adam&eveDDB Reveals The Wonder Of “What The F@ck!”
Richard Brim, adam&eveDDB’s chief creative officer, told Cannes Lions today just how powerful ‘the wonder of what the f*ck’ can be in creative work.
In the session, entitled The Wonder of What The F*ck, Brim outlined some unexpected stories behind the creation some of the agency’s most awarded campaigns, helping adam&eveDDB win the most creative agency of the year title at Cannes Lions last year.
Brim explained that some of the agency’s best work came into being because adam&eveDDB has created an environment where people are not afraid to share their ideas, no matter how crazy, stupid or WTF-inducing they might appear.
“I find that some of the greatest and most insightful ideas I’ve heard have come from those WTF moments,” Brim said. “The ability to get a WTF idea and use it, is what I’ve found, the only thing that helps us.”
Brim asked the audience to consider the depressing statistic that 89 per cent of advertising isn’t even noticed. What makes an agency is not the best talent or the slickest offices with ‘distressed wood flooring’ ‘cool staircases’ or even “a wall of stuffed animals wearing glasses,” he said. It is about having an environment where people don’t worry about voicing their ideas, no matter what they are. Even the best talent can be afraid to articulate an idea when it pops into their head because they are crippled by what the people around them might think or the positon they hold.
“We’ve all worked in places where it’s like ‘no idea’s a bad idea’, but you do think a bad idea’s a bad idea, you do think they’re going to laugh at you, you do think you’re going to be fired,” he said.
To illustrate the power of WTF ideas, Brim pointed to moments throughout his career atadam&eveDDB where the wonder of WTF has helped him and his team create work that stands above the parapet.
Marmite ‘Gene Project’
The idea for the agency’s multi-award-winning Marmite Gene Project, which enabled the public to test whether they were genetically predisposed to love or hate Marmite, came from a very unexpected place, Brim revealed. While the team assigned to work on Marmite were having a creative brainstorm, a small voice at the back of the room said: “If you really love it or hate it, surely it’s genetic?” That voice was from a junior planner who had just started at the agency. He went on to suggest that the team should actually test whether people’s love or hate for Marmite was genetic. The initial reaction to his idea was,’ WTF?’ Then, almost immediately, there was a wave of consensus around the room – that was the idea. From that, an entire campaign was very quickly born. “[That idea] shouldn’t really have happened in that creative brainstorm,” said Brim. “The beauty of it is, it makes your life so much easier.”
Fifa ‘El Tornado’
Brim explained that the number one rule when working with gaming brands like Fifa is “don’t f*ck with the game”. But one team at adam&eveDDB wanted to do precisely that to launch Fifa 18. The agency went to the client with their rule-breaking idea, and after several rejections, the client eventually said yes. El Tornado, a new Fifa football skill move developed by Ronaldo himself, became a phenomenon in the process and took over the football world.
Harvey Nichols ‘Shoplifters’
adam&eveDDB had a tradition of making high-end slick fashion press ads for its client Harvey Nichols. All that changed when a team that Brim describes as the “least fashionable team at the agency” said they had an idea for the Harvey Nichols loyalty app. They explained they wanted to show people stealing from the store using actual CCTV footage. “Everybody just went quiet,” Brim said. “The team didn’t have a brief, just came in and said ‘oh, f*ck off, forget everything that’s gone before’.” The resulting film not only won two Grand Prix at Cannes, it made a cameo appearance in Trainspotting 2.
John Lewis “EltonJohnLewis”
Brim revealed the pressures on adam&eveDDB when it comes to the phenomenon that is the John Lewis Christmas ad. “My most fearful word is Christmas,” said Brim. “It starts for the agency in January. The only time we don’t have Christmas is December when it is actually Christmas.” Each ad, from ‘Monty the Penguin’ to ‘Man on the Moon’ is an extremely tough act to follow. “Every year you get hundreds of scripts in and it really is quite a hard thing to sift through, because there’s a rule book,” Brim said. “The rules are: no celebrities and no telling other people’s stories.”
The team that came up with the idea of Elton John telling his life story smashed through both of the rules. “It may seem only a little what the f*ck to you guys but to us, to me and the client, it’s not. This [ad] heralds Christmas in the UK. You f*ck with this format and people go for you.”
Brim also paid tribute to other WTF brands, such as Gucci and Nike, and noted the most popular song of all time is the resolutely WTF ballad Bohemian Rhapsody. “Have you heard the f*cking lyrics?,” said Brim.
“What those aren’t are in the 89 per cent and that’s the most important thing,” he said.
Latest News
Scroll Media Recruits Costa Panagos From Twitch
Digital publisher network Scroll Media has employed ex-Amazon Twitch gaming executive Costa Panagos (lead image) to strengthen its Scroll Gaming capability. Panagos is highly experienced in game advertising and media sales professional with two years in account management at Twitch and three years in media sales at News Corp, so will bring his extensive media agency […]
Year13, Microsoft & KPMG Australia Launch AI Course For Gen Zs
School-leaver service Year13 has launched a new Artificial Intelligence course to upskill young people in AI, made in collaboration with Microsoft and KPMG, at an event to rally industry support behind youth AI fluency. The free online course AI Amplified which is part of Year13’s Academy aims to provide all young people with the opportunity […]
General Motors Snares Heath Walker From Scania
General Motors has announced the appointment of Heath Walker (lead image) as the new marketing director for GM Australia and New Zealand, effective April 23, 2024. Walker brings a wealth of marketing and communications experience gained from working across various industries, including IT, sporting, and auto – notably Tesla, Nissan and most recently, Scania in […]
VML Launches New “Envoyage” Brand For Flight Centre
VML unveils new brand for travel operator Flight Centre. Alas, no sign of those paid actors pretending to be pilots.
Subaru Places Media Account Up For Review
Subaru puts media up for review, as adland journos get set for mandatory "agency drives off with..." headline.
TV Ratings (17/04/2024): Contestants Faced With Harsh Realities As Alone Australia Heats Up (Or Cools Down)
Alone still doing the business for SBS. Overly long train journeys not doing the business, but they persist anyway.
Ben Fordham Loses Number One Spot As Ray Hadley Celebrates 156th Ratings Win
The radio numbers are in! Discover who's off for a boozy lunch today & who's waiting for the dreaded HR death knock.
Gourmet Ice Cream Brand Connoisseur Launches New “Thrill Your Senses” Iteration, Via SICKDOGWOLFMAN
Rattling the old "truth in advertising" adage comes this ice-cream spot full of noticeably thin people.
Paramount’s Global Sales Boss: ‘Australia’s Converged Model Is A Blueprint For How I’d Like All Of Our Markets To Be’
Paramount's global sales boss gives local sales ops the thumbs up. Didn't weigh-in on the Lisa Wilkinson debacle.
TikTok Starts Testing Its Instagram Rival In Australia
In exciting news for piano playing cats & brattish pranks in shopping centres, TikTok unveils its Insta rival plans.
Man Wrongly Named By Seven As Bondi Killer Hires Lawyers
Struggling to save for a house deposit? Why not get wrongly identified by Sunrise!
Smartsheet Appoints Indie Agency Sandbox Media To Its Media Account
Can't stand your colleagues? Like to dob them in when they miss a deadline? These work management platforms are ideal.
Boss Not Letting You Come To Cannes In Cairns? Use This Business Case To Convince Them!
Stingy boss won't spring for a ticket to Cairns? Add this to your persuasive argument repertoire. Or grovel.
Alt/shift/ Brisbane Builds Portfolio With Ausbuild Creative, PR, Content & Social Account Win
The Brisbane comms/PR agency lands constructor Ausbuild. Also hoping for a discount on its new glass conservatory.
Young Guns Versus The Old Guard: Who Adds More Value to Our Industry?
Cannes In Cairns poking this hornet's nest in a lively debate. Just so long as the oldies can get up the stairs.
70% Of Aussies Don’t Have Green Power Plans ENGIE Says In Major Brand Campaign Via HERO
Are you the notorious "light leaver on-er" in your flatshare? Quell any infighting with this green energy news.
PrettyGood Launches Offering Brand & Media Solutions For Australasian SMEs
B&T applauds the charitable nature of this new agency. Although we'd hate to see it impact any Chrissie present sends.
A Blunt End: Dolphins Medicinal Cannabis Sponsorship At Risk
Yes, it's another NRL drug story. Yet, thankfully it doesn't involve coke in Kuta during the off-season.
Slew Of New Creative Hires At Leo Burnett Australia
Ahhh, all black! The outfit of choice for agency creatives, David Jones staff and everyone in Melbourne.
Under Armour Unveils Local “Live in UA” Campaign
American apparel brand set for yet another tilt at the Aussie market, as Nike declares "we'll see about that".
Pepsi Launches New Look, Refreshing Classic Fashion Staples Via Special PR
Are you always the bridesmaid, never the bride, as the old saying goes? How do you think Pepsi feels?
Pure Blonde Returns To A Place Purer Than Yours In New Campaign Via The Monkeys
B&T's always been a huge fan of the 'drink yourself thinner' diet plan. So big thanks to Pure blonde, vodka & tequila.
Spotlight On Sponsors: Carsales Strikes With Another Storm-Based Team
Think our hacks are living their sports journalist dreams vicariously through B&T? Confirm it with this reporting.
Commission Factory & AGL Energy Ignite Strategic Partnership To Empower Australian Energy Consumers
Concerned by global warming yet ran the fans non-stop over summer? Add to the guilt with this read.
Allied Nabs Nicola Gold From Pico International Dubai
Seasoned marketer relocates from Dubai to Sydney. Says the shopping's not as good but at least you can get a drink.
Nine’s Push For Gold, Silver & Bronze Ad Opportunities Could Break New Ground In Broadcasting
Nine insists that AI won't dominate its Olympics coverage. And not merely because Bruce McAvaney doesn't understand it.
TV Ratings (16/04/2024): Toxic City Girls Too Much For Farmer Bert
Fans calling out toxic behaviour on Farmer Wants A Wife, seemingly unaware that's the very premise of any dating show.
Kaimera Wins Afterpay ANZ Media Account
Have couriers even started to mention you're overdoing the online shopping? Probably best to avoid this Afterpay news.
Industry Reacts: Stuff Group Swoops In To Save 6pm News After Newshub Closure
As you'll read here, New Zealand's media's in a right state of flux. And nor have they forgotten 1981's underarm.
a2 Milk Launches “Only a2 Will Do’ Brand Platform In First Work From BMF
A2 milk drinkers tend not to bother everyone with their gut health issues & it's a lesson for vegans & the gluten-free.
Can You Recite It In Under 4 Seconds? Maccas Relaunches Iconic Competition With Modern Twist
Do you know what would make a fantastic ad? Drunk people at 3am trying to recite the ”two all-beef patties"
‘Liar, Liar’: Lehrmann Exposed As High Profile Defamation Case Comes To A Close
Having exhausted all avenues in his defamation case, is there only one option left for Bruce - reality television?
MECCA & Fendi Among Premium Advertisers For oOh!media Woollahra OOH Network Launch
If you've not been to the snooty suburb of Woollahra, the locals would like to thank you again for staying well away.
Yahoo Academy Announces Class Of 2024
This academy is strictly for "emerging leaders". Courses don't include 'sleeping at your desk' or 'bunking off early'.
Top 35 Media Leaders Announced For 2024 TikTok Agency Accelerator Program
Despite the ban threats, TikTok keeps marching on. Cementing its reputation as the Julian Assange of the tech.
AiMCO Announces First-Ever Diversity Webinar To Explore Inclusion In Influencer Marketing
Think influencer marketing's a little on the white side? This free webinar's for you. Sadly, it's not given TV ideas.