Think Hard

The creative work I’m most proud of this year

markgorman — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 14:33:25 +0000

I worked on this with STV Creative at the end of the year and the ad aims to protect children who are the secondhand victims of Domestic Abuse.

I’m really happy with how lean and stripped back it is and I hope it conveys its core message powerfully and meaningfully.

The SEX party, my favourite do of the year, is today.

markgorman — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 10:51:03 +0000

I have a lot of clients and this year seems to have been the year of the party. I did two on the same day, a week past Friday, following one the day before that. I did one each last Thursday and Friday and I have two more. One today and one tomorrow night.

Today is the big one. The SEX party.

Everyone has a great time at it, getting very relaxed, slipping into more comfortable gear, unwinding with much pre-prandial chat before diving deep into platefuls of turkey et al in the Shore Restaurant.

Yes, the SEX (Self Employed Xmas) party has it all.

Wish me luck.

Merry Christmas to all my readers and clients

markgorman — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 11:35:44 +0000

Merry Christmas to all my readers and clients…

markgorman — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 11:33:13 +0000

Consider yourself found out.

markgorman — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 09:15:08 +0000

BBC One’s Christmas 2011 trailer featuring a selection of faces that will be part of the line up on the channel over the Christmas period. Including Gregg Wallace, John Bishop, Gary Lineker, Len Goodman, Lee Mack, Guy Henry, Laila Rouass, Hugh Quarshie, Shane Richie, Shona McGarty, Ricky Norwood, Frank Skinner, Brendan O’Carroll, Tyger Drew-Honey, Ramona Marquez, Daniel Roche, Kevin Bridges, Sian Williams, Carol Kirkwood, Chris Hollins, Bill Turnbull, Matt Allwright, Lenny Henry, Tess Daly, Fiona Bruce, Alex Jones, Sunetra Sarker, Alexander Armstrong, Graham Norton, Julia Bradbury, Sir David Jason, Anne Robinson, John Torode, Nick Knowles, June Brown, Matt Smith, Karen Gillan, Michael McIntyre and Sir Bruce Forsyth.

Each and every last one of them makes a total tit of themselves in a trailer that would make a grown man cry. Well, it did this one.

Reprehensible stuff from the people who can make solid gold like this…

“I mean, there’s not even any commercials…well, except this one.”

Got a van?

markgorman — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 18:55:48 +0000

Years ago I was responsible for taking a brief from my then client, Edinburgh Zoo.

They wanted their logo put on the side of their new van.

“That’s surely a bit of a missed opportunity is it not?” I asked.

“Why?” was the response “It’s just a van.”

“No it’s not” was my firm retort. “It’s a poster. And what’s more the media cost of it is free.”

I asked them to leave it with me and not long after I presented them with the idea (created by Rufus Wedderburn, now at Newhaven Communications) of creating a visual gag which made it look as if a Rhino was being transported across Edinburgh and that its horn had burst through the van’s roof.

They bought it. And here she is in all her glory.

It won every ad award going and the citizens (and visitors) of Edinburgh delighted in seeing it every time it passed through the street.

My mum

markgorman — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 12:30:57 +0000

Back in her pre-married days. She’s bottom left.

Cool huh?

Good old old Spice

markgorman — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 19:15:36 +0000

The American campaign rolls along very nicely.

This would work in the UK. I might even buy it.

Like the new strapline too…

David Ogilvy. The original Mad man?

markgorman — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 16:20:44 +0000

Next Monday myself and Graeme Atha will be in conversation with Victor Brierley in a special one off documentary investigating the legend that was David Ogilvy.

Here’s a link to the 30 minute programme that goes out on Monday afternoon at 2.05.

Commercial magic

markgorman — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 16:28:12 +0000

John Lewis has moved rapidly (just like M &S) from the ranks of advertising naysayers into amongst the greatest proponents of the craft.

This new Chrisrtmas outing is no exception with a sucker punch to die for.

use of The Smiths song, reinterpreted by Slow Moving Millie works to great effect and although carrying a few cliches and some slightly naff acting by the wee lad it is, nevertheless, a little bundle of Christmas joy.

Bless