Welcome to a new week and a new edition. (#63)

A new week needs some new inspiration.

So, here it is.

I hope something here tickles your creative fancy.

Rodd ???? ???

ADVERTISING - TV

I have to admit, I kind of like KFC's gravy...it's a guilty pleasure.

So that makes me partial to the new KFC ad from Mother in London.

The spot maybe explains my love for the hot, flavourful liquid.

A forest cult worship large gold eggs and dunk people into a lake of gravy. All makes sense to me.

You can read more about the commercial and watch it in the links below.

ART - Part 1

Mattel's 80th Anniversary Group Exhibition is on in Los Angeles.

"Toys As Art, Art Inspired By Toys" is on at Corey Helford Gallery March 15 - April 19, 2025.

Juxtapoz have a story about the show, here's a snippet.

There isn't a child in America, probably the wider world, that doesn't have an experience with a Mattel toy.

Hot Wheels, Barbie, Masters of the Universe, American Girl, Matchbox cars... I mean, UNO is a Mattel card game. Mattel and the visual identities they have created are weaved into the fabric of childhood and often adulthood. As we delve deeper into the universe of Mattel, we see a company that is keenly aware of its place in the shifting landscape of culture and art. By harnessing the power of nostalgia while embracing bold, new designs, Mattel has carved out a remarkable niche within the art world and the hearts of collectors. In this way, what began as simple toys has transformed into powerful cultural artifacts—inviting us all to engage with the play of both childhood and adulthood.

The likes of Mark Ryden, Paul Frank, Brandi Milne, DABSMYLA, Gary Baseman, D*Face, Nettie Wakefield, Soey Milk and others have taken on and transformed the likenesses of?Mattel's iconic brands (including Barbie?, Hot Wheels?, Fisher-Price?, American Girl?, Thomas & Friends?, UNO?, Masters of the Universe?, Matchbox?, Monster High?, MEGA?, Polly Pocket?) in what will be both a familiar aesthetic and completely original showcase.?

Read the full piece in the links below.

QUOTE

“The chief enemy of creativity is good sense.” – Pablo Picasso

THE WRITE STUFF - COPYWRITING WORKSHOP

The next workshop start April 10.

Early bird discount applies until March 25.

Get in touch for full details.

Limited spots available.

ART - Part 2

I stumbled upon the art of Keita Morimoto and I am glad I did.

I love how he captures night scenes lit by the lights from convenience stores, vending machines, and other sources.

Colossal has a story about the artist and his work. Here's an outtake.

Cities are constantly in flux, but Keita Morimoto invites us to linger in their transitions a little longer. The artist renders corner stores, vending machines, and lampposts that illuminate spaces that might otherwise go unnoticed. Either unoccupied or inhabited by just one or two people, Morimoto’s scenes are dimly lit but not eerie and invoke the environments most of us engage with for just a moment.

“The anonymous, liminal spaces in my paintings echo the feeling of never fully belonging,” Morimoto says in a statement. “I’m drawn to the way emotions can transform a familiar setting into something entirely different, revealing deeper truths about the human experience.”?

Discover more in the links below.

SHORT FILM - 'JUST DANCE: MAN IN THE CITY'

I'm a fan of Robert Longo's art, and this short film by Barbara Anastacio, featuring dancer Kristia?n Mensa, brings to life one of his iconic series of photographs.

It's shot in New York on rooftops, streets, and in the subway. It made me a little homesick for my second-home.

Referencing Robert Longo’s iconic 1980s portrait series ‘Men In The Cities’, and his sharply-dressed subjects, twisted in knee-jerk reactions, Anastacio captures the devastating beauty of bodies caught between collapse and resistance – shooting guerilla-style across New York City. With his body as a living canvas, Mensa animates their frozen positions through explosive movement, finding a dialogue between restraint and release in gestures erupting with controlled chaos.?

You can watch it on Nowness in the links below.

ADVERTISING - ADVICE

My advice to anyone who wants to get a head start in advertising or isn't getting enough good work out from the agency they're at or simply want to do more fun stuff - I suggest you go and find some small clients and do the work you're desiring.

Find a restaurant, a bar, a coffee shop, anything - and develop some ideas for them.

It's better to be proactive than to just twiddle your thumbs and hope something will come along.

And, if I was hiring someone, it would be hard to pass up on someone who is so passionate about their craft they simply want to keep making great ads.

Who knows...you might even kick off the beginnings of your own small creative agency.

WRITING TIPS FROM - ELMORE LEONARD

Elmore Leonard wrote westerns and then crime fiction. He penned bestsellers, such as Get Shorty, Maximum Bob, and Rum Punch.

Here is his advice for good writing.

1. Never open a book with weather.
2. Avoid prologues.
3. Never use a verb other than "said" to carry dialogue.
4. Never use an adverb to modify the verb "said"…he admonished gravely.
5. Keep your exclamation points under control. You are allowed no more than two or three per 100,000 words of prose.
6. Never use the words "suddenly" or "all hell broke loose."
7. Use regional dialect, patois, sparingly.
8. Avoid detailed descriptions of characters.
9. Don't go into great detail describing places and things.
10. Try to leave out the part that readers tend to skip.

My most important rule is one that sums up the 10.

If it sounds like writing, I rewrite it.

CREATIVE DIRECTOR COACHING.

Creative Direction for Creative Directors.

For aspiring, new, and established Creative Directors.

Get in touch for more details - [email protected]

That's it for this edition.

I hope there was something of interest here to help get your week started.

See you in the next edition.

Rodd ???? ???

• Discover the cult obsession for KFC's gravy here.
• Toys As Art from Mattel, find out more here.
• See more of Keita Morimoto's night paintings here.
• Watch 'Just Dance' Man in the City' here.

#inspiration #ideas #creativity