Paul Isakson

Good Advice from Jim Jarmusch

Piers pointed this out earlier this year and it's definitely made the rounds via Twitter and Digg and all that, so I doubt this will be the first you've seen it. (And something tells me Faris probably has this in his archives from years ago and is laughing that it's going round now/again.)

Great advertising and design have always done this—steal bits from culture and make them authentic to the brand/product/service.

There are a couple things I especially like from Jim's quote. The first is this bit:

"Select only things to steal from that speak directly to your soul. If you do this, your work (and theft) will be authentic. Authenticity is invaluable; originality is non-existent."

If you've worked in this business at all, you've undoubtedly heard someone say, "We can't do that! ______ is already doing it." Well, maybe that's true and maybe it isn't.

Sometimes the best strategy might be to disrupt and sometimes it might be to steal. If you're doing it just like they're doing it, then it likely shouldn't be done. But as this piece of the quote tells us, it's o.k. to do things someone else is doing as long as you take them and execute them in your own unique (authentic) way. The key bit is the authentic piece. It has to be authentic to you and you alone.

The second thing I liked in the quote gives us a bit more to that. Which is this:

"... always remember what Jean-Luc Godard said: 'It's not where you take things from—it's where you take them to.'"

This fits right in line with my belief that everything can always be made better. In a presentation given by Dan Saffer a while back, he shares (on slide 57) that some of the oldest things around that we use everyday in our lives now took hundreds of years to get to where they are and even then, can still be improved upon.

I think that if you're passionate about what you're doing and what you're working on, you can't help but do this. You won't be able to help but putting a bit of your own soul into it and that will come through. I also think this is related to why so many brands simply aren't that different on the shelf today. But that's another post all together...

So, to wrap this all up, go ahead and steal if that's the best strategy/approach. But don't just steal. Steal and make it better; steal and make it your own.

2009's What's Next In Marketing & Advertising

A few weeks back, Marta Kagan asked me if I'd be interested in coming up to Boston to present at Marketing 2.0:unfiltered, an event put on by Espresso. I said yes and so, over the last few days I put together the above presentation to share with the group. (Giving it tonight. I hope they like it...)

For background on it, we came to the conclusion that an updated version of the What's Next presentation I did a year and a half ago would be an appropriate way to open the night up. As with last year's version, if you've been following things like many of us have, you won't be surprised by anything here. It's truly not anything revolutionary. It's more of a concise view on what's been happening lately and what that points to for how we should be approaching things to create a better future for marketing.

Mostly, I had a lot of fun putting it together and simply wanted to share.

As always, would love any constructive feedback you have...

Building Lasting Brands

Geometry... via re-ality

“Contemporary architects tend to impose modernity on something. There is a certain concern for history but it’s not very deep. I understand that time has changed, we have evolved. But I don’t want to forget the beginning. A lasting architecture has to have roots.” - I. M. Pei

Mr. Pei's words aren't just true for architecture, they're also true for building lasting brands. For a brand to stand the tests of time, it has to have roots that help it stay true over time. Why? Because lasting relationships are built on a foundation of trust. If you are constantly changing who you are and/or what you stand for, how can anyone come to trust you?

In relation to this, if you are working on a brand that has lost its way, it's often very helpful to go back into the history of the company and find what they stood for when they first started. There are likely some great things there that can be polished up and brought to life in an appropriate way for today's culture.

As the economy contiunes to struggle and technology brings us more new ways to communicate with people, it will become more and more tempting to chase things that take us away from our roots. We have to do everything we can to not let that happen. It's important to always look at the core principles - the roots - of your brand to help guide the way.

Never. Stop. Learning.

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"A-Rod is not a know-it-all by any stretch of the imagination. He wants... Even though he's 32 years old and he's gonna be the home run king, he still wants to learn." - Pete Rose

Alex Rodriguez is arguably the best player in the game of baseball today. Many believe he'll own the all-time home run record before he's through. How has he come this far and why is he likely to continue? He never stops trying to learn and improve.

I know it goes without saying, but it's another reminder that to be the best at something, you have to be tirelessly committed to it. Always looking to improve, learn and grow.

A couple favorite quotes from this:

"In many ways what I've learned from him [Pete Rose] is that greatness is simple. You don't always try to over complicate it. See it, and hit it hard somewhere. Just take every at-bat as if it's your last one." - Alex Rodriguez

"He's the world's all-time leading hitter. I mean, it's kind of like, if you're a writer, why wouldn't you want to talk to Ernest Hemingway? You know? If you're a painter, Picasso. Baseball ... Pete Rose. That's just what it comes down to." - Alex Rodriguez

This last one, I especially like. Whatever industry you're in, there is a ton of opportunity to learn from current and past greats. Through social media, you can access the minds of many of today's top thinkers and doers in their respective fields almost instantly. You can also pick up books, articles and interviews from many who don't participate in social media or are no longer with us to participate.

Anyway, like I said above, I probably didn't need to say all of this, but since I typed it up already... go learn something.

For those interested in reading more on A-Rod & Pete's relationship, the ESPN eTicket article is here.

Opportunity Is Everywhere

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"Don't look for the next opportunity. The one you have in hand is the opportunity."
Paul Arden, It's Not How Good You Are, It's How Good You Want To Be.

Where most people see a dirty wall (or more likely, don't even notice the wall at all), Paul "Moose" Curtis sees an opportunity to make something better. He sees an opportunity to create art that takes something dingy and turns it into something delightful.

Green Works, or somebody working with them, noticed the reverse graffiti movement and saw an opportunity to bring this great idea forward, along with highlighting some people behind it, by creating the Reverse Graffiti Project.

As a planner, it is part of our job to find opportunity where others see none. For our creatives. For our clients. For our account handlers. For ourselves. For the people we're hoping to connect to our clients' brands.

Always look for opportunity. Always inspire.