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Opinion | Features
Keith Reinhard on freedom to fail, winning back Maccas and how agencies can survive
In an exclusive interview in Cannes today, advertising icon Keith Reinhard, one of the founding fathers of what is now DDB Worldwide, talked to Mumbrella’s Robin Hicks about freedom from fear, his favourite ads of all time, winning back McDonald’s and why the most important thing in advertising is passion.Savage counsel - little white lies
In a piece that first featured in Encore, Chris Savage tackles your career and agency dilemmas. This week, he talks about when it’s okay to lie to clients.
Hi Chris,
I often find myself telling little white lies at work – I tell people on the phone that I don’t want to speak to I’m about to duck into meetings. I told my colleague her new haircut was great when really it wasn’t and I praised someone’s work when actually it was kind of shit. After each of these occasions, I felt pretty terrible and wonder if you could tell me how can I speak with candour in the future – for my sake and others.
How to build a culture
How important is a company’s culture and how do you ensure you are breeding a good one? Matt Smith investigates, in a piece that first appeared in Encore.When production companies Cordell Jigsaw and Zapruder’s Other Films merged early last year, bringing the staff together within the walls of the Zapruder building proved to be something of a challenge. While the two companies weren’t strangers to each other due to six months of talks and negotiations, working together on a full-time basis was a different story.
Q&A Damian Keogh
In a piece that first featured in Encore, Val Morgan CEO Damian Keogh reveals his potential alternate career.
Who is the most powerful person in Australian media and why?
I’d say Kerry Stokes, slightly ahead of Harold Mitchell and Kim Williams. He controls the entity with the largest revenue across free-to-air, online, magazines and newspapers. On pure size alone, his influence and leverage over advertisers, media agencies and consumers is unmatched. Harold is still the king in media, slightly ahead of John Steedman, but Henry Tajer and Leigh Terry are the heirs apparent. Kim Williams controls News and that’s a big base to work from.
If a violent game is okay, then so is using a violent ad to promote it
An ad for video game Dead Island Riptide was banned by the ad watchdog. James Whitehead of online entertainment publisher IGN argues that it was the wrong call.A fortnight ago, it emerged that the Ad Standards Board had banned a television commercial for the video game Dead Island: Riptide, due to its depiction of violence – specifically suicide.
Why content makers are leaving our shores
In a piece that first featured in Encore, Craig Anderson says there simply isn’t enough opportunity for content makers in Australia, especially for those making comedy.Last year I had multiple meetings with production companies in Australia and discovered that apart from the odd commercial campaign, there’s no proliferation of paying platforms for comedy. From my own experience there’s iView, which will buy content once it’s already been made (though I live in hope that it will one day be granted the financial power to commission content). I’ve also had the odd informal commission from the SMH iPad consisting of two narrative series and a comical review show. But none of these endeavours were financially viable.
Managing your management style
In an article that first appeared in Encore, Stephanie Brown says the advertising industry often leaves people ill-equipped when it comes to managing staff, especially when they’re promoted into management roles.Managing people is hard. In fact, I actually think it’s the hardest job in the world. With no disrespect intended, I often joke that if my job didn’t involve other people to manage, it would be a walk in the park. I could get about my day’s work in a nice, linear fashion, happily checking off my to-do list as I go. I’m a process-orientated person. I get a kick out of getting things done.
Why the Facebook chase is making brands treat consumers like morons
You know how we look back at quaintly patronising ads from the 1950s and wonder what on earth the advertisers were thinking?
I’ve got a feeling that in a few years time, we’ll be looking at the behaviour of big brands on Facebook the same way.
An entire generation of marketers – or at least a sizeable proportion of them – have lost their minds.
So many have become so obsessed with generating user interactions at all costs, that all thoughts about overall brand perceptions or long term marketing goals have vanished. All that counts now, is generating likes and comments at all costs.
Blog this!
Paid content, sponsored posts and brand ambassadorships – in theory, today’s blogger can be just as valuable to brands as mainstream media. But does blogger outreach actually work? In an article that first appeared in Encore, Nic Christensen investigates.“I get approaches from PR companies constantly,” says blogger and author Kerri Sackville, with more than a hint of exasperation. “I have never done a sponsored blog, on my own site, but that doesn’t stop them from asking.”
McLennan right man for job
It’s all change at troubled broadcaster Channel Ten with new directions, new executives and a brand new CEO. Managing director of Adstream Peter Miller says Hamish McLennan is the right man for the job, in an article that first appeared in Encore.I am a bit of a schmuck when it comes to movies. I love romantic comedies. My favourite is One Fine Day with Michelle Pfeiffer and George Clooney.
Q&A with Richard Herring
In a piece that first appeared in Encore, CEO of APN Outdoor Richard Herring talks media.Who is the most powerful person in Australian media and why?
I don’t know if there is one person in particular. The fragmentation of traditional media and new entrants has made it a more level playing field with regards to major influencers. As was demonstrated with the recent media reform recommendations, together, the broader media community still has a very influential and powerful voice.
What one medium could you not live without?
Outdoor – clean, entertaining, evocative and informative.
Q&A with screenwriter Craig Pearce
Craig Pearce, screenwriter for The Great Gatsby, spoke to Encore about working with Baz and writing for 3D.
How did you get into script writing?
I always loved stories and acting and dressing up and being anything but myself and I never realised that was not something other people did. After leaving high school, I did a three year acting course at NIDA but always thought I would one day write. Baz was a good friend and he had a theatre company. He wanted to extend a 20 minute version of Strictly Ballroom. We got it to 45 minutes then he was approached by producers to turn it into a feature film. I started helping him out on the film while they were looking for a real writer but eventually Baz had to go to the producers and say, “There’s this guy who’s my best friend and he is a really good writer”. To the producers’ credit, they believed in Baz so we had two weeks to re-write it.
Savage Counsel - winning pitches
Chris Savage tackles your career and agency dilemmas in his weekly Encore advice column.
Hi Chris,
It seems we have to increasingly pitch for everything. Even with existing clients, we’re now expected to pitch ideas, competitively, for every project. We’re winning about two out of five of what we’re pitching for. It’s a huge burden on our time and budgets. What is your secret to winning a pitch presentation? How do we make sure our presentations are a knockout?
Fake it til you make it...as a TV writer
Jess Harris, series creator and writer of ABC2 comedy series twentysomething tells us how to bluff it as a TV series writer in a feature that first appeared in Encore.
What does a TV series writer actually do?
Create fictional characters and a make-believe world for them to play in. Basically, I’m a liar.
The third dimension
From Avatar to Gatsby and the ads in between, in a feature that first appeared in Encore, Lee Zachariah looks at the state of the 3D market.When sound came in,they said it was a gimmick,” says director Baz Luhrmann. “It’s early days, and the [3D] tool is still being explored. But look at what Ang [Lee] did with the beautiful Life of Pi. And Dial M For Murder is just drama in a room.”
Supre ad banned for sexualising tweens
An ad for tween clothing brand Supre, which ran in print, in stores and on the back of buses, has fallen foul of the Advertising Standards Bureau for sexualising young people.
The ad used a young topless model to promote ‘jeggings’, a cross between jeans and leggings, and was slammed for inappropriately targeting young women.
Despite the advertiser challenging the ASB, stating that although “a sexy image”, it did not breach any form of discrimination or vilification towards women, the ads have been taken down.
The ASB also took issues with Supre’s claims that the ad is targeted to women aged 18-35 years old women. The board noted that the Supre brand is popular with teenage and pre-teen girls and that the ad would be attractive to this age group.
One complaint read: “With only hair over her breasts and not completely covering them this 
picture immediately invokes the idea of pornography. I do not know if the woman is a real model or computer image but she looks about 15 years old – hence child pornography. I do not believe that such nudity should be forced upon the community.”
Complaints have also been made about a TV ad for Supre. The ad features a young girl thrusting her rear at the camera and rolling her tongue over her teeth. The ads are under investigation by the ASB.
A making-of video of the ad is featured on Supre’s Facebook page:
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Comments
5 Jun 11
11:53 pm
Did the ACL put any complaints in about this ad? I’m interested.
5 Jun 11
11:57 pm
http://collectiveshout.org/wp-.....ternet.pdf
6 Jun 11
12:38 am
The ABC response (presumably about the print ad only) is interesting: http://collectiveshout.org/wp-.....ternet.pdf “The board noted that the mode’s breasts are not visible and that her pose is only mildly sexually suggestive.” However, the video has a clear come have sex with me doggy or anal style moment.
How old is this model? That would also be interesting to know from a workplace employment point of view.
By Google Adwords standards, this image ad would be classified as non family safe and would not be allowed on the Content Network (ie there is a search and content network). http://adwords.google.com/supp.....wer=152211
6 Jun 11
7:31 am
Teenage boys across Australia are outraged.
I think it was not only the ad that has been pulled.
6 Jun 11
8:38 am
This is very interesting. A company popular with certain customers is forbidden from trying to attract older customers. Not sure I like the reasoning for this decision.
6 Jun 11
10:57 am
Surely they could be banned for promoting tights being worn as pants?
6 Jun 11
11:29 am
Harley, great point.
Jane, if that’s what you think a “clear come have sex with me doggy or anal style moment” looks like, you’re either deluded, dirty-minded or both.
6 Jun 11
11:39 am
Aside from the obvious, a girl covering her breasts with her hair being no different to a naked woman showering promoting shampoo. I highly doubt that stating a girl looks fifteen is grounds to remove an ad.
Go to the chadwick models website and you’ll Jordan (not 15 years old) available for professional modelling work.
Oh BTW, I agree. (jeans/tights) not equal to (pants)
6 Jun 11
12:30 pm
I meant – so – will the Screaming Bikini ad be banned – or not – because you can’t see her face, and therefore cannot tell her age?
6 Jun 11
1:17 pm
Heaven help us that a clothing brand would want to depict people looking good in their products.
6 Jun 11
1:27 pm
Tim, i Made a comment before that I should have thought through more. Apologies.
6 Jun 11
2:52 pm
hmm it is a bit sexualy suggestive, but the fact is that the print advert is well within the bounds of decency.
not sure I agree with this one…
6 Jun 11
2:53 pm
i’m with the banning. everyone knows that supre is for teenagers and pre-teens… this ad is highly inappropriate. I doubt that any woman in her 20s and 30s will shop at supre. this campaign certainly won’t appeal to them/me.
6 Jun 11
3:45 pm
For me the question is where are the print ads running? If it is Girlfriend, Dolly or Total Girl then the creative is inappropriate. Not so much if the ads were created for magazines or publications with an older target…If the ads were running in older titles then I can’t see why the fuss.
6 Jun 11
4:02 pm
my 20 year old daughter (who is not prudish in the least) thinks the ad is overtly sexualised and finds it a complete turn off, hence is turned off the brand for portraying young girls in this manner.
6 Jun 11
5:15 pm
Have to say when I saw these ads on buses I was very surprised they had got through. My first response was – she is young – 15-16 ish max. And clearly sexually suggestive. Perhaps would be OK in a teen mag for girls – but outdoor no way. Road safety issues alone would be reason enough.
6 Jun 11
5:35 pm
The ads ARE a bit much, but so are most of the clothes in Supre. I agree that it depends entirely where the ads were supposed to be placed, but the transit and in store may have been an issue. Although they’re trying to target an older market, their market IS predominantly young teenage girls. Although in their defence, have you seen the One Teaspoon editorials? Very raunchy
6 Jun 11
6:08 pm
usually my bus journey from the eastern burbs into the city is a dull, text book reading affair. however, when I saw this ad posted on the back of the bus infront of mine, well, let’s just saw I found it tough not to look at.
6 Jun 11
6:24 pm
The only offensive thing about this ad is that in reality, “ladies who should know better” delude themselves that by wearing “spray-on” jeans, they can overcome physics.
Over-sexualised? Depends how repressed you are, I guess.
7 Jun 11
10:27 am
@Matt yes the ads ARE different to a woman advertising shampoo as it’s a completely different context.. everyone showers naked and it’s not sexual.. young girls don’t walk around topless, so the ad doesn’t need to be shot that way.
I’m in no way prude, but I agree that the print ads should be banned. That ‘hair covering boobs’ shot is what you would find in a men’s magazine and shouldn’t be used to advertising clothing to young girls.
7 Jun 11
1:10 pm
Unfortunately Stacey, the ASB realise that this is entirely in keeping with guidelines.
I’m not clear what blight on society this might cause.
7 Jun 11
6:17 pm
For god’s sakes – it is a HIGHLY sexulised image and completely inappropriate for the market (or for ANY market for that matter). She looks 12. Wake up.
7 Jun 11
6:20 pm
And does anyone else find it ridiculous that a gay man is schooling a teenage girl how to be ‘sexy’. Sexy for what? Gay guys? Jesus Christ…
7 Jun 11
7:37 pm
If someone is getting their rocks off to this, they’ve got bigger issues, that banning this isn’t going to solve.
8 Jun 11
4:31 pm
It’s not that someone might be getting their rocks off to this, it’s that young girls are very impressionable and we shouldn’t be sending out the message that dressing sexy and going topless is something they should be doing
8 Jun 11
4:54 pm
So Stacey,
Ban Bond’s ads in case impressionable kids forget to put the rest of their clothes on?
I don’t think you should judge the intellect of today’s youth by your own intellect.
9 Jun 11
9:58 am
Bonds advertise underwear so of course the girls aren’t wearing clothes and their ads are fun, not sexy. I just think a topless model is inappropriate for the target market. No need to get personal by taking a stab at my intellect.
9 Jun 11
2:18 pm
Now, now, Stacey. Re-read what I said.
No stab there. But your response gives a fascinating insight into your own self-esteem.
I’m not clear how this sexy can’t be fun. Or why it’s so wrong.
It’s biologically and hormonally programmed for post-pubescent girls to want to attract attention. Supressing, ignoring or denying this is not going to alter this.
But hey, it’s your subjective opinion.
26 Jun 11
6:48 pm
@AdGrunt and others, the sad fact of the matter is that biologically and hormonally ‘programmed’ or not, morals have gone out of the window, causing all kinds of personal life problems, and all because advertisers see youth (and the rest of us) as nothing more than meat for the industry and ‘consumers’. Sick, and very sad.