Adam Meller

Whenever I'm told by agency/client that we don't have the capacity to pull off a killer lil' campaign, I reference Liquid Death. Right now (09/04/24), they have 4 active mini-to-medium pieces running. Two separate merch collabs with NASCAR and Bad Birdie, a #HotFudgeSundae water with Van Leeuwen Ice Cream, and their summer giveaway of an L-39 Aerojet. Every can purchased gets you an entry at winning "The Dehydrator." I'm at 326 entries. All that to say: you/we don't have to giveaway a jet. Find an unconventional collaborator, create (and advertise) a short-run of t-shirts and merch to generate some buzz, win customers, and be fun. Good work doesn't take much.

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I don't typically post about my former activism, but today X announced that it was suing GARM, an advertising industry group dedicated to brand safety. It is bullshit. I know because I was threatened with the same lawsuit. Back in 2018, when I was running Sleeping Giants, Breitbart, an influential blog run by Steve Bannon, tried to sue me for tortious interference. Not quite the antitrust case that X is bringing, but it was filed for the same reason. All we had done was show advertisers, ironically via Twitter (now X), the actual content on which their ads were running. Over 4,000 advertisers backed out. Breitbart was obviously not happy, so they sent a letter notifying me that they were filing suit and asking me to preserve any and all documents between me and a number of people and organizations that had literally nothing to do with our organization. My attorney, R. James Slaughter, the greatest attorney on this green earth, sent them a note back asking them to preserve any and all documents between them, their funder Robert Mercer, the Trump campaign, and Steve Bannon, among others. We never heard back from them and the suit never made it to court. But the more important piece of his reply was that I was covered by the First Amendment. I was, of course, able to voice my opinion on their content and ask advertisers if they supported what I believed to be racist, sexist and bigoted content. I was also allowed to post screenshots of their own printed content. Advertisers, also protected by the First Amendment, were able to make their own choices that benefitted and protected their businesses. This case filed today is frivolous and I would imagine that Elon Musk and Linda Yaccarino well know this. For a platform that purports to protect free speech (but often doesn't) they should understand that advertisers have a right to make up their minds about where their ad dollars go. If they don't want to appear next to posts from actual self-proclaimed Nazis, who are now allowed back on X, it is their right. If they just don't want to be on the platform because they think it hurts their brand overall, it's their right. If they don't want to be on the platform because it's not worth the cost, it's also their right. I can tell you exactly how this suit is going to go. X will lose. But the goal is to both bankrupt GARM and scare advertisers into HAVING to advertise on their platform, and I hope that does not come to pass. As an industry, we are here to do what's best for the companies we work with and for. Any limits on that ability are truly anti-free speech. We can and should advertise in the places we feel work for us and our customers. Such is the First Amendment. You can sue all you want, but the rights you claim to protect for your users also protect your critics. You can't have it both ways.

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I don't know who needs to hear this, but the vast majority of the best creative talent in advertising and marketing is not currently at Cannes. They are on the street and ready to work. Last week, we had an assignment for The Quills that required some very specific writing. I had one equally specific writer who I thought could absolutely kill it, but I thought there was no way she would 1) be available or 2) take the gig on short notice with the limited scope. Guess what happened? She was and she did. This has happened over and over again for us at The Quills, and it ain't because we're super persuasive or offer huge rates. It's because the best people in our business, maybe for the first and only time ever, are AVAILABLE. These are creatives who, yes, have won more Cannes Lions than pretty much everyone, but more importantly, know how to nail an assignment with craft and precision, on time and on brief without complaint. I would put my business in the hands of these people, and often do, over any of the bright, shiny new objects in our industry. They are proven, they are battle-tested, and they are fucking brilliant. For whatever reason, our industry only looks forward and never back. We constantly chase youth and technology and whatever medium is of the moment. In doing this, we are doing ourselves a tremendous disservice. We are ignoring the very people and ideas that got us to this point just so we can look like we're "breaking new ground," "writing the future of commerce," or "changing the world," or whatever the hell the award show case studies are saying this year. Believe me, I'm a believer in innovation. I think we can always improve and get better at what we do. But I also believe we can learn from our past, including from the very people who got us to this point. To not do that would be idiotic. Our industry does not lead in AI. It doesn't have its own social network. We haven't developed any technology that has changed the world. What we have been good at is creating communication that moves people and changes the fortunes of companies. I'm not sure why we're afraid of sticking with that. The people who have done that time and time again, the strategists, the art directors, the creative directors, the designers and, yes, the writers, are out here ready and willing to do that right now. If you're a recruiter, an agency, or a company looking for creative help, the answer isn't always something or someone new. There's an absolute treasure trove of talent that's already sitting right here in front of your face. And you probably already have their contact info. If you don't, I'd be more happy to send it to you. (If you promise not to call them when we need them.) #cannes #talent #ideas #creative

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For marketers that work with creatives (or really anyone involved in brand decisions), this book from Marty Neumeier is a great resource. It’s smart, clear, and an easy read. Grab it. https://a.co/d/bkEoFxZ

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You remember this Spider-Man drawing meme from a few years back? https://lnkd.in/gXwXApdd You know, the one that shows the level of quality you get when you give an artist 10 minutes vs. 1 minute vs. 10 seconds? I remember when it started doing the rounds, a lot of creative types used it as an example of how much worse their work is when it's rushed vs. when they get enough time to truly ideate. What's funny is, this isn't even the best depiction of that. Imagine instead if you started by giving someone 10 seconds to draw a *brand new* superhero — one that doesn't already exist. My guess is the result would go something like "Uhhhmmmmm.... I dunnnoo.... (hastily scribbles rough silhouette with a cape)". Then give them 1 min and watch more detail get added. And then 10 and watch really rich character and story elements emerge. I see this a lot in organizations that put a premium on sprints and MVPs. It's one thing to put time constraints on refinement, evolution and optimization of an idea. It's another to rush the ideation itself. That's typically not a good recipe for innovation, since (as my example illustrates) when people are rushed, they tend to regurgitate/replicate the familiar. There is something to be said for putting some time constraints on ideation as a generative exercise. And when facilitated with a focus on lateral connections sparking new combinations, there is a way to hack novelty at pace. But often the main value is in getting all the obvious ideas out of the way, and getting the gears turning in the back of brains to let time do its work of mental marination. Then the real gems that team members can't stop thinking about can be prototyped/MVP'd/etc. Have you seen rapid ideation produce novel concepts (in product, comms, org design, etc.)? Or has it tended to churn out ideas that feel like replications/regurgitations, logical/linear progressions and slight incremental improvements on what already exists? #innovation #creativity #ideation #agile #mvp #prototyping #poc

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Ok this hits home in a lot of ways. As a small nimble studio we've had the immense fortune to successfully work on a wide variety of projects. And yet we still get that question of "yeah but have you done THIS?" One of the most inspiring campaigns we worked on, and the one I'm most proud of, was the Love Your Butt campaign for colon cancer awareness month. Before we pitched, we didn't know a single thing about colon cancer, and I believe that helped us. We weren't afraid of "what hadn't worked" before. We viewed the challenge as a clean slate and wanted to create something that accomplished the goal: get people to talk about colon cancer and encourage action. By all accounts it was widely successful. Don't take my word for it. The CEO has said "HUGO gave us the most successful awareness campaign of all time!" Isn't that right, Michael Sapienza. Here's what I've learned...it doesn't matter if you're promoting a new season of Shark Week, encouraging conversations about colon cancer, wrapping a security vehicle, or selling a hotel room. The goal is ALWAYS the same: get people to pay attention. So, whether you know the topic inside and out, or not at all, approach it as a novice, ask "why not?" instead of saying "we can't," and finally, the HUGO secret sauce, create a space where the client feels safe, valued, and heard. That's Creative Therapy at work. So, yeah, Paul Suggett, it's more than ok to have never been there. We could use more never been there's. Preach it! And if you're curious about the Love Your Butt campaign, here it is: https://lnkd.in/eXP9Frps

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Not a headline I expected to read. Five Expert Tips for Brand Marketers Thinking of Collaborating with a K-pop Act. Now you know.

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The advertising industry has become a lumbering behemoth choking on its own process. Gagging on hierarchy, shoveling (too much) collaboration into its pie hole. "Two heads are better than one," they cry. Forgetting that a two-headed beast is still a monstrosity. “But we need a chain of command to keep things in order,” they say. Only to justify their overhead expenses. Their hierarchies are not ladders to greatness. They are chains that bind creativity to the ground. Each rung a graveyard for bold ideas, every approval a funeral for innovation. Their overemphasis on collaboration and brainstorming are not sessions for team-building. They’re orgies of groupthink where the lowest common denominator reigns supreme. You need speed, not committees. You seek instinct, not company-wide brainstorm. You crave creativity, not reheated leftovers from last year's campaigns. Your next big idea shouldn’t come from consensus. It should come from the conviction of expert minds unfiltered by bloat, account managers and committee thinking. That, or learn The Heimlich. - X&O 😘 #notanadvertisingindustry #newmodel #advertising #marketing

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Apple's latest "Mac does that" ad campaign is derivative of probably half a dozen other ad campaigns including Roku's "Ok, Roku does that." spot by R/GA in 2021. This, combined with the previous "destruction of culture" ad for iPad, is creating a not-so-great string of misses for the tech behemoth. Also, Mac has always been about breaking the mold. Positioning it as just a better AI PC (which I don't even know what that means) flies in the face of an inspiring tradition of disruption. I don't know who did these ads, but it caught my eye... for all the wrong reasons. Is Apple doomed to Dr. Clayton Christensen predictive cycle of disruptors or can it right the ship? Or has that ship sailed? What do you think? #innovatorsdilemma #innovation #apple #mac #advertising #digitaladvertising

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I love that it is my job to tell stories. But, in the creative process, there are difficult moments where a phase is *almost* complete, a deliverable is *almost* done, it's just pending a few more hairy details that get stuck in the brain space. With 5 videos, 3 publications, 2 websites, and an event living in my head and on Google Workspace right now, I'm deeply feeling the creative "hairball." Recently, I sat down at our piano and began to plunk out some notes in my son's music book. It felt effortless and fun to bring imperfect, stumbling music into the world. Todd Henry writes about "Unnecessary Creating" in his book, The Accidental Creative, suggesting that when we create for enjoyment and without a timeframe for completion, we access and stretch our parts of our creative capacity that go dormant in daily processes. "Unnecessary Creating," Henry writes, "is a misnomer; it's very necessary, indeed. Start small." What's your Moon River in the morning? #creative #creativeprocess #communications

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Ad agency friends:  You need a break from advertising. At least real advertising. You know, the kind with timesheets and occasional mass layoffs?  Yeah, we all need a break from that. Which is why we made a new card-based party game that lets you pitch the most ridiculous, bonkers ad ideas for the world’s most horrible products. It’s WORST IDEAS WINS™, and every agency will soon want one of these stashed near the hard kombucha dispenser in their lunchroom. WORST IDEA WINS™ a great excuse to invite all your wonderful and/or horrible friends over to try their hand at making their very best (or worst) ad possible. It’s awkward, occasionally offensive, and will likely leave you feeling like you need to take a shower. In advertising, we call that a Tuesday. But this is a party game! So play it on a Friday over one of those hard kombuchas we mentioned earlier. Created by two veteran advertising Creative Directors who designed this game as therapy to work out all the mental scar tissue that an ad agency career can dole out. And it’s working! One of us (not saying who) stopped berating small children at the park, and the other one (also not saying who) only cries on weekends.  Check out the game on our site (link in 1st comment), where you can sign up to be notified when our upcoming Kickstarter campaign launches. You’ll feel like a micro-nano-influencer! #kickstarter #cardgame #advertising #marketing #nsfw #worstideawins Droga5 Mischief @ No Fixed Address BBDO Worldwide BBDO New York BBDO San Francisco TBWA\Chiat\Day Mekanism DNA 72andSunny Deutsch NY Deutsch LA Ogilvy Ogilvy California Ogilvy New York Ogilvy Brasil Grey Grey London Leo Burnett Leo Burnett UK Wieden + Kennedy Wieden+Kennedy Tokyo Little Hands of Stone Quality Meats Creative Orchard 22Squared Dagger VML VML COMMERCE VML HEALTH Barkley OKRP RPA Zambezi Wolfgang, LLC Party Land CALLEN TRG GSD&M PREACHER Goodby Silverstein & Partners

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I've noticed a trend here lately among certain Creatives I follow. They take blue chip brands, (Nike etc) and dash off a quick "ad" (sometimes they say they did it "in their coffee break"). I'm not sure what their strategy is because these "ads" are usually terrible and completely off brand, so they are not exactly putting their best foot forward if new business is the goal. What's more, they make it seem like it is real work for real clients. (Although I will say, they get a ton of positive responses that all sound kind of the same) My real beef is that they are diminishing the real work that goes into creating advertising that actually motivates people into some kind of action around a brand. There is strategy, insight, brand knowledge, and more, that is assembled by professionals. To me it all comes across like this video I apologize in advance for sharing. I mean, it's SOMETHING, but it sure misses the mark compared to the original. https://lnkd.in/gRwfi8MV

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Hard to believe that this continues to be hotly debated and protested by both client and agency slide leaders. The answer seems obvious. I would argue against testing a Brand's positioning strategy with consumers. If the right leaders have the right inputs / data (especially consumer and competitive understanding), I recommend not testing a strategy per se. Rather, I encourage clients to move briskly into creative development and then test the creative. This serves as a disaster check on the strategy and also paves way to getting business building creative in market.

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The term "non-working dollars" gets thrown around a lot as a way for people to justify production budgets. The basic idea being that money that isn't spent on media (i.e. getting the message in front of people) isn't doing anything beneficial for the advertiser and needs to be minimized as much as possible. Hence non-working. In reality, the WAY you say something is intrinsic to the way its perceived. This visual, originally shown to me by the one and only Michael Fanuele, is a great demonstration of the tight connection between message and delivery. Cheap can mean authentic, but it can also mean untrustworthy. Set budgets accordingly.

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Quiet firing seems to be a growing trend where clients quietly shift media business away without warning, often under the guise of testing strategies or pausing campaigns. Mid-size agencies are particularly at risk, caught unprepared by the evolving landscape and client needs. Recognizing early signs like reduced scope or new partners is critical. At 828.Media, we provide tailored media solutions to help agencies stay ahead, secure stronger partnerships, and thrive in today’s competitive landscape. Read my thoughts and the red flags to be on the lookout for in the short article below. I am sure many have seen this and similar behaviors. Don’t go quietly—be proactive. https://lnkd.in/dS6CpKvf

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Last week at Google, at my team's (Agency Data, Measurement, and Analytics) onsite, I had the distinct privilege of moderating a fireside chat with my client (and friend!) Helen Lin, Chief Digital Officer at Publicis, who is a total industry powerhouse. Helen brought immense inspiration to the conversation and dialogue on change, staying agile, and how to best collaborate with clients. My three favorite lessons below - 🚀 Be introspective and iterate - Take time to be thoughtful about reorganizations and new titles because it’s all about aperture. Give each other grace for the discovery phase because that takes time, and it’s not simple. Messy means opportunity! 🚀 Change is hard - Swing change like a "sledgehammer" and push through noise. When you’re transforming quietly, you have the opportunity to come out strong. Play to win! 🚀 Become client’s trusted advisor - Truly understand clients’ problems and have no preconceived expectations on the solutions. Spend more time listening and understanding their aspirations, absorb it, and then reflect with ideas.  Even when we don’t have the answer, we can always provide a perspective! Thank you Marta Martinez Christina Mohebbi Nadia ✨ Carta for your support and Ada Rice for being my partner in crime!! 🙏🏽 #stayingagile #change #trustedadvisor #data #measurement #analytics #agency

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Sooner than you think… many people are going to experience a mad dash of finding work when the mass layoffs continue as AI displaces the workforce. If you think it’s inhuman now, it’ll get much MUCH worse and completely heartless. We will be taking orders from machines and machines will determine our work schedules, production, efficiencies etc and perhaps even optimizing your bathroom breaks! You laugh but it’s true. It’s coming. It’ll be ruthless and it’s just a matter of time. You’ll all begin to experience displacement when you see just what AI will do for your day to day when every phone has it in the fall. It hasn’t gotten really bad yet, consider yourself lucky you even got the interview. Consider yourself lucky you were in consideration for weeks without a human Followup. It’ll get worse before it gets better. There will eventually be a push for Humans First initiatives that foster the best practices for employers. And perhaps it’ll be a commitment certification promise to candidates and employees alike. One can hope right? Keep the faith my friends and always think of Humans First! #humansfirst #ai

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This U.S. election, if nothing else, taught us that different people think very differently. Given our ad industry loves to explore human psychology, it's worth pausing to ask, why did Americans splinter apart so much last night? The best framework I've seen for this surprising mental battle doesn't come from Thaler or Kahneman, but rather Jonathan Haidt, the NYU Stern social psychologist who wrote "The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion." The secret to understanding our divisions, he said, is to first consider how different humans conceive of "morality." Morality actually has 6 unique sub-pillars, Haidt suggests -- caring, fairness, liberty, loyalty, authority and sanctity. Each pillar has value; as our human species evolved, it was important both to care and be fair to others while also to respect our elders who knew a few things and not eat rotten food. Each moral pillar is a way of helping us survive in a crazy, dangerous world. What creates tension today is liberals focus most on caring and fairness, while conservatives focus more on authority and loyalty. Haidt has tested this with various surveys and studies, and found that Dems or Republicans lock in immediately to any situation based on whether the vibe is "fair" vs. "loyal," subject to caring for others vs. respecting the hierarchy of authority. Our moral pillars are heuristics, mental shortcuts, to allow us to make a snap-judgment about any political or news event. In our minds, we react emotionally, quickly, and then sort the incoming facts in our brains to stack into the moral pillar that makes the most sense to us. And if you're behind one moral pillar, you likely can't see me behind mine. I dig this theory because it helps me understand why so many good people disagree with each other today. None of us are being logical. We're simply filtering the facts of the world to fit the moral storylines in our minds. It's worth stepping back, considering all of those 6 dimensions, and asking yourself, "can I learn a little about why the other side cares about that moral pillar at all?" For marketers, all of this is a wake-up call too. Demographics and proxy data and purchase histories may not matter as much to your future campaigns vs. the *psychographics,* or different mental states, that are the root of human behavior. We may look like our neighbors, but we sure don't think like each other.

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