The Union’s Post

After joining Saatchi in 1984 as a young Trainee Account Executive, I quickly realised that the creative department seemed like a far cooler place to work. Unlike account executives, creatives didn’t have to wear suits and ties; they could show up around 10:30 am in jeans and a T-shirt. This casual dress code was a refreshing change from my previous job as a barrister, where I felt like I was in a Dickens novel. Creatives also seemed to have more fun: drawing pictures, attending film shoots, sitting in director's chairs, and being treated like royalty by production companies eager to please. To me, this was the best job in the world. I decided to switch careers, but starting as a creative was challenging and discouraged at the time - account executives weren’t seen as capable of creative work. A portfolio of original ads was required to prove one's talent and lateral thinking skills. I needed a plan. I learned about a course, called the D&AD Workshop, where you could attend a series of evening classes and present your ad ideas (based on pre-set briefs) to top London Creative Directors. It was said that completing this course would make it easier to secure a creative job while also building a portfolio. I applied and was accepted into the course, which felt like a victory. I attended in secret, not telling my boss or colleagues at Saatchi. We worked on briefs for brands like Citroen 2CVs and Varta batteries, visiting different ad agencies around London. This gave me a chance to see what the competition was up to, and I was mentored by industry heavyweights like Ron Collins, Dave Trott, and Paul Wilmot. I enjoyed the course so much that I applied and attended a second time, eventually building up a decent portfolio. However, my career as an account executive was progressing rapidly, thanks to my boss and brilliant mentor, David Kershaw. I decided to abandon my creative ambitions, realising how challenging it was to come up with fresh ideas from scratch every day. (The idea of coming into work each day and staring at a blank sheet of paper is pretty scary when you really think about it.) Still, the course was invaluable for my career. It taught me to respect creative professionals, understand their challenges, and appreciate what makes a good idea and effective advertising. This brings me to the real point of this post. Today I saw a Lidl GB poster for nappies with the tagline, "A bum-per 10% off." It reminded me of the first rule I learned at the D&AD course: puns are verboten. They are seen as lazy and cheap. I never fully understood this - perhaps it's a form of advertising snobbery. I think the public respond differently. My wife laughed when I showed her the poster. What do you think? I’d love to hear from creatives about the dos and don’ts of using puns in ads.

Agency people have to work hard - that's the nature of the business. Sadly our business model is not always highly profitable, and margins are very tight. Therefore it's always a challenge to ensure that staff work-life balance is right. My old boss often said that a happy/winning agency is the easiest business to run; the converse (losing/sad) is the hardest business to run. So the 'play hard' bit of the equation is vital. We're lucky at The Union that we've always had a culture where Unionites love to party, and let their hair down. Many of the Union parties (such as the one where we all ended up swimming in our neighbours' very large fish pond) have become Union folklore. Last week was no exception - our Summer party theme was 'Dancing Queen', with a karaoke machine. As you can see from the photos, a lot of fun was had. (Despite some tone deaf singing from yours truly.) And, in case you are wondering, I went as Benny from Abba. (Although I eventually ditched the wig.) "You can dance, you can jive, Having the time of your life, Ooh, see that girl, watch that scene, Digging the dancing queen..."

Sometimes the best way to understand how an artist or architect thinks is to take a peek in their sketchbook and see how their early ideas were shaped and sculpted by pen and ink. I think that's the beguiling beauty of the hand-drawn scamp. It's a snapshot of the creative process, a tangible if rapid exploration of a thought that builds an essential understanding of composition, hierarchy and economy. I, for one, don't believe AI can replicate that experience in the slightest. The work below is just a sliver of the many ads created by Victoria Gerstacker and Manuela Ramirez for a single page press execution (a rarity in itself). A creative team from Edinburgh Napier University, they have been a breath of fresh air during a two month stint at The Union. I would recommend them to my network. They are the real deal.

Hyperbole or measured and evidence-based? I'd never heard of 'Shrimp Jesus' before. Have you? I had heard of 'Dead Internet Theory', but I didn't know that by 2025 99.9% of all web content will be AI generated. Nor did I know that vast majority of your web visits are not by humans. Generative AI is killing the internet...or going to kill the internet? Scary predictions. Make your own mind up - certainly this is a thought provoking video. I suggest it will change how you think if you're new to this topic. Lots for us marketeers to think about. https://lnkd.in/es99rFyy #internet #marketing #AI #GenerativeAI