Comments on: THE WORST TIME TO LOOK FOR AN IDEA IS WHEN YOU NEED IT. http://www.cstadvertising.com/blog/2008/11/the-worst-time-to-look-for-an-idea-is-when-you-need-it/ Creative thinking and critique from Dave Trott Mon, 15 Mar 2010 07:42:44 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7.1 hourly 1 By: Former Nerd Now Approached By Beautiful Women. | 7Wins.eu http://www.cstadvertising.com/blog/2008/11/the-worst-time-to-look-for-an-idea-is-when-you-need-it/#comment-9916 Former Nerd Now Approached By Beautiful Women. | 7Wins.eu Tue, 25 Nov 2008 16:48:25 +0000 http://cstadvertising.com/blog/?p=116#comment-9916 [...] [...]

]]> By: Job Description Dishwasher | Antiquefurnituredoctor http://www.cstadvertising.com/blog/2008/11/the-worst-time-to-look-for-an-idea-is-when-you-need-it/#comment-9915 Job Description Dishwasher | Antiquefurnituredoctor Fri, 21 Nov 2008 07:53:53 +0000 http://cstadvertising.com/blog/?p=116#comment-9915 [...] Blog · CST Advertising [...] [...] Blog · CST Advertising [...]

]]> By: Creative Social Blog » Blog Archive » Creative Social at One Show China http://www.cstadvertising.com/blog/2008/11/the-worst-time-to-look-for-an-idea-is-when-you-need-it/#comment-9914 Creative Social Blog » Blog Archive » Creative Social at One Show China Wed, 19 Nov 2008 11:25:27 +0000 http://cstadvertising.com/blog/?p=116#comment-9914 [...] interesting piece by Dave Trott in his blog a couple of weeks back about the fact that ‘The Worst Time to look for an idea is when you need it‘. Read it. It kind of reminds me that unless Ideas people (which should go beyond realm of [...] [...] interesting piece by Dave Trott in his blog a couple of weeks back about the fact that ‘The Worst Time to look for an idea is when you need it‘. Read it. It kind of reminds me that unless Ideas people (which should go beyond realm of [...]

]]> By: desmond macedo http://www.cstadvertising.com/blog/2008/11/the-worst-time-to-look-for-an-idea-is-when-you-need-it/#comment-9913 desmond macedo Fri, 14 Nov 2008 04:58:51 +0000 http://cstadvertising.com/blog/?p=116#comment-9913 Melder, yes I've seen lots of pretentious people in this business. But interestingly, these days the millenial creatives, at least those in India, are less pretentious. Wonder why. Perhaps the internet has brought about an honesty in this generation, so if you're a half-arsed thinker, you'll get told that. of course, you can persevere in your pretentiousness and then, beyond a point, people will actually believe you are creative. That is when, may be, "The Perception becomes the Reality", as Reis and Trout said. For the rest of us, today there is the Comments Box :) Melder, yes I’ve seen lots of pretentious people in this business.

But interestingly, these days the millenial creatives, at least those in India, are less pretentious. Wonder why.

Perhaps the internet has brought about an honesty in this generation, so if you’re a half-arsed thinker, you’ll get told that.

of course, you can persevere in your pretentiousness and then, beyond a point, people will actually believe you are creative.

That is when, may be, “The Perception becomes the Reality”, as Reis and Trout said.

For the rest of us, today there is the Comments Box
:)

]]> By: Ant Melder http://www.cstadvertising.com/blog/2008/11/the-worst-time-to-look-for-an-idea-is-when-you-need-it/#comment-9908 Ant Melder Mon, 10 Nov 2008 17:40:33 +0000 http://cstadvertising.com/blog/?p=116#comment-9908 Desmond, fair enough, I take your point that you don’t HAVE to be cultural sponge to be a creative. I just think that if you’re not – and all you’re immersed in is ads – your work will be inspired by/in the same vein as…other ads. And that’s no way to get your message to stand out. I’m not quite sure I get your point about people wanting to be seen as ‘culturally aware’. Do you mean that you find some creatives a bit pretentious and that for all their supposed cultural awareness, their ads aren’t any good? Desmond, fair enough, I take your point that you don’t HAVE to be cultural sponge to be a creative. I just think that if you’re not – and all you’re immersed in is ads – your work will be inspired by/in the same vein as…other ads. And that’s no way to get your message to stand out.

I’m not quite sure I get your point about people wanting to be seen as ‘culturally aware’. Do you mean that you find some creatives a bit pretentious and that for all their supposed cultural awareness, their ads aren’t any good?

]]> By: Conor O'Sullivan http://www.cstadvertising.com/blog/2008/11/the-worst-time-to-look-for-an-idea-is-when-you-need-it/#comment-9907 Conor O'Sullivan Mon, 10 Nov 2008 10:17:03 +0000 http://cstadvertising.com/blog/?p=116#comment-9907 Excellent posting Dave. Maybe my age is showing but I've noticed a distinctly generational difference when it comes to looking for inspiration. The more, ahem, 'senior' people like myself and my partner rely on sources other than advertising. He - being art-based - buys sh*tloads of magazines. I - being more copy-based - read about 2 books a week (on a bad week). We both check out different movies every week. But our younger colleagues (say, about 10 or more years younger) seem to rely on awards annnuals and, of course, Scam Monthly - sorry - Archive. Of course these days we all use the internet (probably more than we realise) as a source. But another great way to get the brain moving in a different direction is to seriously take up an entirely new hobby - preferably as unrelated to advertising as possible. It seems that I manage to do just that about every 5 years or so... learning how to play the guitar... opening up a small coffee shop... My next initiative is to take up a Personal Training course in the new year... Every time I've done something different like this it appears to recharge my brain and I suddenly start thinking in very different directions when it comes to ideas for ads. Excellent posting Dave. Maybe my age is showing but I’ve noticed a distinctly generational difference when it comes to looking for inspiration. The more, ahem, ’senior’ people like myself and my partner rely on sources other than advertising. He - being art-based - buys sh*tloads of magazines. I - being more copy-based - read about 2 books a week (on a bad week). We both check out different movies every week. But our younger colleagues (say, about 10 or more years younger) seem to rely on awards annnuals and, of course, Scam Monthly - sorry - Archive. Of course these days we all use the internet (probably more than we realise) as a source.

But another great way to get the brain moving in a different direction is to seriously take up an entirely new hobby - preferably as unrelated to advertising as possible. It seems that I manage to do just that about every 5 years or so… learning how to play the guitar… opening up a small coffee shop… My next initiative is to take up a Personal Training course in the new year… Every time I’ve done something different like this it appears to recharge my brain and I suddenly start thinking in very different directions when it comes to ideas for ads.

]]> By: Ian http://www.cstadvertising.com/blog/2008/11/the-worst-time-to-look-for-an-idea-is-when-you-need-it/#comment-9906 Ian Mon, 10 Nov 2008 09:51:13 +0000 http://cstadvertising.com/blog/?p=116#comment-9906 Dave's blog got me thinking. Since he's from London and I'm from Singapore, I was wondering - what if we set up an exchange system? There are stuff from Singapore that might be hard to get in London. Shaw Brothers' kung fu shows spring to mind. Similarly, some things are hard to get in Sin and I don't mean chewing gum. Following the D&AD Workshop, some London friends used to ask me for Chinese calligraphy books and Bruce Lee DVDs. The wonderful thing is, 1 quid is about 2.5 Sing dollar. So, the exchange rate actually works to London's favour. Dave suggested I put the exchange programme idea on his blog. So, here I am. Being 'creative', haven't figured out payment, though. Dave’s blog got me thinking. Since he’s from London and I’m from Singapore, I was wondering - what if we set up an exchange system?
There are stuff from Singapore that might be hard to get in London. Shaw Brothers’ kung fu shows spring to mind.
Similarly, some things are hard to get in Sin and I don’t mean chewing gum.
Following the D&AD Workshop, some London friends used to ask me for Chinese calligraphy books and Bruce Lee DVDs.
The wonderful thing is, 1 quid is about 2.5 Sing dollar. So, the exchange rate actually works to London’s favour.
Dave suggested I put the exchange programme idea on his blog.
So, here I am.
Being ‘creative’, haven’t figured out payment, though.

]]> By: desmond macedo http://www.cstadvertising.com/blog/2008/11/the-worst-time-to-look-for-an-idea-is-when-you-need-it/#comment-9905 desmond macedo Mon, 10 Nov 2008 07:45:26 +0000 http://cstadvertising.com/blog/?p=116#comment-9905 Ant Melder, i don't agree that you have yo be a 'cultural sponge' to be creative... every year when the Nobel Prize for literature was announced, i didn't need to be a news-freak to know who won it.... a copywriter would usually be carrying a copy of the winner's work lots of creatives just want to be seen as people who are culturally aware... look at their work and you wonder, "they are more culturally aware than anything else" Ant Melder, i don’t agree that you have yo be a ‘cultural sponge’ to be creative…

every year when the Nobel Prize for literature was announced, i didn’t need to be a news-freak to know who won it….

a copywriter would usually be carrying a copy of the winner’s work

lots of creatives just want to be seen as people who are culturally aware… look at their work and you wonder, “they are more culturally aware than anything else”

]]> By: shelly http://www.cstadvertising.com/blog/2008/11/the-worst-time-to-look-for-an-idea-is-when-you-need-it/#comment-9904 shelly Mon, 10 Nov 2008 03:44:58 +0000 http://cstadvertising.com/blog/?p=116#comment-9904 during a creative internal in my agency, one of the writers was asked to talk about his concepts. he spoke with confidence, i thought he seemed proud of himself for having a grand total of 7 elaborately-crafted stories. though i was annoyed that his inspirations were movies that have little appeal to me (i.e. GI jane). around the 6th concept, he said "this is inspired by ET..." at which point, our exhausted CD exclaimed "God what is this, a film festival?" during a creative internal in my agency, one of the writers was asked to talk about his concepts. he spoke with confidence, i thought he seemed proud of himself for having a grand total of 7 elaborately-crafted stories. though i was annoyed that his inspirations were movies that have little appeal to me (i.e. GI jane). around the 6th concept, he said “this is inspired by ET…” at which point, our exhausted CD exclaimed “God what is this, a film festival?”

]]> By: Ian http://www.cstadvertising.com/blog/2008/11/the-worst-time-to-look-for-an-idea-is-when-you-need-it/#comment-9903 Ian Mon, 10 Nov 2008 02:17:18 +0000 http://cstadvertising.com/blog/?p=116#comment-9903 How about Toronto? Been there a few times. I like that it's American in terms of culture by British when it comes to manners. Alas, as I often ask of Canadians, name 2 good Canadian advertising campaign - they can't. In terms of quality of work produced, London gets my vote. In terms of climate and quality of life, Toronto gets my vote. Americans are too insular, I find. Being Asian, I find the sterling conversion way too steep for me to live long term in the UK. How about Toronto?
Been there a few times.
I like that it’s American in terms of culture by British when it comes to manners.
Alas, as I often ask of Canadians, name 2 good Canadian advertising campaign - they can’t.
In terms of quality of work produced, London gets my vote. In terms of climate and quality of life, Toronto gets my vote. Americans are too insular, I find. Being Asian, I find the sterling conversion way too steep for me to live long term in the UK.

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