Trivia with a fair dinkum Australian legend.

It's not always client briefs that get thrown on your desk, often internal processes, messages and even agency events require creative thinking too. From one such brief in 2009, I had one of the best ideas I think I've ever had in advertising - namely, getting Ian 'Turps' Turpie in, to host a Trivia Night at Ogilvy Sydney. 

Turps was a simply amazing entertainer and he showed Ogilvy exactly why he was one of Australia's most loved hosts, for so many years. Testimony to his outstanding generosity, he made sure everyone who wanted a photo with him was obliged, and that every beer he was offered, was drained in the company of it's benefactor. 

R.I.P. TURPS 1943 - 2012

DVD packaging for the launch of the AUDI TT

File under - the little stuff is as important as the big stuff.

 "Have you ever designed DVD packaging?"

asked the computer

"Have you ever designed CD packaging?"

asked the computer

"Have you ever designed other packaging?"

asked the computer

Local relevance for American Express.

Amex Australia wanted to show card-holders all the 'new places in their neighborhood' where their cards were now accepted. In response to this, I designed a poster sized, piece of DM that demonstrated the growing acceptance of their cards - purely through the execution of a gigantic list of the new retailers names.

O'Neill Outdoor and Print

 Since I left Australia in 2010, I have missed surfing more than pretty much anything else - mostly because Vegemite is available here. That said, landing a job as Creative Director of Communications for O'Neill Canada, when I arrived here, certainly helped make my transition a lot smoother.

Beer Evangelists

 

PROBLEM 

Educate Singaporean beer drinkers about the country’s inaugural craft-beer Archipelago. 

Brewed in Singapore’s pre-war brewery and customised to the local palette using local spices and traditional methods.

SOLUTION  
Beer evangelists.
Teams of method actors would be dressed like Seventh Day Adventists - clean shaven, black pants, white shirt and black ties. These beer evangelists would ‘door knock’ on Sundays around Singapore. Asking to speak to the man of the house, they would spread the ‘good word’ of the first Craft Beer made for Singapore. Offer a tasting in the home and bid them good day, leaving some quality literature and a six pack.

Old Models don't cut it.

The Award winning integrated-campaign 'Old Models,' was built to introduce a new boutique Sydney agency - The One Centre. A great exercise in story-telling, that grew a life of it's own when the public took over, morphing the discussion into an argument about ageism in modern media. The arresting 'new model agency' message was certainly not lost on everyone, and we began relationships with brands like AUDI, Amercan Express, Lenscrafters, McDonalds and Drambuie.

"Foraging. You're doing it wrong." photoshop work for Scott Needham

My old friend Scott Needham SNP5000 asked me to collaborate with him on his entry into the 2012 SMH "Shoot the Chef" photography competition. LouisTikaram, the chef at Longrain in Sydney was the subject and Scott's vision was of Louis running into himself foraging for seaweed. Adding a clever layer of sarcasm using the convention of the "You're doing it wrong" meme.

Extreme Value Makeovers.

Directed by Steve Saucey - Film Construction

Art Director - Dave Henderson

Copywriter - Phil Shearer

For more sterling examples of comedy being used to sell spectacles - Pop over here