Monthly Archives: February 2015

Designated Drivers

Assignment: “Write a paragraph about the concept of a designated driver…”

 

Source: http://www.plug.london/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Designated-driver.jpg

It’s 2am on a Saturday and, as per usual in Vancouver, the rain is pelting the pavement outside. It’s December and the air is damp and cold. Everyone’s breath reeks of shitty mixed drinks and tequila as we stumble out onto the sidewalk after closing time. The plan was to bus home, but the bus stop is at least a ten minute walk, the rain is coming down without mercy for all the hipster-chic Vancouverites who are out on this block, and there hasn’t been an empty taxicab pass by in what feels like years. Impatiently, our friend whips out his keys and, instead of leaving the car until morning as planned, we pile in and drive away, recklessly endangering those around us because a few drunk people didn’t want to get wet. A designated driver would change all of this – as a designated driver is a pre-selected individual out of the group who stays sober for the evening in order to transport others safely. It’s a good idea, it’s cheaper than cabbing, and it’s more comfortable than bussing. Typically, a designated driver is a win-win (except, perhaps, for the one friend who has to remain sober while those around them descend into drunken stupidity). I’ve had a number of friends offer to take on this role, especially if they wanted to socialize but save money. Other nights, a designated driver is difficult to find.

Now Read: http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/chc/harvard-alcohol-project/

From http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/chc/harvard-alcohol-project/

Harvard’s School of Public Health sought to inject the concept of the designated driver and an aura of acceptability surrounding being the “sober one” into American culture. They did this through partnering with all major television broadcast networks to air PSAs but, more importantly, to work story-lines and references connected to designated drivers and sober drivers into popular television programs. I personally believe this was an extremely intelligent manoeuvre. At its peak during its original run, Cheers was watched by over 27 million viewers nightly. If viewers could see an avid drinker such as Norm, a relatable character who everyone knew by name at the local bar because of his frequent visits (“Norm!”) discuss being driven home by a designated driver, the concept would likely gain more acceptance at a faster rate than it would through an onslaught of overly dramatic (often times poorly produced) public service announcements and advertisements. If Norm is going out after working, having a number of drinks amongst friends, and then calling a sober friend for a ride home, then perhaps others should do the same and it wouldn’t be socially unacceptable.

This isn’t the only time either partnerships have been made (or pressure has been placed) on media and production companies. The mass reduction of cigarettes from Hollywood films has damaged the connection between glamour and cigarettes. Although it’s not completely eradicated, it’s much less common to see a lead Hollywood actor light up in an blockbuster action film, less on-screen couples are lighting up for a post-sex drag, and you would definitely not see Cruella Deville drawn with a cigarette in any remake of 101 Dalmatians. Similar tactics could be applied to a topic such as condom use. Rates of condom use in America has increased, but if public health organizations wanted to see a further increased use of condoms to reduce transmission of disease or, perhaps, teenage pregnancy, they could work with broadcasters or film production companies to increase the mention or discussion of condoms and condom use in television shows and Hollywood films. Having two characters discuss the need to use a condom during a conversation in the show Glee, for example, might leave an impression on the many teenagers who watch the show religiously. Having a character in a raucous sex comedy noting the need to put on a condom before a wild romp could infer subliminally to the audience that wearing a condom is okay, even in those more “random hookups.” If public health organizations wanted to take it to the extreme, they could attempt to partner up with adult entertainment production companies to increase the visible use of condoms in adult features – and, thus, injecting the sight of a condom into the fantasies of audiences, spanning genders and sexualities.

Moral of the story: subliminal-esque messages (“designated drivers”) and product placements (condoms) within television and films can work for the greater good and can be very effective if done right.

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Briefly talking about briefs.

For this entry, we had to give Bassett & Partner’s video Briefly a watch.

There were four quotes that stuck out to me through watching this short film. They range from simple explanations of what a creative brief truly is, to the levels of understanding that you need to have in order to be successful with the brief and with the ensuing project.

1. “A brief is nothing more than an open statement of ambition for a brand.” 

-John Boiler

This was the first introduction, just minutes into the video, explaining a broader idea behind all of the presenters’ views on creative briefs: they shouldn’t just be an explanation of an intention behind a campaign. Similarly, it’s not just to create a series of advertisements. Rather, it’s an overarching, ambitious statement on what a brand should be, could be, would be, can be.

2. “The best briefs I’ve ever worked on have always been the most audacious and seemingly impossible.” 

-John Boiler

This ties in with the last quote from Boiler, but it again reinforces the idea that a creative brief doesn’t have to lay out a clear-cut problem that can be addressed with a clear-cut solution. The brief should be an accurate depiction of a brand or a company or a problem, but it doesn’t have to be overly grounded, the problem doesn’t have to be downplayed, and it doesn’t have to be a small problem. Sometimes, the more audacious or seemingly impossible the material is that is contained within the brief, the bigger spark it can give to the creative team.

3. “Those ideas would not have come about without a brief that had limitations and an invitation.” 

-David Rockwell (~15:30)

I feel as if this quote from Rockwell again builds on Boiler’s point in the last selected quote, but also keeps it a bit in check with reality: briefs should be ambitious, challenging, and audacious, but it can (and probably should, in some scenarios) have limitations. This quote arises with Rockwell’s explanation of how his team tackled The Cosmopolitan account in Las Vegas. This was a hotel that was already partially built, so the creativity had to be developed around the pre-existing limitations. Ambition and boldness is important in the briefing process, but so is reality. It is with the recognition of the real limitations behind The Cosmopolitan that Rockwell’s team was able to suggest its innovative ideas surrounding the technological, “changing” entrance of pillars, and blowing open the first three floors in the building to change visual perceptions within the hotel. The limitations presented an exciting void in the project that could be filled with creativity.

4. “We have this habit today of thinking information is knowledge…it’s not. Just because you can Google it, doesn’t mean you have context for anything.” 

-John C. Jay (16:14)

This quote really stuck out to me and has left me pondering just how well I do what John C. Jay says is important: keeping up with culture. This cultural know-how is not limited to simply keeping up to date with headlines, but rather understanding, following, and researching culture. During the creative process, you should be able to connect culture to the project, not only to enhance it but to add context. The context is important, and this is not something that can simply be learned by Googling a topic but rather by immersing oneself.

I feel as if, when you first learn about a business process of any type, it seems quite structured, rigid, and previously defined. A business report is a business report. A memo is a memo. A creative brief is a creative brief. It’s not until you listen to truly experienced individuals speak about their experiences with drafting and working with briefs that you can understand the world of opportunity that is available. Although every project must begin with a brief, as the video states, the way in which a brief can and should be approached can vary greatly. The creative process behind developing a brief can be almost, if not equally, as important as the creative process that will follow it. Creative briefs can be ambitious. They can also work well when injected with some limitations, as certain limitations can add an interesting creative problem to the project. At the end of the day, the creative brief must give a creative team a very accurate depiction of a brand, or company, or project, with the right information, as well as the right amount of freedom or ambition or audacity in order to keep the creative team interested – or else the creative team might just reject it. And that’s okay – because the last thing you want is a creative team uninterested in the project they’re doing for you.

“If the brief isn’t true, stop working on it…stop.”

-John C. Jay

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