I used to doodle incessantly when I was a child. I can still remember trying to sell my juvenile artwork to my parents for extra chocolate bar money during my pre-kleptomania (read: hustlin’) days. I also remember this habit/passion/pastime trying to be exorcised out of me during my school years.
I was always something of a daydreamer. My eyes would be locked on a swaying tree outside, my mind would have me be living as Superman, and my teacher would be shouting my name across the classroom.
“So nice of you to join us, Mr Kirton,” she’d say sarcastically.
“I could kill you with one punch,” I replied telepathically, my crooked smile and rhythmic nodding putting her at noticeable unrest.
She’d return to her chalkboard of authority and I’d return to doing some actual good. The world needed me!
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I find it funny that I am now employed in a profession where the ability to daydream is part of the gig. As much as “creatives” embrace the whole oddball persona, being a little bit “out there” is necessary to deliver great conceptual work. I just love that my colleagues don’t find it weird when I spend Monday morning traffic meetings invested in my notepad, exploring worlds far beyond the reach of the real. #perksofthejob
Or maybe they do notice, but don’t feel comfortable enough to test my Cheshire grin and psychopathic nod. Can’t say I blame them.
My parents play the lotto religiously. I think that there is a deeply-ingrained desire in the modern human to better and build the world around him. To improve our situations and have all [the media told us] we ever wanted seems to still be the general life goal of the still early 2000s.
Making it rain seldom leads to drought relief
Even so, there is nothing intrinsically wrong with wanting. And in most cases it’s a blessing unto humanity to wish to build and create where there was only scarcity before. There was a time in early human history where everything was so limited that having anything above the stock of one’s peers held a significantly greater chance for the survival for the individual: the ultimate* human need.
It’s unfortunate to see, however, how the modern-day equivalent of this need has perpetuated itself. To see people who have so viciously identified with the idea of monetary acquisition that it comes at the expense of their values, their lives and, more often than not, the well-being of fellow beings.
War would be the ultimate example of this idea: A few good men** who sit around a board room table and send brothers and sons out onto a battlefield like pawns on a chess board, all for the grand aim of filling numbers on a ledger. War isn’t hell, dear boy; it’s business! And business is booming according to Reuters.
One of my dearest friend’s stepdad was fatally stabbed in South Africa a few years back over a R300 TV set. While I can never claim to understand what the situation of the killer was like leading up to the incident, I use it to help convey a very troubling thought:
That right now, lurking in certain individuals among us, is the belief that money has greater value than human life.
The True Cost of Playing
On Monday 13 October 2014, iWits – local social marketing and web dev company – launched an awareness campaign sneakily disguised as an online scavenger hunt.
The scavenger hunt was a (legitimate) competition for N$1,000; however, some of the tactics employed in the competition were less than dignified.
To enter the competition, eager contestants were required to fill out an online form, read some terms and conditions, click “I agree” and start their journey towards winning that cool N$1,000!
Today (27 October 2014), over 250 Namibians are receiving emails from iWits informing them that they have been conned! Duped and swindled out of their hard-earned money and assets…
The email goes on to explain that hidden within the terms and conditions, which a staggering 83% of entrants failed to read carefully enough, had the following clauses hidden within them:
By entering this competition, the entrant agrees to pay iWits a monthly fee, totalling their full salary, allowance or retirement packagefor a total of 48 months.
By entering this competition, entrants agree that all property owned by the entrant or the entrant’s parentswill be signed over to iWits within 30 days after the competition has closed.
By entering this competition, the entrant agrees that iWits may select one family member of the entrant to use in any and all advertising materials for iWits for atotal of 12 months, furthermore agreeing that no compensation will be provided to the entrant or the family member that is being used in the advertising promotion.
“You did this to me!”
The average time the non-reader (a.k.a “sucker”) spent on the terms and conditions page was 1 minute 7 seconds, compared to those who followed the hidden links to the legitimate terms (14% of entrants) who spent an average of 9 minutes 6 seconds reading. 3% of potential entrants (this one included) opted to simply eject from the competition entirely.
It’s scary!
It’s scary because it has real-world implications. People sign contracts every day, and every day people are cheated out of their money. When I was still posted at Ogilvy, I handled the NAMFISA Consumer Education Bulletin and almost every edition there would be some article or paragraph outlining the importance of reading contracts. People will literally sign their salaries and houses away for a thousand bucks without a second thought!
Scarier than that is the fact that there are people who do this for a living! People who spend hours crafting and perfecting ways to trick you out of the money you spend all day earning. And he’ll get it right if you aren’t vigilant.
I personally at least scan through terms and conditions. I’m particularly interested in how a company or website wishes to use my information, as I’m equal parts paranoia and spam hater, but even I missed the first crazy clause. Had it been the only one, I too, may have been suckered.
But I encourage you keep dreaming, Namibia, because there’s nothing wrong with wanting a better life for yourself. Just always a) ensure that whatever you want in life does not come at the cost of your fellow man and b) don’t be so blinded by what you want that you are taken for all you have.
View the official iWits release with all the stats here
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EDIT: Lastly, iWits wishes to inform the public that the offending clauses have been invalidated and no entrants will be held liable for them – this was only an awareness campaign, after all.
“I’m not here for the radio ad or the brochure. I’m here to build your brand to what I believe it can be!”
A barely perceptible twitch caught the corner of his mouth and curled it up for the briefest of moments. It’s called a microexpression and (mostly) all people demonstrate them.
What it told me was that this guy takes the name of his business to heart. And he should. After all, it’s his livelihood. And while this may not seem like anything special to some, to me it makes all the difference.
“Oh, he’s just so passionate!”
Ever heard that said about someone? What it basically describes is someone who puts their whole heart into what they do and who they are. It also describes a characteristic I look for in potential clients.
ON BEING BOLD
I’m a dreamer. When I was a kid my parents called it “Wayne’s World” – that magical place I would disappear to where I could recreate reality as I pleased. I ended up never leaving Wayne’s World. Instead, I chose to rather find people who were interested in joining my dreams. Nothing’s changed.
When deciding on a client to invest significant time and energy into, it makes sense to do so with one who shares the same passion and ideals as yourself. To overlook this most basic of requirements is to whore yourself for a date neither of you is truly interested in; the fruits of which are often unsatisfying and riddled with worms.
If I’m going to do great things – or any of us, for that matter -, then I need clients who not only believe in what I do, but who also believe in my passion for their brand. The simple fact is that the work I do for them carries my name on it. Literally. And I take this point seriously. It’s in my best interest to supply them with the best work I possibly can, which can only happen with complete faith and trust.
I spoke about his brand like a dreamer and it made him happy.
Party time! Brand excellence!
It really did! I watched him light up as I explained how social media could be used to engage his audience and keep his profile current. We all want to believe in something better. I think a lot of times life just makes us jaded to the thought something better exists. But he saw what I felt. I told him I care about his brand first and foremost and that, I believe, is what any good business owner wants to hear. Especially when it’s the truth. And he knew what it meant in the bigger picture.
I wasn’t selling a 30-second radio slot or a three-page brochure. I was selling an idea: The idea that his brand is the most important thing in the world of his business. And it deserves originality, integrity and love.
I don’t know if I’ll ever hear from him again. I’ll make my follow-up call, but there’s only so much one can do. I’m not looking to strong-arm anyone into anything. If a client is willing to pay me for the services I offer, I hope they do so because they believe both in me as an artist and business leader, as well believe in my passion for them, the valued clients I humbly serve.
Only time will tell if we’ll work together professionally, but the way he appreciated what I had to say about his beloved brand made me happy at the thought of working with him at all.
I first dabbled in After Effects two years ago when I moved to Thailand for a stint to teach English. Since returning to my [home] country of Namibia, life had become somewhat more complicated and AE took the backseat for a while. Upon starting this blog I’ve been thinking of new ways to provide content I’m proud of, so I decided to get back into it. I also promised you I’d provide more folio pieces. At the bottom you’ll see the first animation piece I’ve done in a while – took two days to complete. Feedback is always welcome 🙂
You’ll also get to see my new logo, crafted with love by my fantastically talented friend, Arten Marais,
The logo ties in to my new Facebook page and I’d love it if you would support me by going over and giving it a Like.
I’ve been meaning to upload my digital portfolio for some time now. I think having it exposed to a broader audience will provide great insight.
I used to be semi-proficient in After Effects. My skills have since receded to the point where I needed to Google the shortcut key for RAM preview (it’s Num0 if you’re wondering). In any case, I decided that I could bind my need to upload my folio to my desire to increase my After Effects proficiency. Expect more of these, in increasing elegance, in the future.
It happens so quickly. And right now, spreading through their subconscious is the niggling presumption that maybe your business is just not as upright as it claims to be. I know, it’s only a spelling/grammar/contact detail/technical/legal gremlin – oh so silly –, but these things matter. It shows you care about your communication with the clients you so passionately and thoroughly serve. Take it away and they are left dialling the number of a Chinese take-away that sadly isn’t yours, wondering why the hell they bothered to respond to your ad in the first place.
What’s your brand’s story? And believe me, every brand has one.
You see, there are two types of brands existent in the world today: managed and unmanaged. Unmanaged brands flap their business image like the untied sail of a ship. So as the winds of perception blow, so the sail draws flat against the current, forever at the mercy of the whims of the external world. A ship lost unto the tide.
Managed brands, on the other hand, understand that only a vessel with a sail strung towards a fixed direction reaches its destination. Maritime analogies aside, the important thing to take away from this is as follows:
Your brand has a story. End of story. Either you are controlling, managing and utilising that story to the greatest benefit of your business, or you are not.
Writing, simply stated, is the art of telling your brand’s story. It’s the difference between “get it done” and “just do it”. It’s the solution to the 06:30 vs. six-thirty conundrum. It dictates whether your customers are interested enough to listen to what you have to say, and whether or not they’ll believe you if they do.
With so many ads vying for attention, companies need to do all they can to cut through the bull. I’ve long been a fan of the non sequitur style of storytelling. Just as in music, where notes are delayed or skipped to keep the listener on their toes, so to speak, so too in film can seeming randomness be employed to great effect.
Cut to creativity:
This (albeit two-year-old) video by DollarShaveClub.com works hard to keep you entertained while promoting product benefits and not coming across as [too] try-hard.
Anybody looking to support the business model of these loose canons can find them online at DollarShaveClub.com or on Twitter or Facebook
Wayne Kirton, Writer 