Why (Ideas+Strategy)+Buzz-BS
Yeah, I know…
You entered here without knowing what to expect.
Sorry for that.
But this is a bonus.
You can skip it and it won't change anything.
Or maybe it will, who knows.
So... Why (Ideas+Strategy)+Buzz-BS?
First of all, to make it easier for you. That's the main goal.
I know there're thousands of similar portfolios,
and nobody can see them all.
So that "formula" is the concept I'd like you to remember about me
once you leave this site.
That's pretty much it.
But the rest of my explanation you can find it below
(if you want to dig a little more into me).
Okay.
Let’s start with IDEAS + STRATEGY.
Sounds pretty obvious to me.
But somehow, there’re still tons of creatives without strategy.
No kiddin’.
I truly believe that ideas without a strategy behind
are simple occurrences, accidents.
And anyone can do that.
I've heard sometime that everyone of us are “creatives”.
Couldn't agree more.
But “A Creative” is that one who can keep up
a good level of creativity through time.
Pretty much like “playing basketball”
vs being “A Basketball Player”.
Yeah, sure, I can have a great day once.
Or twice. Or dozen times.
But the good ones do that every single time,
under pressure, no matter what, for years.
So, that’s what I think about (ideas + strategy).
For me, they need each other. And I try to bring them together every time.
Now, let’s go to the BUZZ.
It’s hard to say,
but sometimes I feel that what we do gets a little irrelevant.
Irrelevant for people outside the industry,
because when you look at your LinkedIn feed, everyone is nailing it.
They almost make me forget
that people pay subscriptions not to see ads.
Even I pay some of them. And you probably do too.
Or maybe you watch the Youtube commercials?
oh, you skip them? That's what I thought.
So, I think we need to create a fine signal amidst all the noise.
Be edgy, and try to get on the NY Times cover.
Not Advertising portals. Or at least both.
And very important: without paying for it.
That's cheating. That's lying to yourself. That's lying to your client.
That's lying to everyone of us.
Actually, that’s what brought us to this crisis in the first place.
Finally, we get to the BS.
Let’s say it properly. Bullshit.
(oh, that feels great, let’s try it one more time.)
NO BULLSHIT.
This is close to the last words I said about the buzz.
The World doesn't really need
“The blablabla that does blablabla”,
“The First XXXX ever”, nor the
“Do this and I’ll give you that for free”.
(let's be honest, they won't disrespect themselves for free crap,
unless they're 7 year old kids)
Let’s keep some dignity.
Please don’t make us all look like fools.
Disconnected from the real conversations, the real problems and the real solutions.
We have to respect ourselves, and also the people.
They’re not stupid.
They’re not waiting for us to tell them “how life is”.
Or how they have to live. To feel. To be.
We’re interrupting them. So as the proverb says, please
“open your mouth only if your words are more beautiful than silence".
We need to stay relevant.
We need to get rid of over-promises and self-lying briefs.
We need to question everything. What we're doing and what for.
Ourselves, the clients, everyone. Or not.
We can keep denying all this and keep doing fake stuff.
If we do that, it will be our end.
Coming to an end. Or maybe to a starting point.
All this might sound a little apocalyptic or maybe pessimistic.
Not at all. I’m super optimistic.
Maybe the most optimistic out there, for real.
Because no matter all this, I do believe we can do it.
And I do believe it depends on us.
But we have the responsibility of assuming
that the paradigms have changed,
and that trying to hide this will never be a solution.
Actually, all the opposite.
So let’s go for those “Strategic Buzzy BS-Free Ideas”.
Let’s use the power we have for good.
No, not for good, for GREAT.
If we see advertising the same way, hope we have a chat soon.
If we don’t, I promise I can also deliver super touching intrinsic/extrinsic manifestos
and cool mega huge (or tiny) campaigns, no problem hahah.
As genius Groucho Marx said:
Those are my principles. And if you don't like them... well, I have others.
Thank you very much for reading.
Nico.