1) As a creative it’s been hard to ignore the chaos brought about by significant cost cutting and reshaping by clients across all agencies in 2018. I have to believe though the industry will come out stronger at the other end because of it. I’m an eternal optimist.

2) Sharing of creative resource and adaptability, agility of different disciplines within the Publicis network has been key to some of our successes this year. Changing the way teams are structured, bringing in design far further up the creative process. As someone who started his work life in design, I’m good with that development.

3) Publicis New York had their best year at Cannes ever, even though the agency didn’t enter anything, our clients did. Our Diesel – Go With The Fake experience piece, and our ongoing Walmart and Citi campaigns have been highlights.

5) Personally speaking, to try and get around more exhibitions and art shows, sometimes you can spend too much time in your agency bubble and not get outside it. It’s something I did weekly in the UK, it’s tougher to find the time in the US. Professionally we have so many pitches and projects in the works, I’m committed to making sure we create a work life balance that is appealing and reasonable to our existing talent, and future talent. I feel this this an issue that is overlooked in the industry. I also believe we need to bring in talent from more diverse backgrounds, there’s a program we’re working on to make sure that happens.

1) I think some of the biggest developments we’ve seen are around the consolidation of big agencies and a turn to more independent creative shops. Famous, legacy agency names going away and with that the bloated infrastructures and dysfunction. There continues to be a push for more diverse perspectives from all genders, races, cultures, and disciplines contributing to how ideas are created, enriched and delivered, which actually reflects our society today.

2) We have rallied around the core of what we do best - creating world-class creative ideas that help our clients win in the market. There’s a lot of pressure to be everything to everyone and for BBH it was time to lean in harder on what we are great at and match ourselves with the clients that need and appreciate it. The pressure for brands to connect with consumers bomarded with thousands of marketing messages every day means we need to help connect them to the idea in many different ways and constantly strive for new methods to do that. We still have the expertise to deliver in multiple outputs across a very fragmented media landscape but it starts with an insightful, creatively potent idea at the center.

3) Our “Play Fearlessly” film for PlayStation, “Freedom to Fuck” campaign for Planned Parenthood of NYC, the Survivornet.com website design, “War of the Floor” activation for PlayStation and our data-driven “Seamless Awards” campaign for Seamless.

4) I have no way of predicting the future but I’m hoping to see more creatively driven agencies become more appreciated and, in turn, make the changes necessary to become more relevant to clients’ needs. I’m hoping to see more inspiring work from a storytelling perspective that connects emotionally with the viewer, who not only is a consumer but happens to be a human being. There’s so much garbage out there. I would like to see the negativity and fear mongering press headlines go away.

5) Staying true to who we are, more unity, speed, simplicity, and empathy. Maybe fewer carbs.
 

1) As a result of the #MeToo and Time’s Up Movements, brands are taking a harder look at themselves and the consumers with whom they are trying to connect, and making strides in engaging with female consumers in positive and constructive ways. Given this, we’re seeing an increase in campaigns with pro-female messages, and imagery to empower women and girls, which has helped to insert positive messages into the public narrative. There are new rules for marketing to women, and I imagine this will be very prevalent in 2019 as well.

2) As an independent agency, we’re able to evolve and grow our company in ways that are of the greatest benefit to our clients and our work. This year, that translated into increased investment into our production, post production, social and experience design capabilities in particular. 

We also have a mantra of using creativity as a force for good, and this year we partnered with social issue-driven communications firm RALLY to add more firepower to our work in this realm. Together, VB&P and RALLY work with a variety of entities, from brands to advocacy organizations, to develop impactful communications campaigns and guide them through political and social opportunities and challenges. 

From a talent perspective, we’ve brought on a number of amazing folks across departments this year. I recently joined VB&P to head integrated production and couldn’t be more thrilled for this opportunity.

3) I’m very proud of our work on the global Audi e-tron launch. As an official automotive partner of the Emmys, we created a multi-platform launch to introduce the e-tron, which was revealed the same night as the awards ceremony. 
Because the Emmys were technically a few hours before the actual reveal of the car at the San Francisco Auto Show, we were unable to actually show the car in the ads. We aired the “Unleashed” series of teasers which gave viewers sneak peaks of the e-tron, building the excitement for the full reveal in a 60-second spot that told the story of how electric mobility is about to change.

On the heels of the unveiling of the e-tron, we created a four-day interactive pop-up of a futuristic charging station in the middle of San Francisco. The activation consisted of a kinetic energy capture, LED swings, an innovative menu of reimagined “electric provisions” curated by James Beard award-winning chef Stuart Brioza and chef Nicole Krasinski from State Bird Provisions. The entire experience ran on social currency where the visitors received special LED bracelets that provided access to the station’s amenities when they shared or posted about the experience on social media.

4) Vertical video is a standard deliverable for pretty much every piece of content we create. With Instagram Stories now reaching 400 million users a day, we will start to see a bigger push for social media advertising. I envision the rise in Stories ads will result in agencies creating content specifically for vertical video. This is a great creative opportunity for brands to create shareable and compelling content. One might think the size is limiting, but I think the sequential nature of Stories is a fun format to use in the concept.

5) In the year ahead, we’ll keep pushing ourselves to creatively raise the bar of our work and solve business problems in innovative ways. As an agency and as individuals, we’ll also work to take care of our own corners of the world and affect positive change—a theme that Paul Venables talked about recently at the 3% Conference, and which I think is hugely powerful in today’s divisive culture. 

Also, as part of our work with RALLY, I look forward to being a part of more social good related projects with brands and advocacy organizations.

1) There was a lot of doomsday talk for the ad industry as a whole this year. In-house agencies became an answer to faster and more efficient. And consultancies became an answer to the rising demand for immediately measurable ROI and a more comprehensive understanding and implementation of data. Time’s Up and #metoo shed much needed light on injustices in this industry and beyond. Diversity and the need for equal pay and equal opportunity became a greater focus and conversation. All of this added up to an industry that is in the midst of a big shift. An exciting shift. A shift that puts a greater focus on ensuring the people and voices in this industry are as diverse as those it serves. And that the experiences and connections we create reflect the innovative desire and interactions of today’s consumer.

2) As a fast, modern, independent agency, we embrace change. Rather than focusing on the doomsday conversation, we got to work doing what we do best: problem-solving. We evolved our production studio to be even more nimble and fully integrated into the process of all our brand relationships so we could deliver content and campaigns faster. We reoriented the agency to more agile, collaborative working groups: low numbers, high accountability. We continued our search for talent that looks, thinks and acts differently. We embraced new creative inputs and launched a campaign for NBA 2K that used data as its muse and driver. And we continued experimenting with new processes, structures and approaches to building brands in unexpected ways. We don’t have it all figured out. Which is good. We’re at our best if we’re always in beta.

3) We were able to make some great work with our friends at NBA 2K. The 2018 launch campaign, “They Will Know Your Name”, kicked off with the reveal of cover athlete LeBron James and a cover design that featured the different names he’s known by. The cover went viral, with people creating their own versions. We then hijacked the NBA Draft, having future phenom Trae Young expose the campaign tagline “They Will Know Your Name” stitched into his suit jacket on his way up to the stage. And finally we launched a TV spot that had Lebron challenge the world to take the throne. The launch was a success, and inspired a follow-up OOH and pre-roll campaign that creatively used data to reveal how many players, teams and rivalries were on at any given time, showing just how big the NBA 2K party really is.

4) There will be a continued move toward faster, more collaborative and more adaptable. Agencies that are able to orient themselves as an extension of their brand partners’ in-house capabilities will find new opportunity. There will also be a continued focus on data and the ability to dissect it in creative ways. More and more, creative agencies will need to know when to be driven by the data and when to simply be inspired by it. But in the end, brands will still need big ideas, storytelling and smart strategy. Creativity and the power of disruptive ideas will ultimately always win.

5) BSSP’s New Year’s resolution is to continue living up to its mission of Fast, Modern, Independent and Unexpected. To continue bringing in diverse talent and supporting initiatives that promote more diversity in this industry. And to create work that impacts culture in the biggest, most positive way possible.

2) Smashing Silos. It wasn’t easy. Sometimes you just need to go out there and imagine your Super Mario and get it done. Currently, there isn’t a content studio or digital studio or even a technology team silo. We looked at our talent and their combination of skills. We noticed a trend – the rise of the hybrid. We leaned into this and created collaboration orbits. These are like-minded people together who are all part of the same creative collective but with a clear career growth path. We also mobilized a talent and culture unit which focuses solely on talent resources, talent development, and strategic engagement. It’s been a herculean team effort but we’re getting it done and couldn’t be more proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish.

3) Eliminating the gender pay gap at the agency. I’ve learned that strong and focused leaders can make things happen fast and change the environment around them. Making progress versus talking about progress is very empowering. It’s encouraging for us all.

4) Creative Data Storytelling. We sometimes put the focus on technology, tech stacks, and collecting data. Telling stories using data is part art and part science. I really think that businesses that are able to distill clear focused narratives using data will be the winners in the long run. It’s an exciting area and I think we’re only now starting to unlock the potential.

1) The industry landscape is changing, both in terms of what marketers need from agency partners as well as the capabilities that are the most effective.This has led to a rise in agency partners with unique offerings that are able to more nimbly deliver culturally relevant work. Also, it’s been a unique time where we’re seeing brands take on a more active role and voice in cultural issues.

2) Sid Lee is a versatile, full service agency with broad capabilities ranging from traditional advertising, design and architecture. In 2018, we expanded our entertainment offering creating content for a variety of studios and streaming networks. The market has changed due to a huge volume of content and platforms available, and it’s an exciting time for agencies to seize opportunities in this space. The challenge for our clients is that consumers don’t want to be marketed to - they want to be communicated with in an authentic way. This translates to creating contextually relevant work that drives earned media and recommendations within the target audience. Because the world changes on a daily basis, seizing on a contextually relevant moment requires us to concept work on a much faster timeline--sometimes within days or hours. Our LA office is a nimble agency that looks at the landscape differently. We have small teams that aren’t constrained by traditional agency roles. Often creative, account, production and strategy are handled on a collective basis which inspires ownership, accountability and most importantly collaboration.

3) In partnership with NFL, Yahoo Sports developed a first-of-its-kind app that brings fans live, local and primetime games for free. No sign, no cable or satellite subscription - just free football at the tap of an app. This not only marks Yahoo Sports as a serious player in the digital world of sports, but signifies a new era in football viewership and makes way for a new generation of fans.
To celebrate, we created a larger-than-life music video with the help of up-and-coming hip hop duo, The Seige. Putting a modern twist on the classic Monday Night Football theme song, they created a custom track aptly titled “Show Me the Football”. The music video embodies the spirit of football and speaks to a younger generation by weaving reality with surreal, digital animations and legendary moments from all 32 NFL teams. 
As with most productions, we experienced some challenges. To alleviate any potential setbacks, we made sure that all parties from the NFL and Yahoo Sports were satisfied throughout production. To achieve this we had daily check ins and open dialogue with our clients. 

4) There have been many changes in the industry that will most likely continue into 2019. The first being a trend of smaller agencies winning business due to them being nimble, allowing more cost effective approaches with less layers. The second is a growing marketing need to audiences of entertainment and streaming companies, which is a result of the volume highly produced film content they’re creating. Additionally, we believe that Los Angeles will continue to shine as technology and entertainment hub.

5) In 2019, our goal is to keep growing the Sid Lee LA office by creating culturally relevant, impactful work that will attract and retain great talent. We will continue to establish ourselves here on the West Coast and across the country. We have a lot of exciting projects on the horizon that we’re looking forward to working on in the New Year, including an exciting new product launch for The North Face, rebranding the 2019 Sundance festival, growing our entertainment marketing group and much more.
Personally, I hope to travel and read more, spend less time on my phone and spend more time with my kids.

1) At the end of 1993, I transferred to a school in LA. It was 10 days before the Northridge earthquake which took out the 10 Freeway, the city’s primary east-to-west artery. So, I had to learn to get around town without it. Facebook is kind of like the 10, and the election was kind of like Northridge. I don’t know if this is a trend or not, but I find myself getting around without Facebook a lot more now. I’m still on there, it’s not like I deleted my account or anything, it just doesn’t play the role it once played and there doesn’t seem to be anything comparable.

2) I’ve been in this role at mcgarrybowen a little more than two months, so literally everything is a change for me in 2018. All the resources are new, all the technology, and all the strategies are new. What’s struck me initially is how progressive mcgarrybowen’s approach to strategy is. It wasn’t until I got to Droga5 that I even saw strategy and comms work in concert. And at mcgarrybowen, Jen (Jennifer Zimmerman) and her team have really impressed me with new initiatives to integrate smarter comms planning.

3) Having only been in this role for two months, my list is pretty short. (I got all three of my kids successfully enrolled in a healthcare plan, but that’s probably not the type of work you’re asking about.) I did get to work on some cool stuff for DAZN with Smuggler’s Brian Beletic. And I got to meet Michael Buffer, Canelo Alvarez, and Oscar De La Hoya (who stopped by the set). So that was pretty awesome.

4) The second half of this decade has been wildly unpredictable. So, I don’t know how much stock I’d put in my predictions--I think my crystal ball is just trolling me at this point. The only thing I believe we can truly depend on is clarity of purpose. Brands that have a clear purpose will continue to navigate the cultural landscape successfully and on their own terms. Nike proved that to us yet again in 2018. The industry can learn a lot from their example, and if they don’t, 2019’s going to be a long year.

5) I’ve got this new job to figure out and lot of people to get to know. There’ll be a ton coming at me from every angle and I need to remember to enjoy it. This is advertising, not banking. We can get up every day and do something we hate, or something we love. So, I resolve to do the latter. And get more sleep. And go to the gym. And drink more water, eat better, order from Seamless less, and go to the dentist more. It’ll be an exhausting first week of January.

1) More, cheaper, faster. These three things are definitely top of mind this year. And I don’t mean this necessarily in a negative sense - rather it is the truth of the practicalities of what our industry is demanding of us right now. Clients are facing it, agencies are handling it, and vendors feel it too. We’re all in this continuing disruptive and evolving labdscape - so while challenging in many regards, I’m finding with my agency team/personnel ways for us to create more innovative projects and meaningful branding opportunities for our clients. Thanks in large part to our amazing collaborators on the vendor side. They sometimes are the unsung heroes making us all look good. So here’s my little shout-out and thank you to them. Thank you.

2) I think that one of the biggest challenges that we face in 2018 on the behalf of our clients is finding ways for brands to play meaningful roles in consumers’ (re: an audience) lives. For me, one of my favorite projects I’ve ever been able to help out on (let alone in 2018) was our MGM “Universal Love” project. Alongside executive producer Deb Archambault, the creative team at McCann and the executive music producers at Wool & Tusk, we worked tirelessly to create an album of love songs intended for the LGBTQ+ community, with household names like Bob Dylan and Kesha. Not only was it recognized within our industry but was lauded amongst music experts as well--which I think goes to illustrate just how robust and innovative it was--and on a personal level, it felt like such a win, particularly within the current political and cultural environment, which all too often feel like a loss. It was amazing for us to work with a brave client to effectively create cause-based work that resonated on a larger cultural level. #UniversalLove #Pride

3) MGM Universal Love - as mentioned above - is something I am, and always be, super proud of. Was nothing short of epic. Additionally, the Mastercard campaign around this past year’s Grammys that I was able to work on with SZA and six up and coming artists (William Prince, Radkey, Victoria Canal, The Tracks, Ruby Ibarra and Noe Socha) was not only so much fun to work on (weeks working at Electric Lady Studios!!!), super successful for the brand (incredible ROI, metrics and brand recognition) but it even went on to positively impact the lives of the emerging artists, who have since had additional successes in the music industry.

4) More cultural relevant and resonant work that has a meaningful role in people’s (not just consumers) lives. In many ways, at one of their best, brands can be patrons of the arts and of change and cultural impact. These are the kinds of projects that I’m particularly keen to work on.

5) New Year’s resolution is to be brave, innovative, create meaningful work and be an unflaggingly force of positivity in the world.

1) The most significant trend in influencer marketing right now is the rapid growth of the whole industry. Marketers across verticals and industries are beginning to thoroughly understand the value of having a strong network of influencers and brand ambassadors on board, as well as see it as a cost-effective way to reach new customers and demographics. The rate of growth in influencer marketing is staggering – it’s estimated to hit $10b by 2020.

2) At Obviously, we’ve focused on building and constantly improving our own in-house proprietary technology platform to handle influencer marketing campaigns from A to Z for our clients. With our technology, and our persistent approach to improving it as the market changes, we’ve been able to scale our influencer marketing campaigns to handle thousands of influencers at a time without sacrificing quality. 

This year, we reached an advantageous position in the market. We’ve succeeded at automating the time-consuming and tedious aspects of running an influencer campaign - such as collecting shipping addresses, managing product selections, shipping, and reporting results – which frees up our account managers to ensure our brands and influencers receive consistent personal attention to pull off incredible campaigns. 

To illustrate this shift in scale – when we first started, one account manager could handle one campaign per month with about 25 influencers. Now, with our tech, that same account manager can handle about 30 campaigns per month, with each campaign including dozens, if not hundreds, of influencers, while still having the time to do one-on-one outreach with influencers and brands alike.

The combination of our technology plus our team of influencer marketing experts means we’re handling the growth of the industry without the growing pains typical of a huge business boom. Not just handling – but doing an incredible job as well! 

3) This year, we tripled our revenue and quadrupled our team of account managers. Our growth is the direct result of our consistently excellent work in strategizing, executing, and reporting on influencer marketing campaigns for world-class brands. We are working with icons such as Google, Lyft, Sephora, Warner Brother Records, and Rock the Vote, many on a long-term basis, and we’ve been able to meet and exceed their influencer marketing goals.

1) My, how the great have fallen. The infallible duopoly seems to be under real pressure. Consumers either really care about their privacy and place a priority on trust… or… the bandwagon is too hard to pass up and consumers are okay with just looking the other way.

2) Deutsch needed to respond to a demand in the marketplace amongst our client roster to quickly and efficiently make everything from tv commercials to branded content to episodic and unscripted entertainment, leading to the expansion of Steelhead, a full-service production company backed by Deutsch. Considering the ever-evolving world of social advertising and the wide set of digital deliverables on every project, we invested in further building out our production offering in NY and LA. With over 42,000 square feet of production facilities - including two sound stages with suites for casting, wardrobe, and hair/makeup, 12 edit bays, 2 record/mix rooms and over 32 visual FX stations – we are now able to meet that high demand. Building out the Steelhead capabilities has allowed us to retain the quality of work our clients are accustomed to, while emphasizing scalability and flexibility to deliver across all integrated assignments.

3) For Busch Beer we partnered with the National Forest Foundation to allow people to participate in the planting of 50,000 new trees. Our idea was to create pre-roll ads on YouTube with a simple premise—if you watch our pre-roll ad for the entire 30 seconds and don’t hit the skip button, we’ll plant a tree for you. In an age where hitting the skip button has become an involuntary reflex, three out of four viewers chose to stay and watch for the whole 30 seconds and have a tree planted on their behalf. That was double YouTube’s benchmark for view-through rate and in less than 24 hours, all 50,000 trees were ready to go. It was a great idea for a great cause.

4) People are vulnerable right now. The state of the country and the world has people’s emotions bubbling just below the surface and sensitivity to messaging is at an all-time high. It is an opportunity to help brands connect and show that they care. Empathy is the trend that advertisers cannot ignore.

5) While working in advertising is very creatively fulfilling, I do believe it’s important to set aside some creative exploration just for yourself. No deadlines, no pressure and just one client—you. My New Year’s resolution is to try to squeeze that in a bit more in 2019. In college, I was a painter and an illustrator. While I don’t have room to stretch eight-foot canvases in my NYC apartment, I do have room for an iPad Pro with Procreate. And it’s just big enough fit in my stocking. (Hint, hint, Kim. Ha!)

1) This year we saw experiential budgets rise as brands have come to realize that Millennials, Gen Z, and just about everyone else are seeking out experiences over things. That’s because in the age of social sharing, and with all of today’s multifaceted ways to reach consumers, the integration of experiential into brand strategies has become paramount to breaking through. As opposed to traditional marketing, brand experiences generate buzz, inspire social content, and influence future purchase decisions like never before—and in positive ways. We also saw consumers rediscover their love for older technologies and analog experiences, which provide the kind of physical, tangible reality that a purely digital world simply cannot. At the same time, we are seeing the growing power of micro-influencers completely change the way brands authentically connect with their targets, helping to amplify and reward what real people are sharing on social. And, as project-based pitches and work become the new norm, the agencies that have the structure to adjust and accommodate this growing trend will come out on top.

2) We’re Magnetic was born as an experience-first company, so as brand marketers turn to live events, we continued to invest in our people—adding to our unique staffing combination of insights and strategy, creative, business leadership, live event producers, as well as technologists, technical producers, architects, detailers and engineers, all under one roof. This enables us to be extremely nimble in a world where timelines are getting shorter and budgetary pressures are greater than ever. 

We’ve also enhanced our insights offering through the creation of Magnetic North—which delivers the cultural insights and strategies clients need to stay on top of what’s trending or soon-to-be-trending across key verticals and categories. 

We’ve applied this unique mix of insights-driven, experience-first marketing to everything we do—including projects like Facebook’s on-site experience at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, Netflix FYSEE, Lyft Press Events, Oculus Go, and numerous pitch projects.

3) We’re proud of the work we do for all of our brand partners. A few highlights include our work for Netflix and Facebook. Netflix FYSEE was a five-week experience that targeted judges leading up to the Emmys. It brought to life over 40 Emmy-nominated shows through unique installations and show-specific programming each day, and was then opened to the public garnering massive fan appeal. For Facebook, we designed, built and managed their Facebook Beach experience at Cannes. Within this space, every product vertical was represented, including Instagram. In partnership with artist/designer Es Devlin, we helped create Instagram Storyscape–a multi-media, immersive installation that told the story of Stories through the ages. It broke through the clutter and garnered attention from both festival attendees and the press, including Adweek that wrote: “Instagram’s Gorgeous, Immersive Es Devlin Experience is the Most Powerful Thing You’ll See at Cannes.” 

In terms of challenges, we encountered mostly logistical ones that included building the entire Facebook installation in London, shipping it to France, having to load-in the experience by hand onto a sandy beach, and get it working flawlessly in under 48 hours. Inside, we also had a ton of tech that had to work flawlessly under 80+ degree temperatures.

4) Looking forward, we will see the continuation of experiential marketing move up the funnel to the forefront of the briefing process, and also become more sophisticated across both B2B and B2C. Experiential budgets will continue to rise, and experience-first marketing will drive richer, innovative 360-degree thinking to amplify the live experience and better connect with consumers. When it comes to content and driving scale, micro-influencers will find a much more meaningful role inside marketing plans. For agencies, if you aren’t built to be nimble, you’re going to find it more difficult than ever to attract and retain clients. Whatever your business objectives may be, if you want your brand to make a meaningful, long-lasting impression on real people, experiential needs to be at the top of your brand strategy.

5) In general, I look at each day as another chance to learn something new and grow as a creative leader. When it comes to a specific 2019 New Year’s resolution for our firm, We’re Magnetic continuously strives to set the bar high for what experience-first marketing should look like. We exist to help the industry and our clients evolve to deliver the kind of experiences that today’s modern consumers are seeking, and to think differently about their approach to designing for live.

1) According to my LinkedIn feed, this is the year advertising officially died. But then again, according to my LinkedIn feed, this is also the year that Advertising saved itself. It’s also the year I learned that data is most definitely the answer. But I also learned that all the data is probably flawed. I also learned that Gary Vaynerchuk is absolutely right and wrong about everything simultaneously. 
I could go on all day about my slight obsession with LinkedIn, but I think the biggest trend is that there are so many trends appearing, disappearing, and converging constantly in a never-ending flow of information, ideas, and opinions. The complexity facing marketers around how, what, and why they spend their money is almost paralyzing.

Brands that have a clear, creatively driven strategy will continue to thrive in this environment.

2) With the diversification of media and an increased need for content, advertising and marketing have become real-time endeavors. For lack of a better metaphor, imagine the game becoming more like soccer (or football for the rest of the world) where there’s an overarching strategy going in and a group of people try and execute it. However, those people are empowered to take advantage of situations as they come about. While at the same time there are stoppages in the game that allow for more planning. In this (admittedly convoluted) metaphor, the agencies that will thrive in the future are those can operate in all three phases of the game, the strategic planning, the ability to react and execute instantly while maintaining the craft for bigger set pieces. 

Agencies that can adjust to this more real-time model will thrive in the future. Pereira O’Dell has always delivered great creatively driven strategic solutions; over the last 18 months or so, we’ve been trying to figure out ways that break down the barriers between creative, communications strategy, and production to be able to operate more efficiently in the real-time world as well.

3) It should be illegal for you to ask this question to someone in client service, but since the editor of SHOOT has a gun to my head right this minute, I’d say the “Movie Poster Movie” project we’re doing for Adobe. It’s a campaign that invites students to make a movie poster and then Adobe and Zach Braff are going to turn it into a real (short) film. The project is really Adobe’s brand in action. The whole project is about unlocking creativity for everyone involved from the students who participate to the director making the film.

It’s been a fun, exciting and a little crazy process – after all our partners at RSA committed to make a movie with no script – but the final product is going to be amazing and, hopefully, something that makes everyone feel proud.

4) To quote the late, great William Goldman, “No one knows anything.” Now more than ever, worlds – advertising, entertainment, content, journalism – have begun collapsing onto each other. We have celebrities launching branding agencies, athletes launching content companies, tech companies trying to suck up all the oxygen, accountants becoming creatives, agencies creating production companies, production companies going direct to brand. It’s crazy out there. My groundbreaking prediction is that it’s not going to get any simpler in 2019.

5) A personal resolution of mine is to stop looking at my phone so F-ing much. The constant distractions aren’t doing me any favors creatively. Now that I’m a million years old, I’m coming to value the ability to focus and concentrate more and more. I also feel fairly confident in saying that all multi-tasking does is let me do more things half-assed. (I’d also like to stop swearing so much, but I think at this point I’m beyond repair.)

1) There were many things that shaped the year. Advancement in diversity and equality was one positive force, and it’s encouraging to see more women get the recognition and opportunities they deserve, in advertising and in culture at large, and for voices that were once suppressed to now be heard and affect change. In the ad world specifically, we’re continuing to see the agency model evolve dramatically. Smaller to mid-size firms are now at an advantage given their ability to do more with smaller budgets, pivot and adapt in ways that clients need to move at the speed of culture. We’re also seeing new players coming into the advertising space, from consultancies to production companies, looking to do and offer more, and creating new service options for marketers. Regardless of this evolution in our industry, true creative talent, breakthrough strategy and powerful ideas will always reign.

2) With the massive influx of new channels and platforms, and the reality of tighter marketing budgets, there’s a growing need from clients to really hone in on an approach that’s most effective for their brand. While most of the industry separates media and creative services, we don’t believe this leads to the best outcome. This year, we invested in a media services division and brought on media mastermind Grace Teng to lead this practice, with a focus on developing more well-rounded strategies for our clients. We also always hire creative talent whose skills reach far beyond traditional advertising, and whose approach is adaptable and always pushing for new and better ways of doing things. The result is that we’re able to better meld media, creative, and technology thinking and execution, and ultimately deliver the right work that reaches the right audience at the right time.

3) In terms of work that we’re proud of, I think that the Vitaminwater Active “Sorta-Fit Spokesguy” serves as a great case study of a brand forging its own path within a category. Recognizing that most people see sports drinks being consumed by only athletes or sports personalities, we believed there was an opportunity in creating a brand and drink for the rest of us—those that maybe only want to exercise occasionally and are far from fitness fanatics. Finding a unique positioning and audience within this crowded category was an interesting and fun task for us, and I love the outcome of the work. 

In terms of challenges, every creative is forever challenged to keep a core idea on track throughout the process, and deliver against a specific business goal. But that’s our job, of course, and the path to the best work.

4) While this is nothing new, I think there will be a continued push from most brands for innovative, creative solutions outside of traditional advertising and media. That said, there’s a lot of cross-pollination happening right now. It’s interesting to see more non-traditional, progressive companies like Google and Facebook becoming more present in traditional places, and using powerful imagery as a means to break through and truly capture people’s attention.

There’s also a growing consciousness in culture of the time and focus we put into our digital devices—and also a recognition that we have greater clarity when we’re off of them and more present and awake to the world around us. I think that the brands that understand that and are very thoughtful and strategic in how they use both traditional and non-traditional marketing will win. There are certainly great benefits and opportunities in both.

5) A pretty standard resolution for me each year is to surround myself with inspiring people that are pioneering in their fields and pushing the status quo. Outside of advertising, I’m a fine artist and produce a lot of conceptual sculpture, and these types of inspiring influences are a huge driver of all of my work both in and out of the office. 

For our creative department at Zambezi, we’re always looking to dial up the craft in our work, and next year will be no exception to that focus. Now more than ever, anyone can create things, whether it be on their phone, tablet, computer or other, yet beautifully crafted and evocative work will always be the ticket to break through.

In my personal life, I’d like to see through some significant art pieces made with new materials by the middle of next year.

1) This has been the biggest year for change that I can remember. The holding company model is certainly being challenged. We’ve seen big mergers across the board, from CRM to brand agencies, and new models appearing as agencies try to diversify their offerings in order to stay competitive. Agencies and holding companies alike are constantly looking for new ways to structure themselves, but one thing remains the same: great work is great work.

2) We’ve been following industry trends closely, like most agencies. We’re leaning heavily into data and social listening, and we’re excited about our in-house content creation and nimble production capabilities. The biggest change for us this year has been in our attitude and energy - we’ve adjusted our mentality to that of a startup. Without the traditional hierarchy and siloes, every challenge that comes our way is met with our full, collaborative attention. We’re working so much faster - it’s very refreshing.

3) I’m proud of all the work we’ve produced. I’m also very proud of the culture we’ve built within the agency that makes room for new talent and voices to emerge. We’ve invested in the personal growth of everyone in the company, and our output reflects that.

4) I’m sure we’ll see different types of offerings from smaller agencies – they can do quite well in a climate that demands fast content. The legacy agencies will have to adapt in order to stay competitive.

5) Our resolution this year is to continue to build on what we’ve discovered over the past twelve months. By deepening our commitment to a culture of free flowing creativity, personal growth and development, and an all-hands-on-deck attitude, we’re making space for exceptional talent to rise up in every department. Our clients can feel that energy, and the results speak for themselves.

1) What an intense year this has been. Our country is divided. The daily news is equally heartbreaking and terrifying. The planet is on a dangerous path. But in our industry, we have had moments of greatness. In our best moments, we’ve used our power for good. 
We’ve asked brands to define their purpose and stand up for what they believe in. We’ve celebrated good deeds, courage, love, family, and compassion. We’ve focused on creating inclusive communities within our agency environments and worked to make our industry make-up more diverse. We’ve put our damn foot down on sexual harassment. We gained greater awareness of the impact of our buying power and are taking significant measures to diversify our production partners. We are using technology in new ways to enhance our production possibilities, making what used to be impossible now possible. And we’re using technology to simplify the lives of our audiences. I’m reminded of Newton’s third law: For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. I’d like to think that our industry is more aware of its power and working towards a positive reaction now when it’s needed most. 

2) This was a very significant year for Forsman & Bodenfors. Our New York office worked closely with the 3% Movement, the Paradigm team, ADCOLOR, and other valued consultants to make significant strides in building an environment where all employees feel safe and valued. We merged two agencies that had shared values and complementary skills and became the new Forsman & Bodenfors, a new creative collective with 8 offices globally. We’ve adopted a flat, collaborative structure where the task is the only boss and are building tools to allow for interoffice/intercounty team collaboration. We’re building GrowYourCircle.org, a tool for the industry that will allow producers from any agency to find production partners across all aspects of underrepresentation.

3) I’m most proud of our work for Goldman Sachs’ 10,000 Women initiative. This is a global initiative that fosters economic growth by providing women entrepreneurs around the world with a business and management education, mentoring and networking, and access to capital. Earlier this year, a brief came our way to produce an integrated campaign for this initiative and it was obvious to me that we needed a female director but then I asked myself, “why stop there?” We challenged ourselves to make the entire production crew female. While we did not quite meet this goal, we were able to put together a team of predominantly women, from agency and production all the way through post-production. This obstacle inspired us to build GrowYourCircle.org, a tool that will give access to agency producers and production partners who are looking for skilled talent from different underrepresented backgrounds and experiences. There’s more to come from this tool in 2019!

4) Change is happening at exponential speed. Many of our clients’ industries are preparing for massive shifts in their business models like the auto industry, retailers and any brand competing against direct to consumer newcomers. The media landscape is changing by the second. And more than ever, audiences are making buying decisions based on a company’s brand values and purpose.

5) Creatively speaking, I want to find new opportunities with new interfaces like voice. I want GrowYourCircle.org to become an everyday tool for agency producers in every agency. Personally, I want to take my family to Asia. More family vacations. Less news. More hugs.