When it comes to developing a radically different approach to creativity, an ad hoc collective of Canadian agency personnel has literally thrown its hat in the ring.
Staffers from Red Lion, Cundari, Known Associates Design, content marketing specialist DreDee.com and Leo Burnett recently banded together to create a promotional piece for award-winning photographer and director Eden Robbins.
Matt Litzinger, president and chief creative officer for Red Lion and the project’s creative director, described it as “creativity for creativity’s sake,” with no client brief, campaign analytics, etc.
“I thought it was interesting that a collection of people who are all in the same industry all got together to do something,” said Litzinger. “Ten years ago, not only would this collection not have occurred, it would have ended up being a print ad with a picture of a hat.”
The result of the collaborative effort is a baseball cap aimed at putting Robbins on the radar of creative teams across the country.
The hat features the word “Ego” on the side, with each notch on its adjustable band featuring the name of an advertising award show: Small for the CMA Awards, bigger for shows like the Clios and One Show, with the final notch reserved for Cannes.
The concept, of course, is the size of a creative’s head is directly proportional to his or her awards show success. Approximately 500 of the hats are being delivered to Canadian agencies in a paper bag featuring the words “How’s your ego?”
Litzinger said there were no pre-defined roles for the ad hoc team, which was comprised of Cundari’s Bernice Lo and Andrew McKenzie as art director and writer respectively; Known Associates Design’s Mark Koudis as designer; content marketing strategist Dre’ Dee helping with labeling and Leo Burnett account director Brittany Gold.
“Everyone just kind of trusted each other,” he said. “The art director and writer kind of took the lead on things like the colour of the hat, the font choice and the order of the awards shows, and the designer focused more on the labelling on the outside of the bag and the tag on the inside of the hat.
“Everyone just kind of gravitated towards what they were best suited to.”
For Litzinger, the project was affirmation of Toronto Blue Jays pitcher R.A. Dickey’s recent quote: “It’s amazing what a team can accomplish when you don’t care who gets the credit.”
So is this potentially how client work could be completed in the future?
“I don’t know – it might be,” said Litzinger. “I don’t know if it loses its lustre when it’s done with someone else in control. Part of the magic is the creation, not the desired effect.” A paying client, he said, would require some kind of assurance the finished project would generate the desired result.
He said the project allowed participants to experience the creative freedom that is sometimes missing from day-to-day agency life. “I think it’s the beginning of the next wave – we’re going to see more of this stuff happening,” he said. “The next wave of creatives isn’t waiting to be told what it can and can’t do – they’re just doing it.”
