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Advertising Award Organizations
BY Ninart Lui
BY Ninart Lui
Exclusive Highlight on TAXI Design Network
Interview with Mary Warlick
TAXI >>At this year’s One Show Design Awards, you said: “Package design is often a consumer’s first experience of a product.” What defines a first One Show experience?
Mary Warlick>>At the first One Show Design ceremony last July 2007, I was quoted as saying “Package design is often a consumer’s first experience with a product.” This remains true with personal products found in specialty retail product stores like L’Occitane, Origins and Thymes, where the design of the package first induces the consumer to make an alternate purchase from their usual brand. The original design for Tazo teas found in the Starbucks retail stores is also an example of this. But no brand has understood the magnet of good design more than Apple—their iPod’s and iPhones have created a heightened identity for those that own them. Not only do “I listen to music and talk with my friends, but I do so in the coolest, hippest manner possible.”
TAXI >>You graduated from Columbia University as an art historian and presently, you teach History of Advertising at the School of Visual Arts in New York. Art and advertising — what can you enlighten TAXI about the art of advertising and the advertising of art?
Mary Warlick>>I graduated from Columbia University with a graduate degree in art history, and teach history of advertising at the School of Visual Arts in New York. Primarily my students are advertising and graphic design majors. The main emphasis on the course is the impact of visual imagery in formulating successful campaigns. This trend can be found from as far back as the early posters for Le Moulin Rouge by Toulouse Lautrec up until the tremendous impact made by the Nike posters from Chiat/Day for the 1984 Summer Olympic games in Los Angeles. While it is easy to make comparisons between art and advertising, I don’t see advertising as art, but rather a craft—a craft whose purpose is to persuade.
TAXI >>You are certainly a high achiever; wearing many hats as the CEO of The One Club, author of several articles on advertising in Adweek and on top of that, you give lectures all over the world on what’s happening in the advertising industry today. Given your vast experience, do you think that agencies base their conceptualization on industry trends or is it a mere coincidence? Do trends even exist in the colorful, fast-paced world of advertisements?
Mary Warlick>>Trends in advertising are the first thing journalists ask about, and they are often the hardest element to identify correctly. Rather than cite specific trends, which only occur after one agency has been brave enough to successfully try something new, and the following year dozens of other shops follow suit, I prefer to cite outstanding individual examples of breakthrough work when they happen. Today when people talk about viral advertising, they often forget or are not even aware that the best example of this was done almost eight years ago with “The Hire” for BMW Films. BMW and their agency Fallon in Minneapolis broke through all the barriers of reaching an affluent, tech-savvy audience and generated millions of dollars in media attention, for a campaign that was only available online. Unfortunately, the potential of this original idea has never been quite equaled in subsequent years.
If one steps back and views the overall picture of advertising around the world, it is easier to make the distinction between trends (real or otherwise) and simply fads. Particularly in the awards shows, one sees a plethora of ads for a particular product each year. Ten years ago, it was condoms, today popular products seems to be pens and flashlights. One wonders if the manufacturers of tiny flashlights are really putting this much marketing capital behind their product, or are these large in-store posters more ‘awards show fodder.’
TAXI >>Dynamic duo Dan Wieden and David Kennedy, Lee Clow and Bill Bernbach were some of the stars for The Alchemists Film. BMW made history when it reversed the ads in film into the film as an ad. After so many years, this idea didn’t quite take off. The monstrous amount of money required is obviously a drawback, but what else do you think pose problems? Do you foresee more of this concept in the near future?
Mary Warlick>>The documentary that the One Club is producing, featuring several members of the Creative Hall of Fame is back on schedule for release in 2008. The name of the film is no longer the Alchemists, rather we are considering several new titles that will reflect the new direction of this important documentary. The fascinating aspect of the interviews with members of the Creative Hall of Fame has revealed an underlying passion for these legends in the advertising industry to go beyond what is expected, to create communication that connects people to a brand and influences their lives in ways they might not even be aware of at the time.
I predict that this film will become an invaluable teaching tool for anyone coming into the business, as well as an extraordinary look at some of the factors shaping our popular culture in the past thirty years. For instance, when Phyllis Robinson wrote for Nice ‘n Easy, “It lets me be me,” she was essentially giving the “me generation” a legitimate voice thirty or more years ago. Lee Clow’s work for Apple in 1984 ushered in a new generation of personal computing that truly revolutionized how people worked in offices and homes. I am very excited about this film and I am sure it will generate tremendous attention both in the United States and internationally.
TAXI >>The Alchemists Film features luminaries of The One Club Creative Hall of Fame. What makes an advertising legend?
Mary Warlick>> People can only become an advertising legend if they are able to both create AND inspire great work. A creative leader bequeaths a legacy by setting standards that others aspire to reach or exceed. Creative legends are masters of the craft of advertising. They are not afraid of challenge, and embrace big ideas that change the way you look at a product or service.
TAXI >>What is the WORD, which you think would reside and reverberate in the design world for the next 10 years?
Mary Warlick>> Purpose. Reason and function and esthetics will be close behind.
..........................................................................................................
Exclusive Highlight on TAXI Design Network
Interview with Simon Waterfall
TAXI >>You are the youngest ever D&AD President but at the same time, you are the “grandfather” of digital communications. Technology is a major stimulus and a springboard for bold, exploratory work but who, or what, is the driver in the digital age?
Simon Waterfall>>I think the main driver in the digital age is that it’s all NEW. Many things we pitch for we can’t actually do yet, and we all try and push the field forward to achieve it. The very global nature of the web means this knowledge and skill then informs and educates us all and moves the bar of excellence that little bit higher.
TAXI >>You told Creativematch.uk your best piece of business advice was from your father: “Half the luggage, twice the money.” Does money make the design world go round?
Simon Waterfall>>The point of taking half the luggage and twice the money is to force you, as a traveler in foreign lands, to engage with the culture and have to buy new underwear, a toothbrush, to speak to people and discover more. Don’t be a tourist, be a likeable lost traveler who needs a hand.
TAXI >>You have been very generous in sharing your experiences and letting students and young creatives pick your brains at international events like ICOGRADA, Parsons School of Design, The Royal Society of Arts and Institute of Contemporary Arts. As one of gurus for Designersarewankers.com, what are the questions you get asked most often? What do you think they say about the upcoming generation of creative leaders?
Simon Waterfall>>LOL…the most asked question in Designersarewankers.com is just that. Are they? I hope the up and coming generation sees that it’s possible for anyone to be a leader. They have to be if they want to educate their clients, peers and own professions. Who says one person is a Guru and another not? It’s normally the biggest mouth, loudest voice or rampant ego… all of which I guess I am guilty of.
TAXI >>No stranger to fashion idiosyncrasies, you wore a dress for two years. The suit is your new canvas — you have Social Suicide, a line of provocative men’s suit collaboration with Matt Grey. As —what you call yourself —“an old boy in digital fashion”, what are your thoughts on such hybrid crossovers in design disciplines?
Simon Waterfall>>No I wore a dress/skirt/kilts for eleven years. Two would have been easier, a phase or a stunt, eleven is natural, normal and now thankfully over. I hope everyone has the energy to take their interests, their passion, as far as they can. Mat “Tig” and I had our first season of Social Suicide suits bought by Harvey Nichols - it was fantastic to have the support of such a world famous brand that supports the way we work and think in our label’s anarchic fashion.
TAXI >>You created double-ended ties that come in two fat ends in different colors and you sold the two-in-one tie for twice the price of one. What is the greatest change to your perception of fashion designers after you started Social Suicide? And what is the difference in the way you view digital design after you became a fashion designer?
Simon Waterfall>>We also sell socks that come in threes… that way you buy two pairs and get six socks… up selling, challenging convention, a good idea, a cultural observation of the missing sock… it really doesn’t matter. We do look at things differently; we do try and bring thought and storytelling to men’s fashion which is summarized by a distinct lack of choice in a female-saturated clothing world.
TAXI >>While some have struck out and found more shame than fame on their plate, other corporations have found success with social media with transparency. Could you fill in the blanks, however and whatever you wish, for this statement: “There is no room for _ _ _ _ _ in the great digital landscape.”
Simon Waterfall>>“There is no room for LIES in the great digital landscape.”
TAXI >>What is the WORD, which you think would reside and reverberate in the design world for the next 10 years?
Simon Waterfall>>Appropriate.
..........................................................................................................
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© 2003 - 2008 by TAXI Design Network. All rights reserved.
Interview with Mary Warlick
 | TAXI >>Hello Mary. 2007 celebrates the 10th anniversary of One Show Interactive. There’s an article on One. a magazine about agencies and their anniversaries. What do you think is the anti-ageing formula for agencies to avert midlife crisis and stay fit and trim in many more decades to come?
Mary Warlick>>Agencies have to operate like individuals if they intend to stay current. And similar to individuals, agencies have personalities, specific styles and ways of operating. Young agencies are in the process of developing their corporate identities, while older agencies—those celebrating ten years or more—need to stay current by flexing the same creative muscles that launched their identities years ago. Specifically, as the target audiences get harder to reach, agencies must source other ways of reaching them, whether it’s cable, satellite or viral video. It is crucial for agencies to rely on a little help from their friends, their friends in the graphic design and production worlds, gaming industry professionals and environmental design gurus. |
TAXI >>At this year’s One Show Design Awards, you said: “Package design is often a consumer’s first experience of a product.” What defines a first One Show experience?
Mary Warlick>>At the first One Show Design ceremony last July 2007, I was quoted as saying “Package design is often a consumer’s first experience with a product.” This remains true with personal products found in specialty retail product stores like L’Occitane, Origins and Thymes, where the design of the package first induces the consumer to make an alternate purchase from their usual brand. The original design for Tazo teas found in the Starbucks retail stores is also an example of this. But no brand has understood the magnet of good design more than Apple—their iPod’s and iPhones have created a heightened identity for those that own them. Not only do “I listen to music and talk with my friends, but I do so in the coolest, hippest manner possible.”
TAXI >>You graduated from Columbia University as an art historian and presently, you teach History of Advertising at the School of Visual Arts in New York. Art and advertising — what can you enlighten TAXI about the art of advertising and the advertising of art?
Mary Warlick>>I graduated from Columbia University with a graduate degree in art history, and teach history of advertising at the School of Visual Arts in New York. Primarily my students are advertising and graphic design majors. The main emphasis on the course is the impact of visual imagery in formulating successful campaigns. This trend can be found from as far back as the early posters for Le Moulin Rouge by Toulouse Lautrec up until the tremendous impact made by the Nike posters from Chiat/Day for the 1984 Summer Olympic games in Los Angeles. While it is easy to make comparisons between art and advertising, I don’t see advertising as art, but rather a craft—a craft whose purpose is to persuade.
TAXI >>You are certainly a high achiever; wearing many hats as the CEO of The One Club, author of several articles on advertising in Adweek and on top of that, you give lectures all over the world on what’s happening in the advertising industry today. Given your vast experience, do you think that agencies base their conceptualization on industry trends or is it a mere coincidence? Do trends even exist in the colorful, fast-paced world of advertisements?
Mary Warlick>>Trends in advertising are the first thing journalists ask about, and they are often the hardest element to identify correctly. Rather than cite specific trends, which only occur after one agency has been brave enough to successfully try something new, and the following year dozens of other shops follow suit, I prefer to cite outstanding individual examples of breakthrough work when they happen. Today when people talk about viral advertising, they often forget or are not even aware that the best example of this was done almost eight years ago with “The Hire” for BMW Films. BMW and their agency Fallon in Minneapolis broke through all the barriers of reaching an affluent, tech-savvy audience and generated millions of dollars in media attention, for a campaign that was only available online. Unfortunately, the potential of this original idea has never been quite equaled in subsequent years.
If one steps back and views the overall picture of advertising around the world, it is easier to make the distinction between trends (real or otherwise) and simply fads. Particularly in the awards shows, one sees a plethora of ads for a particular product each year. Ten years ago, it was condoms, today popular products seems to be pens and flashlights. One wonders if the manufacturers of tiny flashlights are really putting this much marketing capital behind their product, or are these large in-store posters more ‘awards show fodder.’
TAXI >>Dynamic duo Dan Wieden and David Kennedy, Lee Clow and Bill Bernbach were some of the stars for The Alchemists Film. BMW made history when it reversed the ads in film into the film as an ad. After so many years, this idea didn’t quite take off. The monstrous amount of money required is obviously a drawback, but what else do you think pose problems? Do you foresee more of this concept in the near future?
Mary Warlick>>The documentary that the One Club is producing, featuring several members of the Creative Hall of Fame is back on schedule for release in 2008. The name of the film is no longer the Alchemists, rather we are considering several new titles that will reflect the new direction of this important documentary. The fascinating aspect of the interviews with members of the Creative Hall of Fame has revealed an underlying passion for these legends in the advertising industry to go beyond what is expected, to create communication that connects people to a brand and influences their lives in ways they might not even be aware of at the time.
I predict that this film will become an invaluable teaching tool for anyone coming into the business, as well as an extraordinary look at some of the factors shaping our popular culture in the past thirty years. For instance, when Phyllis Robinson wrote for Nice ‘n Easy, “It lets me be me,” she was essentially giving the “me generation” a legitimate voice thirty or more years ago. Lee Clow’s work for Apple in 1984 ushered in a new generation of personal computing that truly revolutionized how people worked in offices and homes. I am very excited about this film and I am sure it will generate tremendous attention both in the United States and internationally.
TAXI >>The Alchemists Film features luminaries of The One Club Creative Hall of Fame. What makes an advertising legend?
Mary Warlick>> People can only become an advertising legend if they are able to both create AND inspire great work. A creative leader bequeaths a legacy by setting standards that others aspire to reach or exceed. Creative legends are masters of the craft of advertising. They are not afraid of challenge, and embrace big ideas that change the way you look at a product or service.
TAXI >>What is the WORD, which you think would reside and reverberate in the design world for the next 10 years?
Mary Warlick>> Purpose. Reason and function and esthetics will be close behind.
..........................................................................................................
Exclusive Highlight on TAXI Design Network
Interview with Simon Waterfall
 | TAXI >>Hello Simon. Congratulations on your presidency! Everything you do is a talking point and this high-profile role is no different. Presidents throughout D&AD’s 45-year history come from traditional advertising and design; it makes you the first from digital design to take the helm. What would you say about your brand of leadership?
Simon Waterfall>>I am silently shaking having had a very large night and falling into a vat of beer. I really don’t feel like a leader at all today, more a bit of lead (er). I have been very fortunate to be in the right place at the right time. The birth of the digital age, in computing and networks, happened as I hit my teenage years, so it was less of being a leader than just being one of the amateurs that have helped shape this very young industry. I think that my appointment was much more a signal to the industry that digital is coming of age, rather than just my own boyish charm and good looks. |
TAXI >>You are the youngest ever D&AD President but at the same time, you are the “grandfather” of digital communications. Technology is a major stimulus and a springboard for bold, exploratory work but who, or what, is the driver in the digital age?
Simon Waterfall>>I think the main driver in the digital age is that it’s all NEW. Many things we pitch for we can’t actually do yet, and we all try and push the field forward to achieve it. The very global nature of the web means this knowledge and skill then informs and educates us all and moves the bar of excellence that little bit higher.
TAXI >>You told Creativematch.uk your best piece of business advice was from your father: “Half the luggage, twice the money.” Does money make the design world go round?
Simon Waterfall>>The point of taking half the luggage and twice the money is to force you, as a traveler in foreign lands, to engage with the culture and have to buy new underwear, a toothbrush, to speak to people and discover more. Don’t be a tourist, be a likeable lost traveler who needs a hand.
TAXI >>You have been very generous in sharing your experiences and letting students and young creatives pick your brains at international events like ICOGRADA, Parsons School of Design, The Royal Society of Arts and Institute of Contemporary Arts. As one of gurus for Designersarewankers.com, what are the questions you get asked most often? What do you think they say about the upcoming generation of creative leaders?
Simon Waterfall>>LOL…the most asked question in Designersarewankers.com is just that. Are they? I hope the up and coming generation sees that it’s possible for anyone to be a leader. They have to be if they want to educate their clients, peers and own professions. Who says one person is a Guru and another not? It’s normally the biggest mouth, loudest voice or rampant ego… all of which I guess I am guilty of.
TAXI >>No stranger to fashion idiosyncrasies, you wore a dress for two years. The suit is your new canvas — you have Social Suicide, a line of provocative men’s suit collaboration with Matt Grey. As —what you call yourself —“an old boy in digital fashion”, what are your thoughts on such hybrid crossovers in design disciplines?
Simon Waterfall>>No I wore a dress/skirt/kilts for eleven years. Two would have been easier, a phase or a stunt, eleven is natural, normal and now thankfully over. I hope everyone has the energy to take their interests, their passion, as far as they can. Mat “Tig” and I had our first season of Social Suicide suits bought by Harvey Nichols - it was fantastic to have the support of such a world famous brand that supports the way we work and think in our label’s anarchic fashion.
TAXI >>You created double-ended ties that come in two fat ends in different colors and you sold the two-in-one tie for twice the price of one. What is the greatest change to your perception of fashion designers after you started Social Suicide? And what is the difference in the way you view digital design after you became a fashion designer?
Simon Waterfall>>We also sell socks that come in threes… that way you buy two pairs and get six socks… up selling, challenging convention, a good idea, a cultural observation of the missing sock… it really doesn’t matter. We do look at things differently; we do try and bring thought and storytelling to men’s fashion which is summarized by a distinct lack of choice in a female-saturated clothing world.
TAXI >>While some have struck out and found more shame than fame on their plate, other corporations have found success with social media with transparency. Could you fill in the blanks, however and whatever you wish, for this statement: “There is no room for _ _ _ _ _ in the great digital landscape.”
Simon Waterfall>>“There is no room for LIES in the great digital landscape.”
TAXI >>What is the WORD, which you think would reside and reverberate in the design world for the next 10 years?
Simon Waterfall>>Appropriate.
..........................................................................................................
Read OTHER INTERVIEWS on DESIGN LEADERS
..........................................................................................................
© 2003 - 2008 by TAXI Design Network. All rights reserved.
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