https://www.ft.com/content/ca4359c8-0ce2-417a-8d9c-52360cf5397f It began, of course, when my kitchen was the office. “We realise this is a difficult time for us all and so we’re offering…” the memo said. It was sweetened with deals on fitness equipment, health insurance and even therapy. As we were ‘encouraged’ back to The Office, the “optional” programme was extended. Yearly … [Read more…]
https://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/royal-navy-enable-applications-via-ai-assistant/1819613 Sometimes I watch them talking to each other. Eavesdropping, I can sometimes tell how well it’s going. Oh, the interviewer didn’t like that… Yeh, that one landed, probably got points for that. Apparently old world interviewers used tricks like arranging the seating so the applicant had to look into the sun or asking weird … [Read more…]
https://the-media-leader.com/what-is-the-future-of-advertising-part-3-the-students/ They didn’t think of themselves as students. They were industry professionals: part of the community, working on the challenges. Paid a living wage but confident they had a future with more rewards to come. Agencies and businesses were not guests or visitors, they were partners, co-designing the Pivot Programme that responded rapidly to industry, … [Read more…]
https://the-media-leader.com/the-age-thing-why-doesnt-the-average-ad-professional-seem-to-care The thing is, they know they need my experience. That’s my superpower… lots and lots of… experience. I can tell you about tech bubbles (nothing new there); I can talk you through cultural movements and trends (and the times they came back); I can recall the various political battles – in the industry and … [Read more…]
https://www.theverge.com/2023/3/22/23648834/metahuman-animation-epic-state-of-unreal-gdc-2023 He sat still. Very still. As still as he could. Conscious, so conscious of every move. He knew he was being watched. Play it right, there might be a promotion, play it wrong and… He’d prepared the presentation and his answers to the questions his partner had predicted. He just had to hold it… … [Read more…]
https://adage.com/article/agency-news/ad-agencies-ai-practices-and-how-theyre-working-clients/2480356 One advantage of being part of a global network is the experience you can call on. When I was made head of the new Practice, I had to hit the ground running. There were clients waiting, hype to capitalise on, bandwagons to jump on and, I like to think, expectations to be managed. Mine … [Read more…]
https://techcrunch.com/2023/03/17/glaze-generative-ai-art-style-mimicry-protection/ It’s just sensible. Insurance. My generation has known for a long time that we don’t have any power or rights. We’re precarious. We know it. Brought in on short term contracts – if we get a contract at all. Flexible and freelance, they call it. Those contracts are labyrinthine. Acronym loaded: IP, NDA… BS … [Read more…]
https://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/campaign-female-frontier-awards-2023-winners-revealed/1815428 I thought we were getting past this. We shouldn’t really need them in this day and age. The very fact that there are these awards says something about the state of the industry. They suggest that we are different, need different recognition, need highlighting. Of course we win the “main” awards. A lot of … [Read more…]
https://adage.com/article/fletcher-marketing/why-chatgpt-cant-save-marketing-or-marketers/2479366 I know some people think of me as a bit dull. I’m always the one who says: “maybe not” or “that can’t really be done…” I think of it as managing exceptions, being the grown up in the room, the boy who calls out the emperor. Some just see me as a wet blanket. … [Read more…]
https://www.engadget.com/alphago-pushed-human-go-players-to-become-more-creative-231703950.html They’re not easy to manage, sorry “work with”. We’re supposed to be working with them – combining our different skills, complementing each other. When the panic of the AI bubble in 2023 calmed down and we all realised AI was here to stay, the new wisdom was that the best way forward was to … [Read more…]