Category: Journal

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Leave It To Their Imagination.

The imagination is an incredible thing, and being in Advertising it’s an incredible thing to play on with your audience.

From childhood we’ve been using our imagination to produce some amazing things, for example, imaginary friends which later in life can possibly be used in the development of a cartoon series, another example, the Eiffel tower. It’s a bottomless pit of anything you want.

A good medium for it as Davit Trott mentioned is radio. When it comes to your imagination it works so much more effectively if you use your imagination to see what’s happening rather than it being put on a metaphorical plate for you to absorb.

This is why, it’s a good idea to make people imagine. Bear with me with this one, lets take a car, a Reliant Robin. Not very sexy or fast at all.

One angle for selling this auto mobile would be a standard car poster or a television advert that you see everyday, however, one problem.

It’s no where near as sexy as other cars, some may even say ugly.

So wouldn’t it be so much more effective if you managed to engage the audiences mind around the car, in the car, forcing them to imagine driving it?

Speak about the car, describe it’s curves, how econominal it is, the storage capacity it holds, it’s uniqueness, it’s quirkiness.

Put them in the car and make them feel it’s the right car for them. They want it.

Yet depending who you’re targeting at changes a lot of factors you could play on, one example is to be different, or vintage which a lot of the younger generation are into (for now).

The point is, if you’re able to tap into their mind, into their imagination, they will be putty in your hands.

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New T-Mobile Campaign @ Trafalgar Square!

Ok, I’ve been speaking to one of the guy’s that brought us the T-Mobile dance and it’s been confirmed that the next event is being held in Trafalgar Square, this Thursday the 30th of April, at around 6-7pm.

This should be fun. I’ve been informed that it’s going to be another Mass surprise but as to what it is, I have not a clue.

It’s a free for all event so anyone’s invited. I’m going to go, film some of it and post it up on here. It should be quite interesting.

Here’s the (dramatical) trailer for the event.

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Curriculum Vitae

So, being a student and nearing the end of my first year of university, I have an inkling that I’m going to need a summer job. Esspecially if I’m to go on a summer holiday and pay off my overdraft before next year.

I looked at my CV and it didn’t really appeal to me anymore – It seemed boring. A standard 2 page CV with information on it, had a nice simple layout, however it just wasn’t what I wanted to send out.

After a few hours deciding on what I wanted, I put it together in Indesign with the aid of photoshop and have created an “interactive” PDF CV.

Obviously I would have to submit it here so you can have a crack at it and see what it’s like. So I will. Obviously without the references and I wouldn’t want to divulge their personal information without their permission.

Download it here: CV 25/04/09

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Journal

Things are on the up.

I haven’t wrote anything for a few days so thought I’d just write a little update on what’s going on.

Easter, as always was good. Lots of chocolate and obviously the rebirth of Christ. Funny thing is though, even atheists celebrate it, and Christmas! Cheeky.

Now, every so often I like to keep check of various internet orientated statistics such as website visitors and YouTube videos.

With that in mind, I checked out how many views I’ve accumulated on my Photoshop YouTube videos, a couple of hundred on each (no biggy), but for about a week my Thin to Fat video rapidly shot up close to 800 views (not much compared to other videos, but nevertheless, I’m happy).

Then I looked at my unique visitor count on various websites I have. Again, the numbers are on the rise. This blog for example, over 2 months has doubled in unique views! A nice steady climb which will hopefully persist.

A thank you is in order for you guys for reading. Thank you!

Anyway, this leaves me contemplating on making a few more Photoshop videos, maybe make it my ‘thing’ on YouTube. Good idea?

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“It’s Easier To Ask Forgiveness Than It Is To Get Permission.”

Sound familiar? Yup, it’s that oh so famous quote by Grace Hopper.

I only started to hear this used frequently (more than other quotes anyway) between the artsy type students, such as (but not limited to) the creative advertisers and graphic designers. This is mainly because, put simply, they can be a reckless bunch, it all relates back to standing out in the industry, and yes, forgiveness is easier to obtain over permission and it will continue to do so, so I put it to you, all the creative people out there, be you fine artists, college drop outs, or even dustmen – go do something crazy, why not?

As the Dr. Pepper’s slogan asks: What’s the worst that can happen?

Well… you CAN fuck up, maybe you fuck up bad. Like really bad. But if no one dies, I’m sure you’ll be forgiven for whatever misfortune that may have occurred, and the best part?

People will talk about it, people will talk about you.

Your name will be spread around, maybe not in the best light, but obviously if whatever you’ve done is that outrageous – you’ll get noticed, in whatever you do. Say you get fired? Another company will take you on because they know if you have at least one good idea, you could very well improve their business, and if not, you get fired again, or end up settling into your job role and live out the rest of your days in ignorant bliss.

Either way, just enjoy life. Life’s too short after all, (well, actually, it’s the longest thing any of us can possibly do!)

“Carpé Diem”? Carpé Bollocks!

…talking about quotes, I’ll tell you what I did find out the other day. “You can’t have your cake and eat it” – that didn’t really make much sense to me, I mean, you eat your cake right? Well what it actually means is that you can’t have your cake (as in the actual object of the cake) if you eat it. So the quote should actually state “You can’t eat your cake and still have it”

Yet in some cases you can. Think about that.

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The Importance Of Music.

Just about everyone likes music, whatever your taste there is something that you obviously do like.

But has anyone ever asked why? Why is music so important, and why does it play such a massive role in our lives?

It’s a stimulus. Music stimulates our brain, our thoughts, and our emotions. Music gives us inspiration, raises our spirits, it’s what makes you finally turn round and forgive someone, you and your partner probably have a certain song, it brings people together and just as easily tears people apart.

But Imagine a life with no music, no tones, no harmonies. It would be depressing.

Some of the best commercials out there wouldn’t be half as effective without the right soundtrack carrying it through. As I’m writing this I’m also listening to Hallelujah by Katherine Jenkins (which by the way, is amazing) and it extrudes emotion. I’m listening to this and I don’t have a care in the world.

What I’m getting at is that music IS more powerful than you can care to imagine. The use of it, if used correctly, is a very, very powerful tool and it can be applied to anything. Take for example Christmas, sure over the years it may have lost some of it’s meaning to the younger generations, but do you think they had Christmas carols when Jesus was actually around? Probably not, but I’ll bet good money that Christmas wouldn’t have the same impact on us without the uplifting Christmas cheer that’s spread through it’s carols.

So it leads me to ask why does it have such a massive effect on us?

Well… I couldn’t tell you. Music seems to make no sense. It comes from nowhere and goes nowhere, but it’s so closely connected to all of us in some way, shape or form that I’m sure you’ll have something to say.

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Keep It Simple, Stupid.

Not only the new, but pretty much every product that has been around for a few years has evolved into a more simple form of itself whilst achieving even more functionality than before.

You can look at any computer, gaming console or fireplace to see that this, in the modern world that we’re living in today, is the case!

Granted, there are the odd exceptions such as that oh so familiar, modestly named game ‘Pong’. I can say that in confidence as it is still a widely played (and enjoyed) game, maybe under a different alias, but nevertheless, it’s still the same game.

Why? Simple.

It was a simple idea executed to perfection. This is something I think a lot of people take for granted nowadays.

I’ve seen hundereds of over crowded advertisements in an attempt to make them more appealing or informative, yet I’ve also seen a monkey piss in it’s own mouth. I personally prefer the latter, it’s memorable, straight to the point, and humourus to the right audience.

Leonardo Da Vinci once said “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication”

Which leads me to my next thought.

Can simple be too simple? What is too simple?

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Standing Out – Be Creative

This is the key phrase for the advertising youth of today.

As an ever growing and highly competitive industry you really do have to do something different to get noticed.

But how far can one actually go before it’s considered distasteful, vulgar or God forbid, get black listed from the industry in an attempt to stand out?

The majority of attainable clients for the new blood, (I’m talking about low budget businesses that are close minded to the proverbial “less is more” that just want you to put as much information as they possibly can onto a tiny bit of paper) have no creative flair, which consistently makes it increasingly hard for us newbies to “Be Different”. Maybe more so to Graphic Designers.

I’m not being ignorant to the fact that yes, we can set our own briefs and come up with some kick-ass ideas.

Sure, it’ll go into our portfolio, we can send it around hundreds of different agencies, hopefully they’ll get your ideas and we’ll get an opportunity.

Hopefully.

It’s not like the kind of publicity that you get with a live client. A true problem to be solved using your ideas, which are being mailed direct to homes and being posted up around the town for everyone to see. Maybe it’s just the ego boost from it all that makes it seem so much better.

Or maybe it’s the fact that one person can see that idea, like it and tell another person, maybe they’ll tell someone else who knows someone in the industry and boom, there is another opportunity.

Does this mean to say that it would be a good idea to run your own personal campaigns?

For newbies that want to make it into industry, it may not be a bad idea, why not? Be creative. Hold an event, attempt a viral or use guerrilla tactics.

Get your work seen

Get your work out there any way you can.

It’s one thing being different, but if no ones going to see it. Should you really be trying to get into this game?

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Welcome.

First post of my official, all about me, blog.

The reason I say it like that is because (and this is where you learn a bit more about me) I have several websites and blogs just floating around the internet. Mainly because either I’ve been bored and got a random idea into my head or I just had a whim about something. My most successful website to date, has to be thecheesegrater.co.uk.

The Cheese Grater – This is my baby, it’s where I store all the cool stuff I find on the internet.

So I decided it was about time I made a blog, just for me, my thoughts, what’s going on, my latest endeavours, etc, etc.

This is it.

I’ll start with a bit about myself and some of the build up to where I am today. I am Marcus, a qualified Graphic Designer, and an Advertising student at Bucks New Uni, so for any potential advertisers I would definitely suggest coming here. My current status is a bit of a shock from what my plans were whilst I was in year 12, I had no clue of what I was going to do, so like everyone else, I planned to stay on to 6th form, spend 2 years there and move off to a random uni – boy was I wrong!

My plans got severed after I got a ‘C’ instead of a ‘B’ in English at (and this IS a plug for the shit ass, benchmark supporting, student patronizing, crap hole of a sphincter) The Broxbourne School. Basically, because I got a ‘C’ instead of a ‘B’ they refused to keep me on, yet they’d keep several students that are underachieving beyond replenishment. I Love Them.

If it wasn’t for their ignorance as a school I would be at some random university with still no idea of what to do with my short existence of a life.

Nevertheless, this left me in a bit of a pickle towards the end of the summer when it was either attend a random institute or take an early gap year. So I applied and got accepted to the Hertford Regional College to study Engineering, imagine that! But then something amazing happened. My brother, as a joke, mentioned joining an all girls school, Presdales. So on a whim, (there’s that word again) I applied there too. Now, in a face to face meeting I can be pretty good in terms of being what they want me to be. It was at such short notice, (about a week before the start of term) so I got a trial day. Result! –  Problem! The ‘trial’ day was the same day I should be attending my first, fully pledged, acceptance lesson in the engineering course. I chose the girls 6th Form at Presdales.

So that lasted until I was advised to leave after the 2nd year as my grades weren’t up to scratch, must have been distracted somehow. That’s when I decided to fuck it and just go with a course that I would enjoy, regardless of how competitive career opportunities were, so as I had a slight interest in design, I chose to do a Graphic Design BTEC ND. Best thing I could of ever done, it honestly opened up a whole new world to me.

After a year of the 2 year BTEC, I got some skills and started offering a design service whilst still at college, which for studying the art for only a year, I was doing quite well for myself because of it. I got a taste of the perks, I’m talking about freelancing. Take this for example, whilst my mates were working in high street stores or behind a bar, I was earning twice almost three times the hourly rate they were, and best of all, I chose my own hours. Life was good!

Needless to say I focused on that for a while and after my 2 year course was up I had to decide what to do. I definitely wanted to go to university, but what one and what course? Advertising, I could utilise my skills as a designer and learn more on ideas, campaigns, the whole industry.

And so it leads me to my current standing point, sitting in my designated dorm room, writing on my brand new blog.

I think that’s more than enough for now, but hopefully a good starting point for expansion on this new endeavour.