1) I was most thrilled to see the Free the Bid initiative from Alma Har’el take off! It is such a smart and simple way to create opportunity for female directors. The entire agency got behind the initiative as soon as we heard about it, from the senior management to our team of producers around the U.S. In fact, we’ve been big proponents of female directors for some time, but since we’ve signed the Free the Bid pledge, we’ve already awarded three jobs to female directors, which will release in early 2017. I believe the initiative will not only create opportunity for female directors, but also create an awareness to be open-minded to diversity across all roles within our industry.
2) We have had to adjust how we function to remain efficient yet productive in a world where more and more production is considered out of scope. Long gone are the days of a lead producer with dedicated support staff for each account. We still need to respect our creative process and the steps we take to successfully bid and execute productions. We just have to do it with a much leaner staff. So a team with effective communication, chemistry and reliability are paramount. We strive for diversity within our group as our skill sets and responsibilities need to cover more ground.
3) This year, Hotels.com’s Captain Obvious decided to run for president, by physically running across the country. I’m proud of how much content we created along the campaign trail, including five TV spots, 51 online videos, and GIFs and green screen assets so people could make their own satirical content.
And then there is our NBA 2K17 work. From a spot honoring Kobe Bryant on the night of his retirement, to assembling eight of the NBA’s biggest superstars in another, it’s been a trip working with such talented players, and our own talented crew. Everything was directed in-house by CP+B LA creative directors Andrew Jasperson and Jeff Dryer.
We’re also really proud of a very non-advertising campaign we did for Kraft Mac & Cheese. In looking to announce the biggest change in the beloved brand’s history – removing artificial flavors, preservatives and dyes – we decided to do absolutely nothing. They sold the product quietly for three months. When we finally announced the change with a TV campaign and other tactics, people realized the iconic taste hadn’t changed.
4) I hope the “next big thing” is a whole new world of content, told from a female’s voice. From social to VR to traditional content, there is no limit, and so little that we’ve seen from a female director’s perspective. Feeling the momentum behind the female creative empowerment movement is amazing.
