The A-Z of Advertising

C is for Cannes.
In the words of the Lions themselves. . .

"Inspiring Creativity is at the heart of Cannes Lions. The Festival is where creative professionals come to debate, learn and be inspired; where the greatest industry honours are bestowed; where those pushing creative communications forward are celebrated. For nearly 60 years,  the Cannes Lions Awards have set the benchmark for excellence in creative communications."


But if we're really honest it's AdLands eagerly anticipated annual holiday of debauched excess. Where things like this happen or this. Classic!


C is also for Campaign.
Campaign Magazine that is. A great resource and professional stalking paper.
You can find out which Creative Director is moving where, and which Account has switched agencies. And, if you are so inclined post Cannes (see above), whose slumped body it was you tripped over on the beach. This you'll normally find recorded on the Diary page. Enjoy!

It also stands for Chemistry Meeting but I'm saving that definition until the perverse T is for Tissue Meeting. *shudders*

The A-Z of Advertising

OK so perhaps it's been more than the week I promised this would appear in . . .

B is for Ballpark.
Ballpark a very sweeping non-committing sort of a word.

It's the rough financial figure clients ask you to put to a shoot estimate. Very often used when they don't have references for all the shots in a campaign, or any idea where they want to set the shoot, or which models to have in it or how many etc.
It can be their nod to let you off the hook at an early stage of costing when not all the info is readily available, so you don't have to spend days estimating in too much detail.

You'll hear Ballpark sometimes used in sentences like "Can you give us a ballpark figure for the production of this really large and overly elaborate shoot we want to do for this really poor client of ours". Well not quite but you might as well hear it that way. Because very often it's a clients way of sounding out the price bracket you fit in. Cheeky sods :)

B is also for BBH .
But then you should know that already. If you don't, look on their website here and then berate yourself for not knowing enough and tune in next week because ...
C is for Campaign (possibly).

The A-Z of Advertising

Ever wondered what a Honey Wagon was? Or whether to be flattered or appalled when invited to a 'Tissue Meeting'?
Well wonder no more because in this new feature I will strive to explain some of the lingo* used by advertising folk. Be it phrases used agency side or things you're likely to hear on set, this A-Z of Advertising is here to help make sense of it all.

So without further ado, A is for . . .  AdLand.

AdLand is an animation everyone needs to have seen. It's also the best description of the sprawling global work place advertising people reside in. 

It can correctly be used in sentences thus "Dave Trott is the Aesop of Ad Land".

*please note 'lingo' has not been used regularly since the 1980's.

A is also for . . .  AdLand Suit.

He's a sweary genius called Dan, who tweets more than he blogs now, and is a partner at Creature London. Do go back through and read his entire blog archive, for there is much to be learnt from it. And you really should find him on Twitter. He's most likely on a list somewhere of the top ten AdLand bods to follow. He must be, he's been in Campaign enough times.

Next week B is for Ballpark.