Local or International? It’s a conundrum, on YouAdDaily

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For a country the size of Wales, the Netherlands sure does have a lot of creative agencies, design bureaus and digital hot shops. When I first moved to Amsterdam from London in 2000, I was gobsmacked by a list I saw in Adformatie, roll-calling the ‘Top 100 Ad Agencies’. This statement implied that there were plenty more where these came from, the rest just hadn’t made it to the giddy heights of the top rankings. Surely, I pondered, this country wasn’t big enough for 100 of any business, except, perhaps, cheese shops?

But I was wrong. Amsterdam, in particular, is awash with creative talent just itching for an agency to attach itself to. Up until recently there’s even been enough client business (pretty much) to go round. The question is - local or international?

Obviously, there’s nothing wrong with either. Play to your strengths, do the best work you can pull off and conduct yourself with a bit of integrity - I’d have thought that was a good starting point for any business. I’m always surprised, however, at the number of people who make a sport of sneering at the prospect of either local or international projects. And, occasionally, both. What are people ashamed of/threatened by (delete as appropriate)?

In the last two or three years, in particular, there are more and more opportunities for agencies to establish themselves on a regional playing field, if not win coveted international business. Gone are the days when ‘international’ meant 180 or Wieden+Kennedy. These days, pitch consultancies and clients alike know Amsterdam through the work of TAXI Europe, Amsterdam Worldwide, Perfect Fools, Sid Lee, and de-Construct, amongst many many others. Surely, the more respected the Netherlands (Amsterdam) becomes on the international industry stage, the better we all do? If Amsterdam wins a new European festival, such as the arrival of Eurobest at the end of November, we all win.

Locally, we all know there are excellent Dutch agencies competing fiercely in the market. Some of those agencies are also highly skilled in crossing the border between local and regional markets - Grey Amsterdam, for example, or BSUR, or Lemon Scented Tea. It just seems to me that there are too many agencies who think that by saying, ‘we work internationally’, then - ding! - with a puff of fairy-dust, it becomes so. It so doesn’t.

For a start, if you are going to work internationally, please think about employing a few people beyond the Benelux map. Sounds obvious? Then you’d be surprised how many companies don’t think so. Far too many companies see ‘international’ as little more than a word in the credentials presentation. You are not going to truly get under the skin of a global A-brand if, come lunchtime, all the guys eat their boterham met hagelslag cut into quarters, with a knife and fork (the single least sexy thing I have ever witnessed, by the way). One reason for an agency like Wieden+Kennedy’s success (and a key differentiator within its own network) is the 20+ nationalities under one roof in the Amsterdam office.

A cultural melting pot brings its own challenges to any agency, but, great gods, it certainly informs the work.

Agencies come and go - some even stick around - but one thing is certain: locally, regionally or internationally, Amsterdam’s reputation as a centre of excellence for the creative industries is nowadays firmly secured. So long as agencies make an informed decision as to who they are talking to.

Posted on October 26th, 2009 Top Back to Top

The Ego Has Landed - Is Posturing Part of a Creative’s Job?

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Whenever I’m working on launching a campaign, there is one part of my job I never look forward to. Last minute changes? An ftp site that simply doesn’t work? Running out of coffee when I’m struggling with a deadline? Nope - the credits.

The credits - this simple list of who did what - has spectacular power in separating the men from the boys. Journalists who write about ad campaigns, whether it’s integrated, print, TV or viral, sometimes - but, and this is key, not always - request additional background information. They want to know the major players, so they can credit them. Sometimes accreditation is limited to name of agency, but mostly the executive creative directors, producer, director, art director and copywriter will be lined up to receive a bow. Does everyone who busts a gut pulling the campaign together get to see their name in print? No. But were they included on the credits list along with someone from just about every department who sneezed over this project? Generally speaking, yes.

I get it; you worked long and hard, above and beyond the normal call of duty to get this campaign rolling. You want some recognition for your efforts, especially if you are proud of the results. That’s why I’m happy to include your name in a small but perfectly formed don’t-mess-with-me credits template. I know a journalist isn’t going to credit everyone every time, but if seeing your name on a list on a website is going to help you sleep better at night, then sometimes you’ll be lucky.

What I don’t get, is how seeing your own name in print becomes the be-all-and-end-all to the perceived success, or otherwise, of a PR campaign. And why is it always the creatives who act out?

I can secure exclusives in leading NL, UK, and US publications, place interviews with key members of the team, and follow this up with campaign coverage in every major international industry publication. I can even get coverage talking about how much PR coverage there’s been. But if you don’t see your name in print, Mr Art Director and Ms Copywriter, or worse - you see someone else’s name where you think yours should be - then you’ll be throwing your toys out of your Bugaboo faster than I can say ‘Hollywood called, they’re loving your work’.

For the most part, people conduct themselves with a fair amount of dignity. An account director, a planner, or the guy who re-set the alarm this morning, is not especially inclined to make a fuss if their name doesn’t come up in a Google search against the latest campaign title. And let’s be fair, the majority of creatives aren’t either. But if anyone is going to shout at me on the phone, call me incompetent or generally bitch and moan, then, honestly, it’s going to be a creative.

My question is this: what is it about the creative psyche (or the way in which they are allowed to behave at work) which sanctions this kind of behaviour? Nature or nurture? Are creatives good at their job because this is a fundamentally ego-centric and volatile part of their character or through our misplaced hero worship - the creative is king! - have we created a monster?

Rather than a witch hunt, screaming that the PR is shit, or burning me as a lazy heretic, creatives need to appreciate that I don’t single-handedly control the media.

Suggesting that the success of a campaign comes down to your name in lights is arrogant, foolish, ignorant and just plain wrong. We all get it, a creative campaign needs creatives pulling their weight and doing a brilliant job. But wouldn’t there be more time for brilliance if you weren’t on the phone to me wondering why I’m deliberately persecuting you because you aren’t credited?

Dignity. Always dignity.

 

This article appeared on Monday 5 October at YouAdDaily.com.

Posted on October 5th, 2009 Top Back to Top

Rankin and Palmer focus on breasts for Pink Ribbon Magazine

Grey Amsterdam’s campaign for Pink Ribbon Magazine (NL) launches this month, with magazine print work by celebrated photographer Rankin, and a TV commercial by Gorgeous Productions’ Chris Palmer.
 
Pink Ribbon Magazine NL, published by Sanoma Publishers, is a charity glossy magazine from which all profits are directly donated to the Pink Ribbon Foundation, Netherlands.
 071Everyone involved has donated their time free because it’s for breast cancer awareness. The campaign is created by Pieter van den Heuvel and Ecco Vos.  

Executive Creative Director Seyoan Vela, says:

“Everybody knows breast cancer is dangerous, that it should be taken seriously, that therapy and research need funding. Breast cancer, and the battle against it, is something that unites all women, no matter where they are from, how rich or poor or what culture.

Not only are all women potential victims, also almost all women know somebody that has had breast cancer or is currently dealing with it. In that sense, buying Pink Ribbon Magazine is a sign of solidarity.”
 
To see the print work, click here.

Grey Amsterdam has taken a new way of looking at the issue, through the eyes of uk photographer Rankin. The magazine print work sees three executions - each with the breasts of a model, either young, middle-aged, or older. A celebratory and poignant poem is written across the body, about the breasts. The breasts are seen as a pair of friends, with names, who should never be parted.10

The TV campaign is directed by Chris Palmer of Gorgeous Productions. A call was put out throughout the Netherlands, asking for women of any age to volunteer their services in the tv spot. More than 1000 women, aged 16-72, volunteered to be part of the shoot and show their breasts.

Click here to view the TV spot.

Posted on September 30th, 2009 Top Back to Top

DAY Amsterdam designs Europe’s first Nike Sportswear store, Paris

day-logo1DAY in Amsterdam has designed the first Nike Sportswear store in Europe. The store, opened in Paris this month, is the first of a series throughout Europe launched by Nike Sportswear, a new division of Nike.

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The new Nike Sportswear collection is based on timeless sports apparel and shoes, with a brand identity which includes images of classic gyms, well-used equipment, and urban environments. DAY’s brief was to push the existing US conceptual retail style further, using the location – an old bookstore in the heart of Paris’ Le Marais district – to influence the concept.

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Creative Partner, Gesina Roters, said:

“The heritage of the building itself directly influenced the concept development. The store had been left closed but intact for more than 40 years, so we were able to use traces of wear and tear - such as the floor, which had been repaired but not restored - to our advantage. The result is a store which balances heritage with a modern contemporary twist in sports performance.”

 

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As the first of its kind in Europe, the store is a high-visibility example of DAY’s creative business solutions and interdisciplinary design expertise.

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The retail and interior design concept for Nike EMEA is headed up by Creative Partner Gesina Roters and Managing Partner Louk de Sevaux, with Mette Hoekstra (design).days-nike-sportswear-store-paris-5

Posted on September 27th, 2009 Top Back to Top

FinchFactor’s article this week on You Ad Daily: ‘Compromise- It’s A Killer’

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Compromise - It’s A Killer

We’re all aware that this is a difficult time for the ad industry right now. Most of us are suffering from client cutbacks in one shape or another- and it doesn’t look like the light at the end of the tunnel is guiding our way out of the financial darkness just yet.

So now would be a silly time to turn down business, right? We’ve got staff to feed, bills to pay, lifestyles to lead, and any money that goes towards cat kibble or replacing those dud light-bulbs in the agency foyer is money well earned. After all, that Cup-A-Soup dispenser doesn’t replenish itself. And there’s a new kit needed for the agency football team. Right?

Seems to me, it’s a question of compromise. Of walking a safe route between financial collapse on the one hand and a damaged or mismanaged reputation on the other (which could well lead to financial collapse in the longer term anyway). This giddy tightrope walk can feel as precarious a journey as that performed between the Twin Towers by Philippe Petit in ‘Man On Wire’: one false step and there’s no net to catch you should you fall. And everybody’s watching.

Compromise - it’s a killer.

Let’s say a current client wants you to work on a new project. Okay, it may not be stellar, or creatively challenging, or potentially award-winning, or play to your strengths even, but you are inclined to accept. You have a relationship with this client and the business acquisition involved was minimal. Ker-ching, money in the bank. But what happens when a potential new client, perhaps one you aren’t that excited about, offers you the chance to pitch for a piece of business? A project which will take up precious resources during the pitch process and do nothing to progress your creative output. Or stimulate the team. Or, let’s be honest, provide so very much bang for buck.

Turning down business in this ‘beggars can’t be choosers’ market- refusing to accept any job at any price - can require supreme confidence and the courage of your convictions. Holding out for those clients, or projects, which will further your business and develop your team involves a quality control mechanism which goes a long way to managing your reputation. And let’s be honest: not every agency has an in-built shock-proof shit detector. A creatively-led company? Too much ‘vanilla’ advertising and people start to notice - not least your staff. You can’t sit on your laurels forever.

Of course, accepting new business wherever if falls from the tree means, generally speaking, better financial security- a stocking up of the food larder against even more frugal times. No one wants to let staff go. Or cancel the Friday biscuits in a cost-cutting exercise. But consider the signals you are sending out, both internally and externally. How does an agency maintain its reputation for premium work if it is perceived to be spreading its reputation thin on inferior projects?

I suggest you develop nerves of steel, the balance of an acrobat on the high wire, and an expression a Las Vegas card shark would be proud of. I’m off to practice my Poker face.

Posted on September 26th, 2009 Top Back to Top

Twitter action pays off with new client for FinchFactor

This week sees FinchFactor winning a new client through the social media power of Twitter. The Reel’s weekly newsletter of industry soundbites tells us how.

The Reel Newsletter

 A Finch who tweets!


Know anyone who’s got work through a Twitter referral? We do! Top notch Amsterdam-based queen of PR Kerrie Finch won herself a client though her uncanny knack at being brilliant in under 140 characters. In her own words: ‘Burt, sister company to Daddy (now CP+B Europe) tweeted they were looking for PR, someone I didn’t know responded they should contact FinchFactor - they did. And now I’m working with them. All that tweeting has paid off!’

http://finchfactor.com/

If you don’t already follow the lady herself on the tweetdeck, get involved - @FinchFactor. Not only are you guaranteed nuggets of ‘Dam based info, but you’ll also be privy to chucksome minecdotes. Plus she says we’re good at karaoke – so we love her!

Posted on September 21st, 2009 Top Back to Top

First in a new series of articles for Dutch ad industry news site, You Ad Daily

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Made redundant, let go, downsized, fired, surplus to requirements, no longer needed, on gardening duty, laid off, cut. It all comes down to the same thing: you’re out of work. Welcome to the world.

In Dutch, there’s just one term for it - ontslagen - but to a Brit, there are subtleties at play not to be messed with. You were laid off, made redundant? That sucks, but take heart my friend, it’s strictly business. You’ve been fired? It’s your fault. You either fiddled the books, stole something noticeable like a photocopier, or you were really rubbish at your job (I just can’t believe you lasted this long).

Over the years I’ve been the innocent bystander in a number of cost-cutting exercises; once I even deserved it (I was a young career pup and didn’t know any better). The first time? London 1997, a brand experience agency specialized in the toy industry. I was caught in the crossfire between one business partner who’d just given birth to her third child, and was leaning a little too heavily on the vodka, and business partner 2 (that husband of hers).

He was a micro-manager par excellence and former Navy SEAL who treated every project like a covert operation for the Special Forces. Damn they were good. However, due to this, that and the other, they’d had to ‘let me go’. Frankly it was a relief. That company taught me two valuable lessons, though: never work with a pregnant husband and wife partnership; and, don’t take it personally. Unless, of course, it’s personal.

There’s the time the digital agency moved lock, stock & barrel back to Sweden (“We’re relocating. No, we can’t take you with us”.) I once got locked out of a Consumer Tech agency’s computer system after a company meeting (“If your password is blocked, then sadly, we’ve had to let you go”). And, more recently, I was told: “We just can’t afford to keep you on, but let’s keep it hush-hush for now”. This, whilst sitting in a glass-walled goldfish bowl of an office, smack in the centre of a glass-walled open-plan floor, perched at an elevated table on tall stools. After having been summoned to the meeting over the internal speaker system. Sure. Keep it on the down-low. Right.

It’s happened before and it’ll happen again.

These are turbulent times, where belt-tightening is required and there’s no shame in a company facing a harsh reality - ‘the clients have cut back, so must we’. It’s tough all round. Unfortunately, too often the cutting back is done without grace or regard for reputation management. Of course, sometimes we’ve just got to take it on the chin. But I’ve heard too many stories of employees feeling let down, disrespected, appalled at the way their former employer has handled the exit policy (if there even is one), that last ‘I’m sorry but’ conversation. An agency may have enjoyed eight strong years of loyal service from Account Director X, but, like breaking a mirror, one final slip-up and you could be left with smashed glass at your feet, bloody scratches and seven years bad luck.

Reputation is everything. The quickest, strongest way to build it is word of mouth. And break it too. Your people are your ambassadors. Whether working in the local market or internationally-focused, Amsterdam’s creative industry is a small incestuous pool: we splash around, getting our feet wet, often jumping from one boat to another, seemingly regardless as to whether it’s the Goodship 180, HMS Indie or the Water TAXI.

 And as we go, we’re talking all the way.

Think about the number of people freelancing these days, or looking for a new position. As they go from one place to another, interviewing, meeting people, they are storytelling. And if the last experience was inglorious and undignified, those war stories can get ugly. No matter how long they worked for you and how happy the relationship had been.

 

Read more at http://www.youaddaily.com

Posted on September 21st, 2009 Top Back to Top

DAY has clear designs on the Middle East & Africa market

day-logo1DAY Creative Business Partners, Amsterdam, extends it’s worldwide offering with the opening of DAY Dubai. From the new location, the company services major advertising, integrated design, interiors and packaging projects throughout the Middle East & Africa (MEA) region.

 

DAY Dubai launches with it’s first client - Sudan’s largest privately-owned company, The DAL Group.

 

Established in Amsterdam in 2006, DAY combines creative thinking methods with brand strategy, interdisciplinary design and advertising as a key asset in business development. A cross between management consultancy, brand consultancy, advertising agency and design bureau, DAY services international clients, including Bugaboo, The Van Gogh Museum, Ziggo, Nike and Orange.

 

dubai-media-city-2The DAL Group, Sudan’s largest and most diversified privately-owned company, has appointed DAY as preferred supplier in all aspects of brand and management consultancy.

 

Operating across consumer, industrial, agricultural and property development sectors, the DAL Group is the exclusive bottler and distributor for Coca-Cola (DAL Food Industries Co. Ltd.), has the largest and most advanced mills in the Sudan (SAYGA Flour Mills), is the exclusive distributor for both the Mitsubishi Motors Company and Mercedes-Benz (DAL Motors Company), and is the leading producer of dairy products in Sudan (Blue Nile Dairy Company Ltd.)

 

DAY Dubai’s Managing Director, Dennis de Rond, said:

“Our relationship with the DAL Group has been developing over a number of years. This is a major heavy-weight client for any agency, and DAY is honored to be selected as preferred supplier. The DAL Group operates throughout the region as a leader in its field, with a strong vision for business development and regeneration. There are a wealth of projects to get our teeth into as we establish and grow our Dubai office.”dubai-media-city

 

Working from both Amsterdam and Dubai offices, DAL Group projects are headed up by Strategy Partner Dennis de Rond, Creative Partner Gesina Roters, and Managing Partner Louk de Sevaux, with Omer Elmaien (account director) and David Verburg (designer).

Posted on August 5th, 2009 Top Back to Top

Grey Group EMEA appoints Hazelle Klønhammer as MD in Amsterdam

Grey Group EMEA completes the reorganisation of its Amsterdam agency today, grey_adamwith the appointment of Hazelle Klønhammer to the role of Managing Director. Formerly at 180, Wieden+Kennedy and Modernista! Amsterdam, Australian-born Klønhammer has an established track-record in successfully managing international business for creatively-led clients.

 

Working closely with Executive Creative Directors Colin Lamberton and Seyoan Vela, Klønhammer will be responsible for building Dutch business as well as extending the strengthened Grey offering to international clients. The no-silos, creative approach focuses on holistic soluhazelle-klonhammertions and flexible resourcing to meet the changing communications needs of clients.

 

Klønhammer’s strong track record for winning new business and re-positioning global brands is evidenced in her work as group account director at Wieden+Kennedy. Over a 10 year period she worked on numerous brands such as Nike, Heineken, Microsoft, Carlsberg, and the global launch of Vodafone. She was instrumental in setting up the agency’s digital offering and was responsible for winning their first digital client, Electronic Arts. Since leaving W+K 18 months ago, her senior management skills have been in play at Modernista! and 180. Prior to this, Klønhammer has also worked at Amirati Puris Lintas, Sydney, and TBWA Campaign Company.

 

Hazelle Klønhammer, Managing Director, says of her new position:

“It is the attitude of the people rather than particular categories or brands that is important to me. I like to work with people who are positive, highly motivated, fun loving and inspired by their work. I am a sucker for a good challenge. The Grey network has an exceptional reputation - with Colin and Seyoan in the lead I feel confident we can make Grey Amsterdam a creative powerhouse. And have some fun along the way”.  

 

The newly established team reports directly to Carolyn Carter, Grey Group EMEA CEO, with immediate effect.

 

Carolyn Carter says:

“With Hazelle onboard, Grey Amsterdam’s strategic-creative leadership balance is firmly established. Clients, both current and future, local and international, will benefit from her significant digital background and prowess in managing integrated brand solutions without a creative bias associated with a particular market.”

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Executive Creative Director, Seyoan Vela, continues:

“Hazelle has clearly demonstrated her ability to work across disciplines - her track record in developing digital business opportunities and working strategically with clients speaks for itself. Together, the management team will be concentrating on what we consider clients value – a strategic blend of focused, creative insight and integrated brand leadership.”

 

Lamberton and Vela, known for their pioneering work methods as co-founders and Creative Directors of St. Lukes, joined Grey’s EMEA team in London in 2007. They provided the creative muscle behind two successful regional wins, Toshiba and Fortis. In May 2008 they moved with the Fortis win to Amsterdam as Executive Creative Directors, to rebuild the agency as a new kind of creative resource for Grey’s local and multinational clients.

 

Grey Amsterdam’s client list includes GSK, Procter & Gamble, Unilever Nederland, Fortis Bank Nederland, Manpower, Fashioncheque, Abbot Nederland, Roche, Eli Lilly, Gemeente Lelystad, Mees Pierson and Stichting Nederland Schoon.

Posted on July 9th, 2009 Top Back to Top

DAY rolls out visual ID for Dream Amsterdam

DAY has rolled out a new visual identity for Dream Amsterdam, the annual city-specific public art event.day-logo

The on- and off-line visual presence for Dream Amsterdam, which includes billboards, website, email, posters, merchandise and postcards, was created by Creative Partner Gesina Roters, with Lotte Peters and Carolin Hermann (designers) and Fleur Bos (project manager).

Dream Amsterdam was established in 2007 by founding director and curator Jamain Brigitha. It is an annual opportunity for an internationally acclaimed artist to present non-traditional art in public areas, by using the city of Amsterdam as a source of inspiration, canvas, set and exhibition space. dream-amsterdam-logoThe work of Spencer Tunick, who uses naked people as part of his open-sir installations, launched the initiative, followed by Japanese artist Ryoji Ikeda in 2008. This year sees the work of acclaimed Danish visual artist Peter Funch culminate in an open air exhibition at Museumplein until 31 August.

Creative Partner, Gesina Roters, said:

“We started by defining the key ingredients of Dream Amsterdam, which is a platform for selected artists working in the public urban space. The concept is based on a starry sky depicting the outlines of the city, offering a backdrop to the work itself.”

Creative design partners, DAY, was established in 2006 by Dennis de Rond (Strategy Partner), Louk de Sevaux (Managing Partner) and Gesina Roters (Creative Partner). With offices in Amsterdam, Dubai and New York, the company combines creative thinking methods with brand strategy, interdisciplinary design and advertising as a key asset in business development.

A cross between management consultancy, brand consultancy, advertising agency and design bureau, DAY services international companies and markets, including Nike (new retail concept and pilot shop in Paris), Bugaboo (event concepts and interior design), Ziggo (full retail business strategy and model, including store design), Orange (brand strategy and adaptation across all consumer touch-points), and the Van Gogh Museum (retail concept and lobby design). From Dubai, DAY is the preferred supplier in all aspects of brand and management consultancy for the DAL Group, the largest privately owned company in the Sudan.

www.day.nu

http://www.dreamamsterdam.nl/

Posted on July 8th, 2009 Top Back to Top

FinchFactor.com launched!


logoThanks to the guys n gals at MUSE the FinchFactor website is up and running. It’s only just cut the umbilical cord from the mother ship, so please be gentle until it’s a little more robust.

Okay, so MUSE is known for way more creative, award-winning work than this wee site. But this says more about FinchFactor’s demands for a simple life, than any limitations of MUSE talent. They don’t seem to have any, as far as I can see.

It’ll grow. Give it time.

Sander, Michael, Olivier, Eline, Erik - always a pleasure, never a chore.

Posted on May 29th, 2009 Top Back to Top

TAXI Inc drives into Amsterdam


Canadian ad agency, Taxi, has acquired a majority interest in Ottonico, an Amsterdam-based digital agency. This marks the launch of TAXI Europe - and the first time the agency has made an acquisition in its 17 years of operation.

Paul Lavoie on a more traditional mode of transport in Amsterdam

Paul Lavoie on a more traditional mode of transport in Amsterdam

Eric Verhage and Maarten van Huijstee formed Ottonico last year, offering services across various online, gaming and mobile platforms. Verhage and van Huijstee now become MD and ECD, respectively.

Ottonico’s clients include Heineken (Taxi works for the brewer in Canada), KPN, TNT Post, ING, Foot Locker and telecommunications concerns Hi and Telfort.

Ottonico will be rebranded TAXI Europe, and becomes Taxi’s seventh office, its first outside of North America.

Paul Lavoie, chairman and co-founder of Taxi, said: “We chose Amsterdam because it is a creative and multi-cultural hub, and we chose Ottonico because they embody the future of integrated communications.”

Read more on Brand Republic here.

Posted on June 1st, 2009 Top Back to Top

Dutch agency wins global MINI business


logo_bsurAmsterdam creative concepting agency BSUR has won BMW’s global MINI business. The Dutch agency beat fellow Amsterdam creative hotshops, KesselsKramer and 180, who were also short-listed. The original line-up comprised a total of eight, four from London and four in Amsterdam.

BSUR is assigned to work on the most important upcoming international campaign projects for the global brand management of MINI. Local MINI agencies will continue to work with their markets.
 
BSUR is an independent agency founded in 1995 by Jan Rijkenberg (CEO, concepting strategist) and Joost Perik (ECD). The company helps clients be the best they can be - become themselves - through integrated communications with a strong brand concepting lead. BSUR is know for working with international clients such as O’Neill, Wrangler, Davidoff and Britvic UK (Robinson’s Fruitshoot).

Read more at Campaign online.

Posted on June 2nd, 2009 Top Back to Top

Smallest website in the world helps clients with shades of Grey


Grey Amsterdam has come up with a cunning plan to help it’s clients through a tough year - the launch of Grey Lite. grey_lite_screenshot_01_1

Grey Lite represents “extra-fast and extra-value services with the high quality standards that Grey’s clients have come to expect”. So says Hans van Avendonk, who is heading up the special new service at the agency. 

Take a look at www.greylite.nl to view a service so ‘lite’ you need a magnifying glass to see it.  grey_lite_screenshot_03_1

The advantages of Grey Lite? An efficient process, lower rates, quality control and a tailor-made menu based on a client’s most common types of assignments.

Hans van Avendonk goes on to say: “The service is designed for simple repetitive projects, such as adjusting the size of ads, packshot photography or adjustments to online banners. In short, the types of project for which no strategic advice or creativity is required.” grey_lite_screenshot_02_1

Posted on June 2nd, 2009 Top Back to Top

Bubworks makes an impact


Need some presentation skills training? Do your clients lack chutzpah in media interviews? Are you working with a management team who don’t know what it means to truly lead? You could do a lot worse than calling in bubworks. carissa3

Carissa Bub trained as a psychologist, a news reporter and a master practitioner of NLP before setting up her coaching, training and consultancy business.

I’ve used her to great effect with creative industry clients, who have appreciated her professionalism, expertise and deep insight. She definitely knows her stuff, with a long list of A-list clients to prove it.

Bubworks also draws on a team of associates in order to work in 10 languages in as many countries.

www.bubworks.com

Posted on June 2nd, 2009 Top Back to Top

FinchFactor moves up in the world


doorAt FinchFactor we’ve moved four flights up, to be exact.

Okay, so we don’t have a canal view - yet - but we are actually on a canal. The Herengracht.

FinchFactor has moved to the 4th floor of the beautiful Spaces building, Herengracht 124-128.

For those who don’t know, Spaces is a magnificent business environment which houses some of the most creatively focused smaller companies in Amsterdam. Like who? Nothing, Wave studios, Pink & Poodle, and City Savvy, to name a few.  boothssignslounge

With a huge light atrium, lounge areas, meeting rooms, cafe and even shared hot-desking work spaces for the freelancers amongst us, there’s plenty of scope for a company to connect, flex its muscles, do business and grow.

Swing by for a coffee - the FinchFactor door is open.signs balconies

 

foyer

www.officespaces.nl

Posted on June 2nd, 2009 Top Back to Top

Pink Ribbon Magazine launches with help from Grey Amsterdam


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Grey Amsterdam has won the brief to launch new Sanoma Uitgevers title, 

Pink Ribbon Magazine.

 

Pink Ribbon Magazine is the agency’s first charity client.

 

The launch campaign, which airs end of September and includes TV, radio and print work, intends to draw attention to breast cancer in an authentic, human, positive and optimistic way. 08PinkLogo

 

Pink Ribbon Magazine is the magazine titled associated with the Pink Ribbon foundation, a worldwide concern which raises awareness for breast cancer, its prevention, early diagnosis and care.

 

Marlies Swart, Marketing Manager, Pink Ribbon Magazine, says:

“Breast cancer, and the battle against it, is something that unites all women, no matter who they are. Not only are all women potential sufferers, almost every woman knows somebody that has had, or is currently dealing with, breast cancer. In that sense, buying Pink Ribbon Magazine is a sign of solidarity. Grey Amsterdam gets that and we’re excited to be working with them.”

 

www.pinkribbon.nl

www.sanoma-uitgevers.nl

Posted on June 2nd, 2009 Top Back to Top

Client-vendor relationships in real life


Why does this appeal to me so very much?

Posted on June 9th, 2009 Top Back to Top

Ray Anderson on the business logic of sustainability


Impressive stuff. The TED talks do it again.

Posted on June 12th, 2009 Top Back to Top

Celebrated Dutch ad agency S-W-H becomes Indie in radical re-birth


indie-logoLeading Dutch ad agency S-W-H announces its re-launch today as newly-focused independent creative agency, Indie. The re-brand comes after 11 years, during which time S-W-H has proven itself to be one of the most respected, award-winning and successful agencies in Amsterdam.

Indie (www.indie-amsterdam.com) is launched at a high point in S-W-H’s history, which was named Agency of The Year in the Netherlands in 2008, recognising S-W-H’s creative talent and progressive campaigns.

The name Indie points to an independent status and an independent attitude towards creative concepts, one which embraces change, new opportunities, creative talent and the power of ideas. By looking at the fundamentals of clients’ needs, Indie’s intention is to create brand platforms focusing on creative and effective solutions without being restricted to any media channel.

Managing Partner, Mark Aink says:mark-aink-managing-partner-indie
“First instincts can sometimes lead businesses to seek what they know and try to maintain stability despite changes occurring within their industry. It’s time for businesses, ours included, to realise that things aren’t changing but they’ve already changed. The changes that we have made over the years within S-W-H are manifested in the roots of Indie.”

Creative Director and Founding Partner of S-W-H, Lode Schaeffer, says:
lode-schaeffer-founding-partner-ecd-indie“S-W-H was established in 1997. It doesn’t sound that long ago but, since then, we’ve seen exponential changes in the world around us, especially in the rise of new media. YouTube, camera-phones, TV on-demand, blogs, MP3, even Google didn’t exist back then, and now they are an everyday part of our lives. It’s a no-brainer that change has also occurred within our agency. Indie takes on board all of those changes and embraces them. We’re looking ahead to the not-yet-known.”

At the heart of Indie lies a belief in the power of independent thinking, of a collaborative hub approach which is driven by ideas. This mindset sees crucial functions and skills remaining in-house while a dynamic cast of external partnerships, with creative thought leaders in various disciplines, complete teams on a project-by-project basis.

Changes within the agency are already evident, with the appointment of three new partners – Anneke Schogt (Head of Account Services & Operations), Marcel Frensch (Creative Director) and Rogier Mahieu (Creative Director). The five-strong partnership is further supported with the arrival of Tim O’Kennedy, former MD at Weiden+Kennedy Amsterdam, as non-executive director.

Non-Executive Director, Tim O’Kennedy, adds:
“Let’s be clear – this is more than a name change or a new logo. The birth of Indie is in direct response to where we see the industry going. We’re getting ahead of the curve, leading the call for change in the way agencies partner with clients and conduct business. It’s a genuinely new day for a great agency.”

Indie’s new brand identity was created by The Stone Twins.

Comprising a core team of 42 individuals, Indie works on local and regional business for the likes of Nike, Domino’s Pizza, Belastingdienst, Bolletje, Eiffel, Leaf International (Truly), Sensoor, Simyo, Sportlife, Unive, and Wereld Hypotheek.

Check out the news on Brand Republic and Adformatie.

Posted on June 12th, 2009 Top Back to Top

Top creative talents have started Nothing in Amsterdam


nothing_04Michael Jansen and Bas Korsten, co-founders of Selmore, have opened new commercial creativity agency, Nothing, from a cardboard office.

Michael Jansen and Bas Korsten, highly awarded ex-DDB Executive Creative Directors and co-founders of Selmore, have officially started Nothing this week.

Nothing (www.nothingamsterdam.com) is an Amsterdam-based, independent entrepreneurial agency that delivers innovation and commercial creativity for local and international clients out of a cardboard box. Literally. The Nothing office, built entirely of cardboard, was designed by internationally recognized designers Alrik Koudenburg (concept & art-direction) and Joost van Bleiswijk (design & production) following van Bleiswijk’s ‘No Screw, No Glue’ technique.

Michael Jansen said:
“Nothing is about the power of ideas, about how a single idea can transform nothing into something. Using a cheap throw-away material to build a unique and memorable work space, seemed a good way to materialize this thought.nothing_10”

Nothing’s goal is simple: turn consumers into brand advocates by any means to hand. This approach sees Jansen and Korsten creating meaningful brand experiences ranging from product innovation and store design, to employee training programmes and, yes, even TV campaigns.

Bas Korsten said:
“Technological innovation is developing at an amazing pace and so is the role of social persuasion, due to the wildfire growth of online social networks and blogs. At the same time traditional mass communication is being met with increased cynicism. This means that brand advocates are quickly becoming a brand’s most valuable asset”.nothing_15

Alongside Nothing is ‘Nothing Ventured’, the company’s in-house business concepts development arm. Nothing Ventured sees the likes of architects, industrial- and 3D- designers and online specialists come together to make their ideas happen. Current projects include an experiential measurement product, a web-based travel platform, an international webshop for young fashion designers and even a new sport, with all the accompanying commercial opportunities. These initiatives can be brought to market both as stand-alone ventures or to directly benefit clients.

nothing_20Australia-born Jansen (50) and Korsten (37) are one of the most successful creative teams in Europe, winning amongst others, the Eurobest Grand Prix and 11 Cannes Lions. They met in 1997 and became Executive Creative Directors (Board members) at DDB Amsterdam. They helped take the agency to ‘Agency of The Year’ status in 1999, 2001 and 2003 with pan-European clients including Volkswagen. In 2005 they co-founded Selmore with three partners and quickly gained a formidable list of clients including Unilever, Skoda Automobiles, Bavaria Brewery and Coca-Cola.nothing_23

www.nothingamsterdam.com
www.alrik.nl
www.projectjoost.com

Posted on June 13th, 2009 Top Back to Top

Masterclass in ‘ideas worth spreading’


Truly inspiring in so many ways. Neuroanatomist Jill Bolte Taylor explains what it was like when she experienced a stroke. Part of the TED ‘Ideas Worth Spreading’ series.

www.ted.com

Posted on June 17th, 2009 Top Back to Top

Michael was mourned, Cannes Lions-style

Where were you when you heard that Michael Jackson was dead?

Me, I had my toes curled in the Cannes sands, at the Shots party. This was Thursday evening of the Cannes Lions week. Noone believed it, until Paul Kemp-Robertson from Contagious got on his iPhone and checked the BBC website.

Back...

Back...

Sad moment. A lot of disbelief. Was it a ghoulish PR stunt to sell more concert tickets? Would it win a Cannes PR Lion in 2010? A cynical lot, ad types.

Next evening and things are a little more festive, a little more MJ-celebratory. Especially in the Gutter Bar at 3am where one Brit sported the best t-shirt of the night.

Åsk Dabitch from Adland couldn’t help but point out the glory of an ‘88 Bad tour.

Serendipitous packing or did he know something in advance? We’ll never know.

... and front

... and front

Posted on June 30th, 2009 Top Back to Top

Indie Amsterdam takes home 2 Cannes Lions

indie-logoCongratulations to Indie Amsterdam, formerly known as S-W-H, who won two Cannes Lions just a couple of weeks after their rebirth into the new agency.

The Bronze gongs were secured on the strength of work for Sensoor (Interactive Film) and Domino’s Pizza (Radio).

Click on the links to see the work:

Sensoor: Bronze for Interactive Film
 
Domino’s Pizza: Bronze for Radio Campaign

Posted on June 30th, 2009 Top Back to Top

Amsterdam in Business

dsc09855Thursday afternoon in Cannes saw the Dutch step aboard the magnificent Clipper for a rallying meeting between head honchos from the City of Amsterdam and the creative industry alike.

The City’s Amsterdam in Business team do a lot of work to promote the benefits of Amsterdam as a European centre of excellence for the creative industry. Their encouragement of companies to join the creative business community in Amsterdam has recently won successes such as TAXI Europe and Eurobest.

The meeting on the Clipper saw inspirational addresses from the likes of Paul Lavoie (TAXI), Alex Melvin (180), Peggy Stein (Bureau Pindkaas) and Phil Thomas (Eurobest). dsc09857

It says a lot that representatives from these companies, as well as Grey Amsterdam, Indie, BSUR, Woedend, Amsterdam Worldwide and more, are all willing to spend time working together to share wins, encourage connections and discuss opportunities, rather than work in ivory towers. Yes, there is healthy competition, but there’s also a lot of business out there in the world - and no one agency can win all of it.

dsc09854Colin Lamberton and Seyoan Vela, managing ECDs at Grey Amsterdam, let it all go to their heads and thought they could take the boat home with them.

Posted on July 1st, 2009 Top Back to Top

Tailor-made media tours

Grey Amsterdam took advantage of Cannes Lions week to meet with more than 15 publications from around the world, including magazines, news sites, newspapers, blogs and creative archives from the US, Canada, Australia, Sweden, Germany, the UK and France.

In a special project orchestrated by FinchFactor, managing ECDs Colin Lamberton and Seyoan Vela spent a full-on two and a half days sitting on the terrace of the Majestic Hotel, in a marathon ‘getting to know you’ session.

All parties, drinking, sunburn and sandcastles? FinchFactor made sure time was extremely well spent introducing Grey’s creative muscle to - amongst others - Creativity Magazine, The Reel, Best Ads on TV and Campaign Brief.

Nursing a hangover? A bacon butty breakfast with the International Herald Tribune will have to do the job, followed by a lot of water and ice-cold Cola under a sunbrella with Campaign, followed by Horizont, and Ad Age, and then Boards Magazine.

Of course, we made sure our Grey guys had a few parties plugged into the schedule too. They worked hard - they deserved a reward.

Posted on July 1st, 2009 Top Back to Top

Indie’s giant beach towel makes a Cannes splash

It’s not all meetings, meetings, meetings at Cannes. There’s also a little time to kick back, soak up the sun and enjoy the beach. At least, that’s what Indie (formerly known as S-W-H) decided to do.4981_116200481473_608011473_2879927_5947921_n

Coming from Amsterdam, Indie doesn’t have a whole lot of opportunity to indulge in great weather - consequently, all those heat rays seem to have gone to the collective Indie head. How? In the shape of a 50 metre sq beach towel, that’s how.

Weighing in at 45 kilos, the collosus of the sands travelled down to Cannes in the back of the Jonge Honden (Young Dogs) bus and took a team effort to get it aligned just right on the beach.

4981_116200471473_608011473_2879926_3354391_nThere were plenty of takers ready to sit comfortably and ponder the Festival picks, including Poke’s Iain Tait. Was it here that he was hit by a stroke of pure genius, to get his mum involved in his seminar presentation? It was more than likely the bottles of chilled wine.

And the weather? Perfect. Except for Friday’s sudden rainstorm of 15 minutes duration, which managed to drench the towel in moments and turn it into a dead-weight unliftable beach accessory.

Posted on July 1st, 2009 Top Back to Top

Twitter kills off Jeff Goldblum

It seems that the celebosphere got its collective knickers in a twist when it was reported that Jeff Goldblum had followed Michael Jackson to the glitter-spangled VIP area in the sky.

The original checked and verified source of this news item? A tweet. Ah. So it must be true.

Stephen Colbert took no time in relating the power of Twitter to the uninitiated. With a little help from his dead mate Jeff.

The Colbert Report Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Jeff Goldblum Will Be Missed
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor Jeff Goldblum

Posted on July 2nd, 2009 Top Back to Top

Van Gogh Museum appoints DAY for significant retail design

day-logoThe world renowned Van Gogh Museum on Amsterdam’s Museumplein has appointed Day Creative Business Partners for the design of its new lobby area and Museum Shop.

With more than 1.5 million visitors each year and home to the largest collection of Vincent van Gogh paintings in the world, the project, due for completion in September of this year, will be a high-visibility example of DAY’s creative business solutions and interdisciplinary design expertise.

DAY was established in 2006 by Dennis de Rond (Strategy Partner), Louk de Sevaux (Managing Partner) and Gesina Roters (Creative Partner). With offices in Amsterdam, Dubai and New York, the company combines creative thinking methods with brand strategy, interdisciplinary design and advertising as a key asset in business development.

Managing Partner, Louk de Sevaux, said:
“We worked with both the Van Gogh Museum and the Rijksmuseum in 2008 on the Museum Shop project, located on Museumplein. Based on our performance, the Van Gogh Museum brought us in to advise on internal retail design solutions. In line with the Museum’s first-class international renown, we’ve created an iconic, non-traditional design for both the shop and foyer.”

VGM logo diapositiefThe retail and interior design project for the Van Gogh Museum is headed up by Creative Partner Gesina Roters and Managing Partner Louk de Sevaux, with David Verburg (designer), Mette Hoekstra (interior design project leader) and Fleur Bos (project manager).

A cross between management consultancy, brand consultancy, advertising agency and design bureau, DAY services international companies and markets, including Nike (new retail concept and pilot shop in Paris), Bugaboo (event concepts and interior design), Orange (brand strategy and adaptation across all consumer touch-points), Ziggo (full retail business strategy and model, including store design), and the Van Gogh Museum. From Dubai, DAY is the preferred supplier in all aspects of brand and management consultancy for the DAL Group, the largest privately owned company in the Sudan.

Posted on July 6th, 2009 Top Back to Top

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