Archive for the ‘Creativity’ Category

Black and Blue Branding

Posted by Julie | September 8th, 2010

This summer I got to spend a lot of time doing my two favorite activities: 1) hanging out with my kids and 2) taking long walks with them.

This  led to a lot of games of punch buggy and unfortunately…a lot of bruises.

Anyone who thinks a 9 year old can’t hit that hard, hasn’t met my son.

I’m sure you all know the rules, but if you want a refresher, here’s a useful link.

Despite the discomfort of the over energetic punches, I can’t help to continue at marvelling at the sheer  brilliance (perhaps dumb luck?) of this phenomenon.

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Category: Creativity, Favorite Brands, Viral Campaigns

Top 5 Creativity “Rut Busters”

Posted by Julie | May 19th, 2010

What do you do when the well runs dry?

I mean the creativity spring, the idea river, the fountain of wit…

Maybe you are one of the few lucky ones and this never happens to you (liar!).

Fortunately, this doesn’t happen too often to me…but it does happen.

And it’s often when I am physically tired or mentally pre-occupied (usually with kids, home, etc.).

I know it will pass, after all, it always does.

But even though I know it’s temporary, when it does happen, I seem to lose sight of this right away and I go right to…I WILL NEVER HAVE ANOTHER CREATIVE IDEA AS LONG AS I LIVE.

And naturally this makes me panic, and of course this panic blocks my creativity even more and so on, and so on…

So what’s a girl (of guy) to do?

Well once you climb down from the ledge, you might want to try one of these tips…none of them are ground-breaking, but maybe they are worth remembering. And of course, what I really loved to hear is your ideas.

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Category: Creativity, Generating Ideas, Inspiration, Overcoming Obstacles, Problem Solving

Helping Creatives Become Better Presenters

Posted by Julie | April 8th, 2010

Is a killer idea poorly presented still a killer idea?

Maybe, but it probably has less of a chance of getting sold through.

In my experience, many of the qualities that make creative people great creatives, don’t always make them effective presenters.

I am of course generalizing, but sometimes creative types seem more comfortable interacting with their macs then they do with actual human beings across a conference table.Especially when the conference room is quite full.

Or since they don’t want to be too “salesy” (which is understandable) they come across as lacking  conviction or passion for their ideas.

That’s why I was intrigued when a former Interbrand colleague, Darrell Hayden, emailed me and told me he had created a methodology designed specifically to help designers and other creative people hone and improve their presentation skills.

It’s called Speaking of Creative. Check out his website and you can see Darrell in action with some of his students.

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Category: Agency/Client relations, Careers, Creativity

The Muppets go Ga Ga

Posted by Julie | April 7th, 2010

In case you haven’t seen it, check out this hysterical Muppet  mash-up of Lady Gaga’s latest hit - Telephone.

Imitation may prove yet again to be the sincerest form of flattery. One thing’s for sure, while pop songs will come and go…the Muppet’s are timeless.

That’s my point of view. What’s your twist?
Are you gaga for these little monsters?

Category: Creativity, Inspiration

The Tale of the Boy and the Box

Posted by Julie | March 9th, 2010

My Mom got me snow shoes for my birthday.

Having just tried out a pair at my friend’s house in Vermont, I was very excited.

But not half as excited as my 8 year son who promptly got to work transforming the empty LL Bean box into a fort.

I looked at the box, determined it had served it’s shipping purpose and started to put it in the recycle pile.

Fortunately, his imagination stepped in and he quickly reclaimed the empty box as a toy.

He spent the next hour cutting out a peep hole in the side, covering it with black paper (better to hide) and rigging a pretty sophisticated system to attach a light bulb to the inside corner of the box “just in case”.

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Category: Childhood, Creativity, Inspiration

My Last Meal

Posted by Julie | March 3rd, 2010

We all know that food really isn’t about sustenance- at least the physical kind.

Sure we need food to fuel our bodies and keep them functioning. But it’s no great secret that food is about emotional nourishment and associations.

I find exploring favorite foods and the feelings they evoke is actually a great exercise to do in brainstorming sessions. It helps to warm up the creative juices and can sometimes have direct implications for developing stronger brands.

I remember once pitching a large Atlanta based airline where we recommended that they serve ice tea to everyone who comes on board to really bring their promise of southern hospitality to life. We even recommended finishing each glass with a small mint leaf in each cup to demonstrate (not just talk about) the special touches the airline was touting in its ad campaigns

I am sure many of you are familiar with the power of the fresh baked chocolate chip cookies on Midwest Airlines. It’s not about the physical need of hunger that’s satisfied. It’s about the emotions of comfort and security that the taste, and most importantly the smell, of the cookie evokes.

Here’s a great game that explores these food feelings. It may seem morbid at first blush, but I find that it actually unlocks a lot of creativity and inspiration if you allow yourself to get into it. It’s really fun to do in groups.

It’s called “Last Meal”.

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Category: Childhood, Creativity, Inspiration

I Wish I Worked There!

Posted by Julie | February 11th, 2010

Do creative environments really help foster more creativity?

I think so. And so do the authors of I Wish I Worked There.

The author Kursty Groves (with Will Knight and photos by Edward Denison) bills the book as “the first book to go behind the scenes of some of the world’s most famous companies, revealing how they maintain their creative edge.”

Lots of books have been written on the “creative secret sauce” of innovative companies…what intrigues me about this one is the apparent emphasis on physical environment as a big part of their success. (The book comes out in the UK in March, and the States in the Spring).

In the spirit of full disclosure, one of the buildings featured is the Virgin Management offices in the UK. It is quite an extraordinary building. A converted schoolhouse that now boasts a 10 foot high candy tube in the lobby, themed conference rooms around topics like love and space, colorful artwork highlighting the brand’s history on the walls, and candid photos of all the employees when you first walk in.

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Category: Brand Experience, Brand Personality, Creativity, Environment

More Spicy Video

Posted by Julie | February 3rd, 2010

Yesterday I wrote about using Video to Spice Up Things Up  in your brand communications.

In response, one BrandTwist follower sent me this video from Gillette. It   gives how-to instructions for men on keeping their private parts well-groomed.

I think their phrase “When there’s no under-brush the tree looks taller” sums up the video’s message pretty well.

Category: Creativity, Viral Campaigns

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