0)

careful with that axe maurice

These extracts from I'll Never Forget What's 'is Name are brilliant. Though it does add up to quite a long file. The opening is a scenario you will start to imagine at some point in your life (if you've not already). Orson Welles is the best Top Management Guy ever (especially the golf off the roof stuff) and the final fake ad is the best radical-artistic-statement-turns-out-to-be-commercial-genius sequence you'll ever see. And it's by Michael Winner, who'd have thought it?

June 28, 2006 in ad movies | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

american copywriter

Sheep

I've been listening to American Copywriter for ages, but it struck me this morning that I've never blogged about it, so now I will, by writing a highly reader-friendly list - 7 reasons why planners should listen to American Copywriter :

1. It's funny, clever and loud. You should listen because it's good.

2. You're a planner, if you don't know what makes creatives tick you'll be no good at your job. This is a chance to listen to some creatives thinking out loud. How valuable is that?

3. They remind you that strategy is only a tiny bit of the battle. Maybe the least important bit. The recent radio edition, for instance, should remind us all that the most important meeting in advertising is the pre-pro - this is where the things that make an ad good happen. You should try and get involved in them.

4. They remind you that making great communications is, above all, a craft. And that some skills - like getting a voiceover guy to deliver all the words he's supposed to say in exactly 14.8 seconds - are not going to replaced by any amount of social media widgets or clever digital doodahs.

5. They're enthusiasts. Enthusiasm is good. It's America's gift to the world. They're on their 40th of these things, ranting and talking about ads and stuff and you can tell that they're still enjoying it. Brilliant.

6. Again, in the Radio Edition, you get to hear some belly-aching about the US soccer team, which is always amusing.

7. I don't know. Just listen. You should.

June 28, 2006 in sites | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)

spain 1-3 france

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June 27, 2006 in diary | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

brazil 3-0 ghana

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June 27, 2006 in diary | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

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