Mike Cessario

Well this is timely 🤔 Really well written and thought provoking “this needs to change” article from M.T. Fletcher over at Ad Age. Having now sat on every side of this equation, the notion that the #rfp process is broken is certainly not a new one. Leaders like Seth Matlins are working hard to listen and give CMOs both a voice in this but also a more collective voice to be heard in how to nuance the current situation. Major industry events like Mirren Business Development, Association of National Advertisers, Advertising Week, POSSIBLE , and Brand Innovators have dedicated significant portions of programming to it. One of the biggest thigs I hear whispered sometimes is that as soon as they step off the stage - the line is 10 deep with people wanting to pitch them. Again something I understand from both sides. Digiday, MediaPost, ADWEEK and The Drum have written consistently about the challenges all parties face in the process. A reckoning is coming - it simply needs to. Thanks to all of those like Christian Muche and Ruth Mortimer to dedicating so much thought to the reimagining of the process for marketers. Thanks to people like Shannon Pruitt, David Shing, Steven M., Josh Golden, Alyson Griffin, Casey Hurbis, Sri Rajagopalan, John Militello, Dave Currie, Isaac Mizrahi, Matt Wilson, Rick Watson, Eric Dopkins, and Dave Kersey who’ve given their time and opinions to discuss or provide content around how to create better team conversations around the topic. If your marketer and your interested in having a MiO Campfire 🔥 content & conversation session - I’m yours and we’re here to listen. You can book a campfire with me HERE: https://lnkd.in/e-AtBc-c AM I RIGHT HERE? LEAVE YOUR THOUGHTS BELOW 👇 #media #marketing #mio

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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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"Chaos asks questions of you order never will" The wonderful Colleen DeCourcy retells her experience working with Dan Wieden when she took over as Chief Creative Officer at Wieden+Kennedy Her immediate response to me asking about working with Dan was this quote about chaos. We have a natural reaction against chaos because it can be destructive and unsettling but what if we reframed it as a necessary condition for achieving something truly breakthrough 🌪 Chaos propels you forward while order maintains the status quo 🌪 Chaos creates leaders while order creates managers 🌪 Chaos demands a response while order delays it 🌪 Chaos reveals the cracks while order papers them up 🌪 Chaos forces ownership while order delegates it 🌪 Chaos fosters creativity while order fosters compliance 🌪 Chaos requires trust while order replaces it It got me thinking whether there is an optimal mix of Chaos and order required to achieve breakthrough ideas and momentum? We spend most of our time creating order but what if what we actually needed was an injection of chaos? To hear more from this episode check out the links in the comments John Kearon Kerry Collinge Orlando Wood

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HOT TAKE INCOMING!! Look at Liquid Death. Started by an ad creative. Now a billion dollar brand most creatives in advertising wish they could do work for. (Kudos Mike Cessario and Andy Pearson) Jason G. started Illicit Elixirs. Jan Livingston started Gray Whale Gin. (Who else?) Imagine if MORE advertising creatives started a brand and showed the industry what advertising is supposed to be? Maybe then we could get back to making work that's fun and not marketing from a place of fear. We could raise our own creative bar and force clients to play on the level we all know they should. Here's an idea I came up with while writing this: What if we all pitched in $150 a year to help build a brand from nothing to Liquid Death status. (that's one less coffee a week in LA.) We'd all be owners and share in its success. We could call it "Go F This Biz" (Fund) It's a Go Fund Me platform for ad creatives who have ideas for companies and want to get out of advertising but still make great advertising. I'm in. Who's in?? If my network pitched in that'd be 1.3MM to start. Not bad. Just a thought. Have a great holiday weekend ya'll! #Stayhungrymyfriends

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Official The Art of G.I.JOE: A Real American Hero Blu-ray Digipack update: The pocket patrol inspired Digipack was expanded to FOUR Blu-ray 25GB discs with ~600 minutes total of HD content! This cost 4X the initial budget, but it was worth it to do these interviews justice and not trim them down further to fit less robust media. Here’s what’s taken so long: First we edited 50 hours of raw interviews down to ~10 hours of polished interviews, finalized package design, and submitted this content to Hasbro for review. This happened several months back. Hasbro approved all content! Then we began authoring. Authoring these discs was quite the challenge, taking ~two months. See this Kickstarter update for tons of details: https://lnkd.in/e69ivu3H Soon after that update we burned our first set of working discs! https://lnkd.in/eVkWbaqK Since then we finishing adding the subtitles throughout, which completed the authoring stage. Then we made masters and sent those to the manufacturer. A huge THANK YOU to Jeff Strobl for sharing his authoring expertise. We just received an update from Disc Makers, our US based manufacturer, that our Digipacks are in production and should ship on 08/16/2024! Once we receive these sets, they’ll be distributed to all of you. We expect that to happen in September. If you haven't ordered the Digipack yet, here's the link: https://lnkd.in/e9cK8xez Thank you for supporting our work!

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Everyone wants Liquid Death’s results. No one wants to follow their example. Every other post I see from a recruiter, CCO or ECD is the same: “Looking for a kick-ass team! Must have experience in [insert category here].” Do you know what the Liquid Death team didn’t have experience in? I’ll give you a clue; it’s what they’re selling right now and crushing. They didn’t know water. They didn’t want to know water. They actively ran the opposite direction from water campaigns. And you know how that turned out. You have over $1.4 billion reasons to copy that example. But apparently, that’s not enough. It’s kinda ridiculous to praise a company for being so successful then doing exactly the opposite of how they did it. So, a little advice. You’re in luxury travel? Hire people who’ve never touched it. Fast food? Run away from teams with it in their books. Launching a new brand? Maybe a team that’s never launched one will have a completely different way to do it and break through the clutter. Zig when others zag is a mantra so many people spew, but few embrace. I’m a zigger. I know several ziggers. We get really excited working in a brand new space because we don’t know the restrictions, the do’s and don’ts, or any of the baggage. You want results? You want breakthrough. Hire a zigger, not a been-there-done-that. Can I get an amen Andy Pearson? (You can whisper it to yourself). #recruiting #toughadvice #breakthrough #liquiddeath

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Read this piece on our own James Brownstein of Poster Child and Brownstein Group.

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All About the Prompts (cue Megan Trainor's "All About That Bass") Welcome to the Prompt Club at Far From Timid! We've integrated AI into every aspect of the creative process—briefs, brand voice, and storyboarding. The secret to boosting productivity with AI? Mastering the art of prompting. We all need to be expert prompt engineers. To sharpen our team's AI skills, I came up with an idea: Dive into screenplays. Learn from the best visual storytellers like Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Paul Schrader, Sofia Coppola, Aaron Sorkin, and Quentin Tarantino. In screenplays, you'll discover how to describe set design, facial expressions, and timing with precision. For our first Prompt Club session, we're dissecting "Pulp Fiction" by Quentin Tarantino. #process #becomelegendary #befarfromtimid #creativeagency #brandagency #prompt #ai #screenplay #engineer #writing #visualexpression #screenwriting #pulpfiction

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These physical objects being “crushed” does not define your creativity or your future as an artist, designer, or musician… Well, here we go again with a large portion of the creative community up in arms about a recent Apple ad for the new iPad. I’ve been hearing responses to a recent post on X like… — “Apple's image is built on connections with creative professionals. Those people have an intimate attachment to the tools of their craft. Symbols of meaning and fulfillment. Making an ad with this destruction is unprofessional and offensive on a different level.:)” Or… “I'm a designer. I had tons of crappy clients and this commercial is just plain sad. You must read the room of what's going on in the world right now. I get the message of "all in one" but using the crunch (or pressed) wasn't a nice approach. Destroying instruments where a lot of musicians appreciate is kinda sentimental. The musicians play their instruments because they feel joy and is the only thing they can afford. There is a crisis where we cannot buy the basics such food so probably won't have the $ to buy iPad. It's just tone deaf. Maybe 10+ years ago would've been another way to interpret but right now, 2024, nah. People are desperate and watching these commercials where they are pushing consumers to spend more on technology which are going to replace all art and creativity in a small device... not cool.” — Take things as you may, but… I find the symbolism of “destruction” to have been taken far too literally and rather perceive the visual concept of the ad to be about “compression and integration” through the process of “pressing and forming” so many creative tools into a single product. If this same visual concept were for an iPhone and the items being “crushed” were a fax machine, telephone, radio, keyboard, scanner, Rolodex, modem, monitor, encyclopedia, books, albums, etc. Would everyone have the same reaction? I don’t feel an iPad or any product will ever “replace all art and creativity”, but rather as a tool that may perhaps introduce more people to it. Technology will never stop for anything, and neither will human creativity.

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Exactly — unique and fresh perspectives allow for innovative marketing strategies.

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I joined Liquid Death three years ago today. The idea has always been to have more fun than everyone else. Because if we're having fun, it's an open invitation for everyone else to have fun with us. So here's a random, unadulterated string of moments behind the scenes at Liquid Death / Death Machine over the last three years. Because if we're not having fun, why would we even do it? Or why would we ask anyone else to care? (Appearances by Johnny Eastlund, Cookie Walukas, Scott Bizjack, Tony Mangucci, Greg Fass, but there are oh so many more.) #liquiddeath #advertising #marketing

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The slogan “Save Money. Live Better” means something entirely different to Gen Z—and even Walmart is taking notice. In an arguably bold move for the conservative mega retailer, it is taking its private label brand, No Boundaries to Roblox this month. This strategy to move launch the private label brand on the Roblox platform “Walmart Discovered” furthers Walmart’s shift from “Everyday Low Prices” toward immersive experiences. What’s behind the move? For starters, this mainstream big box has worked to earn the following of Gen Z—a more savvy, underspending cohort. Now, the brand aims to create a dynamic, interactive world where even private label brands come to life and engage consumers in ways we've never seen before. So, how will “value” be experienced if not merely through lower prices? The benefits of tomorrow’s most compelling private label brands will be realized through unique, branded experiences. This shift is shaped by a few drivers: 1.     Premium-ized Retail: Even the most modest of retailers are raising the bar on customer experience. As a result, people expect more than just product-lined shelves. They want stories, discovery, and interactions. Leveraging platforms like Roblox, brands can build communities and deepen connections with younger, content-savvy audiences. 2.     Personalization: Today, brand engagement is fleeting. Perception and loyalty are now earned through the integration of gamified elements and personalized experiences within emerging virtual environments. Imagine completing a virtual challenge that unlocks an exclusive product drop, or branded events that bring both entertainment and shopping opportunities to life. 3.     Digital-Physical Synergies: All realities are real. Consider the line between online and offline shopping blurred. Virtual try-ons, digital collectibles, and AR experiences aren’t simply novelties. Instead, they now drive measurable foot traffic to physical stores and vice versa.  4.     Sustainability & Innovation: As brands experiment in the digital realm, there's potential to appropriate certain activations more sustainably in digital realms—to create innovative product designs that might not otherwise be feasible. With the benefit of data, brands can understand consumer demand before or even without creating a physical offering. It may be too soon to understand whether Walmart's Roblox venture is more marketing gimmick than signpost. However, this move is evidence that even seemingly conservative, behemoth brands see the value of investing in the cultural vernacular of younger consumers. Could it be that they have identified that the values of today’s gamer might not be that different from self-labeled savvy under spenders? Is experience is the new commodity? If so, are you ready to join the revolution? #RetailInnovation #MetaverseMarketing #FutureOfRetail #PrivateLabelRevolution #WalmartOnRoblox #DigitalExperiences

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The first Creative Director Masterclass is halfway through, time to sign up for the next one. Why do it? Well, it's lonely when you hit that CD chair, you need to get a lot right and navigate a lot of sh#t. Advice helps. I've done all of that and can guide you through it. In 2019 I wrote a post on LinkedIn called - HOW TO BE A CREATIVE DIRECTOR WITHOUT SUCKING AT IT. That post got 800,00+ views, about 10,000 likes and around 600 comments - it struck a nerve. In the post, I shared around 15 things I believe you need to do to be a better and more effective Creative Director/Leader. Then, I started coaching current Creative Directors/Leaders and those who wanted to grow into the role. If you're keen to get this role right, then get in touch. Limited spots are available - I am a one-person operation. Some more details are in the attached carousel. #creativedirector #creativecoach #creativecareers

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Crafting an iconic brand: PT. 2 ⚡️ I'm thrilled to continue with the second edition of this series by leaning into the second C: Category / Competition. Over the years, I've seen firsthand how understanding a category's nuances and daring to zag when others zig can truly elevate a brand. In today's crowded marketplace, it's not enough to follow trends—you need to challenge them, push boundaries, and carve your path. This series aims to unpack how strategic differentiation can lead to powerful brand positioning, much like we do at Movetic, where every brand story we help shape has its unique twist. Let's dive deeper and explore how zagging sets the foundation for lasting impact. https://lnkd.in/gQq3Myp4 Bailey Clark, Steven Picanza ✌️🍕 #strategy #brandstrategy #branding

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Now up at Contagious - WARC discusses how they help make the case for making creative impact. We need to ask difficult questions of the c-suite because : 2/3rds of brand assets are perceived as weak. There is a $189B “cost of dull.” WARC and System1 say more than half of ads tested today are meh. weak. (See chart). Instacart acknowledged they needed to put brand and performance in one budget. So they made their creative tied to shopping message. It pays to entertain. (Think: Liquid Death.)

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Liquid Death is built on delightful surprise. But sometimes we even surprise ourselves. Yesterday we dropped our Hot Fudge Sundae sparkling water collab with Van Leeuwen Ice Cream. It sold out completely on Amazon within 7 hours. It was a limited run, but it was no make-10-things-and-then-write-a-press-release thing. This was a legit full-on product launch. The entire inventory was completely blown out in just a few hours. The Amazon algorithm even shut down the product page twice because the velocity was so high it automatically triggered a warning that the product was selling too fast. Now the only way you can try it for yourself is at a Van Leeuwen Scoop Shop. There are still a few left. On top of that, we got to fling yet another delightful Liquid Death video into the universe: https://lnkd.in/gytbSghJ So here's your daily reminder to stop making marketing and start making stuff people love instead. You might be surprised to find out it actually works. #liquiddeath

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THE ASK: Get people to buy real Kraft Singles over the generic, off-brand stuff. THE ANSWER: Tell the truth – that generic American Cheese is *almost* the same as Kraft Singles. But when it matters most, almost doesn't cut it. This flexible campaign formula allows for lots of great storytelling. ...Grape juice is almost red wine (tell that to a Sommelier) ...A wolf is almost a dog (though your landlord may disagree) ...A treehouse is almost a house (and squirrels make great roommates) ...Mini Golf is almost Golf (put down the nine iron, Chad) ...A hostel is almost a hotel (top bunk or bottom?) The list goes on and on. We started with 3 simple :15s (including this one below) but the possibilities are endless. Eternal S/O to my wonderful, brilliant, hilarious friend and fearless creative leader Emma Arnold for this delicious brief. And to the impossibly kind and gifted Jamie Mageau who was the art to my copy on this fun project. To the countless other whip-smart partners – far too many to name, unfortunately – that helped this campaign see the light of day...THANK YOU. #clientwork #copywriting #campaign #creativity #freelance

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I'm not sure that companies have a real grasp of the astonishing level of creative talent available on the open market right now. We're looking at a once-in-a-generation type of opportunity that is all but being ignored. Everyone talks a lot about the downside of the cutbacks and layoffs over the last two years, as well they should because it has been truly life-altering for so many of us in the creative field, but not as much has been made about the incredible chance companies now have to level up. Right now, either by choice or not, there are thousands of incredibly seasoned mid-to-super-senior creatives who are free agents for the first time in many years. These are people who have been responsible for building brands like Apple and Nike nearly from the ground up. They have launched products that have made the valuations of companies soar. They have made the careers of future CEOs and have pushed causes that have been written into law. And they are all just...available. We are in the middle of a great reshuffling. The old ways of doing business are quickly becoming outmoded, if they aren't already. The financial models that previously held up our industry have been replaced. Everything is moving faster by the minute. Yet the one thing that hasn't changed is the level of talent. It's still there. While the holding companies continue to funnel their money into AI and away from the people who built them, it opens up opportunities for other models to harness talent that is already proven, not just speculative. While AI is indeed intruiging and will inevitably have a role in what we do eventually, the new models that can utilize these incredibly smart people can win now, not 5 years from now. This is what we're trying to do at The Quills and you can see the same thing in other new models. I can comfortably say that our roster of writers is better than any roster of writers ever assembled at any company or agency. Why? Because we've embraced the fact that the vast majority of insanely talented creative people are free agents now. It's just the way the market has opened up and I think, I hope, that we will attract more and more business because of it. I think it would be dumb for everyone else to ignore this huge opportunity, but hey, your loss is our gain.

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