COLLECTIVE NEWSLETTER: June review

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

4 year anniversary

Going, going Vuong

Leaving party BBQ / photoshoot

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

4-year anniversary party

The Collective is four years old. We went go-karting in Amsterdam to celebrate last month. Congratulations to Carlfried the Dutch photographer on winning. I’m not bitter at all. Unfortunately Carlfried’s profile can no longer appear on the collective website due to space issues.

Vuong party

The Collective took a turn hosting the Blah Blah Blah creative get-together in Amsterdam, run in co-operation with agencies such as Strawberry Frog and Kesselskramer. A good night was had by all. Our thanks to Craig Lovelidge for DJing and making it all possible, and to for Erik Rolf for suggesting it. Must remember to take photos of these events for the newsletter. If anyone did please send them to me and I’ll add them in the next newsletter.

Leaving BBQ

Emilia and Roderick are leaving The Collective at the end of August. It’s an emotional time for everyone as they’ve both made a massive contribution to The Collective’s success. To show our appreciation we’re hosting a special BBQ in their honor on Thursday 20^th July at Van Oldenbarneveldtstraat 70-I, Amsterdam.

Photoshoot

We’ll be placing some adverts in Adformatie and other international advertising magazines in September made up of head&shoulder shots of collective members. Your name, location and discipline will be next to your photo. There will be about 6 people in each advert. We need to shoot them on the same day and in the same style of course, so if you’d like to be in the adverts please come to the above mentioned BBQ where the photos will be taken.

Desk space for rent

At the aforementioned BBQ location – the record company office – we still have two desk spaces to rent so if you’re interested to take a look, please email jasmine.wynants@therecordcompany.net or come along to view them at the BBQ.

Software police

The BSA (Business Software Association) came by the office checking licences – just to be warned that they really do exist.

New members

Only one new member this month – but quality not quantity as they say.

AXEL ROY, French Art Director

I started my career in advertising agencies such as Lintas and DevarrieuxVillaret before joining marketing services societies. I had the opportunity during theses 15 years to explore all the techniques and medias. Today, I do believe in alter communication. Buzz, street or rebel marketing offer me the largest creative playground and in the mean time much more efficiency to my clients. Therefore, I call myself a specialist of “global communication campaigns”. At least, this is what I do best.

Website hits

Hits: 13148

3D Designer wanted

Mid-level 3D Designer 2-3 years of experience.

Area: Interior and product

In our award-winning studio we are looking for a mid-level 3D designer to create design ideas and

Solutions from concept to production. As a new member you will work on the design of

Interiors, furniture and products. In your role you will develop design ideas from basic concepts

Through to fully worked-out design solutions. This requires the use of visualisations and simulations to

Evaluate ideas. You are responsible for translating our clients brief into ideas, concepts and designs.

For all the projects you will work in close co-operation with other members of the multidisciplinary

Design team.

 

Your Profile:

We are looking for someone with the highest-caliber skills in sketching, rendering, innovative problem

solving and 3D modelling. You have a master's or bachelor's degree in interior/retail design or related

area of study. For at least 2 years you have been working in interior design, preferably in a retail

environment. You have excellent designing skills, so we expect an exceptional portfolio. You are fluent

in Illustrator, Photoshop and 3D modelling: Cinema 4D or Vector Works preferred. As we work in an

international environment you have a good business command of the English language. You are a

team player who likes to work in a fast paced environment

 

Education/Experience:

• MA/BA degree in interior, retail or 3D design.

• English fluently, (Dutch, French, German appreciated).

• Min. 2 years working experience as a designer is desired, retail design and interior

  experience preferred.

• a portfolio showing originality, sense for trends and use of materials

 

Terms:

Length of contract is negotiable with a customary trial period.

This is a full-time position (40 h.) based in our offices in Amsterdam.

Salary requirements are negotiable.

Contact: jack.stafford@thecollective-europe.com
www.thecollective.net  

Creative industry get-together - Friday 30th June in Vuong

The Collective is hosting a party this Friday, the 30th of June.

Music, drink, love, laughter and Blah Blah Blah. The hangout for Amsterdam’s advertising creatives.

You'll find us on the upstairs at Vuong (off Leidseplein, past Boom Chicago), Korte Leidsedwarsstraat 51, 1017PW Amsterdam. www.vuong.nl

8pm til late.

Record number of people joining in February

CARLOS DE JAVIER, Spanish Art Director

As Stefan Sagemaister says “Style is fart”. I think the same. For me art direction and design is not understandable without a great concept behind. Every concept has an ideal form to be explained. That’s why I always try to work from a big concept. This is my way of working and what allows me to attack very different projects. This is the way I’ve always done.

Como stefan sagemaister dice "style is fart". Yo creo lo mismo. Para mí la dirección de arte y el diseño no se entiende sin un gran concepto detrás.
Cada concepto tiene una forma ideal para ser explicado. Así, yo siempre intento trabajar desde un gran concepto. Esa es mi manera de trabajar y la que me permite acometer proyectos tan diferentes entre sí. Es lo único que siempre he hecho.

GERRIT KLEINFELD, German Copywriter








ARMINDA CARBONELL, Spanish Art Director








SERGIO BALLANTI, Italian Copywriter

Motivated and highly creative copywriter (Swiss-born and English speaking) constantly seeks new challenges.





SIMON CARBERY, British Copywriter

Trained at Y&R and Saatchi & Saatchi London; Head of copy/Creative Director Lowe; subsequently advertising freelance worldwide, now working for ad agencies and clients on major advertising projects, as well as integrated and digital projects. Awards include New York One Show gold, Cannes silver Lion, BTA silver arrow, 6 campaign silver awards etc etc. D&AD juror 1997, 99.



IAN FRANKS, British Copywriter

I was born in London of a Scottish father and an Italian mother, then, as a small child, moved to Chile. At the age of ten, I was sent to boarding school in England (Dover College) which was followed by art school where I studied Graphic Design and photography. Thereafter, came several years in the London ad business, followed by several more all over Europe, from Milan to Warsaw. My hobbies are my children, photography and sport.



MICHAEL HAVNERAAS, British Copywriter

My CV contains twists and turns that make it look like the employment history of a novelist. But instead of writing novels I’ve become adept at following the brief wherever it needs to go. Whether writing above or below the line I try to combine just two ingredients, clarity and originality, on the way to copy perfection.




GLENN GOODWIN, British Designer

Hello I’m a well travelled, experienced, fun, flexible, advertising art director turned designer, who can easily work across most mediums, from Packaging through to art direction commercials.
I have managed teams of creatives, and having been freelance for a few years can adapt to creative environments easily through my friendly and pleasant manor.



JEREMY VEITCH, British Copywriter

Jeremy’s passport makes interesting reading. It’s an Irish passport, yet he was born in Hong Kong, grew up in the UK, began work in London and a host of those black, inky, circular stamps tell of the last twelve years based mostly in South Africa as well as stints in other interesting places. This could well have provided the basis for a well earned mid-life identity crisis but Veitch claims his rootlessness makes it easier to assimilate other cultures and focus on the common human truths which drive concepts. Back to the passport. Prematurely whitening hair (Jeremy is 43) in the spectacularly appallingevenbypassportphotostandards, photograph point to hours of mental suomo in the cause of better ideas. Sanity has prevailed (so far) due to a natural curiousity about life and an unnaturally wicked sense of humour.


BILL THOMPSON, British Art Director

I’ve spent over 30 years being an art director, creative director and agency partner. I’ve worked at large agencies, small agencies and my own agency (which we sold to BDDP). Doing the ads is still the best bit of the job - which is why I’m doing what I’m doing now.
Whilst doing it my work has won 3 D&AD silvers, a Campaign Press Gold and 3 Silvers, Several Golds and many Silvers at the British TV Awards, 2 Premiers at Kinsale, Silvers and Bronzes at Cannes and 2 Silvers from the New York Art Directors’ Club.


GUIDO ROLANDO, Italian Copywriter

There are two things that I’m able to do well in my life; one is writing, the other is playing music. So I’m happy to earn my living in these two manners. I’ve been a freelance copywriter since 1995 and I don’t have any regrets for my choice. I love to work with funny and curios people. I play Saxophone in a band with my seven friends. Maybe I’m a child that doesn’t want to grow up, but I wish falling in love from life. And in the last years it has not been easy in my country, but I’m a fighter.


ANDREA D'AMBROSIO, Italian Copywriter

Nice, intelligent, versatile, beautiful...Hoops, I’m sorry, that’s my profile according to my absolutely-impartial grandmother’s point of view. To be more objective, I would describe my life and work background as a calibrate mixture of linguistic and scientific passions. The first component provides the driving force for writing, reading, playing with words and connecting with people, whereas the second element represents the key to understand the thoughts that (should) guide writers, the brains that (should) make readings understandable, the chemicals beyond puns and the rules without which connecting rhymes with rejecting. Do I need to be more advertising-oriented? If you have an idea, I
have the words to make the best of it!


TORBEN RAUN, Danish Photographer

I am a photographer that tries to create instead of copying other people’s work. My photography centers around people as they are a never-ending source of inspiration. I have a strong interest in fashion, design, commerciality, humour and reportage in photography and refuse to let myself be put into a box, I believe in defying conventions, mixing up styles, and further do I believe that art should be provocative in every sense of the word as opposed to causing no reaction at all.


GRY HOLST EHCWALD, Danish Art Director

I love new experiences and challenges. I like to keep my self busy learning new stuff. I love my work and I´m very dedicated and hardworking. I want to make the best of it!

New Member for December

NADJA DACHO-HYDE, German copywriter
"The tough school of the very biggest made me strong in conception. In all disciplines. In my time as copywriter and latter as Creative Director, I was responsible for major international brands. As a result, an idea to me is only good when it comes from the brand. That’s why I toil endlessly until it's born. And I enjoy it. Because without fun creativity isn't possible anyway.”

Photos from The Collective Xmas dinner

These are some snapshots of the marvelous Christmas Dinner in Mercurius last Wednesday, 7th December 2005.









































this is it?? Of course not! You could see more pictures in these links:
John Richardson's http://homepage.mac.com/treehouseamsterdam/Collective/
Richard Bulls' http://www.flickr.com/photos/33584755@N00/sets/1537812/

New members in November

We’re delighted to welcome the following freelancers:

JÖRG HEIDEN, German copywriter
Poetic, picture-friendly and dynamic writer for texts and campaigns, that get the point across faster, with charm and relevance. Motto: “Keep it simple and smart”

JASPER POL, Dutch Art Director
Specialized in retail, action, and staff recruitment.

TON DE VRIES, Dutch Designer
The ideal combination of advertising and design. Conceptual thinker for communication and business opportunities. Cross-media with no limits, but focused on success and originality. Inspiring, realistic and energetic team player. Open minded, verbal strong, reprehensive.

KILIAN ASENSIO, Spanish Copywriter
Single, 34 years old. Working as a creative for 15 years. First 11 in main agencies and latest 4 as a free lance. I work for both agencies and direct clients. I’m developing professionally, as my business does, trying to offer new ideas also in terms of partnership. Even so I don’t discard to go back into multinationals if the project is really convincing. I also teach creativity and creative writing. My point is: if you want to show, you have to work. This is why I just teach in part time. I like to travel, especially on my motorcycle. Also sailing, cooking and dreaming.

PAUL FRASER, British Copywriter

PAUL BEST, British Art Director

JAKE RUSZNYAK, British Art Director
I am passionate about simple ideas, above, below or through-the-line. I like to boil concepts down to their simplest form. I suppose that’s because I trained as a graphic designer, I love posterised thoughts and to craft ideas and typography. I am a bit of a perfectionist, and I do all my own work up on the mac myself, since I find I have more control, and the art direction can evolve quickly. I am relatively quiet, because I like to let the work speak for me.


MARTIJN DE VREEZE, Dutch copywriter
As a copywriter I am focused on the interaction between brand and target group. That not only requires an impact-full concept and catchy copy, but also the capability to build bridges. That’s what I try to accomplish in my work. How I work? People who know me call me an enthusiastic, open minded professional. A typical through the line copywriter, who, in every kind of job, strives for the perfect and most creative result. I have worked for very diverse clients including Digitenne, OLA and Mascotte nationally, as well as international names like Motorola, Remington and Nissan.

EurobestLive Advertising Awards Ceremony

Find out at 14:00 (GMT) today at the EurobestLive Awards Ceremony at www.eurobestlive.com - the world's first interactive advertising awards ceremony.

View shortlist now

New Members for October

We’re delighted to welcome the following freelancers:


Philippe Orlent - Belgian Art Director
"Extremely versatile and all round conceptual senior art director with profound interest and knowledge of communication strategy and client representation combined with a hands on mentality and thorough knowledge of the entire communication process, who can work as standalone or in team to produce distinctive and relevant advertising in traditional and non-traditional media."



Sander F. de Wilde - Dutch Photographer
"An imagemaker that’s professional, original and experienced, quite diverse in his interests. He calls it emotive imaging, because his photography is always about emotions, whether it’s portraits or cityscapes."




Ray Brennan - British Concept maker
"I attended art college in Belfast where i was first introduced to the power of advertising by Billy Mawhinney the creative director of JWT. I started my career at Lowe Howard-Spink in 1982 and was inspired by the likes of, sir frank Lowe, Alan Waldie, Alfredo Marcantonio and Dave Christian, to produce effective and creative advertising. Over the years I’ve always tried to maximise the clients budget by using new media to carry the message to the audience. I have worked on and won new business pitches for; Mazda cars, IBM, Crown Paints, Coi fraud benefit, Barts hospital, Wickes Stores, Manweb."



Henrik Sigvardt - Danish Copywriter
"I write easy-to-understand relevant advertising copy that makes it possible for the client to get close to the reader/target audience. On the personal level I like a good laugh and believe strongly in good chemistry between the team and the client."

The Collective Christmas Dinner 2005

This year the Collective Christmas Dinner will be held at the luxurious Mercurius restaurant, on Wednesday, the 7^th of December, 2005 in Amsterdam.

The interior of this French-Fusion cuisine venue is a nice mixture of hip and chic. The downstairs is exclusively ours for the evening so there is room for you to socialise and enjoy the atmosphere in the unique and spacious surroundings.

We will begin the evening with drinks around 7 p.m. To make this year’s dinner even more special, we will invite a special guest speaker (still to be announced). Following their speech, we will enjoy an excellent buffet dinner. Mercurius is located in the heart of Amsterdam, across Central Station at Pr. Hendrikkade 20/21.

This is an open dinner so you are welcome to bring a date or friends along. When making the reservations please indicate how many guests you intend to bring. You can reserve your place for this exclusive dinner from Emilia at Emilia@thecollective-europe.com

We can accommodate a maximum of 50 people. All the bookings will be dealt with on a ‘first come, first served’ basis, so in order to avoid disappointment, we advise you to book early. Please note that your place for the dinner will only be secured after you have deposited a payment of 38.50 euros (45.82 euros inc. Dutch tax) for yourself and each of your guests in the following account: Coll of adv creatives – 589405829 – Amsterdam (receipts can be sent by post. Dutch tax need not be paid by people paying from outside the Netherlands.)

We believe it is going to be a memorable occasion and hope that we will have the pleasure of sharing this evening with you. In case you are travelling to Amsterdam especially for the dinner, we would be happy to arrange accommodation for you.

New Freelancers in September

Here are the new freelancers to have joined The Collective in September.

Nick Wray - British Copywriter
I began my career as an Art Director at Ogilvy & Mather. I became a Copywriter on joining Gold Greenlees Trott in the 80’s. Since then I’ve worked at agencies such as JWT, Wieden+Kennedy Amsterdam, Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO, and Lowe & Partners. I was also Creative Director of Reay Keating Hamer, BDH/TBWA, and Walsh Trott Chick Smith. My work has won awards at D&AD, BTVAA, The Creative Circle, Campaign Poster Awards, Cannes and The New York One Show.
Full profile


Peter Strange - Danish Art Director
I’ve always been very curious. I like to travel and see new places. To learn new skills and to get new ideas. Im also very enthusiastic and dedicated. I have very high expectations for my work and Im prepared to work hard to reach them. To me it is very important to find joy in everything I do and I always try to keep an open mind.
Full profile



Benoit Chavane - French Art Director
Happy to live happy to work.
Full profile






Ville Vainio - Finnish Copywriter
A seasoned professional with experience in all media. Worked with several multinationals as well as local clients. Totally fluent in both spoken and written English and Finnish; studied, worked and lived in the U.S. for a total of 14 years. In addition to advertising, I have written for several travel publications as well as business and customer magazines covering a very wide range of topics from biotech to wireless communications and export promotion. Additionally, I have published three crime novels. Written more than 100 TV commercials, thousands of ads, websites etc. Creativity, ability to understand the client’s business and efficiency are my strengths.
Full profile

Annelies Engel - Dutch Account Manager
I would say that I was a confident, experienced, self-starting, hands-on type Account Director and Brand Strategist, with a good list of happy clients that I've worked for over the years. I have operated on both the national and international levels of Marcomm's - with a strong preference for the diversity of challenges and opportunities offered on the international level. I aim to meet and exceed expectations, teach, grow and learn through what I do and how I do it. I'm open and friendly and not afraid to roll up my sleeves and burn the midnight oil when needs be. I think for and with both the client and the agency, seeking the best possible results at all times.
Full profile

September Drinks

Last Thursday we were having drinks outside The Collective office with some freelancers and colleagues. Here's some pictures of us...




Ewout is cool, Carmen is looking happy, Scott's trying to be sober after 7th beer.







Robert and fridge full of Heineken, two irresistible personalities.

Rent-a-desk

Looking for a freelancer or 2 to rent a desk in a fabulously located office space (see link below - office over looks the Leliegracht).
The space is 75m2 in which will accommodate 7 or 8 freelancers.
The office is freshly refurbished and has a slightly corporate feel. We are negotiating the possibility of making use of the impressive adjoining boardroom for the occasional client meeting etc. inc. Internet, cleaning, power, heating etc.
The space is available from 1st October. Place is ideal for copy writers, designers - i.e. relaxed working environment.
Negotiations for the whole space and so the price are still underway, but were hoping for a absolute maximum of 270 Euro per space per month.

Location:
Its on Keizersgracht / Leliegracht in this building. http://www.aboutistc.org/contact.html

If you're interested, email richard@hedgeapple.nl.

Publicity in PUB

PUB magazine have written an article about The Collective. If you're one of those who read French, check out this link to go to the PUB French webpage or this link for those who read Dutch. Here's the English version below...

THE COLLECTIVE INTERNATIONAL
Agency now represents five nationalities of advertising freelancers across Europe

THE COLLECTIVE started life three years ago as an agent for 25 British freelance creatives in the Netherlands. Now it represents over 150 of the best Belgian, British, Dutch, French and Scandinavian freelancers.

THE COLLECTIVE OF INTERNATIONAL ADVERTISING FREELANCERS is now the biggest agent for freelancers in Europe. Agencies hire freelancers for the creation of pan-European campaigns, country adaptations of existing campaigns, creation of new local campaigns, translation, and so on. And as more and more companies operate across Europe the demand is increasing.

It’s also not just creatives who are represented by THE COLLECTIVE. “As well as copywriters, art directors and designers, we also have photographers, illustrators and accounts people profiled on the website. Essentially anyone an advertising agency needs to hire on a freelance basis,” explains Simon Wallace, founder of THE COLLECTIVE.

Collective Belgium
The Belgian division of THE COLLECTIVE is our fastest growing section. “We’ve sent Belgian freelancers to the Netherlands, Germany and England. Inside Belgium itself, we’ve supplied Belgian copywriters and art directors to the biggest agencies, including DDB, Dentsu, Duval Guillaume, FCB and Quattro Saatchi & Saatchi. And we’ve also these and other agencies with English and Dutch freelancers.”

The major service THE COLLECTIVE offers to these agencies is the ability to find the right freelancer for the job – quickly and for the right price. “We’ve done the searching and vetting work for them, and they’re impressed with the quality and reliability of our people.”

History
THE COLLECTIVE began life to fill the gap in the market for representing freelance English-native copywriters, art directors and designers in Europe. It grew quickly, providing mainly award-winning creative teams for concept work and long-copywriters for brochures, internet and direct mail work.

“We started out just in the Netherlands, but because there was a big demand for British freelancers (mostly copywriters) across Europe, we expanded our operations to service ad agencies in Belgium, France, Germany, Scandinavia – even as far as Dubai. Because we are the only agent operating across Europe, agencies started asking us for other nationalities of freelancers this year, not just British. It was very difficult for them to find the right people. It became a logical step for us to expand the company.”

THE COLLECTIVE now has offices in Amsterdam, Eindhoven, Antwerp, Copenhagen and Stockholm.

Licence to create!

All freelancers are issued with their own creative licence when they join the Collective. Here’s an example:

Old collective commercials

Here are two old commercials made for and by The Collective, from back in the day when we only represented British freelancers:

English Trouble

Creative Communication

Netherlands: Freelancers face massive health cost hike

Freelance workers face an explosive increase in their premiums under the new health insurance scheme coming into force next year, the organisation for small and medium-sized businesses has warned.

Sector organisation MKB-Nederland has based its predictions on calculations carried out by newspaper 'Het Financieele Dagblad'.

A new one-size-fits-all insurance package will replace the two-tier, public-private health insurance on 1 January 2006.

Everyone will be in the basic package and can opt for extra coverage by taking out supplementary insurance.

The newspaper published calculations on Wednesday morning that the MKB says shows that high earning freelancers could face a doubling of their premiums to a total of EUR 2,900 a year.

Tens of thousands of freelancers — regarded by the tax office as self-employed entrepreneurs without personnel — could be hit by the increases, the MKB said.

Under the new system, freelancers, known as zzp'ers in Dutch, may have to pay an income-dependant premium of EUR 1,875 on top of the EUR 1,100 fixed premium.

Karin Kuiper of the MKB cautioned that the calculations are provisional and the government is to announce the maximum levels for the health insurance premiums in September.

But if the newspaper's calculations turn out to be correct, the cabinet will have to consider introducing a compensation scheme for zzp'ers, Kuiper said.

"In principle it is not so bad that people on a high income have to pay a higher premium. But increases have to remain at a realistic level," she said.

Kuiper also expressed concerns that entrepreneurs on a lower than average income will also suffer financially under the new health insurance scheme. Her organisation is afraid the government will exclude this group from the compensation scheme for people on low incomes.

[Source: Expatica News + ANP 2005]

Freelancer focus: Åsk Wäppling

As well as an award-winning art director for brands like Smirnoff, Heineken and UNICEF, Åsk Wäppling is also the creator and webmaster behind one of the world's biggest advertising websites ad-rag.com. From her base in Copenhagen she has turned what started into a daily web log into AdLand – a commercial-laden delirium of heaven and hell for advertising addicts around the world.

When, how and why did you come to start ad-rag?

I started Adland when I lived in San Francisco back in 1996. When I began surfing the web there was nearly nothing related to advertising out there, in 95 portfolios.com (still going strong!), zeldman.com, the University of Texas and J Walter Thompson were the advertising sites online worth their salt. There was also a copywriter, Dave Dumanis, who wrote weekly on his website called ad lib about advertising in early 96, which in hindsight must have been the very first sortof "pre-blog" adblog. Zeldman's ad graveyard, Dave's ad lib and the clear lack of websites that gabbed ads the way I wanted to inspired me to start my own site. The 'concept' of the website was to show ads separated at birth, much like the ad graveyard shows ads killed by clients or circumstance. I learnt some basic HTML and I collected all the good ad related links I could find on a page so that people who found adland could find more adstuff on the web. As time passed, I started posting my own long rants about the state of advertising, what it was like pounding the pavement with a portfolio looking for work and the pain of bad campaigns in a section named adrants, as well as excerpts from advertising books that I had read in the "adbooks" section. Later the commercial archive collection merged with adland in 2000. The whole thing grew quite organically, really.

How big is ad-rag now? (Members, hits and number of ads, etc)

Oh god, it's mind boggling really. More than 23 million people have peeked at the site since we started counting in May 2000, god knows how many saw the incarnations before that, there are more than 56 thousand members and there are almost 30.000 TV commercials collected in the archive right now. But the numbers change every as new people sign up and more curious onlookers stop by.

Did you ever think it would have become as successful as it has?

Sure, I daydream a lot but I don't think I ever pictured anything like this really. Back in '96 sitting in a very spartan room (I had only a mattress for a bed and a radio I bought at a garage sale for entertainment) ranting on about ads that seemed to be stolen straight off the pages of last years awards book, I wondered "is there anybody out there who thinks like I do about advertising?" and creating the crummy little site was my way of trying to find out and find some like minded ad obsessed ad pals. I felt a little lonely and wanted to meet other ad-nutters, share tips tricks gossip and opinions, which is still the basic idea with the site, as it is a huge community of ad-nutters now.

The answer is, yes there are lots of people who share the same ideas about advertising in general, Badland ads in particular, work ethics and so on, as well as smart people who have other points of view and weirdos who send hate mail saying something like "Why rant about ads when there are children starving in Africa?". It did feel like it took a long time before advertising people in general actually went "online", so to speak, in the beginning few creatives could be found roaming say the Usenet groups or similar hangouts like mailing lists. After the marketing people found the Internet things changed quite fast. One thing seems to be very slow in taking hold, I always wanted to talk to the ad-world, as it is the world wide web, right? But few see it that way and limit their reports geographically, as if that makes a difference in this day and age.

You seem to be online 24/7 and eat and drink advertising. What makes you so passionate about it?

I think my mum dropped me on the head when I was a kid. Ha! I have this tape I made in 1979 where I sing songs for my grandparents, up until the point where there is a commercial break on TV. Abrupt silence, all you hear is me breathing for a second, and then I break out into a "ring around the collar?" monologue and recite the entire advert before snapping out of it and return to making my tape. Clearly, ads always had my complete and undivided attention. Like anyone who loves anything, I want it to be the best that it can be. Advertising is too often trite, annoying and bad, when it could be information to the right target, entertainment for the right group and the pop-culture glue that keeps a company and their customers together. I love ideas. I love stories. Great advertising has both. Bad advertising has none.

What's next for you and ad-rag.com?

Well, already done Manhattan. Now let’s take Berlin. ;)

Thanks to Ask for answering our questions. She’s expecting her first child in October and we wish her all the best.