Eurobestikset
Mary Lee Sjönell, M&M, 25.11.2009, 14:01Helsinki, Helsinki!
"Start spreading the news!"
Finland was listed by The 2009 Gunn Report as one of the countries that could produce world-class advertising next year.
Well, as I always say, you can't have great advertising without a compelling city as an emotional backdrop. California has San Francisco and Goodby, Silverstein&Partners; Sweden has Göteborg and Forsman Bodenfors; England has London and so many great agencies.
A script doctor learns that good storytelling starts with a hero who comes from a "compelling", emotional world. For example, many film use New York City as a backdrop for their heroes because each inch of every block of that city is energetic!
But let's look at San Francisco because it has a character that resembles Helsinki.
Bongo was invited to join Creative Social, a group of the world's top creatives who meet to exchange ideas, information and inspiration in different cities in the world.
This time it was San Francisco...
San Francisco is a city of micro-industries, so many examples of one person's passion creating little specialized businesses that give character to the cityscape. For example, during this Creative Social session we met Craig Newmark of Craigslist-fame whose passion for delivering fast and effective customer service turned into a 20 billion page views per month digital advertising format on the internet. Mr. Newmark is a self-described "couch potatoe" and it was fascinating to hear his continued commitment to customers today.
We also met James Freeman who had the same passion for a good cup coffee and made a vow; "I will only sell coffee less than 48 hours out of the roaster to my customers, so they may enjoy coffee at its peak of flavor. I will only use the finest organic, and pesticide-free, shade-grown beans. If they can't come to me, I will drive to their house to give them the freshest coffee they have ever tasted." Passion, obsession, whatever you call it I had a perfect cup in San Francisco's Blue Bottle Coffee.
Finland has Helsinki at its helm, HELYeah! I have witnessed many examples of the quiet Finnish passion but at this writing the first that comes to mind is the spirit of Eat&Joy. For example, their new Farmer's Market, food butik, is an expression of Finland's culture of coping with the darkness through tonics. I purchased one called "Boris" made of beets, cabbage and a bunch of other local herbs and such.
When anyone asks me about Finland today, this is where I start by describing the passion of these New Generation of Finns. And it is against this emotional backdrop, coloring the cityscape of Helsinki, that I will continue my lobbying for Finland and begin my reporting to you on the state of creative advertising as presented by the results of The Eurobest European Advertising Awards 2009 in Amsterdam.
HELYeah!
Mary Lee Sjönell
I will be updating Twitter: Bongo_ and Facebook group: Be A Bongo Friend and Presenting Mary Lee Sjönell.
Kirjoittaja on mainostoimisto Bongon luova johtaja.
Lue kaikki Eurobestis-bloggaukset osoitteesta http://www.marmai.fi/blogit/eurobestikset/.
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