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The 2004 Caxton Awards Seminar. Cable Beach Resort, Broome
» Lachlan Murdoch, Chairman, News Limited
» Piyush Pandey, Group President & National Creative Director, Ogilvy & Mather, India
» Ted Emery, Director/Producer
» Andrew Tinning, Creative Director, Marketforce, Perth
» Carolyn Diamond, Senior Copywriter, Euro Rscg Partnership
» Frederick Hilmer, A.O., Ceo, John Fairfax Publications
» Emma Hill, Creative Director, Clemenger Bbdo, Melbourne
» Martin Mckinnon, Head Of Marketing, Qantas
» The Forum
» The Bollinger Run
» The Spontaneous Talent Quest
» They Also Served Mightly
Overview
The desire to hold a Caxton at Broome has been with us for years. Certain planets came into alignment at the right time this year so Broome was 'it' and became the first Caxton for Western Australia.
It made it more practical for many of our Western Australian colleagues to attend which was great.
Scott Dungate, 303 Advertising, Perth; Linda Honan, Clemenger, Melbourne and Malcolm McLean, 303 Advertising, Perth each introduced the speakers in their charge. Every intro was a brilliant gem in concept, writing and presentation.
Here now is my take on our speakers this year.
Ray Black
Chairman
Caxton Committee
Speeches
Bryce is the supreme motivator and demonstrator of what you can achieve if you apply your talent in a highly disciplined manner. He has drawn upon so much of the training and knowledge gained as a high profile agency creative director.
Bryce says we are all skilled storytellers, be it a 30 second TVC or a half page press ad.
We know the need to get to the point with an economy of words and the maximum of engagement.
Reward your reader with every line.
Mind you, Bryce's success has attracted the slings and arrows of the literati who like to look down their pointed, bony noses at us types who mix too much with the rude masses. They just don't like the fact Bryce sells about 300,000 copies of each book; far more than those pretentious pricks would ever dream of achieving.
Bryce has all his covers researched (agency training) to see which elements appeal. The only time he didn't was with 'Matthew Flinders' Cat' and sales were below expectations. Conclusion was half the world loves cats; the other half doesn't.
Bryce is one of the generous givers in this exacting and exciting business in which we are privileged to serve.
He continues to give and give.
Lachlan Murdoch, Chairman, News Limited
"It's hard to be humble when you own News Limited" would make a great bumper sticker, but you could only sell one.
Lachlan Murdoch started by familiarising the audience with News Limited's modest beginnings in Adelaide some 50 years ago. There they published the newspaper underdog, the Adelaide News. It was run then by an energetic, creative young lad named Rupert Murdoch. The rest is publishing history as they say. With all Lachlan's current multi media responsibilities, press was and remains his first love. The attraction is the unlimited creative opportunities it presents every day.
Starting the (newspaper) day with a blank piece of paper is something to lust for rather than fear. Lachlan showed us a number of front page examples where eye-grabbing headlines and pictures resulted in sales success. Newspapers decide what's news, presents it and let it form and change public opinion. As a result, newspapers set the daily agenda for radio and TV. Newspapers also outgun them both on sheer reach.
Sometimes newspaper editors walk the tightrope of taste and accuracy. On occasion they get it very wrong as with the headline in the US saying Bob Gephardt, not John Kerry got the Democratic party nomination. Next day, editorial creativity came to the rescue.
Lachlan then threw the dead cat into the audience with the challenge to agency creatives to be more creative with newspapers than their editors are. Agency creatives should take note of what editors bring to newspapers and smarten up.
He went on to add: "Put crudely, for $100 million in commissions from News Limited alone, we would expect you (agencies) to live and breathe print as much as we do."
Piyush Pandey, Group President & National Creative Director, Ogilvy & Mather, India
Piyush got his first job in advertising as a result of cricket. The agency wasn't looking for another creative, they were looking for a member for their cricket team.
Piyush is a real people person. He is a keen observer of the human condition and I guess there's no better country in which to satisfy your curiosity for it than in India.
The insight he gave us was there's not a lot of difference between people everywhere. The art therein is to keenly observe and note what people do, say and think because that's your valuable resource as a creative.
He showed us their campaign for The Times of India which reflected many of the bureaucratic follies plaguing India. The humour travelled intact to Australia. Beneath the humour was a very sharp criticism of the Indian 'system'.
India is full of unique, exotic images, one being the ubiquitous bus with dozens of people hanging on its sides and roof. As the bus rocked perilously from side to side we saw the ad on the back of the bus for a brand of glue. That's it.
Piyush showed us some beautifully conceived and crafted print ads, all right on the money.
He had a real Australian sense of humour which we put down to one thing: cricket.
Ted is a true soldier of the emerging counter culture.
Just look at what he has done: Director of Kath and Kim, and that neat anti PC Hahn Light TVC just to name two.
Ted indirectly reminded us we love to spin yarns and that timing is everything. In the beginning of his career there was every prospect Ted was going to fail in everything he touched. His service in the RAN was like a 'Carry on Sailor' script. With all the navy equipment he lost, neglected or just buggered up between Australia and Vietnam would have amounted to half the defence budget at least. We, on the home front, slept soundly not knowing Ted was our bulwark against the communist hordes.
His creativity and taste for commerce emerged while in port at Singapore. His latent creativity burst forth when he came up with the idea to combine the ship's store of oranges with two drums of hospital alcohol. He made a tidy sum. The Good Fairy of Commerce had touched Ted on the head with her magic wand and Ted could then see what fame and fortune could be had after his naval service.
After the RAN, the ABC was his first hapless employer but he was suddenly relieved of his duties during the Pope's tour of Australia. Only God and the Pope knows what Ted did. His belief in "Taking the piss is the heartbeat of this country. Our voice, culture and identity are alive and well, living just under the surface where stuff like that should be."
Life experiences, a keen ear and a love of what you do works in any medium. I can't help but wonder what would have happened if Ted remained in the RAN and became an Admiral instead.
Andrew Tinning, Creative Director, Marketforce, Perth
Andrew confessed upfront he had an attack of the Blank Piece of Paper Paralysis as he began to prepare his talk.
So, in true creative fashion, when the deadline was knocking his door down he cracked it.
He opened with the need to learn the craft and demonstrated its evolution with terms like "epidioscope", "Steenbeck" and the mystical "visualiser". The term that has endured is "original".
The new technology is there to help realise the potential of an original, relevant idea and not be a substitute for it. He showed us two home grown examples of this. One for Vagina Monologues and the other for Wonder Bra. I won't describe either but let is serve as a reminder of what you missed by not attending Caxton this year.
Andrew's next point, lack of budget, does not mean lack of a real idea. Lacking a big budget is a given in a smaller market but rather than letting it be a crippling handicap, let it force an idea centre stage.
We saw some very fresh, original examples of this in practice, one using 'footpath art' for a toxic waste campaign for Auckland Council. The media publicity was a bonus. That also deservedly won a Cannes Gold Lion and a Gold AWARD.
Andrew showed us numerous examples where small budgets were an advantage, not a liability.
So don't look over the horizon for your answers because they can often be found just in front of your feet.
Carolyn Diamond, Senior Copywriter, Euro Rscg Partnership
Carolyn is no delicate hothouse flower; she's more like a full on cactus.
Her talk was about the virtues of failure, out of which can come brilliance.
Failure, she suggested, deterred and demoralised most so the opportunity to learn, adapt, persist and trust in your reliable gut feel is lost.
She's not one to be easily put off hence, I hasten to clarify, the cactus reference.
Her philosophical take on her point of view was backed by many famous, successful folk who, without bags of persistence would have sunk in the swamp of anonymous souls.
The words "failure" and "risk" terrify most, but not Carolyn. She rightly points out that taking carefully calculated risks is more likely to succeed than the much riskier "safe" solution.
I liked how Carolyn dropped in numerous musings on the virtues of risk by David Brent from 'The Office'. All neatly ambiguous in a creepy David Brent way.
Hidden in her talk was one of the cool lines of the weekend. When talking about the failure then success of the real Colonel Sanders she said: "He persisted until someone finally bit the pullet".
Frederick Hilmer, A.O., Ceo, John Fairfax Publications
Fred opened his talk with a great ad lib.
Malcolm McLean who introduced Fred using an obituary theme, had a brass cross on the table beside the lectern. When Fred stepped up he thanked Malcolm for the intro, pointed to the cross and said "... but it's the wrong brand". Clearly his talk was going to be fun as well as informative.
His talk concerned the Fairfax Way which, to the alert, was a blueprint for anyone in business. Once again the wide variety of careers and the life experiences that come with them crystalised in Fred's version of the positive sides to the Seven Deadly Sins. Space does not permit a summary of all seven so let's take 'Envy'. Envy is good as it spurs you to be successful. Envy can be a strong motivator towards your goal.
The desire for profit is also good. He illustrated that point by posing the question: should you aim to kill your opposition or just go for profit. It was profit because that's why you're in business, not for a vengeful ego trip.
Always be client focused which is an essential for success.
Fred's talk was a super piece of business wisdom, gained through his distinguished career. It was the talk for the thinking man and woman.
Emma Hill, Creative Director, Clemenger Bbdo, Melbourne
When Emma tried on Mike O'Sullivan's shoes as the incoming creative director of Clemengers, Melbourne, she wasn't indulging in cross-dressing.
Taking on the role as CD at one of Australia's largest and most creatively respected agencies was not going to be an easy gig. One of the big surprises was the Abominable Administration Monster waiting for her behind her office door. Aaargh!
Wrestling that one to the floor left another ogre to deal with: The Email Avalanche.
Thankfully, as an early morning person arriving at the agency at 7am is no imposition. It's the only way to have a couple of hours' uninterrupted think time. Got to get onto this Caxton talk says that little Carping Gnome on her shoulder. Time ticks away.
Fear was one of the recurring themes at Caxton this year.
Someone is pregnant. Someone resigns. Someone has a whinge. Account Service has a problem. Research always has a problem.
Fire up the troops for a major repitch. Learning the lesson of when to be brutally blunt as well as complimentary. Switch the mind from tampons to car insurance to toilet paper. All in a day's work for a CD.
And there's the Caxton talk not even started.
Emma's talk would have aroused empathy in the hearts of all creative directors and delivered the ice-cold stab of fear in anyone who thinks being a CD is a doddle.
Then there's that Caxton talk to work on.
Fear is a great motivator.
Martin Mckinnon, Head Of Marketing, Qantas
What a cushy job. Head of Marketing at Qantas. Swanning around endless cocktail parties and having the back of your hand kissed by many at privileged A-list gatherings. Yes, that's the upside but there's another side - the even better upside - being part of the creation and maintenance of one of the most loved Australian ad campaigns: the Qantas brand.
It all seems so obvious, with familiarity, that the Peter Allen classic song 'I Still Call Australia Home' was an inspired natural fit for a Qantas campaign but according to Martin it was not an easy marriage to make happen. There were many naysayers, all of whom underestimated the determination of Geoff Dixon, one of the best visceral marketers you'll ever meet.
He relies on 'feel' and 'instinct' - attributes rare in Client Land.
While at Ansett, Geoff noted Qantas had a new campaign featuring the song 'I Still Call Australia Home' under some prosaic visuals of flight attendants and the like. It quickly faded from the screens and all conscious memory. Later, when Geoff joined Qantas he revived the song in the face of noisy opposition.
The campaign continued to evolve through the hands of a couple of agencies and many creatives.
The public loved it more and more.
There were many assassination attempts on the campaign but Geoff stood fast.
The lesson here is when you have a great idea, hold onto it, nurture and defend it.
Wouldn't you kill for a client like that?
Fysh Rutherford, Partner & Creative Director, Twenty/20, Melbourne
We all know Fysh is outrageous. He can now also be described as subversive as he dared challenge the lobotomised, politically correct. Some, I don't think, were quite prepared for what could be one of the first salvos from the emerging anti PC counter culture.
Fysh's themes were a collage of what he has found worthy to take forward after 30 years in the business along with stuff that's overdue for critical comment.
They say you learn from your mistakes and Fysh has learnt heaps, particularly when it comes to women.
He also gained wisdom from many wise and talented mentors over those decades. There were lessons to be learnt suffering the congenital dickheads as they too have a purpose in The Grand Plan.
He drew a neat comparison between the crappy cookie cutter housing developers and the advertising factory developers, both of whom are not interested in a quality result for the client, just the quick buck.
Just when you thought nothing was too scary for Fysh, he 'fessed he was fearful of change. Change is like the baby in a basket left at your front door. You've got to accept it and deal with it. A big change to deal with is the fact 'agencies' no longer exist. We are no longer agencies, we are something else. Commissions now don't exist either so how does an 'agency' get paid?
Will this new order deliver a better result for clients? Maybe, but what is more likely, clients will end up paying more for a variety of reasons. A benefit to clients though is likely to be fresher, more daring creative because, in theory, all 'agencies' now are virtually on the same footing.
Fysh's intertwining themes of change underlined the value of ideas as a better and fairer basis of doing business.
When the asteroid hit earth and destroyed the dinosaurs, it wasn't the end of life, it opened up opportunities for other smarter, more agile species to emerge and thrive. So be it.
Caxton Rituals
The Forum was conducted by Reg Bryson, CEO of Brand Architecture International. He was the conduit between all our speakers up front and questions from the floor. The Forum is now a fast flowing, stimulating feature at Caxton. The hour devoted to it felt like five minutes.
A very popular, well-patronised Caxton event. It's not just for the honour of winning, it has more to do with winning over $2,000.
Sipping chilled Bollinger is purely for medicinal purposes, to rehydrate the hot and sweaty participants and the ever-patient timekeepers.
This feature at a Caxton needs a lot of work. A talent quest needs talent to exist but unfortunately talent is not emerging. It's highly possible it may not feature next year, at least in its current form. Suggestions welcome. Even the best efforts of Steve Browning to add a classy tone can't turn a bag of shit into a sow's ear.
Fysh for his Bollinger Run duties and Tom-Terrific Moult who artfully handled the trivia contest and was responsible for choosing the movie, The Agency, for our open air cinema. It was a mystery movie because nobody could figure out was it a send up or for real?
Steve Browning once again showed a valiant determination to elevate the talent quest above rock bottom.
Every delegate should fall to their knees in thanks in front of the ladies from Twodeforce who do all the hard bits and love every second of it. They do it every time and every one of them is a Mother Teresa.
