Chief Creative Officer
Publicis Seattle
1) Content, digital, social, engagement, disruption, CRM, DDR, OOH, TV. Enough to give anyone A.D.D.
Watching trends in advertising is like watching little kids play soccer. Everyone chases the latest buzzword with hopes of telling clients “we got this.” But really, the most significant trends in 2015 were the same for the last 30 years. The agencies that understand and translate their brands’ “tone of voice” or “essence” into meaningful communications are winning, regardless of the platform.
2) Speed. Pure Speed. Our biggest client – T-Mobile – moves in real time. Telecom is ferociously competitive and having the right talent is imperative. We look for people who actually enjoy the heat and can deliver from brief to air in 4-6 days – And still smile about. Same with our production partners. We’ve had times where we’ve cut for six hours and presented to client that evening. We adapt both internal and external resources and use different mediums to react to market forces. Sometimes it’s purely a social play, sometimes it is big TV. The beauty of adapting our team to the one we have now is that there is no client we can’t think smartly for. Our more traditional timelines are a luxury for us.
3) A trick question, for sure. (Insert gasp face emoticon here). It has been a wild year for Publicis Seattle, from making our first episodic and branded TV show for Visit Seattle or the total rebranding of American Girl. I would like to say I love all my children equally, but we all know that’s not true. Any parent who says that is a liar. I think the more honest response is that we love all our children differently.
For me this year, it’s the Binge On work for T-Mobile. It was conceived, sold, shot and on-air in 10 days. We secured Aaron Paul to play our lead, director Matt Aselton to shoot it – And it was done by two juniors who were in their first week of work. I feel the spots turned out great because there was no room, at any stage, for it to be overthought. That shooting from the hip approach is also extremely fun in this psychotic business.
4) Shooting film. Actual 35-millimeter film. (And watching Stephan trying to pull out the Ursa’s in the garage would be hilarious.)
Oscar and Emmy-Winning Composer Kris Bowers Joins Barking Owl For Advertising, Branded Content
Music, audio post and sonic branding house Barking Owl has taken on exclusive representation of Oscar and Emmy-winning composer Kris Bowers for advertising and branded content.
Bowers’ recent film scores include The Wild Robot and Bob Marley: One Love, alongside acclaimed past works such as The Color Purple (2023), King Richard and Green Book. His contributions to television are equally impressive, with scores for hit series like Bridgerton, When They See Us, Dear White People, and his Daytime Emmy Award-winning score for The Snowy Day.
In addition to his work as a composer, Bowers is a visionary director. He recently took home the Academy Award for Best Documentary Short Subject for his directorial work on The Last Repair Shop. The emotionally touching short film spotlights four of the people responsible for repairing the musical instruments used by students in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD). The Last Repair Shop reflects the positive influence that musical instruments have on the youngsters who play them, and the adults in the LAUSD free repair service who keep them working and in tune.
Barking Owl CEO Kirkland Alexander Lynch said of Bowers, “His artistry, diversity of style and depth of storytelling bring an unparalleled edge to the work we create for global brands. His presence on our roster reflects our continued commitment to pushing the boundaries of sound and music in advertising.”
Johanna Cranitch, creative director, Barking Owl, added, “Kris first caught my attention when he released his record ‘Heroes + Misfits’ where he fused together his jazz sensibility with a deeply ingrained aptitude for melody, so beautifully.... Read More