Mike Nicholson is ECD of independent London creative agency Brave. His CV is packed with London’s top agencies – AMV BBDO, adam&eveDDB, M&C Saatchi and Wieden+Kennedy and he has also done stints at digital agency Toaster and The&Partnership in Canada. He was named the number one creative from England in the 2009 Gunn Report.
Desert Island Ads
Brave ideas are the safest thing to do. Standing out over blending in. Getting shared not forgotten. Now more than ever, we need to work with clients to make braver ideas that stand out and compete in an ever-expanding media landscape. Here are ten ideas, where fortune favoured the brave.
Dollar Shave Club –Our Blades Are F***ing Great
Having the balls to tell it how it is lands ten per cent of the market in three years.
REI – #OptOutside
REI turned Black Friday gold by getting folks not shop in their stores.
Dunlop – Tested for the unexpected
Using S&M to sell rubber, this brilliantly bold product demonstration changed the whole ad industry.
ALS – Ice Bucket Challenge
Having the courage to act can create a movement.
Apple – The crazy ones
Backing the dream, not the product, sells the product.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkknD64M-NE
ETrade – Monkey
Having the audacity to blow two million dollars on a clapping monkey wins the Super Bowl.
Mark Ecko – Air Force One tag
Getting a celebrity endorsement from the President without asking him puts you on the map.
Burger King – Subservient chicken.
How take an existing tagline and subvert it for online glory.
American Express – Small Business Saturday
By inventing a national event, American Express grew market share globally.
Tourism Queensland – Best job in the world
Selling a destination by doing a job ad was a bold, brilliant move.
