The Promax UK 07 conference was a fantastic array of creative learnings and
inspiration. It was always my goal to make the conference reflective of where media stands today. Everyone that walks through the door is looking for something different, and whilst traditional principles - I would hate to call them standard principles - apply, there is a sense of anticipation surrounding the great "bad new things" out there (to use my favourite ‘Brecht-ism’ again).
Last year’s sessions didn't only deal with television; yes, we still saw what’s happening with OD, promotions and cross media campaigns. But we also asked other industries how they are moulding their principles to fulfil creative vision in today’s media landscape. We can all get stuck on the "good old things", and sometimes the answers can come from the places and people we might not necessarily consider looking to first.
The seminar committee have been absolutely fabulous in leading the charge to find speakers and participants to show us another way of doing what we do. I believe the biggest problem with the line-up was having to choose between concurrent sessions!
Nikki Bentley
Co-Chair Promax UK 07
Head of Marketing & Client Services, BDA
Here are some of the highlights
KEYNOTE SPEAKER
DAWN AIREY
Dawn Airey, Director of Global Content ITV, will be giving us her unique take on how television is going to have to deal with the brave new media world.
Dawn began her broadcasting career as a management trainee for Central TV in 1985. In 1989 she became Director of Programme Planning at Central and was appointed to the Central broadcasting board. In 1993 she moved to the ITV Network Centre as Controller of Children's and Daytime Programmes and in 1994 moved to Channel 4 to become Controller of Arts and Entertainment.
In 1996 she was appointed Director of Programmes for Channel Five and was promoted to Chief Executive in 2000. In 2003 she was appointed Managing Director Sky Networks and was responsible for all Sky wholly owned channels (excluding sport). In 2006 she was made Managing Director Channels and Services with responsibility for all third party channels, joint ventures and networked media.
Dawn was born in Lancashire in 1960 and was educated at Kelly College and Girton College, Cambridge.
Martin Delamere
HOW THE HELL DID YOU DO THAT?
There are many things in the world that we might never find the time to understand, or fully comprehend, but there are some questions whose answers are within our grasp as we put five pieces of creativity on the line and ask their makers, "How the hell did you do that?"
Listen to what inspired them to create something so wonderful, how they did it, the challenges they faced and how they triumphed. We go beyond the finished article into the hearts and minds of these creators and find out how Elvis Presley is alive and well on BBC Radio2; how a graphic image produced over 40 years ago for Tommy, the rock opera by the Who has continued presence in contemporary culture; how the Welsh broadcaster is breaking ID ground; PLUS, a sneaky look into the commercial world.
‘Knowledge speaks, but wisdom listens’ – Jimi HendrixSpeakers:
Edel Erickson | Lead Producer, TV Production, Creative Services, Red Bee Media| Showcasing BBC Radio 2 Elvis spot
Chris Mortimer | Head of Visual Effects, Pepper Post| Showcasing BBC Radio 2 Elvis spot
Mike McInnerney|Freelance Illustrator and designer of The Who’s iconic TOMMY album cover
Dylan Griffith | Creative Director, S4C | Showcasing S4C Ids
Dan Witchell | Creative Director, Proud| Showcasing S4C Ids
Luc Schurgers | Member of Minivegas | Showcasing S4C Ids
Will O’Conner | 3D Producer at The Mill |
Matthew Giffen | Creative, BDA
UGC GROWS UP (Sponsored by Resolution)
Revealing the new wave of UGC - armed and dangerously close to taking on telly at its own game.
We have all heard how the bedroom creatives are about to storm the castle of traditional TV, but where’s the evidence? The standard fare of most UGC sites is hardly fit for peak time, but look beyond the obvious sites and there are some remarkable models of how the next generation of UGC sites are fast becoming creative powerhouses in their own rights, with the TV deal already locked in!
This inspiring session looks beyond the expected to give you cutting edge examples of where UGC is heading. Prepare to be the UGC guru in your office through this informative and surprising session. And, everyone who attends this session will get the opportunity to participate in a piece of UGC that will be posted on a popular site directly after the session.
The Speakers
Vanessa Capurso| Head of Acquisitions , Shorts International
Emily Renshaw-Smith | Manager of Viewer Content, CurrentTV
Host: Lynne Parker | Producer, Funny Women
Mark Harrison | Head Producer, Fox International Channels UK
Glynn Ryland | Head of Development, CTBF
BECOMING DIGITAL
In a landscape that sees media consumption habits changing ever more frequently and aggressively, the old maxim ‘evolve or die’ has never rung more true. We know that broadcasters and content makers are having to look at new and alternate methods of engaging with their audiences these days in order to keep them brand loyal. But are other creative industries being equally affected by the power shift choice has bought the consumer?
We look to two British cultural institutions - The Tate and The Guardian - and ask them to share the learnings and strategies behind their remarkable transformations into successful 21st Century media brands. Beyond the gallery and the newspaper.
The Speakers:
Will Gompertz | Director of Tate Media
Emily Bell | Director of Digital Content, The Guardian
Martin Delamere
IT’S ALL IN THE VOICE
How have the voices we hear on-air evolved since the early days of television? Have you ever thought that your work could make more impact with a different accent? What’s your favourite UK accent?
We’re all aware how important the voice is in promotion. In this session, three eminent linguistic experts look beyond words to give us insight into the use of voices and accents in television and radio, with the help of voiceover genius Lewis McLeod.
The experts:
Dr Laura Wright | Senior Lecturer in English Language and Fellow of Lucy Cavendish College at the University of Cambridge
Johnnie Robinson | Curator of English Accents & Dialects at the British Library Sound Archive
Professor Clive Upton | Modern English language expert from University of Leeds.
Kenny Reynolds | Creative, Sky Creative
A TRIBUTE TO TOBIN GOFFE
Tobin Goffe was known and loved by many of us, not just a highly talented designer and animator but as an extremely witty, generous and loveable human being. Tobin passed away on October 6th after a long battle with cancer – he was just 42.
In 1989 he was one of the founders of Triffic Films, working on Have I Got News for You and Whose Line is it Anyway? Tobin’s sense of humour was evident in his animations for comedy programmes – Drop the Dead Donkey, Smith and Jones, Clive Anderson Talks Back and Harry Enfield.
Tobin joined The Children’s Channel in 1995 and quickly rose to Senior Graphics Manager for Bravo, TCC, Trouble and Living. Ortmans Young snatched him in 2000, where he led a team on a range of branding projects for Five, Swissair, EMAP and SAT.1. Before launching design outfit Funktion in 2003 with Oasis, he worked with Kemistry on channel launches in Romania.
He was no stranger to Promax and over the years won several Gold, Silver and Bronze awards. This year, Promax UK will honour Tobin Goffe by naming the Best Design Award after him.
As a mark of respect, Tobin would like you to share his true passion and take up bird watching.
KEYNOTE SPEAKER
STEVEN BERLIN JOHNSON (Sponsored by BBC)
Steven Johnson is the best-selling author of five books on the inter-section of science, technology and personal experience. Steve will talk at Promax about how popular culture and the web is actually making us all smarter.
His most recent book, the national bestseller The Ghost Map, was one of the ten best nonfiction books of 2006 according to Entertainment Weekly. His previous book ‘Everything Bad Is Good For You’ was one of the most talked about books of 2005. His books have been translated into more than a dozen languages. Steven has also co-created three influential web sites: the pioneering online magazine FEED, the Webby-Award-winning community site, Plastic.com, and most recently the hyperlocal media site outside.in.
Both social critic and technologist, Steven has a genius for mapping the future, for predicting and explaining the real-world impact of cutting-edge developments in science, technology and media.
Steven is a contributing editor to Wired magazine and a distinguished Writer In Residence at the New York University Department of Journalism. Named by Newsweek as one of the "Fifty People Who Matter Most on the Internet," Steven has also written for The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Nation, and many other periodicals. He’s appeared on many high-profile television programs, including The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.
He blogs at stevenberlinjohnson.com.
Producer: Martin Delamere
HONEY, WHERE ARE THE KIDS?
Youth audiences have traditionally been an elusive crowd, but never before have there been so many other distractions. With the explosion of digital channels, through social networking and onto gaming, these slippery little beggars are even tougher to reach. This session will outline how you can engage audiences on their terms, in their social networks, in their gaming…. and beyond. The panel will use examples from broadcasters around the globe, showing real conversion to viewing.
The panel:
Ed Bartlett | Founder, In Game Advertising & former videogame designer
James Fabricant | Head of Marketing and Content UK Ireland, My Space
James Kirkham | Co-founder & Managing Partner, Holler Digital & claims to make brands famous.
Host:
Jess Greenwood | Deputy Editor , Contagious Magazine's & self confessed internet junkie
Steve Forde |Marketing Manager, New Media, Channel 4
PICTURE THIS…
You’ve got your big idea, and now you need someone else to see it, but we mean really see it. And so, we go armed with our faithful mood board filled with perfectly emotive images …. created by somebody else. Come meet three great mood catchers, hear them talk about their work, from high budget film sets, to high profile Nike ads via A list stars behaving like you’ve never seen. Hear what inspires them and how they get their shots.
Led in discussion by photographic journalist John O’Reilly – we ask where photography is headed. What do sites like FlickR mean for the future of photographers? Is digital retouching now a necessity? How much further can 'shock tactics' be pushed? We’ll also get their honest opinions on this year’s print ad nominations…!
Join Jason Joyce, Gareth Munden and Alan Mahon as they take you beyond the still image and into the heart of their photography.
The Photographers:
Jason Joyce | International portrait and advertising photographer, and publisher of 125 Magazine
Gareth Munden | Still photographer for Harry Potter films and Tim Burton’s Charlie & the Chocolate Factory
Alan Mahon | International photographer - Currently combining the subject of sport with the feel of fashion. Tackled shocking campaigns for the British Heart foundation. Other clients include, Nike, Scope and Eaquire magazine.
Host:
John O’Reilly | Photography and design journalist.
Helen Ewer | Creative, ITV Creative & Vicky Burgess | Creative, ITV Creative
BANDS AS BRANDS
TV and Radio presenter Dougie Anderson hosts a panel of music industry professionals as they discuss how bands are adapting and coping with convergence and multi-media platforms.
Join our panel as they give their views on how the industry has changed and how marketing strategies have adapted their priorities. Find out how new technology, downloads and networking sites have affected bands – positively and negatively, and if marketing of a bands image has become more important than the music. What price is attached to integrity? Can the music and media industries work together to build stronger brands beyond the music?
The Panel:
Tim Clark | Joint Managing Director of ie:music, home of Robbie Williams, former Managing Director of Island Records and an innovative promoter of digital media exploitation for artistes.
Stephen Barnes | Co -founder and Director of Upshot Communications, providing promotions and support marketing for bands such as Oasis, Hard-fi and Bloc Party.
Daniel Lloyd Jones | Press Officer, Warner Music and has worked with My Chemical Romance, The Enemy, Gnarls Barkley. Runs 'Another Music Another Kitchen' at Proud Gallery, Camden
Ellie Giles | A&R scout at label Fiction Records, and is currently working with The music and Delays.
John Dawkins | Founder of Q magazines Best Newcomer of the Year , The Enemy and part of Numb Management, home of the Fratellis
Dominic Caisley | Music Director at Stream, a brand entertainment agency
Host:
Dougie Anderson | Writer, TV and Radio Presenter (BBC Tea in the Park, BBC Glastonbury, Channel 4 - 4 Music, BBC Radio 1)
Kirsty Dawkins | Junior Promo Producer, Virgin Media
GET YOURSELF A PLAN
This session will allow three of the most notable strategy planners in the business loose on the essential debates of the day.
We have Russell Davies of The Open Intelligence Agency, a global small business, who previously was at W + K London and did good things like Run London for Nike and all those good Honda ads. He blogs about brands, ideas and stuff at http://typepad.russelldavies.com/planning.
Clare Phillips is Head of Planning at Red Bee Media previously she did time at Sky and AMV working on The Economist.
Richard Huntingdon was Planning Director at HHCL and United London and worked on Tango, Iceland and Sky amongst other things. He even claims to have made Rodeo sexy. Richard blogs at www.adliterate.com Adliterate is dedicated to providing radical thinking for the brand advice business. … Is there any chance for branded content, where are channels and brands going? Do advertisers need still need tv? With thinking this powerful there might be some answers. Like Question Time but funny, smart and relevant.
The speakers:
Russell Davies | The Open Intelligence Agency
Richard Huntingdon | Adliterate
Clare Phillips | Head of Planning, Red Bee Media
Martin Delamere
6MINS 40SECS
No waffle, no bullshit, this fast-paced session has lined up trend-setting movers and shakers to engage and inspire you. Based on a phenomenon that started in Japan, each speaker has only 20 seconds to talk about each of their 20 visuals. In the unlikely event of a moaner or droner 6mins 40seconds later we’re onto the next. Where else can you get seven speakers for the price of one? Stimulating, motivating and hopefully entertaining, we dare you to get bored in this session. We are taking you beyond PowerPoint as you know it. See it as it should be-interesting. The Speakers:
Max Fraser | Design curator, author, lecturer and one of the original Pecha Kucha Team in London
Dan & Russell | Founders of Trainerspotter brand and Vintage Sneaker Obsessives
Alex MacLean | Creative Director at Airside, one time karate instructor and trained architect
Ross Cooper | Ross of Ross Cooper Studios, Artist, designer, lecturer and music video director
Jessica Antwi-Boasiako | Creative Director of SOUP SESSION and event organiser of SOUP at the ICA
Angel Zatorski | Project Manager, Research and Development, Sh! Women’s Erotic Emporium
Sarah Gerona | Creative, Red Bee Media
PEOPLE’S CHOICE
Look beyond the early Saturday start and you’ll see this is where your voice matters, where you get to have your say on what’s good and what’s not. Vote for your favourite promo to ensure it wins the coveted People’s Choice Award.
John Morgan | JM Creative
SAME SHIT DIFFERENT WRAPPER
Have to make a promo? Yep, that’s your job. What’s that? It’s already been on E4, Paramount, Living, BBC Three and Bible TV?
How can you get the viewers to watch it again on your channel? And just how different can one programme look? Does a great promo go beyond the brand of the programme, or rely on it?
We pitch Promo vs. promo, and they’ll be a vote for which ones you lot think works the bestest.
And maybe an arm wrestle afterwards?
Anna Boswell | Producer, five
CHARITY CHALLENGE
As the UK television industry rapidly expands beyond its traditional boundaries, Promax focuses on a charity that is much closer to home - The Cinema and Television Benevolent Fund (CTBF). The CTBF is the official trade charity of the UK film and TV industry, and with the dramatic changes happening in the film and TV landscape there has never been a more important role for this charity to play.
The CTBF is a safety net for all in the industry, providing care and financial support should you encounter difficult times. HRH The Queen is the Patron and Vice-Patrons include Sir Michael Grade, Sir Alan Parker, Lord David Puttnam and Lord Richard Attenborough. The CTBF offers a wide range of assistance and support including Back to Work Packages, Grants and Loans, Support During Retirement and Glebelands, the Fund’s very own care home which looks after the industry’s retired.
The CTBF's funds are raised from high profile events such as The Royal Film Performance™, a glittering red carpet Premiere, The Best of British Comedy Lunch, which takes place at BAFTA and The London Party, a high octane themed fundraiser. In recent years, the CTBF has seen a substantial increase in applications from the under 30’s and as a result has just launched a ground breaking new initiative, The John Brabourne Awards. These awards help disadvantaged young people pursue their chosen career in UK TV and film, by offering financial support and an open door to key companies, which in the past have included Channel 4, Endemol, Pinewood Group, Kodak and ITV.
The charity needs help in raising awareness and in engaging the wider industry to better understand its future role in an ever-changing landscape. To begin this process, agencies from the industry have been invited to pitch for a hot new brand spot that will be screened at the 2008 Royal Film Performance and act as a key tool in the marketing drive of the charity.
Come and judge the pitches for yourself and see which agency hits the mark in targeting the Fund to its key audience - you.
Pitching Agencies:
Beautiful TV
4 Creative
Moving Brands
Red Bee Media
Glynn Ryland | Head of Development, CTBF
WHO CARES ABOUT BRICs?
The Chinese have Rover. The Indians have Corus. The Russians have Chelsea, and the Brazilians have fun. In the world of business and economics, BRICs (Brazil, Russia, India, China) has become shorthand for the future leaders of the 21st century - economists predict these nations will overtake the present world leaders (us included) within a few decades, so what implications are there for Blighty?
This session goes beyond our borders and looks at an overview of the increasing importance of the BRICs region along with a snapshot of what is happening in television in each country. The session is presented by Mark Kobayashi-Hillary who is a writer with a book just published in October titled 'Building a Future with BRICs'.
Come join this fascinating discussion and get the experts view on why these four countries are in a unique position to lead 21st century growth in services including television.
Host:
Mark Kobayashi-Hillary | Writer and author of ‘Building a Future with BRICs’
Liz Dunning | Partner, Dunning Eley Jones
USING THE TALENT
Stand-up comedian and TV presenter Chris Corcoran hosts a fun and informative session on the pros and cons of employing A-list celebrities to front major ad campaigns. Meet the people responsible for successfully matching the face and the product and ensuring high brand recognition. How do you attract the stars? Is it all about the money? Does it guarantee success? And what is its effect on the bottom line? A fascinating look beyond the faces we see on screen.
Chris Corcoron invites industry leaders to talk about their major ad campaigns using 'A-list' Celebrities and will dig for gossip and tales of diva demands and the downsides of "using the talent".
HOST:
Chris Corcoran | Stand up comedian & TV presenter
Huw Derfel | Promotions Producer, S4C
MUM’S THE WORD
Who’s the best person to judge a great promo?
In this session, we’ve asked five mums of promo makers to give us their home-grown opinions on the nominations for the Promax ‘Promo of the Year’ 2007. They’ll also answer that difficult question "what does your child do for a living?"
Thoughts and opinions from beyond the world of promotions; come and find out if our mum’s have the same opinions as the Promax Judges.
Philip Bolger | Creative, Sky Creative
Kenny Reynolds | Creative, Sky Creative
A CASE STUDY | Life on Mars:
Generating a buzz beyond TV
This case study will focus on promoting TV content beyond TV, by using the highly successful integrated campaign for Life on Mars Series 2.
Find out how to generate a buzz around TV content to a generation who are consuming multiple platform media, often concurrently. This session will include details on how to deliver a cost effective cross-media campaign, and will highlight the challenges for broadcasters in the new digital landscape. The main focus will be on how Red Bee Media developed a strategy to identify the strengths of media beyond TV, in order to reach the intended audience, wherever they were, and ultimately got them and notably their peer group to generate an appointment to view.
Case Study by:
Sarah Alexander | Account Director, Red Bee Media
TRUST ME I’M IN TELEVISION
How well is the broadcast industry facing up to the current trust-crisis?
With the hysteria around a spate of trust issues showing no sign of abating, we invite award-winning psychologist and author Dr David Lewis to analyse some of these recent scandals.
Dr Lewis will give a unique perspective and invaluable insight on the truth debate which will delve beyond the current ‘crisis’ and highlight the battle of minds taking place between viewer and broadcaster.
The neuropyschology of trustworthiness - what is it, why does it matter and what should you do to recapture and retain it?
Speaker:
Dr Davis Lewis BSc (Hons) DPhil | Neuroscientist, Chartered Psychologist and a Fellow of the International Stress Management Association and the Institute of Directors
Adam Bryan | Business Development Director, Screen International & Broadcast
A CASE STUDY | PUTTING CONTENT IN ITS BOX
Content, Content, Content... Not since ‘interactive’ has there been so much excitement about a single word tripping off the tongues of marketing, broadcasting, mobile and online executives. But whilst the refrain ‘Content is King’ still rings true, in the multi platform world, Content needs Context and never more so when trying to communicate with technology savvy and media literate hard to reach audiences.
This case study by Livity on ‘the world’s first viewer-led interactive drama,’ DUBPLATE DRAMA, demonstrates how thinking beyond the limitations of traditional marketing disciplines has helped achieve the objectives of brands and businesses as far ranging as the NSPCC, Channel 4, MTV, 3 Mobile, PlayStation Portable and Talk to FRANK.
Michelle and Sam will present Dubplate Drama as a case study, explaining its origins and its successes, their key learnings and showcase some of the series and its interactive and multi platform mechanisms.
Case study by:
Michelle Clothier | Co Founder of Livity and Executive Producers of Dubplate Drama
Sam Conniff | Co Founder of Livity and Executive Producers of Dubplate Drama
PROMOS IN AN ON DEMAND WORLD
Ever wondered how and where promos fit into the world beyond linear television?
Ever wanted to know what it all means from the creative, messaging and positioning perspective?
This Session will explore the differences and challenges faced primarily by promo producers, as well as by channel managers and service providers in the production and scheduling of promos within the different On-Demand TV services.
BT Vision, Tiscali TV, Sky Anytime, Virgin Media & Top Up TV will each share their vision of promos in an on-demand world.
Panel:Kerry Spring Rice | Head of On-Air & Creative Services, BT Vision
Philip Freeman | Head of On Screen Promotions, Tiscali TV
Michael Hall | Director Network Planning , BskyB.
Alex MacLeod| Brand Services Manager – TV, Virgin Media
Cliff Pathmanathan | Head of Broadcast Operations, Top Up TV
Host:
Justin Hewelt | Director & Founder of PayMedia Consulting Group
Kerry Spring Rice | Head of On-Air & Creative Services, BT Vision
Marco Giusti | Creative Director, Tiscali
Philip Freeman | Head of On Screen Promotions, Tiscali