Monday, October 23, 2006

Dawn of a new era


pilates-Andrew1
Originally uploaded by yogandrew.
I started my Pilates today. 1 on 1 sessions with a very encouraging women who did her best not to dissolve into fllods of tears / laughter at my pathetic efforts. I shall be returning twice a week for the next 6 weeks as well as piling on the gym sessions.

With Jude already scheduled for Niagara, Denver, Calgary and Victoria BC and with more dates piling up for her it's good that I have something to keep my devilish hands occupied. There is, after all, a time when even the Internet can fail to entertain.

My desperate need for physicality - and the idea of my running along beaches, cycling through crisp mountain air and skiiing with the hoi poloi is shaping Judith's job search I think. Though the idea of Hong Kong is financially appealing.

I'm wondering whether all of this 'must be in the open air, under a big sky' nonsense is a late reaction to near death, the early onset of a mid-life crisis (okay, not so early) or a sudden realization that I've been selling my soul for pennies in cities that have made me ill for too long.

So the exercise started today. And the books start tomorrow. I have two ideas for books on advertising and deciding which to write has been paralyzing... so I'm going to do both.

The first is a simple '12 shapes that shape advertising' - a How To... for planners.

The second asks the question 'if advertising started today; with all of the technology that we have but none of the history' what would it look like? what would advertising agencies look like? and what would our cities look like?'

So - exercise for body and mind - cool

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi steve

I think I can predict without fear of successful contradiction that 99% of advertising would be as dull, uninspiring, and offensive as it is in the here-and-now.

Take away the Tony Kaye and Bartleby Boggleby stuff [is it true that stuff is written for industry blow-job awards?] and you are left with undergraduate attempts to reduce a product to ten words and a noise [cf intel, danone etc.]with some poor runt reading a list of disclaimers at the end.

But of course we look to you to produce the next "Go to work on an egg!" So lay on.

Funzo, anyone?

Drew

Steve said...

as an ex member of the bartleby boggleby cult I can assure you that the agency was modelled more on an Egyptian slave ship than it was on the 80s model of free coke and blow jobs for all.

I try to avoid TV ads these days - both watching them and making them... and I have to say that I find UK advertising almost as offensive as UK programming these days (somebody please, please, please give the BBC a budget)

Mind there's lots of evidence that great ads that people love and that win lots of awards sell more product than those that have been through the testing wind tunnel emerge identical to all of the other shoutfests out there.

Oh I could go on forever here - it probably feels as though I already have... but for evidence of the stuff I love take a look at 4ourty 2wo entertainment and campaigns like 'The Beast' or at the ARG sites out there covering programs like Audi's Art of the Heist.

Most famous thing I did? Gail Porter's arse on the houses of parliament