Creativity in the U.K.--Does it ever stop?

“Creativity solves problems.”

When I first heard this statement in class, I thought it was too clinical in describing what it means

to be creative. Why would creativity be used in a strategic sense? Isn’t creativity just related to things

that are fun and catchy? Well, I thought wrong.

My appreciation for the advertising industry after experiencing London has changed drastically in

two ways. First, I never realized how much strategic thinking goes into creative advertising. Of course, I

acknowledge that creative planning must have a goal, but I didn’t realize the extent to which research

plays a key role—even for months at a time. That emphasis reminds me of the communications field,

where company backgrounders and knowing everything about a company is vital.

Second, I never really considered advertising as anything beyond TV commercials, print ads, and

online ads. When I heard about the frequent use of promotional events, “randomly” staged happenings in

public, and viral ads on Internet sites such as Hulu and YouTube, I felt like the boundaries of creativity

had been lifted. How much easier does that make it for creatives? The options seem endless.

Although American advertising also utilizes promotional events, “random” public demonstrations,

and viral ads, I get the sense that English agencies really care about what customers’ motives are in

buying a product, service, or supporting a cause. In comparing British advertising to American

advertising, I would say that agencies here in London tend to think more outside of the box in regard to

catchy images and taglines. They breach boundaries of decency, but all for a good laugh or to make an

impression. “So what if it offends you? You don’t forget the message of the ad.” This is the British

mentality.

In contrast, American advertising seems very safe and too concerned with legal prosecution for

offending consumers. Because of legality issues with Advertising authorities, agencies dwell in the

comfort of safe and non‐controversial ideas. Although I am glad American advertising does not breach

decency too often, I do not see it as fun to interact with.

Because I have never studied advertising, I did not know anything about the advertising industry

(whether American or British) before coming to London. To be honest, I am glad that I learned about it

first in Britain as opposed to in the U.S. Here, I was exposed to the inner workings of the field head on.

There was no fancy corporate office, no beating around the bush, no fluff. I was completely exposed to

the thought process and personality of each group of creatives. I got to speak to current advertising

creatives, tour agencies, and hear firsthand advice from each of them as well as my advertising professor!

Furthermore, the advertisements that are on display here are much more controversial.

Specifically, tube stops and museum exhibits like the Tate Modern’s Exposed exhibition have graphic

images on display that are offensive at first, but actually remain in your thoughts after passing. That, to

me, is both disturbing and impressive.

Now, I can return to the U.S. with a full awareness of what advertising can be, and see the scaleddown

version. I am so glad that I chose to enroll in this class. I was hesitant at first, but am thankful for

my gut instinct. Learning about creativity in the United Kingdom was a blast because of the ingenious

and witty nature of such a culture. I can now see that creativity is not what you expect. Just like it

surprised me by solving problems, it can also hold many other surprises down the road. It doesn’t even

have to be confined to the advertising industry. It can be applied to any field. That, to me, is most

encouraging.

Design in Real Life-Can you find it?

--Letters--

A

lowercase b

C

D

E

F

G

H

I

J

K

L

M

N

O

P

Q

lowercase r

S

T

U

V

W

X

Y

Z

--Numbers--

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

--Symbols--

Comma

Colon

& symbol

*Asterisk*

Little Elephants Around Town

The elephant that I picked was located right in front of the Tower of London. It was hard to narrow down which one to take a picture of because I have enjoyed the designs of many of the elephants. They really are everywhere around the city of London.

This particular elephant is named Elfreda. Its creator is Jeff Hoare. No one has bought her yet. As you can see, the design of Elfreda looks like tie-dye or washed away paint. To me, this design symbolizes the wasting away of the Asian elephant population. It truly personifies the issue behind the elephant campaign. It is colorful to represent the originality and preciousness of these animals, yet it shows the fading of the bright colors to represent the sadness of this breed’s potential extinction.

Elephant Family’s elephant movement is certainly getting noticed around London. Many people have observed these colorful creatures and have wanted their picture standing next to them or sitting on top of them. Whether or not people are actually supporting its cause is unknown, but they are for sure being noticed. If I worked for Elephant Family, I would include an interactive marketing event in addition to the elephant statues so that the Elephant Family is not just passively advertising for its cause.

Creativity in the U.K.--Banksy, the mysterious graffiti artist around town

The following picture is an image spray-painted by Banksy, an anonymous (no one knows what he looks like) graffiti artist who makes various political statements through his artwork. The man in this picture is just a pedestrian. There are several (and I mean several) other pictures of Banksy's work. They are so funny! To look at more pictures of his work, go to the following web site: http://www.artofthestate.co.uk/Banksy/banksy-lenin-on-rollerskates-andipa.htm.

Banksy is an incredibly wise and innovative artist. He expresses his opinions and feelings through a contemporary version of art (i.e. graffiti) and strategically chooses the locations for each of his masterpieces. Although his art could be considered vandalism, the mysteriousness of when he crafts his art (at night), where he does it (various locations around London), and who he is (a guy who wears a hood) keeps people interested. Personally, this guy fascinates me. I wish I could catch him in the act so I could see what he looks like and how he goes about his artistic missions each night.

This particular picture that I chose speaks a lot about London’s civil government structure. Specifically, I think that Banksy is referencing to the constant use of security cameras around the city of London, or CCTV as it is called. The British government clearly has concerns about safety. This is probably due to the city’s history of bombings and the possibility of terrorist attacks. Also, this covers the pick-pocketing epidemic.

I have even had experience with the dramatic presence of the CCTV cameras. My friends and I were exiting a tube station near Hyde Park about a week ago and we chose to take the emergency stairs exit route instead of the lift, since there was a long line. Within seconds after climbing the stairs, the public announcement system came on and the officials advised the passengers climbing the emergency stairs to keep to the right of the stairwell and to exit immediately. They had seen us using the forbidden stairs within seconds! We were amazed yet a little creeped out at the same time.

I am confident that Banksy spray-painted this picture to mock the English government for its “hovering nature”. It is quite a funny image, having a spy poke a spyglass up from the opening of a trashcan while someone in real life passes the building wall. It would scare me if I turned around and saw the picture staring at me after I walked by it! The image portrays the constant surveillance of the city of London and its people. To me, it acts as a reminder that says, “Watch out. We’re watching.” The government reminds me of a Big Brother figure with its use of CCTV cameras. As to the location of this image, I do not know where it is located in London. I do wish to know why Banksy chose that particular spot. There could be significance, like with some of his other images.

I am quite impressed by Banksy’s collections of graffiti art. Some of his images are just entertaining, but some of them portray strong political messages. He is so clever! I find it weird, however, that the British government has not taken serious measures to stop him. Although I want him to be able to keep up his scheming, I still wonder why the public’s reactions to him are not as severe. Obviously, this says something about the culture here in the United Kingdom. They appreciate blunt humor and abstract ways of showing it. I wish Banksy would visit the United States more often!

Creativity in the U.K.--The Culturally Unfamiliar

The following blogs entitled "Creativity in the U.K." are pictures of sights around the United Kingdom that are very different from life in the United States. It is fun to compare and contrast the differences. I have included my opinions below each picture. (This is also for my Advertising class). Enjoy!

Picture 1 (Scottish Wedding): People do not wear kilts that often, let alone at weddings. However, I like that in Scotland they still treasure this interesting article of clothing--especially for memorable events.

Picture 2 (Road rules): The rules of the road in the United Kingdom are obviously different than the U.S. One must drive on the left hand side of the road with the steering wheel on the right hand side. Also, there are several roundabouts that exist in the middle of roads in order to slow down traffic. These structures seem in the way to me!

Picture 3 (Pubbin'): Pubs are certainly a more common cultural tradition here in the United Kingdom. Equivalent to our restaurants, they seem to have a more cozy feel with more congenial folk. American restaurants are much larger and are more of a business strictly for the money. We are not used to meals representing the quality of life.

Picture 4 (Queen Elizabeth and her crib): The concept of a monarchy, where one leader represents a country, is unfamiliar to us in the United States, who are ruled under a democracy. Although Queen Elizabeth does not have a huge say in government affairs, she is the head figure of England and has been for quite some time in Buckingham Palace. Clearly, the U.S. switches out leaders every 4 or 8 years.

Picture 5 (Hostel hobos): Although the U.S. has some hostels, they are not used nearly as much as in Europe. I personally do not know anyone who has stayed in a hostel in America. Hostels are quite common in European countries and there are many to choose from in big cities. I am still intrigued by the whole hostel experience. I have had good ones and bad ones!