Break Through Buzz is the creative stuff that impressed Ketchum’s creative community this week. Check out what captured our imaginations and inspires us to keep pushing the boundaries of possibility.
It’s a Sign! It’s an Umbrella! It’s a Bench!
Selected by Brian Keenan
Two things stand out to me from this IBM campaign (client) that brought billboards with functional purposes – bench, ramp, etc. – to city dwellers in France. One, it’s a simple idea that took lots of time to physically create. Creativity takes time and, more importantly, the client’s understanding that results for new ideas are not always guaranteed. Two, it’s a new expression of a longtime campaign. It’s an example of they type of incremental ideas we should bring the client WITHOUT BEING ASKED.
This Is a Good Sign
Selected by Jeff Lewonczyk
I think we’ll be seeing a lot more like this in the near future – digital agency Breakfast has created an interactive, moving street sign that uses input from social media to display customized information as diverse as transit directions, nearby restaurant, sports scores, breaking news and much more. Yes, a lot of this stuff is available on our smartphones, but the potential of a public, communal resource like this creates a lot of interesting opportunities for marketers – plus, it’s just plain cool.
How Do You Say “May the Force Be With You” in Navajo?
Selected by Tera Miller
As part of ongoing efforts to preserve Navajo culture, Manuelito Wheeler, director of the Navajo Nation Museum, called on the Force. Tribal officials and Lucasfilm collaborated to create a new version of the 1977 classic Star Wars – translated into Navajo. What a brilliant way to reinvigorate a language with native speakers and non-native speakers alike! The newly translated film premieres on July 3. Only then will you finally learn how to say “May the Force be with you” in Navajo.
When Is a Statue Not a Statue?
Selected by Elena Weinstein
This is a good example of the centrality of context in peoples’ conceptualization of art and their surroundings. By simply adding a tip jar to a statue that had never previously been mistaken for a real person, passersby suspended their disbelief and convinced themselves that the statue was, in fact, alive. This is a good lesson for creative communicators that we should always pay close attention to contextualization in our campaigns – a small tweak can inspire a wide range of interpretation.
The 25 Most Audacious Companies
Selected by Charlotte Haigh
This list of the ‘scrappiest, smartest most disruptive companies of the year’ is a great place to look for inspiration. Although we are lucky to work at an established global agency, it never hurts to check out what disruptive dreamers are doing to grow their businesses in this age of entrepreneurship.
