How Converse refused to conform at Christmas
Vilde Tobiassen, Senior Art Director at MOX, on going against the tide and embracing the feral energy of brat for winter with the ‘night b4 xcxmas’.
From tackling the climate crisis to raising the bar in experiential marketing and ushering in a new era of inclusive creativity, 2019 was a pivotal year for the industry.
Looking backwards is always infinitely easier than looking forward. For the creative industries it is all too easy to make sweeping statements about the state we collectively find ourselves in. With Brexit looming and the climate crisis casting its shadow across an industry built upon the foundations of conspicuous consumption, it would be simple to declare the industry in the midst of something of a collective crisis of confidence; an existential crisis on an industry-wide scale.
Yet 2019 was fundamentally a year of hope; not all of those hopes are yet realised, but hope prevailed nonetheless. As William Skeaping, an activist at Extinction Rebellion told BITE, “You don’t have to be on the wrong side of history. This is an industry capable of quickly shifting global public opinion and behaviour. You have an opportunity to lead where governments have failed; to use your skills to share a new message.”
The truth is of course we are all at different stages on this journey. The problem with looking back, long-shadows and end of year round-ups is that they lose sight of the realities of our day to day lives. The people, the moments and the highs and lows, the contradictions and the frustrations that can’t be neatly tied up in a pre-Christmas ribbon and presented as a singular universal experience. Diversity is everything.
2019 has been a pivotal year for BITE. We launched new products and platforms; our first BITE LIVE trend report; a new platform celebrating action for change and diversity in our industry BITE Voices, and a Founder interview series.
We also spent the last 12-months writing about some brilliant work, produced by some equally brilliant people. Our most read pieces of the past year included some stand out inclusive creativity from BMB and LinkedIn, with Space and Hendricks raising the bar when it comes to experiential marketing. A testament to the scope and diversity of work our industry is producing.
Here are the Top 10 most read articles on BITE in 2019:
Should the industry be doing more to tackle climate change?
Leaders from brands, agencies and Extinction Rebellion explain why the climate crisis demands a step change in approach from the industry.
Trinny Woodall, Founder, Trinny London
"For us our biggest message was, and this was the hardest thing to convince investors of; we’re not appealing to an age group, we’re appealing to an attitude and a state of mind."
Beverley D’Cruz, Sales & Marketing Director, Pizza Hut Europe & UK
"In a world where consumers are getting busier and have less time to engage, they don’t want to be talked at, they want to be talked with."
LinkedIn asks job seekers, what are you searching for?
When it comes to careers, people's priorities are now different and workplaces are having to shift to accommodate that by asking what people want and actually listening to the answers.
Have we reached peak purpose in marketing communications?
The global climate strike has placed the climate emergency at the very top of the agenda, yet the role of purpose in marketing remains debatable.
Seven Nudges from Nudgestock
Behavioural science can shift the dial when it comes to brand building and Ogilvy’s annual Nudgestock conference demonstrated the power of getting outside of the bubble.
Caroline Casey, Founder, The Valuable 500
As the Founder of The Valuable 500, Caroline Casey is spearheading a business revolution on disability inclusion and she needs brands to get on board.
Hendrick's captures travellers' eyes, and tantalises their noses, with 'Escape the Conventional'
To brighten up the intersections between underground lines, Hendrick’s worked with Space to create a sensorial takeover of one of London’s busiest underground stations.
Matthew Waksman, Founder & Chief Strategy Officer, Love or Fear
By placing empathy at the heart of the creative process and agency ethos, Love or Fear presents a compelling alternative to the status quo.
Emma Perkins, Head of LEGO Agency EMEA
Busting the myth of the ‘boring’ in-house creative and championing the next generation of female creative leaders, Emma Perkins lifts the lid on the future of creative work and the importance of mentoring.
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