London Day Trip 1

Right there's going to be some back tracking here, as we'd already done a whole load of fun and interersting things before we realised what we were supposed to be doing with this blog. For instance we've been on several trips to advertising agencies to help progress our knowledge of how things actually work in the industry.

The first trip I went on was to London last year where we got visit We Are Fallon, the agency responsible for fantistic ads like the Cadburry's Gorrilla and Sony's Bouncing Balls, and Wieden Kennedy, who conjured up adverts like Honda's Cog's and the quirky Cravendale "Miiiiiillllkk" saga.

For both agencies we got live briefs to work on before we went. From Fallon we got a chance to work on Dairy Milk and their "Glass and a Half Full Productions". These adverts have included the drumming Gorrilla, which in itself has become an internet phenomenon, with people uploading there own versions, edited to different songs, some of which were so popular that Fallon released them on TV as well. When we were given this brief we were asked to focus on a moment of innocent joy, a moment that can be enjoyed without hurting or disturbing others. I started thinking of anything that made me smile, from a certain song to the first ice cold pint after a hard day. Eventually I started to think more on the innocent line, and how children and quite often animals react to discovering something new. I realised there are still things like that even as adults, and one in particular that though most of us have seen it before, every time it arrives, its like we've never known anything like it. I am of course talking about snow, everytime the first snow falls in winter I like many others get really excited, it's like I'm a kid again, and with childish immaturity I run outside, tilt my head back and let the snow fall on my outstretched tongue, with each flake eagerly await.ing enough to fall to make a snowman, or snow angels, and to throw a couple of cheeky snowballs.

With this all in mind I designed a series of TV ads showing people and animals alike just enjoying the snow, with each ad the people or the animals were a bit unexpected, a guy in a suit throwing snowballs, a cat making snow angels. Just enough to throw people off and to say we can all enjoy a moment of joy occasionally. I backed up the TV ads with a concept for an Illuminal piece, where a large transparent plastic cube would be place on highstreets around the country, at the bottom of the box would be a thick layer of artificial snow. People would be alowed in the box to throw snowballs or make snow angels, in exchange for an email address. Footage of the box would be put on http://www.aglassandahalffullproductions.com/ via a webcam, and people would be posted a link via their email.

I had another moment of joy, when my work was picked out as the best by Fallon, and would actually be considered for future ads. This was an amazing point in my life, and when I decided that I definatley wanted to work in advertisng. Though I've had plenty of ideas rejected or critisied since then, I still clearly remember that feeling of both extreme relief and exhileration, and will carry it always, letting it drive me ever forward.

After practically skipping out of Fallon and considering a celebratory pint, it dawned on me the day was not yet over, we still had Wieden and Kennedy to visit.

For Wieden's we were asked to design an advert campaign for John Lewis. We were told that we had to think of a way to get people into the stores despite the credit crunch, which was hitting the country hard at the time. During this exercise I really felt the pressure of a deadline, we had been given very little time for both Fallon and Wieden's, and I'd already used most of my time for Fallon. With the time time ticking loudly away, I researched heavily into past ads for John Lewis, seeking inspiration. John Lewis ads are usually either an emotional journey or elegant sculpture worthy of an art gallery. John Lewis also have a policy called "Never Knowingly Undersold" which means if you can find their product cheeper anywhere else they will match the price and add a guarantee. With this in mind I wanted to create something dramatic and stunning while letting people know that they won't be beaten. So thinking of strong things I designed a three poster campaign around the concept of construction vehicles combined with elements of John Lewis's own products destroying prices; a bulldozer with a sofa for a scoop, a jcb with chest for a claw, and a crane with a chandelier instead of a breaking ball. The end result was deffinatley dramatic and eye catching, and was liked by Wieden and Kennedy, as tthey described the art direction as impeccable. However it was far from perfect, the adverts lacked a solid strategy and didn't convey the full message that was needed, also the ads were not really in the right tone of voice for John Lewis.

Though I was obviously upset that my work hadn't found the same reception it had in Fallon earlier, I was still complimented on certain aspects. We all learn more through constructive criticism than through contant praise, and I really feel like I needed to be brought down a little or I may have floated away on my ego.