28 March 2013 was a big day for the British creative industries. It was the day that saw the birth of an important new national initiative – Create Britain – to promote and celebrate homegrown creative talent in all its original and talented glory.
The event, created and hosted by Creativepool on BAFTA’s hallowed turf in London’s Piccadilly, attracted hundreds of creatives from all over Britain. As well as an always welcome chance to network, the main event of the evening was the series of enlightening presentations by some of the event’s key supporters: Rory Sutherland from Ogilvy, and Marc Lewis from the School of Communication Arts 2.0.
Before introducing the main speakers, Creativepool’s Managing Director, Michael Tomes, talked about Creativepool’s recent relaunch and how brand evangelism is such a powerful tool. Tying in with Creativepool’s mantra and new strapline, “It’s all about the work”, Michael told the creatives that they should stand up and be proud of their achievements – to share them and connect. “Let people shout about you,” he said. “Be proud.”
The first guest speaker – creative heavyweight Rory Sutherland, VP at Ogilvy Mather – recognised that times were hard for creatives, but also made the point that, ironically, recessions are often good things for them. “Great culture tends to be produced at times of hardship,” he remarked.
ertainly America in the 1930s was probably the most creative time in the country’s history. It is almost ironic that, compared with North America, Latin America is the poorer country because it had gold. North America had nothing, so had to dig deep to create its own fortune.
Sutherland quoted the Lebanese American scholar, trader and professor, Nassim Taleb, who stated that extensive success will inevitable lead to a massive bust – and milder recessions are good for progress. These recessions purge businesses that shouldn’t exist, leaving the way clear for those that weather the storm. And as billionaire business magnate Warren Buffett said, “Only when the tide goes out do you discover who's been swimming naked.” Ultimately, Sutherland said, there are two ways to improve the creative world: “Do more with more – and do more with less.”
We may be in the climate of “less” at the moment, but now is the time for creatives to seize this window of opportunity. Sutherland believes that the creative sector in the UK is more dominant than anywhere else in the world. The great thing about the industry is that people with no qualifications can rise to the very top. It is also an industry that is too risky for many, but with passion and determination, the cream will rise to the top.
An example of such a person was the next speaker – the legendary Marc Lewis, Dean of the School of Communication Arts (SCA). Far from being academically brilliant, Lewis was expelled twice from school and eventually left with two “Unclassified” O-levels and one F. Or as his mother called it, “F-U-U…!” (bleep). But now, as Dean of SCA, he is encouraging the next generation of creative talent to reshape the future of the industry.
One of the greatest elements of the SCA’s course is the use of mentors to pass on their wisdom and advice to this eager next generation. It is, in a sense, a two-way deal. SCA produces some highly talented young creatives on a yearly basis, and mentors who are prepared to spend just one day per year at the school, imparting their knowledge, will receive the excellent pro bono payment of taking an intern. Lewis remarked that every mentor taking part in this scheme felt that it was a really productive way not only to spend one day a year but also to put them in touch with some of the industry’s future leading lights.
For many of us, the highlight of the evening was the videos that followed. Three pairs of students from SCA – from recent graduates to those who had only completed one term – showed their creative chops by showing and commenting on one ad from their showreel. The quality was superb: they were innovative, crisp, amusing – a real tribute to the quality of training at SCA, and, no doubt, the benefits reaped from the mentoring sessions.
Here are the three ads by the three pairs of students, with some memorable opinions they expressed during the Q&A session which followed:
Martin and Olly, Peace One Day: Thanks to the mentoring they received from the industry professionals, they learned the valuable lesson that they really didn’t know as much as they thought they did! They were grateful for the insight and advice.
Simon and Jo, Becks Vier: The difference between going to university and going to SCA is that, at the latter, you produce work worthy of going into a portfolio. There seems to be a divide between education and the creative industry; the training provided by SCA bridges that gap.
David and Ran, Kia Picanto: They feel much more connected to the creative industry than they did after their university degrees. They raised their own funds to take up their places at SCA and feel that they have learnt the very important lesson that it is ok to fail initially.
Clearly there is a reason to support SCA and institutions like it. As Marc Lewis said, for the industry to continue to flourish, it wants and needs the best people. Agencies and mentors that support the school will in turn receive some excellent placements, giving them access to and helping to produce the very best of British creative talent... #CreateBritain
By Ashley Morrison
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