The strategy cow

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My eldest son has this toy. It is a cow (I think) which normally stands erect but when you push the base upwards it collapses. It perfectly describes how I feel when I come across lacklustre or cliched thinking – flacid, deflated and lacking in the strength to perform simple tasks like standing up properly.
From now on I will submit the strategies of the moment to the Strategy Cow for her to pass judgement.
In addition this service is offered absolutely free to you dear readers – simply submit a strategy of the moment to the Strategy Cow and see what she thinks.
By the way following no popular demand whatsoever the Agrarian Ajudicator has set up shop here

It really is this easy

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I have been re-reading the Clive Challis book about Helmut Krone – Bernbach’s legendary art director. It reminded me how much better it was in reality than in my head. I encourage you to look beyond the cliche of ‘we try harder’ and engage again with the strategy and more importantly the execution of this campaign. This is advertising at it’s most effortless, most engaging and most persuasive. And look no logo – the best branded campaign in advertising history had no logos in it big or small.
Advertising really can be this easy if we stop getting bogged down in irrelevant strategic discussion, stop navel gazing, stop living in fear of the future and get back to the basics of creative persuasion.
See you on the barricades

An end to the armistice

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The First World war didn’t end on the 11th November 1918. This was merely an armistice. The war ended a year later with the Paris Peace Conference and the Treaty of Versailles that followed.
I think that it is high time that the armistice maintained between creative and media agencies since our historic schism in the mid 90s be concluded with a peace conference and final treaty.