A very nice run in France. Great work for GEICO and DONATE LIFE. The life and death of Coleman F. Sweeney was a huge hit. Three Golds. Always an honor to go up on stage - that never gets old. Congrats to the teams.
Boyz to Men selling car insurance.
The latest in our "It's what you do campaign" for GEICO and maybe one of my favorites. Kudos to Neel, Justin and Steve.
On another roll with pre-roll.
The GEICO team continues to re-invent the re-invention of those nagging pre-roll ads. The craft in this execution is perfect. Neel and Mazzer, you crushed it again.
A great start to the 2017 award season.
With D&AD, Andy's and One Show under our belts, we look forward to Cannes. 7 pencils from D&AD, including one yellow for Donate Life. 11 pencils at One Show, including 4 golds for GEICO and Donate Life, plus 22 finalists. Couldn't be more proud of the teams as they push to make the best work in the world.
Donate Life. Winning the fight to save lives and pick up some recognition along the way.
Donate Life. Winning the fight to save lives and pick up some recognition along the way.
Martin London with some goodness.
Martin London starting to run smooth with this new work for Dunkin' Donuts. Really smart stunt deployed during the recent London Marathon. Read more here: http://creativity-online.com/work/dunkin-donuts-marathon-motivator-film/51586 And look out for more donut nuttiness to come.
The best of 2016.
Every year, I make a top 10 of the best ideas in the agency. It's a tough list to make, especially this year where we did a lot of stellar work. I'm most proud of the strides we made outside of TV. Talent added in social and digital is starting to pay off. We can be SO much better, but a great stride in the right direction across the board. Congrats all. See the reel here: https://wdrv.it/5fc99555a
Raccookin'!
Our goal for anything we produce for GEICO is to put them in the very top consideration set when someone is shopping for insurance. In other words, create as many leads as possible with the content we make. The more leads, the higher the close rate for GEICO. And social content is becoming a sure-fire way to open doors to more leads. These crazy Facebook videos are one of my favorite extensions of the year. Gross. But damn funny. Check them out here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-3LD1JRmuc
Sam.
Craft is the most important thing a creative can bring to any idea. A script can be great in script form but until it's made, it's only words on paper. This film was ok as a script. But the execution raised it at least three levels. From good to great. Get the Kleenex ready. Here is Sam for Purina Feed: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Kk79NJtC_k
The Chevy Positivity Pump.
Go online anytime and it's amazing how much hate is out there. Chevrolet is a brand that believes being positive is the mindset we all need to see possibility in everything. In other words, being open is how we FIND NEW ROADS. Chevy asked us to create some content to promote this mindset around the globe. Our idea? The world's first gas pump that takes online positivity for payment. The more positive you are, the more gas you receive. So far, the pump has appeared in Argentina, America, South Africa, South Korea and Dubai with more to come. How positive are you? Find out: http://creativity-online.com/work/chevrolet-the-positivity-pump/49032
Travel posters for Hillary.
I never thought when we created these that leaving the U.S. was even going to be an option to consider. But then the election happened and now living abroad sounds attractive. After initial shock, we keep going, praying for the best. We used actual vintage art to make these and then Will Godwin added his typography magic. Thank you, Neel and MM. Onward.
The Secret Weapon. (Not much longer.)
Hue&Cry is our very own world-class animation and design studio right in the building. When I say very own, I mean we own H&C, but they can work for anybody in the world. As one example of their amazing talent, check out the making of Creativity's Top 5 intro and the Tic Tac Little Adventures. Well done, Magnus and team. http://hueandcry.tv/
The world's biggest asshole.
Sometimes, it all just aligns. An amazing idea, executed with perfection. And the best thing of all? It's working. Over 70 million views online and a daily increase of sign ups of almost 700%. Special shout out to Brig and Wade who led this thing from script to finish. Spread the love: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TeVLxcekEsw Congrats.
Rewarding awarding.
It's been over a month since presiding over the 2016 Film Jury at Cannes. The week is still very much in my mind. Everything about it was rewarding, from the work to the process. But I think the best part by far is the connections I was able to make with peers from Sweden to Sydney. We all had a special week. I hope the work we chose to honor is worthy of hard work and passion of this group. I think it is.
Here's to the Cobblestones.
The rocks of the agency. Time we gave them the award they deserve. http://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/need-award-people-pave-cannes/1399141
Creffective.
Yes. Creative + Effective = Creffective. I know. The video explains it all. Well done, team.
Looking into the future.
Presiding over the 2016 Cannes Film Jury this week and it's been an eye-opener even before we get to the shortlist. Such a fun, funny, cool, smart, talented jury from around the globe. Eye-opener: we are all different and that is what makes this job so fun. The staff at Cannes is number one. Eye-opener: they are 100% buttoned up compared to most festivals. The work is hard to find but it's there. Eye-opener: VR and it's potential to change film forever. Whoa. Honored to be on this jury and serve. Stay tuned.
You'll need that beard to wipe away your tears.
Fact: guys like fruity drinks but are embarrassed to order them at the bar. All great insights lead to great ideas - or should I say - most do. Here's one for Stoli. Great writing by Neel. Link to Adweek:http://www.adweek.com/news/advertising-branding/new-stoli-campaign-aims-break-stigma-against-men-who-enjoy-fruity-cocktails-171939
Paint the town crafty.
Great idea, beautifully executed from the Ben Moore team. Provocative in a very boring category. Intelligent because the audience is. Nice.
Humbled. Excited.
Still feeling a little sheepish to be named the Jury President for Film at Cannes this year. http://www.canneslions.com/awards/the_juries/#festival-1/detail-1-15/ Looks like a great crew to preside over. Can't wait to start the debates. Grateful to have the chance. Thanks to my team for giving me the opportunity.
Our latest pre-roll for GEICO. The second album.
Unskippable last year won the Film Grand Prix at Cannes. Now the daunting task of following up maybe the best campaign in the agency's history. Enter Fast Forward, a very different idea, but still built on the premise of disrupting the pre-roll. I think it's a pretty damn good second album.
Keeping the bar high.
Some new work for GEICO continues a good run of work I'm proud of. Both campaigns are primarily online and pull social levers as well. Business is good for GEICO and hopefully our work is a big reason. Car insurance has never been more competitive. Advertising is a powerful way to stay in the consideration set. The case study for Brocabulary.
Being emotional is hard.
Creating emotional storytelling in film is hard. You have to get so much right. This new work for Experian does a lot right. The idea - credit isn't a score, it's a skill - is rock solid. But then so is the casting, edit and camera work. Would have been easy to make this script soft and expected. Nice job.
B2B print. What the agency was built on.
Our first campaign for Purina feed. Reminds of the kind of print that put Martin on the map for FMC, Mobil, GE Locomotives and so many more. Simple, crafty, powerful.
Rolling along.
The Oreo Wonderfilled campaign is now in 55 countries and growing. Love the latest animation from BUCK and music by Adam Lambert. Craft, craft, craft.
One thread.
It's great to see this beautiful site come to life and go live. Created entirely in-house by our team. So good. A simple, elegant idea. One thread goes through all our work - from the very first to the most recent. Enjoy: http://fifty.martinagency.com/
Mackenzie.
The Big Brain has always been a very curious one. Right now, I'm not sure where she is. Somewhere on the African continent. Hopefully, safe and sound. Very proud of your courage and resolve to see the world and explore things unfamiliar. Ace would be proud. I love you.
Resolutions 2016.
That time of the year. The agency resolutions. We put them up for all to see and hopefully, achieve.
I'm feeling good about 2016. Time will tell. All you can do is come in and do your best. Design: Will Godwin.
I'm feeling good about 2016. Time will tell. All you can do is come in and do your best. Design: Will Godwin.
"Your father..."
For over 20 years, the agency has enjoyed an amazing partnership with GEICO. It's based on what the very best partnerships are always based on: mutual respect. The result has been some of the most effective work in any category. The latest is right here and makes me smile. Hi, Mom.
Humble and his producers.
Steve Humble is my long time EP partner and one of the best. He has created a juggernaut of producers across all media, but also has created two great post partners - Running with Scissors and Hue&Cry. Both are world-class and the envy of other agencies. And both are a big reason Shoot named us Agency of the Year in 2015. Congrats, Stein. Well-deserved. http://shootonline.com/news/ad-agency-year-its-what-they-do
Campaign of the year.
In the 50 years of the agency, we've made a lot of great work. But in my humble opinion, this is the agency's clearest, biggest winner. Geico Unskippable. It's won every major award. It's broke every rule. It's loved by peers and consumers. And it's proven to work hard for our great clients. Being named campaign of the year by Adweek is another cherry next to many cherries on top. Congrats to all, but especially Neel and Mazzer. Geez, you guys are getting expensive. http://www.adweek.com/news/advertising-branding/how-best-ad-campaign-2015-hilariously-hacked-lowly-preroll-ad-168614
Colorfilled.
Andrew Watson is one of our newest creatives stars from Amsterdam and this is his coming out party via OREO. Just love how fun this is creating you're very own bag of OREOS and sending them off to someone who loves these cookies as much as you do. Nice job Jesse Wright, Josh Corliss and all in digital. You continue to amaze. https://shop.oreo.com/
Craft takes nerds.
I watch this behind the scenes video of the making of the Creativity Top 5 and it makes me smile. The guys and gals at Hue&Cry are the craftiest people I know. No pixel escapes their eagle eyes. And how they navigate dead ends is creativity by definition. Amazing.
From Lovers to Lizards.
So much fun and emotion celebrating our 50th anniversary last week. Four highlights for me: 1. a block party and craft beer contest featuring home brews and labels designed by our very own peeps. One of our finest parties ever. 2. An interactive exhibit in our gallery featuring archives, work, artifacts and more. Andrew Bailey's masterwork. http://www.martinagency.com/news/celebrating-50-years-one-oyster-and-pint-at-a-time
3. The 50th Book. Craft, design, execution, everything we have always held dear, in 324 pages. 4. Presenting book #1 to Harry Jacobs, the guy who along with Mike Hughes, put us on the map. Congrats, Harry, and to all the talented people who made the first 50 so special. Cheers.
3. The 50th Book. Craft, design, execution, everything we have always held dear, in 324 pages. 4. Presenting book #1 to Harry Jacobs, the guy who along with Mike Hughes, put us on the map. Congrats, Harry, and to all the talented people who made the first 50 so special. Cheers.
This is what we do for brands.
Explained, for the first time, in video. Thank you, Evan and Evan and the amazing talent at http://hueandcry.tv/
Already making a huge difference.
Retain and recruit the best talent. That was one of Mike Hughes' guiding principles and I'm sticking to it. These guys and gals have been here only a few months, but are already changing the work for the better. Added bonus: great, fun peeps. Thanks for coming Marco, Marcello, Ben, Casey, Andrew, David, Jess, Josh, Mik, Alex and Scot.
Funny GEICO spots. It's what we do.
The latest from GEICO. Simple, funny idea, executed to the nines. The most amazing CG Kraken in history.
Our first London ECD: Dan Fisher.
So great to have the talented Mr. Fisher joining the agency in London. He brings one of the best books I've seen in years. Plus, he's a great, humble guy. He'll team with Brian Williams as the creative leaders of our London office. Between them, since 2010, they've won over 30 Cannes Lions.
Why the hell would anyone stay at the same agency for 24 years?
That was the question I answered during the Friday Forum at the VCU Brandcenter. A level playing field, lots of new biz, I could grow at my own pace, I loved my boss, I've done some pretty good work and many other tips and anecdotes. The kids seemed to respond to the honesty and insights. Thanks, Helayne and KK, for the invite. And thanks Will Godwin, genius, for the hand-crafted type and art.
A new battle in Richmond.
The World Cycling Championships are coming to Richmond next week. Most of the race routes take place in and around famous Civil War battles. (SFX lightbulb going on!) We asked artist Steven Nobel to depict the scenes as if they were to appear as etchings in an old Harper's Weekley. Love the craft.
You either made something today or you didn't.
There was a great Nike headline a few years back: You either ran today or you didn't. So true. And so true about what we do. We make. Or we fake. There's no in between. The best creatives are always producing stuff no matter what. Why? Fear, hunger, joy, fun, proof, ego, insecurity. All of the above. We do staff meetings ever quarter and a poster series to tell the staff. David Byrd, one of best designers, made these in a couple days. He's a maker. And that's why he will go far.
Chief Coat Tail Rider.
Very flattered to be named to a list like this. http://www.adweek.com/news-gallery/advertising-branding/10-chief-creative-officers-who-are-inspiring-breakthrough-work-us-agencies-165896#disqus_thread But in all honesty, we CCOs get way too much credit for the work our amazing and talented people do. So I don't take it too seriously. (My mom will love it.) Here's to the real stars at The Martin Agency, the ones who make me look good by allowing my name to be on the credits. You, in fact, deserve all the credit.
Welcome to the neighborhood, Mr. Robinson.
Today marks the first day for our first ever ECD in the NYC office, James Robinson. The guy has a book that's smart, witty and full of depth. He brings experience in tech, gaming and cars to the agency that's going to be invaluable as we grow New York. And he's just a good guy, to boot. It's going to be fun to watch. Here we go.
A Grand Prix in Film.
We had highs hopes for GEICO "Unskippable" going in to Cannes. Cyber, Media, maybe Craft. But never in our wildest dreams did we think the Grand Prix in Film. An incredibly gutsy call by Tor, Jose and the rest of the jury to give the biggest prize to a pre-roll video. I can't extend my congratulations enough to the team, Neel and Mauricio, the GEICO leaders, Steve and Wade, and to the entire agency. It maybe the biggest and most important trophy the agency has won. Love that it happened in our 50th year. Mike, this one's for you. The video says it all: https://twitter.com/cannes_lions/status/614885423886794752
Hope it's not jinxed.
Adweek just picked the 20 favorites to win at Cannes and Geico Unskippable is on the list. Let's hope that's not the kiss of death. Either way, great company to be in. http://www.adweek.com/news-gallery/advertising-branding/20-campaigns-will-win-lions-cannes-165316
The Martin Agency at 50.
The work of 50 years hangs on two giant walls at the agency. It could be double that - easy. I've been curating the wall with help of the team here and it's been fun looking back and forward at the best work of the last five decades. In the Fall we will celebrate with a book, site and party here at the agency. Going to be exciting - and emotional - to see it all come together.
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