So, I'm in O'Hare, really missing the delights of corporate travel. (I flew to Miami on airmiles which meant flying home through Chicago. And Chicago is having a storm so who knows when the flight will leave? At least it's not cancelled yet. Jeffre's was cancelled, he has to stay the night.) If I'd flown on the Nike dollar, direct to London from Miami, I'd be home by now.
Oh well.
It gives me chance to reflect ramblingly on the AAAA Account Planning experience. And it will be rambling, I've not really had chance to sort anything out in my head.
Clearly good things
1. The organisation was flawless. We screwed up and set-up our
session in the wrong room but the organisers adapted without a hint of
panic or accusation. Many thanks to them.
2. Planners are lovely. We asked a load of them to play all sorts of silly games with no real hint of a reason to do it and they just dived in with smiles and enthusiasm, when they were perfectly entitled to stare at us sullenly. Thanks to everyone who just piled in.
3. Crispin Porter do good ads. And they talk about them interestingly. I don't think they're doing anything especially new or radical but full marks to their creatives for doing good work and full marks to the planners and social scientists for making it possible.
4. Mark Earls is a treasure. Despite his eminence grise status he always trys to shake things up and say something more provocative than the norm. That (plus brains, savvy etc) is clearly why he gets decent crowds at his sessions every year.
5. It was nice to hear someone speak from the heart without being too sappy like Carl Johnson did. As someone embarking on a new business venture of my own I found that thoughtful stuff.
6. Nick Bareham is clearly enjoying discovering a new world and that's rather infectious and appealing.
7. Piers from PSFK works very hard and makes it seem effortless and fascinating.
8. Discovery is one of those media brands that understands the world it's getting into, and is preparing rather well.
By the looks of that photo you are(as the rolling stones put it), infact "a midnight rambler".
Posted by: Richard Buchanan | July 28, 2006 at 09:59 AM