Hill+Knowlton Strategies

Every so often a cultural spoof comes along that is eminently watchable and shareable.  Or a song that is so catchy that it gets stuck in your head – an ‘ear flee’ as The Today Programme so elegantly phrased it this week.

And sometimes the stars align and a catchy spoof is born – as with the boys from Eton’s ‘Eton Style’ homage to Psy’s hit track and video Gangnam Style….  1.6 million views to date and counting….

Now I love nothing better than the sound of plummy voices  rapping – my three all-time favourites are Smirnoff Ice’s Tea Partay, the Yeo Valley rap from 2010, and (showing my age now) the 1991 French hit Auteuil Neuilly Pass by Les Inconnus – it helps if you speak French, but even if you don’t you’ll enjoy the video and  the ‘Salut tu vas bien’ chorus.   But ‘Eton Style’ is something else, it’s  genuine, it’s joyful – no brand has interfered in the making of this video – and it’s very very silly.

If you haven’t watched it, you need to do so now.

A marvellous glimpse into the hallowed cloisters of Britain’s most famous boys’ school.  And what an awesome dance move that little horsey trot is.  The Eton boys don’t quite pull it off, and the production is a little slick for a homework project, but just how charming is that video?  In case you are wondering they are six formers –  apparently this is recognisable from their ‘white tie’ (there are occasional information advantages to living with an old Etonian…).

You probably recognise the tune, but have you seen the real thing? Quality at 531 million views, give or take a million or so. Read the rest of this entry »

We all know the expression “a problem shared is a problem halved” and it’s pretty true. It’s good to tell other people what’s on your mind.

But what about an experience shared? Well, forget trying to measure that – there isn’t a scale, a barometer or a mathematical formula on the planet that can begin to measure what’s just happened to this country.

At London 2012 we did it well but better than that we did it together. And that is a rare thing – very rare.

Some of the best things in life are shared experiences – sport, festivals, holidays – but how often is everyone up for the same team/band/trip? Not often.

And how good does it feel when there’s no United v City, no Jessie J v Rihanna, no beach v museum? Just Team GB and the incredible journey they took us on stopping off at heartbreak, ecstasy and farce (Ian Thorpe’s wardrobe) along the way. Unforgettable.

For those of us old enough to remember three channel television it was a bit of a throwback to the days when part of the fun of watching Grange Hill, The Young Ones or Spitting Image was going to school/work the next day and talking about it. Because everyone was watching. Everyone.

The fragmentation of media/society/life means that we hardly do anything together anymore – even when we’re in the same place.

The rise of Facebook, Twitter etc (pass me another Werthers Original would you?) means you might be sat five yards from someone and still not share the same experience. And that’s pretty sad because as a nation we’re pretty much unbeatable when we do things together.

London 2012 has been a thrill, a landmark, a revelation. But more than anything I hope it’s been a wake up call. Get together.

The Spark/Steve

Inspired by a certain sporting event that’s now in full swing (hard to believe when the West End currently feels like the set of 28 Days Later) here we go with the some Olympic-inspired happenings that take the winners’ podium as this week’s Three For Free.

1) Take in the spirit of the Games

What better way to mark the 30^th Olympiad than by slurping vodka at the ice bar at Russia.Sochi. Park in Kensington Gardens?  It’s one nearly 20 free “hospitality houses” that  have popped up across London that are open to the public and are set to be the venue for medal ceremonies, exhibitions and parties throughout the Olympics and Paralympics.  Sink a Heineken with the Dutch at Alexandra Palace, take some little people to The House of Fairy Tales at the House of Switzerland near Borough Market, enjoy the craic at the Irish House in Kings Cross and bid a hearty “Herzlichen Gluckwunsch fur dem Goldmedaille” if you bump into any Germans that “medal” at the Deutches Haus in Docklands.

See http://www.visitlondon.com/london2012/national-hospitality-houses-for-london-2012/ for more details.

2) A One-Eyed View of London

Following in the footsteps of Cow Parade and the recent Big Egg Hunt,  download one of six walking trails around London and see how many  of the 83 unique Wenlock and Mandeville sculptures you can spot along the way.  See http://www.molpresents.com/stroll or get the app from http://photoroute.com/app

3) A photo finish…and other cultural happenings

And if you’re more about the mind than the body beautiful, there’s still bundles of stuff planned as part of the city’s Cultural Olympiad.  Highlights include the BT Road to 2012 exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery which pays tribute to the world-class athletes taking part in the Games, as well as those involved in planning and staging the event and ordinary folks living and working in the Olympic Host Boroughs.  Or marvel at the collection of 100 years of the posters created by each Olympic Host City since 1912 at Tate Britain.  http://festival.london2012.com/index.php

The Spark/Claire C

Hello people of H+K,

Time for this week’s three for free blog (with one for luck)… and I do believe we have something for everyone – Art, Music, Fashion and Free Beer… what more does a hard working PR person want?

Enjoy!

Yoko Ono - Smile 2010 © Yoko Ono

What: Yoko Ono – To The Light

When: 19 June – 9 September 2012

Where: Serpentine Gallery, Kensington Gardens, London, W2 3XA

Deets: Most of us know Yoko Ono as a regular Beatles distraction, famous for her ‘bed-ins’ with John Lennon and namesake of one of the lesser celebrated Beatles songs. Back in 1970, whilst die hard Beatles fans were busy blaming Ono for the bands demise, she was more focused on carving out a career in her own right as film-maker, artist and author that has now spanned over five decades.

This exhibition, her first in a London public institution for more than a decade, includes new and existing installations, films and performances, as well as archive material relating to several key early works.

If Yoko Ono doesn’t take your fancy, the Serpentine Gallery is still well worth a visit, if not for it’s gorgeous location smack bang in the middle of Hyde Park (get a boat on the Serpentine if this rain ever passes… which is not due to until next Friday #fact) but to see the Ai Wei Wei Pavillion which opened in May.

Tweets: @SerpentineUK, #smilesfilm, #music, #art, #london

What: Judy’s Affordable Vintage Fair

When: 7 July 2012, 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Where: Old Spitalfields Market, 65 Brushfield Street, London. E1 6AA

Deets: Judy’s affordable vintage fair is London’s longest running vintage market expect 170 vintage traders offering cheaper than your average fashion, accessories, furniture, homewares and haberdashery (via @TimeOutLondon)

Tweets: @JudyVintageFair, #vintage, #fashion, #london, #shopping

What: First Thursdays

When: First Thursday of every month… that’s tonight!

Where: East London, Map Here

Deets: If you haven’t heard about First Thursdays then WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN? Every month is an entirely different affair but the general gist is that on the first Thursday of every month the galleries and museums of east London open their doors late so you can drink, see art, drink, feel a bit cultured, drink and um… that’s it really. But what more do you need?

There are over 100 galleries to see, many of which offer beer and wine for free or at bargain basement prices (much like Alex behind the bar). Check out the PDF map in the link above for directions but if you need a starting point head to the Whitechapel Gallery (nearest tube Aldgate East) and meander through the mean streets from there.

Tweets: @TheWhitechapel, #firstthursdays, #art, #music

Final Thought: Did you know that all H+K / WPP employees get free entry into the National Portrait Gallery plus one guest? Check out the website here to see current exhibitions. All you need to do is present your work pass on arrival. #Thankyoumartin

- Rebecca Meredith

This week I’m mostly being inspired by:

Cannes case studies.  There is just so much to soak up and learn from this year’s Festival of Creativity, I’m gutted I wasn’t there, and  I’m spending time every day watching case study videos.  My favourite so far is ‘Steal Banksy’, a campaign by Naked Communications for Art Series hotels in Australia.  I love this campaign because it takes an insight (people steal stuff from hotels) and rather than do the obvious (8/10 guests steal bathrobes) the agency turned it on its head and made it into a brilliant challenge:  book a room,  try to steal the Banksy painting on the wall – if you get away with it, you get to keep it.    A one off campaign, it’s been so successful that they’re running it again.    I also love the Wimpy Braille Burger from Metropolitanrepublic in South Africa for its simplicity and loveliness.

And there’s plenty more there for inspiration – be quick as the videos will be taken down soon.

Continuing the Cannes theme,  I’m  reading Edward de Bono’s  Lateral Thinking at the moment. It’s a text book, it’s a teacher’s aide, it’s original thinking, it’s a bit dry and it’s fascinating.   Ever since hearing Dr de Bono talk at Cannes I’ve been a convert, but it’s taken me a year to  get into the nitty gritty of how lateral thinking differs from vertical thinking and what blocks creativity.  Lateral thinking is provocative, it’s about generating ideas for the sake of it, with no ‘right or wrong’ filter… but as we’re pre-programmed from a young age to get our spelling and sums correct and not make mistakes it can be a leap of faith to generate thinking that feels wrong.  According to de Bono you need to suspend your judgement to have those breakthrough ideas.

And finally where there is lego there is gold.  An awesome campaign from Google Chrome and Lego Australia  ‘Build’: you can build 3D lego buildings onto a map of Australia.  Watch here.

As always please share your inspiration with us!

The Spark /Annouchka

A wise colleague of mine (or was it Matt Muir?) once said: “There are two types of people in life – the ones who have seen It’s A Wonderful Life and the ones who haven’t.”

As someone who spends too much time in my own virtual Bedford Falls – if you’re not following me then you’re clearly one of the latter not the former – I think this is a great sentiment. If you’ve ever been to Bedford Falls you’re not likely to forget it but if you haven’t it’s a fictional town where, thanks to the hero of the film George Bailey, people live in peace and harmony and have all the opportunities life should afford.

So far, so what? Well, as one of the Johnny Come Latelys currently obsessed by Danish crime drama The Killing (surely the only thing in recent TV history which, like It’s A Wonderful Life, merits the “Have you or haven’t you?” question) it struck me that Scandinavia is, or maybe was, the new Bedford Falls.

The reason It’s A Wonderful Life continues to strike such a rich chord 60 odds years later is that it’s a place that represents a lifestyle and values we can all aspire to – when things start to go wrong in the film it’s horrible and when our hero makes things better again it’s, well, wonderful.

If Europe has a Bedford Falls then surely it’s Scandinavia – idyllic, relaxed, friendly and, until the shocking massacre in Norway last summer at least, safe. Is this why the region has provided the backdrop to some of the most powerful books, films and TV programmes in recent years?

I really think it is. When bad things happen in a good place they are more shocking, more gripping and more dramatic. This must be a major factor in our continuing fascination with Scandinavian crime drama.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo trilogy has been a massive success in bookstores and in cinemas and on the small screen The Killing is just one of several Scandinavian TV series to win our hearts (or more likely rip them out) in recent years – The Bridge is the latest but Borgen and Wallander have also made a big impression.

Like gentle George Bailey in It’s A Wonderful Life, the stars of The Killing and The Girl with The Dragon Tattoo series go to extreme lengths to make things better and we love them for it – end of story.

Anyway, fag packet philosophy apart, The Killing particularly is quite simply unmissable TV so if you haven’t watched it, you really should. And you might want to pop in to Bedford Falls on the way. Say hello from me.

Cheers

Steve

Hi All

The Jubilee Weekend is nearly upon us, and I have my own flotilla of boating events to attend – the National Schools Rowing Regatta in Nottingham, then pegging it back down the M1 for the Thames Pageant.

But if all the bunting and regal regalia are wearing you down, here’s three free things to do this week that won’t involve the Queen, the Union Jack or cream teas:

1. The new Serpentine Gallery Pavillion

Opened today, designed by Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron, in collaboration with Chinese artist and activist Ai Wei Wei, this is a rather cool and quirky building built largely underground.   I’m keen to visit, especially following  Ai Wei Wei’s fab Sunflower Seed exhibition at Tate Modern.

2.Beneath the Surface, Steve Bloom, Guardian Gallery

The second London Festival of Photography is running throughout June, encompassing street, documentary and conceptual photography, and includes 18 exhibitions and 30 satellite events including workshops, talks and screenings.  Work is from both established and emerging photographers, and content is curated around the theme, “Inside Out: Reflections on the Public and the Private”

One exhibition that I particularly want to see (as the child of a conscientious exile from South Africa) is Steve Bloom’s mid 70s photographs that capture the apartheid-era as the cracks were starting to show in the regime. Steve Bloom  took to the streets and the townships, capturing the tension of the time.  Some photos are being shown for the first time, while others haven’t been seen for over 30 years.

Policeman chasing man during street protest, Cape Town, South Africa, 1976 © Steve Bloom /SteveBloom.com

3. Cary Grant, Hollywood’s exquisite, charming enigma

6 June, Gresham College

From  history and politics to celebrity – next week there is a lecture on the gorgeous and enigmatic Cary Grant, as biographer and journalist Geoffrey Wansall goes behind the mask to discover the real man.

Have a good week and if you attend any of these events, do let us know what you think.

/Annouchka

Jubilant Musings: The Great British (Brain)storm

Ah, the weather. It’s going to change again, isn’t it? Things are just about holding over Soho Square, but I hear tell of electrical storms overnight and a temperature plunge in the offing. It’ll be chilly again just in time for the Jubilee weekend. What a shame. Just as we were really starting to warm to the idea of socks with sandals, Pimm’s in the sunshine and a jubilant weekend of slightly overheated tuna sarnies curling at the corners.

Let’s face it though, we British will carry on as if it’s a blazing hot day despite the mercury struggling to make double figures. It’s just that sort of spirit that saw us through the war.

Please don’t take me for a cynic. Any excuse for a party. I’m going to try and dig out some seventies recipes – no national celebration is complete without a cheese and pineapple hedgehog as far as I’m concerned. I’m certain Her Maj feels exactly the same.

Yellow food: clearly a sub-theme for this blog

Have you got any idea where this is going yet? No, neither have I… But I am feeling a whole lot more comfortable now we’ve discussed the weather and covered off a few cultural stereotypes.

Which brings me neatly to another – The British Stiff Upper Lip. Synecdoche, if you will – symbolising those very British traits of emotional fortitude, self-restraint and generally not letting our emotions show through (thank you, Wikipedia). Basically, all these flapping flags have got me thinking – does the stiff upper lip get in the way of creative thinking? When it comes to say, brainstorming, do we need to be a bit more, well, how can I put this delicately…  American about it?

It’s something I’ve noticed in the past few weeks in attempting to flex my own (admittedly weedy) creative facilitation muscles. One of the most critical and tricky things for any facilitator to master is making a group completely at ease with one another, trust the process and willing to suspend their disbelief sufficiently to just go with the flow for a bit.

Moreover, as a facilitator, learning to let yourself do this – let go of the fear that nobody is going to ‘get it’, go with you, share, start making animal noises or stand to tell all their most embarrassing moment as a teenager – is a big old challenge. It’s vital. If you’re embarrassed, nervous and not entirely convinced it’s going to work, your ‘stormers certainly will be too.

Creativity demands that we take what we know and be willing to turn it inside out, back to front and stand it on its head – while also embracing what we don’t know and being willing to poke around there for a while too. It takes a strong guide to get to get any group to this point, which is when the creative magic starts to happen.

As a facilitator (and a very British one, at that) I’m learning that what you can’t do is hurry this journey. Strangers exchanging platitudes don’t become creative moguls dancing a brainstorm jig whilst simultaneously making Play-Do figures in a jiffy. Easing people in gently, the power of the icebreaker and giving time for ideas and thoughts to incubate even before you convene is undoubtedly the secret to unravelling that stiff upper lip. The challenge is having all the right tools prepared in a brainstorm to help get to that magical point where the ideas are flowing and social mores of sensible thoughts and behaviour are long forgotten.

Or failing that, a few glasses of Pimm’s and a couple of those cheese and pineapple sticks should do the trick.

Some more yellow food

This week it’s all about design.  I started thinking about design when a chunky envelope dropped through my letterbox, sadly not addressed to me but my housemate with a very funky invitation to the new British Design exhibition at the V&A (she works for the sponsor).  Using what I’m told is a 3D lenticular print it showcases some of the best British design from the last 60 years or so.  The invite gives the illusion of depth so when you view it from different angles, different images are magnified…everything from the good old British road sign to 70s punk culture.  I like it so much we’ve stuck it up on the fridge.  A great example of when a brilliantly designed invite becomes a keepsake (and a permanent reminder of the V&A!).  And I’m going to the exhibition next weekend.

British Design 1948-2012: Innovation in the Modern Age, until 31^st August, Victoria & Albert Museum

On a rainy bank holiday Monday, what better way to seek inspiration than unleashing your ‘inner showgirl’ and drooling over those iconic shoes with the red soles.  Another of the on-trend retrospectives , this time it’s Christian Louboutin and a celebration of 20 years of shoe design at the Design Museum.  Whilst the shadow theatre and hologram of Dita Von Teese dancing in her bejewelled Louboutin’s somewhat steal the show, his one-off fashion meets art designs are certainly thought provoking.  A great example of putting two things you never expect together….everything from an 8 inch heel on a ballet shoe to a stiletto made from a fish.

Christian Louboutin, until 9^th July, Design Museum

Of course, great design isn’t just in the Museums.  Last week I munched on tasty tacos next to a very cool cardboard cityscape at La Bodega Negra.  From the people behind La Esquina in New York, this trendy, new eatery in the heart of Soho is hidden behind an unmarked door with neon signs advertising peep show and adult video.  Find the man with the clipboard and (if you have a reservation) get ushered down into a cavernous space that the owner describes as “a private hacienda in the style of Luis Buñuel”.  You can’t take photos of the cityscape so it’s worth a visit just to see it….and if it’s good enough for Kylie…

http://labodeganegra.com/

Lisa

Hello there wonderful world of the web

Do you reckon the sun will ever come back? It’s hard to get creative when it’s so gloomy outside. I’ve just come back from a fabulous weekend in Valencia and everything just looks so beautiful in the sunshine. Our apartment was in front of this badass playground called ‘Gulliver.’ I felt like a big kid (with a big hangover).

Here’s the three for free!

1. NEW BANKSY WITH BUNTING @ WOOD GREEN, ONGOING

• Well, well, look what we have here. A new Banksy has appeared on Wood Green High Street and is probably (obviously?) a commentary of the upcoming Jubilee. Apparently the bunting is now gone, but worth a visit to figure out what we think Banksy’s trying to say to us.

2. MUSEUMS AT NIGHT @ ACROSS THE UK, 18 – 20 MAY

• If you’ve ever checked out Nuit Blanche in Toronto or Paris, Museums at Night just might be your thing. It’s Culture24’s annual after hours celebration when hundreds of museums, galleries, libraries, archives and heritage sites open their doors for special evening events. My pick: check out what the Somerset House have going on or if you have some spare change, check out the Future Shorts event at the Museum of Soho.

3. BEYOND RETRO 10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY @ SOHO/BRICK LANE, UNTIL 19 MAY

• Vintage store Beyond Retro are celebrating “10 years of sartorial heaven” at their newly spruced-up Cheshire St (off Brick Lane). They’ve got loads of throwback events that should get you wishing you were lived in the roaring 20s/30s/40s. Cool event alert – a talk with Amber Butchart on Hollywood in London in the 1930s.

That’s all folks.

-Kat