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Hands off, we’re British

The statistics showing the dangers of using a phone whilst driving are downright startling. In fact, at any given time throughout the day, approximately 660,000 drivers use their phones whilst behind the wheel. Smartphones have made it easy for us to stay connected, which on the surface is great. But over the years we’ve begun to turn into unsociable paranoid freaks that find it almost impossible to ignore a beeping phone.

Around 1.6 million crashes a year are caused by drivers distracted by mobile phones, which you’d presume would deter us all. Unfortunately not. These shocking statistics are still not making drivers think twice about responding to a text or call. It’s just one of those seemingly trivial things that we don’t care enough about.

So how do we get people to stop? Well I think the answer lies in this amusing ad from the New Zealand Transport Authority, called Hello. The ad shows a series of scenarios involving both passengers and drivers. In each clip the driver’s phone rings and just before they reach out to check it, the passenger unexpectedly slides their hand over the phone resulting in a very awkward and slightly creepy, handhold between them. 

Although it’s targeted at a kiwi audience it encapsulates the true British-ness of hating any form of physical contact, especially when it’s not anticipated (hence the title). Personally I think this type of approach feels a lot more genuine than the typical “shock tactics” used by most road safety videos. I recently watched a live stream from a Thinkbox talk given by Heather Andrew, CEO of Neuro-Insight UK. Her team had been working on a study that looks into how different TV adverts effect brain memory and response. After testing a large number of adverts they found that informative/science-led ads, on average, were least likely to be remembered by the viewer. I think it makes sense that you don’t always have to “shout the loudest” in terms of advertising. Telling me a number of facts just isn’t going to make me change my ways but when you create a humorous story I can relate to, I’m more likely to listen.

Ultimately, it’s the kind of ad I think people would want to share and talk about, which is the key to changing how the nation thinks about using phones when driving. I can’t wait to see real life spoofs of the awkward “hand hold”.

Hannah Loftus, Junior Creative Strategist  

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Have your cake and eat the fork too.

Many of us are aware of the need to recycle and that plastic is generally bad for the environment, filling up landfills, if and when it does break down, it releases harmful toxins into the atmosphere as well as greenhouse gases. Instead of remedying the uses of plastics we tend to cut back on their use or use paper-based products instead, which - though recyclable - require a great amount of energy to produce and then reproduce again.

Enter Bakeys, with their (potentially) revolutionary new edible cutlery. I know what you’re thinking: interesting concept, but it’s just going to go soggy as soon as it touches food? And even if it does hold its integrity, surely it wouldn't taste great. Well you’re wrong, in fact edible cutlery can increase the flavour of food - why have seasoning on your food when the spoon is already salt and pepper flavoured? That’s not the only flavour this cutlery comes in, there’s sweet and savoury options to complement a variety of dishes. 

Not only is this product something completely new, it comes from India; one of the worlds largest countries by population; one of the largest contributors to global warming; and a country with the largest socio-economic divide in the world. Subverting all of these elements not only represents the fact that innovation can come from anywhere but that innovation isn’t and shouldn’t be western-centric. Not only is this product good for the world on a macro scale, on a micro scale the employees of the edible cutlery factory come from the lowest income groups in Hyderabad. Furthermore, the key constituent product ‘millets’ is an overlooked commodity at best (I had to Google what it was and I’m pretty sure it’s a camping supply store).

I’d also like to point out something else in this blog post and that is the format that this idea is presented, the online mini-doc is one of my favourite marketing tools, telling a story of a brand in a short and engaging way that gets you interested in something you otherwise wouldn’t care about. Done well, the mini-doc is a powerful tool to share a message effectively with the world and the easier it is to watch online, the better.

In all, brands should not only look at how they can positively innovate but how they can share their good work with others. If a brand has an interesting take on the world, then hopefully the world will come to it, without the need to force it upon us.

Ben Jones

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McDonald’s vs Burger King – A Flippin’ Battleground

McD’s vs BK

Big Mac vs Whopper (or, in my case, an XL Bacon Double Cheeseburger)

This…curious chap:

Vs this dope fella’:

It’s a war that has been waging for decades, with no signs of stopping. Good news, too, cause it generally leads to pretty entertaining ads – granted, more often, from Burger King’s side.

A quick Google search on the matter brings up all manner of digs from over the years, such as…

This uber-80s pot shot from BK:

These two missiles from Germany (which, in the first ad, Ronald McDonald is almost certainly played by Benedict Cumberbatch):

And then, most recently, this cracking little battle from France:

Long story short – McDonald’s puts up two signs; a small one pointing out that there’s a McDonald’s just 5km (*cough* 3.1 miles) away, and another, the size of a large house, detailing out the long and arduous journey it would take to get to get to the nearest Burger King 258km (*cough* 160 miles) away.

Oooh, good one, Ronald, you've got’em now.

But not so fast, because The King switched it on them faster than Will Smith in ’05, and created this cheeky little ad off the back of it. Well played.

A nice stunt from McDonald’s quickly turned into an even nicer stunt from Burger King – not a lot to not like about this, in my opinion. They even stole some of McDonalds’ original footage for it.

Long may the war continue, I say.

Lloyd Jones, Senior Account Executive

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The Anatomy of Humbug by Paul Feldwick – Admap “Speed Read” By Chris Walmsley

Cubo’s Co-founder and Head of Planning gives his views on Paul Feldwick’s journey through the history of advertising, The Anatomy of Humbug.

This article was published in the January issue of Admap ©Warc.

Intro/description/purpose  

The Anatomy of Humbug by Paul Feldwick is an inspiring and provocative journey through the history of advertising. A fascinating array of big characters from the last 150 years are presented in a thoroughly entertaining way as the author expertly guides us through the significant ideas that have shaped modern day advertising. For an industry that is notoriously bad at learning lessons from its own history this book brings some welcome enlightenment as well as practical guidance on how to take the best from what has gone before and apply it today. 

Author credentials

Paul Feldwick worked in advertising agencies for over thirty years. He became Head of Planning at one of London’s most celebrated agencies, Boase Massimi Pollit, in 1988 and later became worldwide brand planning director at DDB in 2002. Since leaving the agency he has used his considerable experience and talent to advise on strategy, brands and organisational change. The forward is provided by the former Chairman of J Walter Thompson, Jeremy Bullmore.

Summary of the books central ideas and arguments

The author shows us six sides of the advertising “Rubik’s cube”- salesmanship, seduction, salience, social connection, spin and showbiz. He doesn’t present these different philosophies as an exhaustive list or an all-encompassing panacea but as an interconnected puzzle that has been created by many of histories big advertising thinkers, going as far back as the 1900’s with the originator of “humbug” and the “greatest show on earth” PT Barnum.

Each philosophy comes with a cast of contributors including Claude Hopkins (1866 - 1932)- author of the bestselling advertising book of all time, selling over 8 million copies, the inventor of the USP Rosser Reeves (1910 - 84), the great creator of seduction Bill Bernbach (1911 – 84) the originator of spin Edward Bernays (1891 – 1995) plus of course the godfather of modern planning Stephen King (1936 – 2006).

This book tells the story behind these characters and their ideas and in the process describes how people think – or assume – that the advertising puzzle works. It clearly and honestly illustrates the schizophrenia that exists within modern advertising between rational persuasion and subconscious seduction and how it came about. It builds on this central theme by introducing four other ways of thinking about advertising that completes the Feldwick puzzle. Helpfully he doesn’t leave the reader to work out everything by themselves, instead he offers up some very sage and real world advice on how to free oneself from seeing any single theory, model or philosophy as the absolute truth. The author argues that more inspiring work will follow from gaining a deeper understanding of the best thinking from the last 150 years including some of the big thought leaders of today, such as Robert Heath and Byron Sharpe, and being clear and open minded about what to apply, where and why.

Description of the most interesting case studies/examples used to illustrate the arguments

One of the most telling quotes in the book doesn’t come from an advertising guru but the economist John Maynard Keynes who said back in 1936: “So-called practical men, who have never knowingly been exposed to an intellectual influence in their lives, are invariably the slaves of some defunct economist.”

The author argues that what Keynes said about economics is equally true about advertising. To build on this thought he asks the reader to consider some of the words (and the ideas behind them) that we all use as self-evident truths when planning and creating advertising today. Words such as impact, recall, proposition, attention, reason why, message and so forth. His point being that if we just accept this language uncritically as “common sense” then we are as Keynes said, slaves to it. He makes a compelling argument for us all to get a far better understanding of where these words came from and the world view that shaped them. Only then will we be properly equipped to use this handed down language effectively or alternatively find new words to help us plan and create better advertising.

A good example of this is the word “attention”. The author tells us about the inventor of AIDA back in the last 19th century (the fantastically named E. St. Elmo Lewis) and the subsequent famous “salesmanship” advocates including the aforementioned Claude Hopkins and Daniel Starch the inventor of the Starch Rating – the ubiquitous research method in 50’s and 60’s. The desire for attention at all costs was, in later decades, ridiculed by people such as the USP creator Rosser Reeves who commented that “you can always get attention by passing wind at a party” and David Ogilvy who argued you could always put a “gorilla in a jock strap” to get high attention. Funny he didn’t mention the drum kit.

The authors points out that all these big advertising thinkers have a different take on the value and role of attention – largely because they were from different eras and were also often looking for advertising to achieve different things. However gaining “attention” is still often the automatic start point when briefing and evaluating advertising today – the authors point being that if we don’t really understand where this came from and why then we are in danger of just blindly following a theory that may or may not be what the brand needs to be a more successful communicator.

A listing of takeaway points, key learning’s

Like all well written books with well researched historical content Anatomy of Humbug makes the reader feel an empathy for both the people who have and do create advertising plus all of us who consumes it on daily basis. Central to this idea is the sensitive contract that exists between the advertiser and the consumer. Never forget we are communicating with fellow human beings with lives, needs and feelings and they are not just bits of data who need to be sold to.

Contrary to what many modern commentators say the “year zero narrative” doesn’t hold water. He argues that this idea that the world has changed and the old rules don’t apply is a dangerous myth. The fundamental needs of people have not changed since the first ever ad was created and we ignore that at our peril. Feldwick helps us all to understand how advertising works including the art of seduction in a world where indifference to what everybody in advertising produces on a daily basis is growing.

Finally on a personal note Paul Feldwick reminded this reader why he still finds advertising so fascinating and why he chose it as his career some 30 years ago.

Chris Walmsley

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Marketing Masterclass

N.B. Article written by Alice Savage for http://universitybusiness.co.uk/ - DMU’s ‘The Razor’s Edge’ campaign (created by Cubo) and thoughts from Cubo Group Account Director, Abbie Wood, featured.

Standing out in the fiercely competitive higher education arena can be difficult for any university. With fees set at £9,000 and the student numbers cap removed, the market for attracting the nation’s, and indeed the world’s, brightest students is more competitive than ever. Students select their alma maters for a variety of reasons; league tables, facilities, local attractions, and prospects for future employment all have a bearing on this important decision and an on-trend marketing strategy can help you spread the word far and wide about what your institution has to offer.

Joanna Young, Senior Account Manager at Fat Media has worked on marketing campaigns for several universities in the north-west. She makes the point that: “The increase in fees has made students much more demanding than they were previously and universities have to work hard to keep up with the expectation that undergraduates need value for money for their £9,000 per year.” With this in mind, it has become clear that universities must efficiently market their product the way any other private company would.

So what makes a marketing campaign successful? It is difficult to appeal to everyone. University marketing campaigns not only need to attract prospective students but also gain the approval of their parents. Understanding your unique selling points and having a clear idea of the brand you want to create is the first step to building a successful campaign. Taking what’s special about your university and presenting that in a clear and interesting way can ensure that your campaign targets the right demographic and working with the right media agency can ensure that you build a brand that will be solid for many years to come. Abbie Wood, Group Account Director at Cubo Group, says: “In order to survive and thrive, universities need to identify what makes them truly distinctive and then say it in an interesting way… take a long-term approach to brand building rather than just focusing on short-term recruitment goals.”

Consider digital marketing

Living in a digital age, as we do, it is important not to forget that a digital approach as well as a physical one can also have a major impact on a successful campaign. Your website acts as a first point of call for many students so its content, appearance and usability all require careful thought. Squiz, who have extensive experience building university websites, helped City University London elevate their tired legacy platform to a site that is easy to use for both end users and content providers and administrators. University websites are often very complicated. Squiz were able to use their own Matrix CMS to connect to the many different systems and portals that City University London needed by developing a custom framework that worked for them.

Filling your website with useful information is a great first step. You could also run a series of virtual open days that show your visitors what it’s really like at your university behind the scenes. This approach also works well in tandem with a mobile companion app. Guidebook, who boast an impressive retinue of prestigious higher education clients such as The University of Edinburgh and the Saïd Business School at the University of Oxford, can help you make an immediate impact on prospective students by creating a fully branded app for smartphones that students can use as their guide to your campus. Wayne Morris, General Manager for EMEA at Guidebook, says: “The most advanced universities are leveraging mobile to communicate with students all year round, even outside of term time.” Events, orientation, news, training and networking can all be leveraged by harnessing the power of mobile.

UCAS also use the influence of digital marketing in addition to direct mail. Lauren Duncan, Head of Education marketing Services at UCAS Media, says that both approaches have their merits. “Whether digital or DM, the ones that stand out utilise personalisation in a clever way, making the recipient feel unique and engaged with.” Some universities have started engaging with prospective students by using social media.

Social networking

Ms Duncan believes that social media is very important to modern higher education marketing campaigns when used correctly. “It [social media] can be a minefield as it can be accessed anywhere at any time with the potential to spiral out of control.” This is the challenge that the University of Keele faced when it launched its #NutsAboutKeele campaign. Social media is, however, integral to this generation of digital natives and can be a power tool for spreading the word. Ms Duncan states “A social media manager and team is becoming an increasingly important asset to HE marketing across the UK. When done well it can have a fantastic and lasting impact.”

De Montfort University’s (DMU) Razor’s Edge campaign was masterminded by the integrated creative agency Cubo. By avoiding the usual rational product claims such as facilities, and employability and instead focusing on creating an emotional connection with the audience by challenging them and speaking to them at their level, DMU and Cubo were able to build an eye-catching and memorable campaign with long-term brand equity. The heart of the campaign was the statement “DMU believes that everyone who has succeeded in life has challenged convention in some way.” Having a succinct mission statement will help you deliver a clear message to your demographic. Abbie Wood at Cubo offers this advice: “In order to stand out and impact on potential students, you need to be inspiring, challenging and provoke their interest – make an emotional connection, make them feel something. Don’t be shy to stand out and attract attention rather than blending into the landscape.” The Razor’s Edge campaign has been DMU’s most successful recruitment campaign of all time beating every target from applications, open day bookings and conversion rates to web traffic and social media interaction. Prospectus orders and brand awareness are also at an all time high.

ABOVE: DMU was able to build an eye-catching and memorable campaign with long-term brand equity

The factors that influence how to allocate your marketing budget is, of course, unique to your institution but many of the core elements can be applied to any successful marketing campaign. Your website should be informative, clear, comprehensive and easy to navigate and your brand message should be intuitive and inspiring. Maybe an eye-catching billboard campaign or a television spot is right for your demographic or maybe running a thought-provoking and intriguing series of advertisements in the national broadsheets will hit the mark. Often, the most successful marketing campaigns will approach the subject from many angles and working with the right media advisors really can help you make the splash your university deserves.

Top five industry tips for building a successful marketing campaign...

1. Have a clear message Joanna Young at Fat Media says: “Universities need to be smart about conveying the key facts that make their institution unique. It is imperative that marketing departments know who their market is, and develop strategies so that they know who they want to attract, how, and why?”

2. “Get the timing right” says Lauren Duncan at UCAS Media. The vast majority of applicants will be at the mercy of the school year. Work with partner colleges and sixth forms to make sure you’re reaching maximum exposure at a time when prospective students are beginning to think about these important life decisions.

3. Consider mobile first Wayne Morris at Guidebook is looking to the future: “Smartphone ubiquity is fast arriving, therefore any digital marketing campaign has to consider connecting with audiences on their mobile devices. Find experts in this space to enable you to do this at low cost and resource.”

4. Consider mobile first Squiz is very proud of the work they did helping City University of London rebuild their website from the ground up. “The University had a highly qualified web development team who were keen to learn how to implement a site in Matrix (Squiz’s own CMS) for themselves… This gave them flexibility and control that they’d never previously experienced.”

5. Look outside the sector - Abbie Wood at Cubo Group thinks that universities should take a look at how other successful brands market themselves for inspiration. “Look at tech, fashion, travel and FMGC brands. How are they engaging with their consumers?”

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Toys “R” Us Christmas Spot

The countdown to Christmas is in full swing – the trees are up, the presents are wrapped and the unique family traditions for the special day later this week are already set in stone. Christmas is the time for families to come together from all over the country or world to spend valuable time together and share love, laughter and gifts. Advertisers have successfully learnt to tap into the emotions surrounding the festive period, bringing us the joy and happiness of family reunions.

This Toys “R” Us Christmas TV spot from the US is no different, and will likely tug on the heartstrings of even the most stoic and cynical of viewers. Sure, you can question the use of military personnel in commerce and whether it’s right or wrong, but Toys “R” Us have managed to create an advert that warms the heart and helps us remember the importance of family in our lives.

American advertisers, in the past, have struggled to live up to their British counterparts in delivering ‘the Christmas ad’, with the Brits generating much higher traffic and sharing figures on social media (http://www.adweek.com/news/advertising-branding/why-arent-christmas-ads-big-deal-us-they-are-uk-168273). However, this advert will no doubt strike a chord with patriotic American audiences at a time of year where cheerful family gatherings are really all that we wish for – more so than gifts from Toys “R” Us at least.

Beyond the emotional narrative of this piece of work there are some small details that really make this advert stand out and deserve extra credit. In a year where we have seen gender stereotypes brought to the forefront in advertising campaigns (Check out Always #LikeAGirl Campaign or U Supermarket’s #GenderFreeChristmas Campaign ), this is yet another good example that challenges gender roles and audience expectations.

Yes, homecoming ads have been done before (e.g. Duracell’s The Teddy Bear Ad or Sainsbury’s Homecoming Ad), but this is the first one to depict the returning soldier as a mother! The percentage of women in the US army has almost doubled over the last 30 years (9.8% in 1983, to 16.3% in 2014), yet the ending to this ad comes as a noteworthy surprise. It is a refreshing, inverted portrayal of gender roles that focuses on the sacrifices all soldiers (woman or man) have to make, especially at Christmas.

I personally like the ad for the unexpected ending and its moving narrative. Its relevancy to Toys “R” Us can be questioned, as can the morality of including military personnel to sell products, particularly in an industry that’s manufacturing process is commonly so distant to the Stars and Stripes of America (75% of the world’s toys are made in China). Ultimately, it is the kind of ad that people love to share and talk about as we can all relate to the family loving we long for and look forward to at Christmas.

Merry Christmas one and all!

Jos Kirby, Account Executive

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Can drinks brands successfully embrace ‘craft culture’?

Chris Walmsley, Head of Planning and Founder at Cubo, examines why drinks brands must be careful not to become a cliche when embracing ‘craft culture.’ Read the article at The Publican’s Morning Advertiser. 

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Sorry John Lewis... it looks you’ve been knocked off the Christmas top spot

Lets face it, this year’s John Lewis Christmas ad, Man on the Moon, just didn’t make the cut. They told the story of an unexpected connection between a little girl and an elderly man on the moon, a heart warming attempt but as it aired tweeters cried out for last year’s #MontyThePenguin - never a great sign. According to research from We Are Social, results showed that in the first few days of Man on the Mood airing, conversations on Twitter dropped by 9% compared to mentions of Monty the Penguin in 2014.

Don’t get me wrong, I did enjoy it and many viewed it as a touching advert, highlighting John Lewis’s partnership with Age UK, and raising awareness of the important issue of loneliness amongst older people at Christmas. But unfortunately some online viewers branded it as a little “creepy”. As Jonathan Ross put it, in his show last Friday night, “usually we get the story of a cuddly animal… but what have we got this year, we have a creepy old bloke sitting on a park bench on the moon, spying on us through a telescope.”

It may not even be December yet, but online the battle of 2015’s Christmas advert seems to have already been stolen by none other than Sainsbury’s fury feline. The supermarket's three and a half minute feature narrated by Emma Thompson sees the return of a cat named Mog - trying to save her family home from being destroyed. Although Mog doesn’t quite rescue the house, the neighbours all lend a hand to save the family’s Christmas. Hoorah!

At the heart of both the John Lewis and Sainsburys adverts is the overwhelming sentiment that ‘Christmas is for sharing’. Whilst John Lewis attempted to stick to their usual heart-felt method, that has undoubtedly served them well in the past, this year’s story didn’t give me the same fuzzy feeling as their previous campaigns did. Normally I’m in favour of a tearjerker, but I felt this year’s advert focused a little too much on creating that “guilty feeling” in viewers. Sainsbury’s however tries something completely new, using humour, a lighthearted narrative and the right amount of emotion leaving me satisfied with Mog’s tale.

The ad is a brilliant example of why lovable characters and entertaining stories resonate in viewers. Not only does it help contribute to raising life changing funds for children in the UK, inspiring them to read and giving them the chance of a brighter future – it captures the real life magical meaning of Christmas.

There’s more adverts to come and opinions might change, but personally I love the blast from the past 90s story and we all know that you can’t compete with a cat video, even in animation.

Hannah Loftus, Creative Strategy Intern 

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Let’s Talk #BiggerIssues

Today is International Men’s Day.

Hell. F***ing. YES!

Chopping down trees, starting fires, throwing darts, building walls, talking about sports, driving motorcars, knocking stuff down, kicking a ball, looking at girls, peeing on the seat, scratching yo’ junk, growing a beard, drinking a beer…

MEN! BEING MEN!

Notice anything missing from that list? Anything at all?

How about depression? Or suicide?

Those two really don’t seem in keeping with the ‘laddy’ array of activities I laid out above, but they should. Because they’re real and they’re serious.

Not convinced?

Well what if you were to learn that a recent study found that 42% of men have considered suicide. Forty Two.  

Or how about if I told you that suicide is the single biggest killer of men under 45. An absolutely astonishing statistic, and yet it’s completely true.

But today – on this day of manly men, being men – The CALM Zone (with the support of 2 of the UKs biggest men’s brands) are making their biggest push yet to buck this trend.

Earlier this month, CALM and men’s grooming brand Lynx released a joint campaign to the whole nation, to raise awareness of these stunning stats – they launched #BiggerIssues. A Deliberately provocative campaign that juxtaposes trivial topics with the issue of male suicide.

Digital posters were set up and updated to chart, in real-time, major conversation topics on social media in stark contrast to the ‘bigger issue’ of male suicide. Plus every two hours, the ads have changed to represent the fact that that every two hours a man takes his life in the UK. With this all building up to a Thunderclap message that was sent out across social media channels at 8am this morning.

In addition to this, this morning CALM (with the help of Topman) gave out more than 25,000 ‘Mind the Chap’ Oyster card holders across London. I even grabbed one for you to see…

 So how can you help raise awareness of the fantastic service that CALM provide? Well it’s really quite simple: just go to http://www.biggerissues.co.uk/ and share the bejesus out of it.

A really powerful campaign for an extraordinary cause. Very well done.

Lloyd Jones, Senior Account Executive

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PayPal Fail

Mums and Dads across the UK rejoiced this weekend as PayPal made one of the more tricky tasks of parenting that little bit easier for them. That’s right, they killed Santa.

No longer do parents have to pop their kids on their laps while they clumsily splutter their way through the assassination of our beloved Cricky Cringle.

Instead, they can now just plonk their kids in front of the TV right before the ad breaks during Simon Cowell’s Great Trouser Expedition and let the bloodbath unfold.

You can just picture the scene:

“Gather round, kids, PayPal have something to tell you. Now Mummy and Daddy are just going to pop out for a little bit while you come to terms with it all, ‘K? Lurv you”

*locks door and runs*

Personally that sounds more fun than the way I learnt; when, after showing an older boy from my street the awesome new WWF Titantron toy that Santa had just got me, he responded with “yeah, I’ve seen it, it’s been sitting in my bloody house for the last month…”

19 was a tough age for me.

No, but in all seriousness, this was a stupid idea from PayPal. Really stupid.

The ingredients for a successful Christmas ad really aren't that difficult, John Lewis have been showing us how to cook them up for years (with this year’s rendition out today):

Quite rightly, this advert hasn't really hit the spot with UK parents. And – what with The ASA having received 233 complaints so far, plus my Twitter timeline going off on its biggest rant since David Cameron played fast & loose with that pig – PayPal have since been forced to publicly apologise and move the ad to after the watershed.

So what’s the lesson in all this, then? Well, it’s simple

Don’t mess with Old Saint Nick

Lloyd Jones, Senior Account Executive 

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Six key insights to build a start-up creative agency

Independence should be a state of mind not a statement of fact

We seem to be in an era when starting up your own agency is the default choice for those early on in their career. Independence is undoubtedly fashionable, which is great news.

We all benefit when our creative industries – be it music, fashion, television, film or advertising are attracting talent that is good (mad) enough to start their own thing and make a success of it.

Back in 1995 there were also a lot of us just starting out and we, like most of our peers, thought we could do it better than the big groups. In our case the “it” was integrated communications. The industry and the trade media were completely fixated on siloing comms by discipline and we were completely convinced the future was integrated.

The question was how could a couple of blokes in their early 30s, with no money, no office that we could call our own, and one old fax machine pull it off?

Honesty was the key in making independence sustainable

The solution was actually simple – be honest. Being clear with our offering and realistic in our ability to deliver, meant we had the best chance of making a success of our business model – a hub and satellite structure allowing us to focus on our areas of expertise and drawing on others in areas where we did not specialise. This model has served us well to the present day.

Over the past 20 years at the helm of Cubo with my business partner, we’ve learned a lot about what it takes to succeed - through the failures, the challenges and the highs. Here are my six key observations for anyone looking to build a successful independent agency:

1.    Make sure you have the right partner(s) from the start

The founders of an independent agency are crucial to its growth and success. They are one of the biggest value-add-ons for clients, a major draw for the right staff and, arguably more importantly, key to you keeping your sanity through the tough times. The ideal partners will share your values and ambitions, but offer different strengths and skill-sets. A strong culture will be key to success.

2.    Have a purpose

One that you and your partner are totally committed to that ideally the big players should be delivering but, for whatever reason, aren’t. Back in 1995 ours was integrated communications. 

3.    Think long-term, not quick sale

Everyone who starts an agency has thought about growing the agency for sale at some stage. However, this belies the true value you get from running an agency. Instead of setting up with the view of making a quick buck, you need to think long-term. When you do start to think long-term, it sets you up to invest in its eventual success; the agency becomes integral to you personally and many of the staff and clients become like your extended family.

4.    Prioritise content over fame

Focusing on your external persona before you’ve realised your internal culture won’t bring in returns in either the short or long-term. Continuing to invest in developing processes and relationships that reinforce your values, identity and style, will pay dividends; productivity will increase and word will spread externally, making any fame you achieve feel like its genuine and credible.

5.    Evolve your structure and processes, not your principles

The hub approach embodied by Cubo in the early years (Cubo means hub in Spanish) has always been the same. However, during the last seven or eight years we’ve evolved how we embody the notion. We are now building the Cubo Group where most of the specialist satellites are inside the group collaborating with each other.

6.    Don’t get too distracted by trends

As an industry we spend too long focusing on the latest trends. Of course, it is important to be cognizant of the trends and what is happening around us, and to read about the best new thinking and ideas. However, it is too easy to get distracted by the next big thing and miss what is actually important and at the core of what you’re trying to achieve. I ask my team to focus on three key things when making decisions about new ideas:

Will it help contribute to our clients and the people who buy their brands?

Will people really engage with it?

Can we deliver it to a high standard?

If the answer to any of these is no, then we shouldn’t be doing it, as it adds no real value to anyone.

And finally, one last bit of very practical advice for free… when you make some money, put three months overhead in the bank and not on the 3:30 at Kempton Park. I know, very boring.

Chris Walmsley, Co-founder, Cubo

As featured on: 

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#DaveTheDog

WestJet, a Canadian airline and no stranger to this blog (click here for a lovely Christmas poem and post from Lloyd), are now offering low-cost flights from Gatwick to Canada. To get the word out they worked up a launch spot that will make you smile, and maybe even LOL.

 I like this work because instead of shouting “Cheap flights to the Great White North,” WestJet did something with more personality and charm. Dave the dog is enjoyable to watch and I hope he shares another lifehack soon.    

Mariah Dillon, Junior Creative Strategist

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Hotels should never ignore their brand

Abbie Wood, Account Director at Cubo, examines why hotels should never forget the importance of investing in their brand. Interested? Read the article at Hotel Business 

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The ‘Soap Bus Ticket’

For this week’s post I want to take you all to a familiar, uncomfortable position we have all been in on public transport in the UK. The London tube drivers are on strike. The buses are packed to their full capacity with every unused inch of space between strangers scorned upon by fellow riders. A feast for germs hopping from one unsuspecting victim to the next through a cough, a sneeze or even just from the touch of a finger on the STOP button. If you thought the situation on packed public transport in London was bad, the stifling hot conditions on buses in Colombo, Sri Lanka are a whole new kettle of fish. The buses during peak times become a hotbed for passing all sorts of illnesses from the common cold to hepatitis. To make matters worse, public toilets in Colombo bus stations rarely provide soap for people to wash their hands after using the bathroom and before boarding the bus.

Asiri Hospital Group created an ingenious invention to stem the tide of diseases spreading on buses in Sri Lanka and also raise awareness of the importance of regularly washing your hands. Introducing... The ‘Soap Bus Ticket’ - a bus ticket infused with soap that would provide a lather when combined with water. The integrated campaign was supported by posters on buses and in public toilets educating Sri Lankans on the health risks posed by forgetting to use soap, a commodity taken for granted in the UK. 

This campaign is a brilliant example of thinking outside of the box to achieve your ultimate goal. Placing the advertising, quite literally, into the hands of their target audience which appeals to their senses of touch and smell creates an experience for the individual that they will not forget. It is so far away from the traditional mould of health advertising with leaflets in a hospital to remind you to wash your hands after making a visit to the bathroom. Sri Lankans who encounter the campaign will no doubt stop and be made to think about their cleanliness, particularly in crowded public places.

‘Catch It. Bin It. Kill It.’ you have just been outdone, sir.

Jocelyn Kirby, Account Handling Intern

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American ROM

ROM is a Romanian chocolate bar (get it) that bears the Romanian flag across its wrapper. During the recession Romania suffered greatly and young Romanians did not wish to associate themselves with their motherland. Sales of ROM were in steep decline and they were struggling to compete with the likes of Mars and Nestlé, due to ROM’s association with the nation.

So ROM decided to create a stir. They identified that their ties with Romania were partly to blame for their lack of sales and decided to pour lighter fluid all over their dwindling flame by rebranding ROM as ‘American ROM’ – same bar, same chocolate and same name. But instead of a Romanian flag, it was now adorned in the famous stars and stripes, because nothing says ‘winning’ like the USA.

Even the ads were in English just to kick the wasp’s nest a little more. All of a sudden and as if by magic people rallied behind the original ROM, however it wasn’t just the TV ads and Print campaigns, the packaging was actually changed to that of an American flag.

This insult to Romania forced the country and its media to take action. They hadn't realised just how proud they were of their country and of a brand that had always carried the standard until it was taken away. People took to social media, forums and even the streets to attack the new American ROM. At this time they released the reversal ad, stating that it was all a big joke and that the old ROM would return.

Having reached two thirds of the countries population, this campaign really became more than an ad; it was a conversation about national pride and once ROM was returned to its original form, the American ROM bars sold out as they were seen as prized and limited, and the good old ROM became the number one chocolate bar in the country once again.

This campaign is one of my personal favourites as it created a conversation between people away from paid media and wasn’t just a flash in the pan. The campaign really changed the fortunes of a brand, a brand that needed help.

Ben Jones, Creative Intern

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Like a girl.

Often brands default to using a woman’s insecurities to sell her a product. Thankfully as audiences become more aware of the motives of those sneaky little adverts, their power is somewhat diminished. Surely this is bad news for brands with products aimed at women? Not Always…

Always (see what I did there ;) have created a brilliant campaign to help break the limits that society places on young girls to ultimately help them hold onto their confidence during puberty.

Always launched their #LikeAGirl campaign with an advert that looks at what the seemingly-harmless phrase “like a girl” means like to different people.

After asking girls in their late teens, a young boy and a man to throw, run and fight “like a girl” we watch a female stereotype played out. They then ask young girls the same questions. These girls don’t recognise the stereotype inferred by the phrase ‘like a girl’. After running their fastest, throwing as far as they can and fighting their hardest they prove that girls are taught to be limited; not born to be limited.

This advert didn’t only make people rethink using the phrase “like a girl” as an insult, it also asks girls and women to reclaim the phrase and turn its negative associations into something positive and empowering.

This campaign gave us all a welcome break from sanitary pad adverts showing those disturbing blue liquid demonstrations and women laughing whilst kayaking. But mostly it has a feel-good and do-good message: whatever you do – be proud to do it like a girl.

...Unless of course you’re a boy. In which case feel free to continue doing stuff without the added hassle of under-wiring.

Alana O’Sullivan, Junior Copywriter

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Ryanair:  The Amazon of travel?

Micheal O’Leary, chief executive of Ryanair, wants to turn the airline into the “Amazon of travel.” 

Is this such a good idea? Chris Walmsley, Cubo’s head of planning and founder, shares his thoughts at The Drum. Find out what he has to say here.