Tuesday 28 June 2016

Day 1 BBH Review (Meeting John Hegarty)

Intense first day.

Had a talk from the great John Hegarty and even got a signed book, amazing.

The man blew my mind, such a vast knowledge, his very presence speaks volumes of where he stands in this industry.

I only had enough time to ask him one question!

It was more reassurance then a question.

I can't remembered exactly the question I asked but it was something around getting to a idea.

Basically I referenced the Rolling Stones, how they didn't actually have a process to produce great music, but it simply came to them when they concentrated.

They messed around all day and then near the end of day or even the week, boom there jamming would produce gold.

What I was asking is coming up with a great idea better organically in your own way instead of following a list/process of rules?

Hegarty gave me two examples I can remember.

1. Simply from grabbing a insight from the world around him.

2. Finding a insight in his inner belief on something.

What I got from that was there are two types of thinking, but all come down to a insight/truth.

I prefer the second one, taking something from you to produce great work, more natural, more different/unique.

Makes you feel more like a artist in a sense.

Don't mark everything word by word, its only what I can remember from my conversation with Hegarty.

The whole point of this conversation was simply that creativity has no process, its just a means to create, and thats what it should forever be.

Near the end of the day, I was drinking in the pub before the game that England pissed up the wall.

And I said to some friends "When you start to think of it as advertising, you start to produce advertising".

I believe to create great work, you need to stop thinking of it as advertising, only then will you break boundaries and make something new.

Come up with a idea of course, but execute like a fine artist.

Anyway enough with my preaching, got more work to do now as I sit alone early in BBH.

Thanks for reading!

Monday 27 June 2016

Final Week of Watford and Watford Books

The final week of my Watford tour.

BBH the destination.

Psyching for the end and the beginning of my career at Mother.

Thats the following week of course, Mother.

Two weeks to show them I am their man.

That Creative Brummie is what they need at the agency.

I still feel I have sooo much more to learn.

I guess thats why I am scared of leaving, but I think its more then that.

Tony has helped me every step of the way, without him I would never of greatly improved my thinking or even touched top agencies such as Mother.

In the end you never stop learning as a creative, your always finding something new in this industry.

Continuity discovering is the key to being a great creative, its your arsenal in a sense, the brain hardware that gives you great insight that form into great ideas. 

I just need to start running as soon as I hit the floor in the real world.

Ahhhh BBH, what a great agency, founded in 1982 I think, by three members that broke away from TBWA, one of them the great John Hegarty.

I hope I see him this week, I heard a rumour he is doing a talk for our class, the man is a legend.

I would ask for him to sign a book of his I have in my collection.

Jesus, I sound like a right fan girl.

Its a shame really that people don't have anything close to the excitement I have for advertising, the industry would be a lot different if they had.

We would have more people applying for Watford.

Its a growing problem at the moment with only three people at the interview when I was there.

We would get soooo much more talent into the industry, moree competition, moree heated rivalries, creatives the world would talk about, like epic matches in similarity to Ali VS Frazier.

I dream that, well I treat my career like a sport, a athlete competing at the top, and I want to be at the top, whatever the means, muscling it out with the best to be the best, champion of the world!

Yes I do go over the top, but I love advertising.

So as I sit in the reception of BBH writing this lengthly post out, I am thinking can I blow the doors off this party and beat the teams to a placement at BBH.

I kinda like being a single, the thrill of fighting teams, being a one man band is kinda cool.

However depending on my time at Mother, I will soon have to be looking for that special someone, but right now I like being the Creative Brummie.

Anyway down to the stuff I bet you really want to see.

Well my student book is compete.


I wish I did far more to it, but hey ho life goes on, the next book I will make when I am a junior creative.

Well my book I can promise you, no one will have what I have in that book, so the unique freshness give it some bite, plus it is bonkers, I just wish it had more emotion tho.

Anyway I asked my class for some of their books as reference for those wanting to get into Watford.

So this is what I got.




Anyway I need to cut this short, BBH is calling.

Anyway if you got this far congrats!

Thanks for reading!

Peace out!!!  

Thursday 23 June 2016

WATFORD 2016

The last week is fast approaching on the Watford course.

And we are all working at BBH that week.

This just sums up what a amazing experience this year has been. 

And I am glad I put my complete faith into Watford, even when SCA came calling.


Two of the teams have already left the course early to start their careers at Creature and Rainey Kelley.

All the other teams have got loads of placements/work trials at AMV, BMBVCCPBBH, WCRS, Grey, CHI, Saatchis, Burnetts and Droga5.

As a solo creative, I’m off to work at Mother, an amazing opportunity and one that I will aim to smash.

I also had an opportunity at Brothers and Sisters

So its a no brainer when you are looking for the ad course to get you into the industry.

Tuesday 21 June 2016

Tony I'm back!

Nearing the end of my Watford course, I took part in the interviews to see who will be the next top talent to grace the course.

I had the honour of sharing the hot seat with Tony as we judged portfolios to setting a one hour brief, everything was given 2-3 minutes presenting time.

So any of you reading this blog planning to get onto the Watford course, be quick and clear.

(There are literally loads of examples how to present your ideas all over my blog.)

But the most important thing I felt we looked for was passion and energy, that burning desire to get knocked down and get back up again and keep on going.

I'll always say this and I'll say it again talent doesn't make this business that is advertising, its passion and energy, god dam willpower!

I like to think, and this is how I do a book critic, to review the individual as well as the book, because its not the book I am hiring, its you.

And its only you that will improve, the book is simply extension of you.

So for people who just review the book not the person, there losing out.

The interview was fascinating, learning how Tony judged and picked those he felt would work well for the course, I like to think of it as learning experience for when I run a agency or even a course.

I hope to do both in the future.

And I think I am on track with my predictions so far, as I was welcomed by a email this morning from interviewee who I told I felt had got onto the course yesterday.

It is that same interviewee that has inspired me to get this blog back up and running, as I have discovered that most of the interviewees this year use this blog as source material.

I was over the moon to hear and see the effects of this blog in work with her presenting work in similar fashion to me at my interview.

And as a result getting on!

So I want to carry on this good work and post my experiences in agency life, tips on how to be a better creative and of course what this blog was originally built for how to prepare for the Watford course!

So please email me at creativebrummie@gmail.com if you are serious and hungry to get into Watford and break into this amazing industry that is advertising.

I will answer your questions and even set you the right briefs to make your book attractive and Watford fit for the course/industry.

Now I am trying to figure out how to finish this post, I guess it will have to be with man boobs!

Man boobs that solve problems!

Thanks for reading!