How to get a Watford place

So I'm winding up the blog.

This is because I've lost my love for advertising.

I didn't try and fail. I've just changed path...

I did manage to get a place on the Watford course. I just didn't accept the offer. If anyone wants to know roughly how to do it, its all here in the archives. The creative test I used is here. The portfolio I submitted is here...(it only got 6/10 so you should look to do better than this). Tony doesn't really like digital so don't do complex google-maps-treasure-hunt rubbish. If you do digital, do something simple like Subservient Chicken. And before you do anything, I'd read 'Hey Whipple, Squeeze This', 'Advertising is dead, long live advertising' and 'The Idea Writers'.

So yeah. Don't get me wrong, I still think that a lot of the work (especially in the 60s) was great, fresh, exciting, artful, witty, intelligent. But I've realized that I don't like selling. I don't like 'creating want'. And for those who say that advertising can't make people buy something they don't already want or need - that it simply convinces them chose my brand over the competitor's - well, I don't like branding either. Creating something from nothing - adding value which isn't there and getting people to pay more for it. Some people think that stuff is cool, but I'm not one of them. And I'm not so keen on state of advertising today... the phrases crowd-sourcing, multi-platform, user-experience and brand advocacy make me feel empty inside and a little angry.

And while I'm aware that the lifestyle of an adman would be fun - drawing, filming, travelling... If I'm doing something I don't believe in, then deep down inside I'll never really be satisfied. So I'd rather do something meaningful if possible - and if not meaningful, at least something which is appreciated rather than widely hated.

Yes there are your Duncan Marshalls (an ex-Watfordian himself) who do good and meaningful things in the field of advertising, like helping get clean water to millions (see Tap Project) or Obama elected, but these type of people are 1 in a million. And the type of projects those types of individuals initiate are vastly removed from what I'd label advertising. They're simply great ideas.

And you don't have to be in advertising to have one of those.

Brand Advocacy: A guide to feeling used

If believe you are a free agent, this video may make you feel a little sick - like a punch to the gut, or going out first in a game of poker... but love it or loathe it, this is the shape of advertising today...

Source: Digital Buzz blog.

That's right. Now that we converse more than ever, and through so many means, it seems we do the advertiser's work for them. All the advertisers need to do is get the conversation started, or sustain it when it dwindles... kinda like your ideal party guest! We have tons of what I think people call 'touch points'. In theory, I can advocate something through Twitter, Blogspot, Facebook, MySpace, YouTube, review sites, and good old word of mouth (though in practice, I've never been inclined to set up a Twitter account and will abstain from doing so for a little while yet). Also, it seems that any campaign launched nowadays isn't be complete without an accompanying iPhone application... a comment brought to life by this interesting video installation which shows the download frequency of the top 200,000 iPhone apps...

Source: CR Blog

So yeah... if you weren't already aware of what you are supposed to be doing, this is it... this is how the ad-makers have you down... so please behave. And, to leave you with one final question... how exactly does this crazy-frog-esque ad fit into the new model?

Answers on the back of a postcard.