TONY I WANT IN!

Over seven years ago I was sitting at the back of an empty studio space minding my own business, trying to rough out the perfect logo for one of many design modules, but I wasn't on my own for long.

In came a large class of the year above me, followed by an older student who had just came back from work experience, ready to finish his final year.

Everyone sat down as he began to talk about his interests that incidentally lead to his work experience.

I wasn't paying much attention to the talk as it was never intended for me, but as I was not getting anywhere with this perfect logo, I decided to take a break and listen in from the back.

The older student's name was Jolyon and he'd just finished work experience with an advertising agency based in London called VCCP.

I always found advertising a dirty word, a word that meant capitalism, money, suits in high rising skyscrapers and the cold calculated nature of making people buy shit they didn't really need.

But the more I listened in, the more it drove me away from that cynical concept.

Jolyon preached about ideas, ideas not just for commercial work, but ideas in general that make up all sorts of weird and wonderful things.

Thats what pulled me in ideas, not advertising but ideas, because thats the purist form of creativity, thats the starting point of most creative work, whether it be music, film, theatre, design, they all start with an idea, that intrigued me!

And then he said there was a course he was trying to break into, where this guy called Tony would teach you how to master this art, and get you a career doing it for a living.

But what sealed the deal was the challenge, Tony only wanted the best, the fastest thinkers, people with energy and passion, not talent, but energy and passion.

I have always been the impatient type I want to get things down on paper, made, and out the door, I couldn't keep sitting in front of a screen for hours deciding what was the right pantone colour for this particular logo, my best moments in the creative process was when I was coming up with the idea, and here was a course that centred around that, a course to test me whether I was actually good or if it was just all in my head, and if I succeeded I was guaranteed a placement and eventually a job in top agency in London.

After that I gave graphic design another crack, but Watford kept on ringing in my ears, I would keep looking at the site once every few days, it started to become an obsession, and eventually one day I dropped what I was doing in design and said 'I want to be a creative, Tony I want in!'.

If you feel the same click this link >

https://watfordadschool.blogspot.com/2019/05/watford-applications-for-seprtember.html

CONTEXT & BEYOND

After being hired at AMVBBDO last year, I have gradually settled into the agency,

and during that time I have been taking part in social activities like Pub Club.

Every Thursday the agency nominates a pub for everyone go to after work, this is announced through the traditional means of a poster, emailed across everyone's feed.

The guys in control of this are co founders of Pub Club; Scott & Ben.

Usually the posters they do for Pub Club are topical, whether it be something thats happened in the agency that week or general news, but usually its just a poster advertising the pub.

However one week something happened that completely changed the idea of Pub Club.

During Tuesday/Wednesday (can't remember what day), the whole agency was alerted by something naughty happening opposite our building.

A couple was having sex in a hotel room in broad daylight with the curtains open at a CitizenM hotel!

It was the main event of the week, the talk of the agency, well until Thursday.

On the day of Pub Club something happened again opposite the agency building.

The room where the couple had sex before was occupied, but with a message sticked to the window that simply read "PUB CLUB, ROOM 519".

Scott & Ben had 'literally' turned what happened a few days earlier into not just a advertisement for Pub Club, but Pub Club itself!

In the evening CitizenM became a hotel invasion, groups of people from the agency coming every 30 mins, filling up room 519, beers where shared, music was baring.

The night was very memorable, and everyone the following day was talking about how crazy it was.

But it wasn't just the impact of the event, it was how they did it that inspired me.

They didn't look at it as another poster, they went beyond that, they saw a bigger opportunity, a bigger idea, a bigger impact through the context.

At Watford we were always told to get our idea right on print first, that would tell us how simple/clear our idea was.

But when you get that right, ask yourself, how can we make this bigger, how can we make this more then a poster, how can we go beyond with the context of the idea.

Everyone knows what a poster is, we see them everyday, they have been going for over 100 years or more, but its what you do with the context of it that makes it different amongst the rest.

After that Pub Club, the posters got more different, for Valentines Day they put up a dating profile for the pub on Tinder, so people at the agency could match with it.

Then did a Brexit idea where you could vote between two pubs, remain (The Old Thameside Inn) or leave (Exit Bar).

Every Thursday now is a pocket of inspiration, making me think how far can I go with the context of my idea.

WHAT'S THE NEXT GOAL?

12th September 2018, thats the day the ECDs invited me and my creative partner into their office, and gave us a job at one of London's most prestigious advertising agencies, if not in the world.

I can now call AMVBBDO my new home, my first permanent job.

After two and a half years of placements, I have achieved what I set out to do, I have scored my goal, which was to get a job at a top advertising agency.

Not small or medium, but big, thats been the goal for two and a half years, and I have done it.

And I owe a lot to the people in this agency, for giving our team the chance, welcoming us to their family, there is trust that needs to be repaid in full.

But there is a problem now, I got no goal.

It's kind of a shock really, from dreaming of getting something, to getting it, it makes you wonder what should I do next?

It's like completing a game, what will the sequel be?

You're almost in a limbo, waiting, there are so many things you can do in this position of being hired, get work made, win some awards, try and be the best team in the agency, you're lost in all these steps.

Just imagine having one goal, and it getting spilt into many, thats how it feels at the moment.

However I am in shear excitement in what the future holds, and where I plan to direct my focus, what the next goal will be.

I feel goals are very important, just look at all the famous people in history.

Martin Luther had a goal to destroy racial segregation in the USA.

Gandhi had a goal to achieve independence for India.

Abraham Lincoln had a goal to abolish slavery in the USA.

Steve Jobs had a goal to make the computer for personal use and not just for sorting out your bills.

Stephen Hawking had a goal to prove the big bang started the universe.

Henry Ford had a goal to make automobiles affordable for everyone.

Cus D'Amato had a goal to make the youngest heavyweight champion in history.

Charles Darwin had a goal to prove evolution made us.

NWA had a goal to produce rap music that talked about the reality of police brutality and gangs.

Muhammad Ali had a goal to be the greatest.

The list goes on....

All these great people had something in common, they all had a goal to strive for, and they did it, changing things and making a mark in history!

So as I write I wonder how to tackle my new job, where I should take myself, what I should aim for, what my team should aim for, you can't just settle on having a new job, having a new job isn't a goal!

Instead you have to keep pushing, and aim higher, and the only way you can do that is focusing on what to do, what you want to achieve, what your next goal will be.

NEVER SWITCH OFF

At the beginning of July this year I embarked on a task to do a book a day.

I took up my time on train journeys to my agency to produce a book, by simply writing strategies on my phone.

The brands I picked at random, from my own archive, or simply spotting brands, whether it be an advert on the tube, or something a commuter was carrying or wearing.

Not all the books were perfect, there were some very bad books, and some very good books, but the point of this project wasn't about consistency but to demonstrate passion and energy, to warm me up for the work ahead at AMV BBDO, and to remind me of what I learnt at Watford.

In the end I got some gems that could fit in the book, if I can get them past my creative partner's solid judgement, and also an engine still up to working order, so I intend to carry on this project after securing my dream job.

I would encourage students to do a book daily, I would think it would give you a mental advantage over your classmates if you come in pumped up in the head. 

This industry is full of people that see creativity as just a 9-5 Job, and don't go beyond the boundaries of their working environment, as Tony highlighted in a interview post...

"Good creative people are constantly creating.  Again, it’s all about energy. Top students like Oli Beale and Paddy Fraser, who both work at Mother, never stopped thinking about ideas. If they were to write a letter to a milkman they would turn it into a creative idea. If they were to write Christmas cards they would create a brand of Christmas cards. They see everything as an opportunity, everything is a chance to create an idea. They will always be writing, they will always be thinking and jotting things down.  That’s what makes them good creatives. This quality is very rare. A lot of people only switch on when they walk through the doors of an ad agency and switch off when they go home. Creativity is about the way you live your life."

It's an old post, but I hold this sediment to heart, and it stands true whatever decade we are in, everything if you look at it in a creative lens is an opportunity to make something, even the dullest darkest stuff, however boring it may be, we as creatives can make something of it.

Paddy Fraser was a bit of an idol of mine, I wanted to be him, when I left Watford, and got into Mother London on my first placement as a single, similar to him. However it was never meant to be, 1. I couldn't be a single creative like Fraser, and 2. I was my own creative, my own person, I should of been myself, followed my instinct on how I would get success.

However I can take something from Paddy I do have, I never switch off, there is no turn off button on me, and I hope one day to illuminate Paddy and Oli, and either be a creative director in LA or the ECD of one of the most creative agencies in London. The point is these people got here form never switching off, and if you keep pushing, keep creating, keep practicing, you will get where you want to be in this industry, like Jamie Vardy in football, he started at the bottom and got to the top because he never settled, never stopped, never switched off.

The 50 books listed on a Photoshop document.  

ASPERGERS MADE ME A CREATIVE

Ever since I was little, I always had an obsession,

first it was Humpty Dumpty, I had to have all the merchandise, everything with the egg on it.

Then Jack and the Beanstalk, I wanted every book and film.

Soon followed Greek Mythology, I loved all the stories/myths of the Odyssey, Perseus, and the Minotaur.

Then my gaming craze, every game had to be limited edition, I would lay them out as tributes to my devotion to gaming.

Alien vs Predator, and Rocky/boxing followed.

This cycle of obsessions came from my autism, which I was diagnosed with at the age of 3, having asperger's syndrome.

This can come at an advantage/disadvantage.

The advantage being I grow a vast knowledge, living, breathing this thing I am obsessed by.

The disadvantage socially, that my obsession is all I talk about, caused me to disconnect with people, even get bullied for it. My school years were not very nice.

But when I figured out what I was naturally good at, and followed it, my obsession became my career, and everything fell into place.

I would lie if advertising got me into Watford, it was Watford that got me into advertising.

And when I mean got me into it, it made me obsessed with Watford and what it taught, its history,

the great people that have left the course, the work they made, inspires me to live up to the name.

Even when I was down on my luck, I would pull out my dog-eared "How to come up with ideas" booklet, and read over and over again Tony's teachings of how to come up with perfect strategies.

I kept every booklet, and have them in my Watford bookcase in my flat.

Every time I look on the website, or read an article about the course, it would pump me up to do better in my craft.

This obsession grew with my 'Tony I want in!' blog, for two years I noted down my progress of getting onto the course, that taught Tony's attention, that devotion got me into Watford.

Fast forward now, that obsession has turned into a placement at one of the top agencies in the UK, it has also sprouted into me helping Tony with new students every year.

I can see why Tony works tirelessly to create a new generation of talent, year by year, it's rewarding.

And I found out how rewarding that could be today through a tasty treat in the agency post.

For the past couple of months I was coaching a potential creative get into Watford.

Setting him briefs everyday, giving him feedback,

pushing him to come up with a book fit to get on the course.

There was failure, setbacks, he didn't get in on the first interview, but he showed true character and kept going, and in the face of failure he came out of his second interview with success, and got into Watford.

I was very proud, and over the moon in my email to him, that he sent me a gift of cupcakes to AMV BBDO, I have them on my desk now.

Just admiring this gift from the future Watford.

I would be lying if I didn't have aspirations of being a teacher in advertising one day, to live up the legacy of Tony, but at the same time, through coaching, and helping young talent, those skills contribute to being a creative director, and having a hand in building the next generation of talent, while directing great work is a dream job/goal.

What I have really learnt from having this obsession of Watford is I have entered a family, a family of creatives that appreciate my love for this industry/course. Who are keen to succeed like me.

'Family' is something Tony preached at our grad party, to keep a look out for our classmates, because in the future we could be working together shaping this industry, whether it being the heads of an existing agency, or even our own start-up.

And Watford is a family of people who didn't fit in, big dreamers who inspire to do big things, who asked too many questions, who want to make bread into surf boards and go rock pool fishing in the milky way. The weird and different is here on this course.

It's a change from the past when at school I was a outcast, bullied for being obsessive, for not being cool, in the social clique, I am now respected and appreciated for my obsessive love for this course and the industry, for being different, for all the reasons I was bullied.

I guess the moral of this post is, if you have an obsession for something, pursue it, keep persuing it, until it becomes a career, until people actually appreciate you for it, until you get love back for what you love.

For me it was from Watford with love.

P.S. The lad I helped get into Watford 18/19 was kind enough to write me a glowing report card on my performance as a tutor!

NEVER GIVING UP IS WINNING

Back in 1979 Tony graduated from Watford.

He had only three agencies on his hit list.

If he didn't succeed in breaking into any of them,

he would head back to Leicester to work at the markets,

until he finally broke into one.

He took his student book into Saatchi & Saatchi,

only for all his work to be rejected.

But it wasn't over, the following day Tony returned with a brand new book,

and got his first job in creative advertising.

Tony preached his story to my class after a bad session of not cracking anything.

It gave me a kick up the arse,

and inspired me to repeat what my tutor did to break into the industry.

Fast forward nearly 2 and a half years later.

I am preparing to start my placement at AMVBBDO on April the 3rd.

My road getting to this point hasn't been smooth.

It was quiet the opposite.

I have been to agencies that have folded due to disputes over direction.

I have been to agencies that spend more on drink and food, then creating great work.

I have been to agencies that care more about profit then creative merit.

I have had placement opportunities snatched in a spit second by other junior teams.

I have sent email after email, blanked, blocked and forgotten.

I have watched as all my classmates got hired in advertising.

And between all those episodes the job centre has been my second home. 

Not the fairytale I was hoping for after Watford, 

but I haven't given up.

Never have I stopped writing idea after idea,

book after book, email after email.

Never have I packed my bags and ran back to Birmingham,

to settle with a smaller, more comfortable agency job.

Never have I felt one second that this career wasn't for me.

Never.

If there was a Raging Bull or a Rocky Balboa type in advertising, 

I would like to throw my hat in the ring.

And here is why through a film quote from Rocky Balboa:

"Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain't all sunshine and rainbows. It's very mean and nasty place and I don't care how tough you are it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain't about how hard ya hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done!"

Never have these words ringed truer as I pushed myself to achieve something in this industry.

Advertising is tough, its horrible, you need be to determined, resilient, strong,

its literally a cut throat business.

Its never an easy ride if you want the best out of this industry.

This is why when I talked to watford students,

I say to them cherish your time at Watford,

listen to Tony, take every little piece of advice,

use it, attack, secure a placement while your touring these good agencies.

Because these golden opportunities won't be this easy when your out there fighting,

fighting not just against your classmates, but every ad school in the UK.

However from not giving up, things are looking up,

I have the perfect creative partner now,

where our work actually works together.

Agencies we want to get into are liking what we're doing,

and considering us for placements.

We have broken into the news twice this year.

And now we are starting at arguably the biggest agency in the UK.

It shows that digging deep you will eventually find gold.

I write this post not just to document my journey outside of Watford,

but also its a rallying cry to those struggling in this industry.

Because never giving up, is not giving up on cracking a brief, a thought, a idea, a career.

Thats why there are so few creatives at the top,

because most have given up.

Never giving up is winning.

DON’T SAY, JUST DO.

Tonight, I got a pep talk.

Before I was down, eating my words.

I was down because I felt I was not doing enough at my agency.

Not doing enough to be hired or even extended.

Worst of all I was saying it to my creative partner,

affecting everyone around me.

And I am sorry to those who I affected,

whoever read this post, for it’s the last time I say I was doing bad.

Someone (for confidential purposes) took me aside and said….

“When you keep saying you’re doing bad, it only eats you inside,

you fulfill what you are saying.”

“Just do what you are saying.”

“Stay later at work, do that personal project you where raving about.”

“Just go out and do it.”

After that pep talk I had a release of life,

not to moan, but to act on my problems.

Yes, it might sound simple, but how long can you not say, no I can’t be bothered,

no, it’s too much effort, no I can do it another time.

It rings in your ear, and you don’t do nothing about it,

you settle in your ways, you accept the agency ways.

NO, keep alert, stay focus, if you have an idea, do it,

whatever the situation, whatever happens,

just know you went out and did it.

Wasn’t it W+K, one of the most creative agencies in this business,

breath the idea of testing it, and embracing failure.

I took that ideal recently,

I was doing a talk for OMBLIVE4, in front of 200 people.

Me and my former tutor and friend Tony Cullingham,

talked about the theme I wanted to talk about “LESS COMMENTS, MORE IDEAS”.

Tony told me to make a real idea of it,

instead of ranting about the subject,

live up to the theme, and ask the audience to throw you brands to answer with ideas.

I was scared, seeing how many people where there to watch, find mistakes.

They could have said anything, I might have not answered it…

No, the idea was there, it was better than what I was going to say, and I did it.

It wasn’t the success I was expecting,

but a least I had the guts, and went out what me and Tony planned.

I have never been the guy to walk away from the chance of testing my head.

All I was proud about, was I did it.

There are no doubts when you do it,

and even better if you keep working on it,

building that idea up as a creative denies any thoughts you have on not being active.

It shows you are training, getting better.

Like in boxing, there are those who mouth off, say who they are going to beat!

Only a few have backed it, Muhammad Ali,

an inspiration and someone who did what he said he was going to do!

He said he was going to beat Sonny Liston,

a man who destroyed former heavyweight champion of the world (Floyd Patterson) twice,

within 1 round.

Sonny Liston didn’t answer the bell for the 7^th round, Ali won.

Muhammad Ali said he was going to beat George Foreman.

Big George had knocked out the man who gave Ali his first defeat (Joe Frazier).

Ali out smarted him in the famous rope-a-dope, and won.

For the other fights Ali didn’t win, he still came in the ring with the confidence that he was going to do it, whatever the consequences.

That boldness is inspirational, and in a sense, you have to give Tyson Fury (recent heavyweight champion) a thumbs up.

I shall cut this entry short,

talk less, do more.

Peace out!