Saatchi & Saatchi Archives

Remain was advertising’s lowest moment

by Richard on Jul 26, 2016 • No Comments

This is an article I wrote for the second edition of the New European. The New European is a fascinating publication, it was set up from idea to first publication in 9 days. It’s kept its costs very low and exists to serve the 48% of people that voted to Remain. It will disappear once...

Stop faking it – Creating more meaningful connections with mums

by Richard on Mar 19, 2016 • 2 Comments

Mumstock is the only marketing conference in the UK devoted to improving the woeful standard of marketing to mums. We have been at it for three years now along with our partners Mumsnet. And each year we have tried to deliver a new take on the subject through an unorthodox piece of research. So now...

Politics / Saatchi & Saatchi

Diversity is about how good we can all be

by Richard on Jan 25, 2016 • 1 Comment

My life has many privileges. And without doubt one of the most extraordinary privileges I enjoyed last year was dinner with the Reverend Jesse Jackson. Jesse Jackson is a hero of the civil rights movement, marched with Dr King at Selma and twice ran to be the Democratic nomination for President. I spend my...

Advertising / HHCL/United London / Planning / Saatchi & Saatchi

How I got into advertising and what happened next

by Richard on Nov 22, 2015 • 2 Comments

I was recently asked to write about my career in advertising for students at my old College – St John’s, Cambridge. I thought I’d post it here in case its useful or enlightening for anyone thinking of an advertising career. I’m not exactly sure of the moment in which I though a career in advertising...

Brands / Provocations / Saatchi & Saatchi

Motherhood is not a job

by Richard on Mar 27, 2015 • 2 Comments

Motherhood is many things and many of them are at the frustrating, nerve shredding and just sheer hard graft end of the spectrum. But one thing motherhood is not is a job. That’s the conclusion that I have come to following the work that we have done with Mumsnet to prepare for Mumstock 2015, the...

Advertising / Brands / Saatchi & Saatchi

There is no such thing as a bad client

by Richard on Nov 23, 2014 • 2 Comments

There is one subject that people like me on blogs like this rarely address. While we devote acres of prose and polemic to everything from innovative brand models to brilliant new technology we give little thought to the people and organisations that commission the work we do. Without clients nothing would be created by our...

Advertising / Presentations / Provocations / Saatchi & Saatchi

Don’t call me mum

by Richard on Apr 26, 2014 • 7 Comments

It’s been a busy week at Saatchi towers. On Wednesday I unveiled the results of a project that I have been working on with the online forum for mothers, Mumsnet at their inaugural Mumstock conference on marketing to mothers. This project aims to challenge a whole set of myths about marketing to mothers that seem...

Advertising / Brands / Saatchi & Saatchi

Keynesian marketing and the business of confidence

by Richard on Feb 10, 2013 • No Comments

I am not an economist but let’s say I am economically curious. And I wonder whether some of the debates that are happening in the world of economics might have relevance to the world of brands and marketing. And specifically the rekindling of interest in Keynesian economics following the financial crisis and the failure...

Presentations / Saatchi & Saatchi

Love letters to the highstreet

by Richard on Nov 28, 2012 • 2 Comments

Earlier this year we turned our attention to the state of the British High Street and the parlous situation that many of our high streets are in, with 25% failing and another 11% in decline. But instead of talking with the retail gurus and the shoppers of today we focused exclusively on the shoppers, shopkeepers...

Saatchi & Saatchi

This week I am mostly liking…

by Richard on May 18, 2010 • 2 Comments

The Swagger Waggon campaign by Saatchi & Saatchi LA for Toyota.

This is a strategy I having been wanting to try for a Minivan or MPV for ages. Because the choice of a vehicle like this is often seen as a sign that you have simply accepted your life as a parent and 'given up' it...

Advertising / Saatchi & Saatchi

Probably the best post in the world

by Richard on May 8, 2010 • 2 Comments

This is the new Carlsberg commerical from Saatchi & Saatchi aimed at galvanising the nation behind the England football team over the summer in South Africa.

It's based on the idea that Carlsberg don't do team talks but if they did they would be the best team talks in the world. In truth the ad is...

Politics / Saatchi & Saatchi

Big society my arse

by Richard on May 4, 2010 • 5 Comments

David Cameron's big society is as close to a way over complicated planning thought as you get in politics - intellectually interesting to the political elite no doubt but incomprehensible for normal people. This is a film we have just made to hit home the downsides of DIY government.

You can personalise the film here...