Top of the Pops (Partnerships and Talent)

Throughout my career I have had the opportunity to work with countless partners within the industry such as Meta and Twitch. To more individual talent such as Mark Robbins who helped shape a innovative campaign for HP or the incredible vision of David Carroll who's talent is a force of nature. In all scenarios, it not only has enabled me to shape stories through direct partners but also see how specialised talent can elevate a concept further.

With this in mind, and the fact at OMD EMEA we are working with more partners and talent than ever before, I wanted to share a snapshot of some those I've had the pleasure of meeting with during H1 of 2023. Hence the cringy name for this article 'Top of the Pops'.

So without any further adu, lets get into this.

No Ghost: Specialising in Immersive Experiences

Most recently I had the pleasure of meeting with Kate Pasterfield from No Ghost. A hugely talented individual in her own right, she took me through the work that No Ghost was producing. From immersive storytelling with the Emmy Award winning Madrid Noir to pushing the boundaries of WebAR and removing the friction between user and experience.

Their work, produced by a team of specialists, is the pinnacle of AR. A source of inspiration to what can be done within the AR space. A way to truly bring an audience into the given experience/world and tell stories like never before.

Adam Woollard: Writer, Content Specialist, Performer, Rapper

Over the last few months, be it very late, I have discovered the world of UK Battle Rap. An incredible underground scene of extremely talented individuals who use the power of words to "battle each other to death". In fact, I even wrote about it as a source of inspiration as a means of how word play can and should be used more regularly within our own industry of advertising.

From this short piece, I was able to then speak directly with Adam. Listen first hand about the work that goes on behind the scenes in creating these free flowing and integrate word play. But also the shared passion of how words and copy can elevate creative. Lift it off a page, make something potentially memorable visually, to something talkative through the words used within the given marketing campaign.

Certainly a huge talent worth talking too and taking your creative to new wordy heights.

Freeda: The voice of the new generations

The team from Freeda came in to tell us about the community that they have building out for the last 7+ years that talks to 7million followers in Italy, Spain and the U.K.. Predominately focused towards "generations of women. Inspire, represent and speak to them through unique content and experiences is what we care about the most", the content is crafted accordingly.

And the team are hugely passionate in ensuring that this focus, especially through the lens of 'inspire' comes through in their content.

A perfect platform and partner to give a brand an authentic voice to speak directly to Gen Z and Millennials. To help shape stories that matter. That have purpose, heart and empathy.

Tailify: The power of influencers powered by the science of human behaviour

Over the course of the last few years, OMD Create have been working tirelessly in building out and executing an array of Influencer campaigns. From award winning work for Tourism Ireland to partnerships with TikTok.

So when we met the folks at Tailify, we instantly knew there was something different about them (and that wasn't just from all the sugar I had consumed from the various treats). They had brought science into the world of influencer marketing and showcased how they implemented into identifying the right type of influencer for the right brand and campaign far beyond the traditional methods.

The science, mirrored with their own lovely warm personalities, made Tailify standout from the crowd. A product in the form of Trudy, which has been crafted not only with science but the passion of the entire team, to take influencer marketing to new heights. A partnership certainly worth knowing about in todays age of marketing.

DAIVID: Utilising the power of AI to achieve effectiveness

A.I. is a hot topic of late. It continues to rage on, not only as we still in part try to understand what we can do within A.I. but also its impact within our given industries.

Earlier this year I was introduced to Barney Worfolk Smith ?? and when I was given the quick elevator pitch, I jumped at the opportunity to hear more on what he and the team at DAIVID were doing.

In their own words;

To unleash the power of the media for good by supercharging creativity to amplify emotions.

More widespread and intense positive emotions improve the collective mental health of the world while delivering advertising performance for brands.

We support purpose-led and sustainable companies, champion diversity and inclusion in advertising and engender a superb culture and working environment for our team.

Using the power of A.I. to not only take a even deeper dive into how campaigns have performed, but also at the very start of it and helping to shape the very brief. To help find a unique positioning within the market place, a consumer truth that is unlocked through the power of A.I. All serving as a springboard to the creative team, complementing it.

A.I. is in part a scary world with lots of unknowns, but there is also endless possibilities and opportunities. And DAIVID are one of those exciting products that can be leveraged to maximise the effectiveness of campaigns.