Russell Davies blogged a few months ago on being asked to speak as an 'expert' on youth at a conference. He was admirably open in admitting that he didn't feel like an expert (humility I'm sure!), but then went on to say, in effect, that it was the planner's lot to be presented with such challenges...and have to rise to them (which I have no doubts he did).
Anyway, I now find myself in a similar position: being an agency whose founder and creative director is black we often get approached to have a point of view on 'diversity issues'. And next week I will become the agency expert on marketing to the gay community. And like Russell, I hope I will not disappoint.
Which has nothing really to do with why I'm writing this post (I'll blog on the conference at a later date), other than to explain why I found myself revisiting last year's D&G ad for its watches.
I remembered seeing it a couple of times, but not really engaging with it especially (a bit out of my price range!!). And it garnered a fair degree of notoriety because of the ending (my reason for looking at it again): it finishes with a gay kiss...or alternatively with a straight kiss - both of which were deemed controversial depending on your point of view on gay kisses in advertising.
Others may have picked this up first time round but, controversy aside, what really struck me was what a great snap shot of how trends start this ad is: cool, trendy guy is walking down the road with his groceries; cool trendy girl asks for directions; she notices he's wearing two watches (one more masculine, the other more feminine) and thinks - that looks cool and trendy - and follows suit; soon, in true Tipping Point fashion, it's spreading like wild fire, up to and including appearing on a D&G poster (all terribly post-modern). And all of this happens in 'real time': the 40 seconds it takes the guy to walk back to his car, which his partner (male or female depending on the version you see) is trying to fix. Partner asks for watch back. End of story. You can watch it here.
Brilliantly demonstrates how chasing after 'cool' is all to often a fools errand as you just can't predict where it will strike. Or why...because even the trend setters aren't always aware of the trend they're setting.
If cool comes your way, milk it for all it's worth. And always keep you're eyes open for what's happening around you. But if 'being cool' is the only way you can see yourself becoming successful, you are undoubtedly doomed to failure - 'needy cool' is never cool. Just 'be' and let it happen.
