Our 8/20 lead story surveyed a mix of ad agency people who were asked to assess how 2010 has gone thus far. We recently received an additional response from Russ Lidstone, CEO of Euro RSCG, London.
Asked how his agency has had to change or adapt this year from a business standpoint and/or creatively, Lidstone related, “We see this as a truly exciting time in our industry–the opportunities to create narratives around brands have never been richer.
“From a business point of view we have continued on the path of evolution so that we can deliver our creative ideas across new and old channels–from TV to social media, print to PR.
“There has clearly been a shift in focus of client media spend, so our desire and need to be able to execute ideas in an ever changing landscape means that we are constantly looking at ways to evolve the technical competencies and skill sets of the agency plus look at new models of remuneration.
From a creative standpoint, pointed out Lidstone, “the challenge remains being able to develop creative business ideas–strong ideas that can be executed brilliantly across channels and that deliver a return for clients, be it Green Britain Day’ for EDF Energy, ‘Let’s Colour’ for Dulux, or ‘Live with Chivalry’ for Chivas Regal.
Still, continued Lidstone, the fundamentals behind great creative ideas remain the same–“competitiveness, relevance and truth plus a differentiating creative approach. This is why, as an agency, we’re investing more in strong strategic planning, channel strategy, digital and creative talent.”
Regarding what project has been most important for Euro RSCG, London, so far in 2010, Lidstone said there have been several across a range of clients. However, he cited as one of the most interesting the “Let’s Colour” global campaign for Dulux (AkzoNobel Decorative paints).
The campaign entailed transforming dull and gray spaces into more interesting surroundings via the color paints. The venues livened up were Virginia Primary School and Tower Hamlets in London, Aulnay sous Bois in Paris, Lapa in Rio de Janeiro, and Chandpole Chowki in Jodhpur, India. The initiative was grounded in the desire “to add color to people’s lives.”
Lidstone recalled, “We won the [Dulux] business at the back end of last year against some stiff competition, and did so with a global multi-platform idea under the campaign idea of ‘Let’s colour.’
“It consists of creating real community painting events in four markets (in the first instance); utilizing the social web to engage communities to participate; documenting the activity with documentaries [helmed by Andrew Lang whose credits include the lauded Sons of Cuba]; and disseminating content via our ‘Let’s colour’ blog, Facebook, Twitter and Orkut.”
Lidstone added that the events in India, the U.K., France and Brazil were also filmed by Adam Berg of Stink, London, as advertising content for use on television and online.
“The advertising and localized painting events have just started to run in different markets, but this is just the beginning of the project,” noted Lidstone. “We’re excited about the campaign because it is a great example of challenging communication conventions, as well as doing good in order to drive commercial advantage.”
L.A. Location Lensing Declines In 2024 Despite Uptick In 4th Quarter
FilmLA, partner film office for the City and County of Los Angeles and other local jurisdictions, has issued an update regarding regional filming activity. Overall production in Greater Los Angeles increased 6.2 percent from October through December 2024 to 5,860 Shoot Days (SD) according to FilmLA’s latest report. Most production types tracked by FilmLA achieved gains in the fourth quarter, except for reality TV, which instead logged its ninth consecutive quarter of year-over-year decline.
The lift across all remaining categories came too late to rescue 2024 from the combined effects of runaway production, industry contraction and slower-than-hoped-for post- strike recovery. With just 23,480 SD filmed on-location in L.A. in 2024, overall annual production finished the year 5.6 percent below the prior year. That made 2024 the second least productive year observed by FilmLA; only 2020, disrupted by the global COVID-19 pandemic, saw lower levels of filming in area communities.
The continuing decline of reality TV production in Los Angeles was among the most disappointing developments of 2024. Down 45.7 percent for the fourth quarter (to 774 SD), the category also finished the year down 45.9 percent (to 3,905 SD), which placed
it 43.1 percent below its five-year category average.
The two brightest spots in FilmLA’s latest report appeared in the feature film and television drama categories. Feature film production increased 82.4 percent in the fourth quarter to 589 SD, a gain analysts attribute to independent film activity. The
California Film & Television Tax Credit Program also played a part, driving 19.2 percent of quarterly category activity. Overall, annual Feature production was up 18.8 percent in 2024, though the... Read More