Full disclosure, this film was made by TBWA\CHIAT\DAY, Los Angeles.

Source: Rob Schwartz, Chief Creative Officer, TBWA CHIAT DAY, LA on forbes.com.

For this purpose, McCafé Germany has just started an activation on its facebook page, inviting its fans to create their own McCafé To-go cup with their own smart, funny and intriguing texts. Among all applied, the best ones will be put to the public vote on the 5th of July.

The one with the most votes will be produced as a part of the new edition of the McCafé to-go cups.

You’ve attended Cannes a few times now. How much has it changed?

I’ve only missed one Festival since first attending back in 1973. At that time, it was not as prestigious and impactful as it is today. The Americans participated with only a few entries and the Festival was primarily European. Only creatives used to attend. “Creativity” was not really a popular subject among clients, who saw it as a means for agencies to talk among themselves, in their own self-indulgent language. Today it’s very different. Last year at Cannes, there were more people attending from some of the big multinational clients than there were delegates from our network, TBWA. In forty years, Cannes has become everyone’s business.

Now you’re Jury President for the first ever Creative Effectiveness Lion. Is this proof that the debate about creativity and effectiveness has been settled at last?

Creativity sells. But from now on, with the Effectiveness Lions, advertising will be judged on tangible evidence. Our panel will evaluate campaign results in a factual way. ROI will enter into the language of Cannes.

Surely there’s more to effectiveness than numbers?

Don’t forget we’re talking here about “creative effectiveness”. A message that sells, but that is not based on a fresh or breakthrough idea is unlikely to attract our interest. Because Cannes aims first and foremost to reward efficiency achieved through creativity. It should make for some lively debates with my fellow jury members.

How has the digital era changed notions of effectiveness?

Younger generations show interest only in messages that engage them. Otherwise, they just ignore them, or zap. Creativity is no longer optional, it has become recognised as being essential.

If anybody out there is hesitating about coming to Cannes, what would you say to convince them?

It took years for the idea of creativity to become accepted as a source of effectiveness. Cannes has participated in raising that awareness. This is the place where we can see the things that will pave the way forward for our industry; it’s where we can keep ourselves on top of the emerging creative trends, and it’s where we feel the pulse of our industry.

Practically Radical: Manifest für Erfolg durch Wandel (engl.) from TBWA Germany on Vimeo.

For any comments or suggestions, send an Email to Ulrich Proeschel.

How did the book come about?

To a certain extent it was provoked by nostalgia. Fifteen years ago, when we founded Fast Company, we organized a meeting based around the premise “How do you overthrow successful companies?” The participants weren’t young dotcoms, but companies that were already large and successful, and wanted to consider ways of engaging with the exciting new landscape that was emerging around them. It struck me that you could organize the same meeting today and ask exactly the same question. The book is an attempt to answer it.

What for you then is the key to success? Is it enough to be disruptive?

It’s no longer enough to be pretty good at a lot of things. You goal should be excellence in a chosen field. The most local, the most global, the most exclusive…the point is to stand for something. Too many leaders want to stay in the middle of the road, which is the road to nowhere.

Thanks to the digital revolution, we live in an age of transparency. Do you find that the most disruptive companies are also the most authentic?

It’s certainly true that you can’t behave one way in the marketplace and another way internally. Your brand must be a reflection of your culture. In that context, your hiring policy and the way you treat your employees becomes vitally important. I’d even say that the “power couple” in this new environment are the marketers and human resources department, because your talent strategy and your brand strategy must be in synch.

Can you give a concrete example of this?

One of my favourite brands in the US is Zappos.com. In just ten years it has become an iconic brand, by doing something is banal as selling shoes on line. The way it uses customer service, performance and theatricality to make technology more human is outstanding. A lot of this is based on its hiring strategy. When you join the company, you embark on a five week training period. Then they offer you 5000 dollars to quit. It’s a way of acknowledging that the company isn’t for everyone, while ensuring that only those who are truly committed to the brand stay on. That’s just one of the reasons why it’s become a passion brand of the highest order. The staff believes in it as well as the customers.

Is being “practically radical” – or “disruptive” as TBWA would call it – essentially about taking risks?

During my research, I unearthed an academic study that identified two different forms of risk-taking. The first might be termed “sinking the boat”: taking a risk that didn’t work. But the second is “missing the boat”: failing to take a risk that might have worked. Too many leaders fail to innovate because they’re afraid of sinking the boat.

In advertising, there’s sometimes a feeling that originality requires big budgets. How do you feel about that?

If you look at any truly creative organization, it’s not about how deep their pockets are, but how original their ideas are. Once again, that stems from their people. And by the way, these people don’t have to work FOR you. It’s enough that they work WITH you. You need to find people who excel in their field and get them involved. It’s the team that counts – I’m a firm believer that you’re never as smart alone as you are together.

Having said that, there is an element of self-help to your book. Can individuals apply your ideas to themselves?

Absolutely. In the last third of the book I talk about how to become a high-impact individual in your field. Just like brands, we should all consider what we stand for and what legacy we want to leave.

TBWA is famous for its work with brands such as Apple and Pedigree. How do they fit in with the theme of your book?

For me, the key to Apple is that it decided that it was not going to be a company that introduced new electronic devices, but one that reshaped what was possible. It doesn’t allow what is currently known about technology to limit its imagination. Instead, it imagines the impossible and then endeavours to make it happen. It’s the ultimate example of starting with a blank sheet of paper.

Pedigree is a completely different example in that it’s a company with a long history. The temptation in this case is to disavow your past in order to carve out a new future. Instead, Pedigree rediscovered and reinterpreted its heritage. The company was started by people who genuinely loved dogs, but somehow over the years that message had gotten watered down.  All large but somewhat stodgy companies were based on an original innovative idea. Sometimes you need to go back to that idea in order to reinvigorate your business. Never be afraid to seek inspiration in your past.

Practically Radical: Not-So-Crazy Ways to Transform Your Company, Shake Up Your Industry and Challenge Yourself, is published by William Morrow & Company.

For any comments or suggestions, send an email to Ulrich Proeschel.

I was in London the other day, and I discovered the “Eastern Egg” operation.  The idea is simple: buy a beautiful painted wooden egg (done by one of fourteen designers) for £10 and the money goes directly to the Red Cross in Japan.  The eggs are painted by an awesome “egg bot” (see below video).  To place your order, just go to www.eastern-eggs.com. What’s more thanks to PayPal you don’t have to be in the UK to participate!

Eastern Eggs from TBWA\London on Vimeo.

Amnesty International Deutschland iPad ad (engl.) from TBWA Germany on Vimeo.

TBWA\Berlin has produced two mobile ads for Amnesty International in Germany. They will also be available on  the tablet edition of Die Welt – one of the leading German  dailies.  iPad users can interact with Amnesty International through an alarming scene of a human rights violation. Attempts to wipe away the image fail. After several attempts a message appears: “Torture only disappears when you’re doing something about it.”

The ads use the gesture technology of the iPad. They make it clear that daily human rights violations can’t be simply wiped away. With one click users can directly support Amnesty International Germany.

For any comments or suggestions, send an email to Ulrich Proeschel.

“Most brands use Facebook pages tell users about new flavours, new colours or whatever, but we wanted to be different,” says TBWA Berlin digital creative director Frederik Frede.

An element called RSVP allows users to register with the brand. For Absolut, the benefit is obvious: a database containing  the e-mail addresses of the brand’s greatest fans. But the fans get something valuable in return: first notice of Absolut-related events and occasions, from special downloads to concert tickets.

Another element, Featured Freitag (or ‘Featured Friday’) is a blog packed full of stories and video about fashion, design, music and creativity. On any given Friday you might find soccer-playing robots, an amazing playlist, or sneak peaks of a forthcoming movie about the digital revolution.

“There are over 15 million people on Facebook in Germany, so that was a massive argument for creating the page,” says Dirk Henkelmann, creative director at TBWA Berlin. “We agreed with Absolut that it had to be more than just advertising. If you’re going have a conversation, you need to have something interesting to give.”

For the Featured Friday content, TBWA is working with Absolut’s PR agency, K-MB. Similarly, Absolut’s Facebook community is being coordinated by i365, a joint venture between TBWA and social media specialists buw Group. “An rewarding and enriching collaboration,” says Dirk.

The Facebook format presented certain design challenges – so the team decided to concentrate on benefits rather than beauty. “Wait until you see what’s coming next on the page,” advises Frederik. “I can’t tell you about it yet – but it’s going to be awesome.”

1. The golden age of media

The media revolution we’re experiencing right now is so incredible that in 50 years time, people will wish they’d been here. That’s why I compare it to the California gold rush – a time of excitement and opportunity. From social media to smart phones, digital is utterly transforming our lives. In places like Tunisia and Egypt, it has given a voice to those who were powerless. We are witnessing the forced birth of increased transparency among governments and corporations.

2. Richer, faster, easier

Panning for a gold was a long, painstaking process. But today’s digital entrepreneurs can build businesses that might grow in value from thousands of dollars to billions in less than a year. It has never been easier to create or attract value than it is now: what used to take decades is now achievable in only a few months. And the founders of Google and Facebook don’t look as if they come from another world. They’re young guys who had a good idea. If we find that nugget of gold, we could be like them.

3. Globalisation for all

The concept of globalisation sounds all-embracing, but it fact it was the domain of a few giant companies. Since the internet, globalisation is open to everyone. Not only is it cheaper to make your ideas a reality, but it is also cheaper to promote them worldwide. Connectivity will also cause the death of what I call “regional thinking”. Instead of joining forces with our geographic neighbours, we will join forces with those who are more like us. For example, Finland has more in common with New Zealand than it does with France.

4. Knowledge for all, too

If knowledge is power, today power definitely belongs to the people. Thanks to Google and the other search engines, almost everyone has access to limitless knowledge at the click of a mouse. Mobile devices are accelerating this change. Right now there are about 400 million smart phones. In two years time there will be two billion. That means access to an infinite library, anytime, anywhere.

5. PC R.I.P.

Watching television in the traditional sense is beginning to seem pretty old-fashioned. It won’t be long before our TV screens are also our windows on the internet. In fact, I believe that the middle-sized screen – the PC – will gradually disappear from domestic environments. We’ll consume digital media either on big screens at home, or on small screens on the move.

6. Mass brands get personal

Mass communication is not a thing of the past – but it’s no longer the only game in town. Even brands with mass appeal can now build fan bases via Facebook and other social media. Pretty soon, they’ll be able to tailor products and services to specific fans, forging individual relationships. Dialogue with users and a deeper knowledge of peer groups offers rich terrain for a new, improved version of CRM. Consider the example of Skittles in the UK, which has three million fans, enabling it to engage with a mass audience in a non-mass environment.

Editor’s note: We couldn’t let Petteri plug his book without answering a few questions, so we asked him some.

Q. What does all this mean for advertising agencies?

As my colleagues put it during a recent conference, it’s the end of storytelling and the beginning of story building. We’re creating properties that people can play with, explore, extend – even redecorate, if you like. Once we understand our job in those terms, everything becomes clear.

Q. We experienced a gold rush before – the dot com boom of 1999/2000. The gold turned out to be fake. What’s different?

The dot com boom was created by financiers and the stock market. Consumers thought it all sounded pretty neat, but most of them didn’t really understand it, so adoption was too low. The social media revolution is being driven by consumers. Facebook will soon have more members than there are people in China. Even if it turns out to be overvalued, it’s not going away. This revolution is unstoppable.

Q. I get it. So how can I mine gold from social media?

It’s all about CRM. In the old days, CRM was probably the most boring aspect of marketing. It was about gathering data, putting people in boxes and then sending them messages they didn’t want to receive. But on Facebook, customers actually seek interaction with brands. It has become the greatest CRM tool in history. Because of it, CRM has become creative. In fact, CRM is now the sexiest aspect of marketing.

Petteri Kilpinen is Vice President Innovation, TBWA\Europe and heads the TBWA Group in Finland

That’s what happened when Pedigree set out on a global mission to connect with consumers like never before. Together with TBWA, the brand held Disruption Days in several markets around the world. This process led to a powerful brand idea: everything we do is for the love of dogs.

“Dogs Rule”, said TV spots and posters featuring cute, mischievous and faithful hounds. Pedigree seemed to be speaking to and on behalf of dog lovers everywhere. The company even changed its working practices to allow dogs into its offices. Salespeople went on the road with dogs. The brand behaviour reflected the disruptive idea. What’s more, this was the first time Pedigree had spoken with a single, global voice, bringing power and consistency to the brand.

But there was still more to be done. So in 2008, Pedigree’s European markets took part of the marketing budget and used it to support dogs who really needed it: the millions of dogs in shelters.

With the help of Media Arts, Pedigree turned its global idea – Everything we do is for the love of dogs – into localized brand behaviour. The adoption drive was launched across nine

European countries with an emotional, impactful TV ad. Over images of dogs behind bars, a voiceover said: “I know how to sit, how to fetch, and how to roll over. What I don’t know is – how I ended up here.” The spot explained that when customers bought any Pedigree product, the company would make a donation that would help dogs in shelters find a loving home.

In the UK, the adoption drive was launched at Crufts, a famous dog show. British actor and comedian Neil Morrissey was enlisted to host a mass dog walk in London. Pedigree even produced a weekly documentary called “Dog Rescue” featuring the UK’s leading shelter, Battersea Dogs’ Home.

In Germany, real dogs from local shelters “spoke” to dog lovers via captions on posters. Smaller markets focused on PR activities. In the Netherlands, for example, Pedigree installed cardboard cut-outs of dogs on lawns and in parks. The signs read: “I wish I was here.” In Austria, interactive posters featured dogs with many leashes – consumers could remove a leash containing details of the adoption drive. In Ireland, a hard-hitting poster featured several photos of dogs. These were removed over time, confronting the public with the fact that 43 homeless dogs are put down every day. Hungary took an online approach, allowing potential owners to pick their rescue dog from the Pedigree website.

RESULTS

The reaction was overwhelming. People showed their support not only via Web buzz, but in concrete numbers. In Ireland, the brand grew by 8% and the adoption drive generated more than €400,000 worth of free media coverage. In the UK, the campaign raised over €1.9 million for homeless dogs. The German magazine “Dogs” described Pedigree as “the most dog-loving company”. In Spain, 150,000 people subscribed to an adoption drive newsletter. And in the Netherlands, the campaign was so successful that it was extended for an extra ten weeks at the request of retailers. Across Europe, Pedigree raised over €3 million for the drive.

And most importantly, the adoption rate of dogs grew by 30%, helping thousands find loving homes.

It was the ultimate expression of Pedigree’s brand belief: to make the world a better place for dogs.