Fearlessly Frank

Christmas in the Cuban Countryside

2012-02-06T11:49:00.020Z

“Cuban girls, brother" our local companion grins with a nod towards two teenagers strolling barefoot over rock and gravel. He leans across me, hangs right out of the window as we drive past and says something loud and leery in Spanish. The girls scowl and he winks big with his good eye, crawls back across me and slaps my thigh, saying something about 'making party', 'making barbecue', 'making disco dance'.

The Cuban countryside is the greenest green – far greener than your British green. A cart pulled by two horses, skin stretched across their ribs, travels beside us, carrying jagged pink rocks and two men, a father and son with sad eyes, leathery skin and Nike baseball caps, who appear to be guarding the rocks. The father swats the flies vigorously, or else is crossing himself at the battered American speed demon that I’ve enlisted for my afternoon excursion into what our local companion keeps referring to as ‘The Real Cuba’. It’s a 1953 Chevy Bel Air with a Toyota engine, and it’s choking and spluttering and struggling and shuddering up the slightest of inclines.

A thin, tired seventy-year-old woman with lank hair and no teeth drags a sack of something – plantains, probably – up the hill, a collarless dog ahead of her. She wears grey jogging bottoms and a ragged grey tank top with sparkling silver lettering across the chest. It reads ‘PRINCESS’.

Many of the locals live in huts with thatched roofs and the kids dance around in the street wearing knock-off Disney tee-shirts. A black Snow White. Beauty and the Bear. I give them little toys – bouncy balls and colouring crayons, Kinder Surprise plastic junk – and they run back to the porch, to their parents, and their mother nods at us and smiles and I wonder how much money you can give someone who has none before it becomes an insult. The average monthly wage is twenty-five pesos. I drank ten pesos worth of beer at lunch. There are at least two things wrong with that. After a while I become a little too enthusiastic in my benevolence and end up bouncing a rubber ball off some disinterested toddler’s head. No reaction.

Once again, our local companion suggests we make Christmas party, and reveals that he has a bottle of Havana Club, which he offers to sell to me for three pesos. He fiddles with the car stereo until we’re listening to Cuban rap music. The words I can make out are ‘mojito’, ‘baseball’, ‘Che Guevara’ and ‘yeah’. We stop to have a drink next to a dead dog lying atop of big pile of sand.

Wisdom for the Working Week, Part 1

2012-01-31T10:07:00.000Z

“It’s the same challenge we have always faced: how to capture the public’s imagination in the first place… We need to forget above-the-line and below-the-line, online or offline, and remember that, above everything else, it is the quality and creativity of the content that creates breakthrough experiences today.”

- Alix Pennycuick

Digital Essays.

“The majority will continue to operate much as they ever have. Having grown up with an essentially passive relationship with media, the shift to becoming an active consumer of ideas is neither likely nor desirable.”

- Faris Yacob

I believe that children are the future.

“If the man in the street is the object of your attention, then make sure you walk the same street as him. See the world as he sees it and not through the bloodshot eyes of the denizen of the media village.”

- Steve Harrison

How To Do Better Creative Work.

Lolita in the Ghetto

2012-01-27T15:02:00.007Z

The first big pop release of the year hits stores this week, and already carries with it an unprecedented degree of expectation, debate and cynicism - both from the media and the public at large. Certainly, the name that's been on our lips (and blaring out our office speakers) the most in the last few days is that of the enigmatic and highly devisive young songstress, Miss Lana Del Rey.

Pitching herself as 'The Gangsta Nancy Sinatra', Lana rocketed to worldwide fame shortly after posting her song 'Video Games' online, accompanied by a makeshift music video ripped predominately from other YouTube clips. The backlash hit soon after - most of it aimed at her privileged upbringing, major label backing, and perceived 'manufactured-ness'. The main accusation levelled at Lana Del Rey? She's a fake, a fraud, a phoney! She's a product! She's not who she says she is!

A pop singer with a stage persona? Someone get Bowie/Madonna/Gaga on the phone!

We at Fearlessly Frank - never ones to simply 'believe the hype' - sat down on Monday evening to listen to the album ourselves, and the general consensus is: "this is far-and-away the best thing out there at the moment". How so? What sets Del Rey apart from the Gagas / Spears / Agulerias / Winehouses / Adeles / blah blah? Well, I've got a theory...

Lurid sex has always had its place in the charts, but in this bubble-wrapped world of seatbelts and second-hand smoke, its the 'wining and dining, drinking and driving, excessive buying, overdosing and dying...' thats been severely lacking in mainstream music. We used to call it 'edge'. Now we tut into a macchiatos.

At its best, popular art can transport us to places we can't, and perhaps wouldn't want to, visit in real life. Much of Lana Del Rey's writing exists in this place - liquor-drenched and lovesick, tumbling in-and-out of clubs and in-and-out of love with the most unsavoury characters.

All course, all of this 'edge' would become tiresome and off-putting pretty quickly if there was nothing behind it. Fortunately for Lana, her 'edge' is just that - a vividly rambunctious veneer under which cowers a fragile, vulnerable young person who's been hurt and is setting herself up to get hurt again. A vein of genuine human tragedy, of a timeless and very universal kind of pain, is present on every track of her debut album. After the drink and the drugs, after the SNL 'disaster's and the endless 'faker' debates, that's what sets Lana Del Rey apart in a saturated market of throwback female vocalists. She possesses something the Britneys and Christinas never did: a heart, and a past.

If Lana Del Rey is the product of a industry committee, then it's the greatest trick the Devil ever pulled: a fragile, fallible and individual voice delivering timeless songs of heart-flooding lyricism and peerless elegance, dripping with authenticity and genuine feeling. If Lana Del Rey is a product of 'The Man', then 'The Man' needs a pat on the back, a couple of new sports cars and then a big, warm hug.

For Rod, Wherever We May Find Him...

2012-01-20T14:51:00.007Z

A dark evening in late December. A black cab judders to a halt and a shadowy figure steps out into the bitter cold of the city. Wind whistles through the high-rise office blocks, stood silent and still, their inhabitants long-since retired to their homes and their families, or else struggling on and off bar stools in countless gin joints and dive bars, full to overflowing with holiday spirits.

Our hero braces himself against the howling gale, hugging his overcoat to his body and disappearing into the darkness. Where he's going, we may never know (he struggles to remember, himself). Visible to the world for the briefest of moments, he has now vanished without a trace...

Or has he?

No.

He's left his box of business cards on the car floor. A nightmare situation that might have ended in inconsolable inconvenience, were it not for Rod. Oh, Rod.

Rod didn't provide his details, so we aren't able to thank him for returning the cards (along with a very nice note) with a couple of pints down at Jag Shoes, so this (admittedly verbose) blog post will have to suffice:

Thank you, Rod. Wherever you are...

Wake Up & Fight

2012-01-12T12:34:00.010Z

As we embark upon another year, the road unfurling before with all its great mysteries and possibilities, we will no doubt begin to make plans. Plans for what we’ll do and how we’ll be. Plans for betterment – some we’ll to keep, some we’d like to keep but mostly, ones we know we probably won’t. Mostly, we barely even try.

At times like these, it can be comforting to remember that it was ever thus. The same hopes and expectations have been scrawled down at the beginning of every year (only to be swiftly crossed out again) for generations. And it’s not just us day-jobbers, either…

Folk singer Woody Guthrie - possible relation to our own Wayne Guthrie (he's been dining out on the name for twenty years) – shuffled loose our mortal coil some 43 years ago, but his music and his memory live on in the form of the many great, influential writers and singers who’s work and ethos he inspired way back when they were little more than skinny Jewish boys living in Minnesota. This is a man who has shaped our cultural and political landscape more than most. So, just what did he wish for himself as he sat at his desk, looking out on the crisp, white Oklahoma winter, circa. 1942?

NEW YEARS' RULINS by Woody Guthrie

1. Work more and better 

2. Work by a schedule 

3. Wash teeth if any 

4. Shave 

5. Take bath 

6. Eat good – fruit – vegetables – milk 

7. Drink very scant if any 

8. Write a song a day 

9. Wear clean clothes – look good 

10. Shine shoes 

11. Change socks 

12. Change bedclothes often 

13. Read lots good books 

14. Listen to radio a lot 

15. Learn people better 

16. Keep rancho clean 

17. Don’t get lonesome 

18. Stay glad 

19. Keep hoping machine running 

20. Dream good 

21. Bank all extra money

 22. Save dough 

23. Have company but don’t waste time 

24. Send mary and kids money 

25. Play and sing good 

26. Dance better 

27. Help win war – beat fascism 

28. Love mama 

29. Love papa 

30. Love pete 

31. Love everybody 

32. Make up your mind

33. Wake up and fight

Written After Hours

2012-01-05T14:47:00.009Z

The following piece is a house ad written over seventy years ago by a New York-based agency by the name of Erwin, Wasey & Company, Inc. It is entitled ‘Written After Hours’, and reflects a sentiment that I’m sure will resonate with any of us here at Fearlessly Frank who have found themselves working away into the wee hours (that’ll be all of us then)…

‘It is after hours and most of the people have gone home. There is a chess game in the office of the production manager and a light still burns in the cashier’s cage. From the outer room comes the untutored click of a typewriter – an office boy is taking the Y.M.C.A course in advertising. Across the areaway a man bends over his desk, writing. A green visor shades his eyes. From his twenty-eighth story window as he glances up from time to time he can look down on the jewellery of lights. It is after hours, but he works on. He will whip his copy into finished form before he leaves. One of the layout men has put his drawing board aside and is going out to the elevators. Under his arm he carries a tissue pad. A new idea is stirring in his mind. It will be roughed out in pencil before morning comes. Six months from now you will feel it tugging at your purse strings.

It is after and most of the people have gone home. But out in Bronxville and Great Neck, in London and Paris, in Chicago and San Francisco – in hotel rooms, on Pullman cars, on speeding planes and ocean liners this company’s people are thinking about other people’s businesses, working for men who are all unaware such work is going on. A few hurried notes scrawled on the back of an old envelope tonight may be the key to next year’s most productive advertising campaign. Between the acts at the theatre an idea may come that will make sales history. At home, beneath the reading lamp, a man may solve a merchandising problem. Once a famous trademark came back from a camping trip.

These are phases of our service that perhaps not even our own clients have ever thought of before. There is no mention of it in our Terms and Conditions. But all our clients have been the gainer for it and will be many times again. Why such devotion on the part of men who have already given us their day? Of no here is asked more than he can do. The client does not require it. Again, why?

Anyone who deals regularly with men will tell you this is the kind of work that money alone cannot buy. It is work done purely of free will and its real pay is pride in work well done. Those who understand the creative mind will know just what we mean by that. They know that the good workman, in advertising as elsewhere, asks no question save “how well can this be done?”

Most of our men turned to this organization because they felt that with us they could approach their work in just that spirit. All of us here hold that good advertising is advertising which is seen, is read and is believed – advertising which makes friends, builds good will – advertising which returns to the advertiser his investment with a profit. To contrive with words and pictures advertising which can do these things is a challenge to men of fine talent and quick imagination who like to write and like to draw. It is not an easy thing to do, and if we have been unusually successful at it, that is because we love the job and have given it our best. The finest thing we have to give to those who come to us for counsel is the high enthusiasm of our men and a devotion to their work, which is measured neither by the dollar nor the clock.

This, too, was written after hours.’

Thanks to Steve Harrison, whose book How To Do Better Creative Work http://tinyurl.com/87nxgzg brought this sentiment to my attention. A copy of it now sits on my desk as it does his, and its not the only text printed in his book that I now have printed, scanned or scrawled for safe-keeping and future inspiration.

Childish Wonder vs. Bitter Reality

2011-12-07T16:31:00.009Z

Here’s a thoroughly charming short film, directed by London-based commercial director Nick Scott.

The film’s theme is, essentially, a pretty sad and poignant one: the rather bleak future awaiting a generation of bright-eyed youngsters... their rosy-cheeked grins of naive joy soon to be wiped clean off these delightful tykes’ faces like so much spaghetti sauce... the endless compromises and crushing disappointments of an adult reality…

But there’s no denying that the film is ‘cute’. Damn ‘cute’. And the conclusion’s hopeful reprieve is very ‘smile in the mind’ – which you know we’re all about. Have a look...

School Portrait (2011) from Michael Berliner on Vimeo.

Write to Sell… A Snowblower

2011-11-30T17:24:00.009Z

The following Classified ad is absolutely everywhere right now. But we’ve only just found it, so we’re going to pimp it here too.

It may not be a White Christmas in London just yet, but we’re sure anyone who’s ever shovelled a drive, slipped in the sludge or is simply fond of quality writing-to-sell will appreciate this. Without further ado, we give you the creative copy of Weh-Ming Cho…

11HP/29" Snowblower

Price $900.00

Address Moncton, NB, Canada

Do you like shoveling snow? Then stop reading this and go back to your pushups and granola because you are not someone that I want to talk to.

Let’s face it, we live in a place that attracts snow like Magnetic Hill attracts cars, only that ain’t an illusion out there. That’s 12 inches of snow piling up and, oh, what’s that sound? Why it’s the snow plow and it’s here to let you know that it hates you and all the time you spent to shovel your driveway. Did you want to get out of your house today? Were you expecting to get to work on time? Or even this week?

You gave it your best shot. You tried to shovel by yourself and I respect you for that. I did it, my parents did it, some of my best friends did it. But deep down inside, we all wanted to murder that neighbor with the snowblower who was finished and on his second beer while you were still trying to throw snow over a snowbank taller than you are.

So, here we are. You could murder your neighbour, which could ensure that you won’t need to shovel a driveway for 25 to life, but there are downsides to that too. What to do?

Here’s the deal. I have a snow blower and I want you to own it. I can tell you’re serious about this. It’s like I can almost see you: sitting there, your legs are probably crossed and your left hand is on your chin. Am I right? How’d I do that? The same way that I know that YOU ARE GOING TO BUY THIS SNOWBLOWER.

I want you to experience the rush that comes with smashing through a snowdrift and blowing that mother trucker out of the way. The elation of seeing the snow plow come back down your street and watching the look of despair as your OTHER neighbour gets his shovel out once more while you kick back with a hot cup of joe (you don’t have a drinking problem like that other guy).

Here’s what you do. You go to the bank. You collect $900. You get your buddy with a truck and you drive over here. You give me some cold hard cash and I give you a machine that will mess up a snowbank sumthin’ fierce. I’ve even got the manual for it, on account of I bought it brand new and I don’t throw that kind of thing away. Don't want to pay me $900? Convince me. Send me an offer and I'll either laugh at you and you'll never hear back from me or I'll counter.

You want a snow blower. You need a snow blower.

This isn’t some entry level snow blower that is just gonna move the snow two feet away. This is an 11 HP Briggs and Stratton machine of snow doom that will cut a 29 inch path of pure ecstasy. And it’s only 4 years old. I dare you to find a harder working 4 year old. My niece is five and she gets tired and cranky after just a few minutes of shoveling. This guy just goes and goes and goes.

You know what else? I greased it every year to help keep the water off it and the body in as good as shape as possible. It's greasier than me when I was 13, and that's saying something.

You know how many speeds it has? Six forward and two in reverse. It goes from “leisurely” slow up to “light speed”. Seriously, I’ve never gone further than five because it terrifies me. I kid you not, you could probably commute to work with it dragging you.

You know what else is crappy about clearing snow in the morning? That you have to do it in the dark. Well, not anymore! It has a halogen headlight that will light your way like some kind of moveable lighthouse (only better, because lighthouses won’t clear your driveway).

Oh, and since it’s the 21st century, this snow blower comes with an electric starter. Just plug that sucker in, push the button, and get ready to punch snow in the throat. If you want to experience what life was like in olden days, it comes with a back-up cord you could pull to start it, but forget that. The reason you’re getting this fearsome warrior was for the convenience, so why make it harder on yourself?

By this point, you’re probably wondering why I would sell my snowblower since the first snowpocalypse is upon us today. I’ll tell you why: because I heard it was time for you to man up and harness some mighty teeth and claws and chew your way to freedom, that’s why.

This is my snow blower. Make it your snow blower.

Christmas: A Film by Stanley Kubrick

2011-11-21T18:26:00.011Z

The new John Lewis Christmas ad is a deep embrace in a celluloid jumper - a timeless tale of childhood innocence, the importance of family and ‘The True Meaning of Christmas’ (the exchange of affection for product, right?). What’s more, a seemingly endlessly fountain of sardonic parody has sprung from the spot’s somewhat ambiguous final shot and flooded our social networks with festive 'cheer'…

While there’s definitely a pervasive sense of melancholy throughout the commercial’s 90 second runtime (the delicate piano cover of The Smiths’ ode to the disappointed, disillusioned and disheartened is hardly ‘Deck the Halls’), one’s interpretation of the pay-off - which is clearly intended to be a warm, gentle, smile-in-the-mind vignette to ring in the ‘season to the jolly’ – can quickly become skewed once the mind starts to race at possible answers to this verysimple and totally valid question: “what’s in the box?”

Perhaps we will never know the answer. Perhaps it’s best that we don’t know. Perhaps some things are best left a sinister, seasonal mystery. And, though we’re all for equivocality and individual elucidation, I think they may have missed a trick by not pitching this for the end of October (with a slight soundtrack tweak, obviously):

This isn't the creepiest Christmas ad we've seen, though. No, that *erm* 'honour' goes to this piece of work:

Inform & Inspire

2011-09-27T17:27:00.005+01:00

We’ve been preaching the gospel of David Abbott a lot recently. Here’s an interesting little piece: observe how, in Mr Abbott’s hands, a corporate recruitment ad becomes both a fascinating insight into the inner-workings of a legendary agency, and an inspiring thought-piece in its own right.

We couldn’t find a good scan of the original article, so we’ve recreated it below…

"I’m a writer at Doyle Dane Bernbach. We’re looking for two new account men. This is what I think you should know about this.

When they asked me to write this recruitment ad I said it was too busy. “Just say we need two account men and leave it at that.” Then I got to thinking. Chances are it won’t be long before I’m working with one of the new people. It could make both our jobs a little easier if he understood the place before he came.

And it’s not always easy for an account man to see how he’ll fit in here. Do creative people really run the show? Is it true the account men are just messenger boys?

Yes. Creative people do run the show. But they’re not all art directors and writers. No, the account men aren’t messenger boys. At DDB they represent the agency’s philosophy much more closely than at other agencies. So the first thing they have to do is understand it. And believe in it. Roughly, it goes like this: to be perfectly honest with the client. To give him the work we think he should have, provided it fits his goal. To be the experts in how to present the product to the public. Not to wonder what the client’s wife is going to say about the advertising. To have an honest viewpoint. Hardly the work of a messenger boy.

Inside the agency, the account man has to work very closely with the likes of me. I’ll expect him to know everything about the product, its competition and the client’s aims. I’ll expect him to give me all the information I need. I think that’s reasonable. I’ll expect him to give me all the time I need. Sometimes that’s unreasonable. I’ll expect him to believe in Doyle Dane. And to sell my work with conviction.

In return, he can expect an awful lot of the creative people. He shouldn’t put up with dull, ordinary work. Ever. He should expect an awareness of the client’s problems. Including those of timing. He should demand involvement.

There’s a lot more I can’t think of right now. But the general picture is this – there’s no rulebook at DDB so the account man stands or falls on his own ability. Just like the rest of us.

If you’re still interested, there are a couple of things I’ve been asked to tell you. The people we’re looking for will have had account management responsibilities. We don’t want trainees. They’ll probably be between 25 and 30 years of age. And it would help if they’d had two-three years experience on food or toiletries brands. We need them because we’ve put on a lot of new business in the last couple of months. And we’ll pay very well.

Please send a full resume to Bill Wardell our Director of Account Services. As soon as possible. I look forward to working with you.

Doyle Dane Bernbach Ltd. 62/64 Baker Street, London, W.1."

Words, Words, Words...

2011-09-23T15:39:00.004+01:00

Over the last few weeks, a steady stream of padded envelopes and large cardboard boxes have made their way into the office.

What treasures lie within? An eclectic assortment of weighty tomes and paperbacks – wisdoms old and new, ideas and insights of timeless relevance and peerless beauty. Amongst them, the works of Neil Postman, Robert Frank, Marshall McLuhan, Thomas Wolfe. From Darwin's Origin of the Species to The Qu'ran (separate shelves, obviously), the Fearlessly Frank Library is fast becoming a formidable fountain of enlightenment.

See, we love a good read at FFHQ - and in the spirit of independence, there are few things more pleasant - or important - than independent bookstores, and few industry voices more worthy of our time than Mr Abbott's...

We're Contagious

2011-09-23T11:28:00.011+01:00

Industry bible CONTAGIOUS have seen fit to include us in this quarter's issue. Pretty big deal.

The article, entitled 'Facebook Films For You', features a brief description of our (awesome) HTC ChaCha film. What's more, that same film can be found in full on the magazine's accompanying DVD, so you can experience the full power of this fist-pumping, heart-pounding HTC adventure.

An Industry Love Letter

2011-09-12T15:01:00.010+01:00

Both an advertisement for advertising and a kind of ‘greatest hits’ album, Art & Copy is essentially the celluloid equivalent of the D&AD Copy and Art Direction books. It’s a love letter to the commercials that conquered the world, augmented with some behind-the-scenes, where-are-they now sections in which some of the most successful creative minds in the industry muse over how they got to be so successful. It’s a very sympathetic film about an industry that’s rarely viewed with much sympathy, and often with some disdain.

While it’s not going to blow anyone’s mind, it’s a warm and diverting piece of work that offers a few big insights and a lot of little mind-smiles.

Economist of Style

2011-08-25T16:05:00.015+01:00

The Economist’s long-running poster campaign, as created by the great David Abbott, is an ad institution. It’s not hard to see why…

Not only is it striking in its design, but it also has such a definitive tone of voice – one of dry, understated wit, precision and economy (“clarity of style often follows clarity of thought”, as the style guide states).

The brand positioning is, at its essence, ‘read this and you will be successful’. While this very assured, somewhat portentous statement is always implicit within the text, it is the charm and wit of the delivery that serves not-only to offset the message’s inherent haughtiness, but also goes some way towards convincing the reader that maybe, just maybe, The Economist is the secret formula for professional growth.

The campaign is consistent - content, theme, style, sentiment, emotional engagement - and more to the point, it’s consistently on its own terms. You come to The Economist. The Economist doesn’t come to you.

It can do this because it represents everything you want to be or would like to be thought of as – quiet and confident with a razor-sharp wit. Because it’s consistent over decades, it allows the creative to be obscure to the uniform, because they know that the reader will invest in ‘getting it’.

Moreover, the subtlety of the line, the ‘cleverness’ of the copy, makes ‘getting it’ a little empowering in itself. It generates the coveted ‘smile in the mind’.

The Economist poster campaign is the Oscar Wilde of modern marketing. We have nothing to declare but its genius.

Fearlessly Frank @ The Hospital Club

2011-07-27T13:08:00.010+01:00

A huge thanks to everyone who attended the Private screening of our HTC Detour film at the The Hospital Club last night - good times...

Chill out!

2011-07-22T14:52:00.012+01:00

We went out for dinner.

And we have pictures to prove it...

Everyone was well behaved, except for Mark, who forgot to lift his little finger when required...

Hell-o...

Let's take a Detour...

2011-07-14T10:52:00.021+01:00

HTC Detour is live!

Dark nights and bright lights in beautiful Warsaw as we celebrate everything on two wheels...

New and cool...

2011-06-06T11:38:00.006+01:00

Jimmy's Iced Coffee launch!

2011-06-01T12:00:00.002+01:00

We have a lovely new client – meet Jimmy…

The era of the superlattefrappichino with a twist is coming to an end. No more will good, honest hard-working people have to dig through mountains of crushed ice to find a sip of the good stuff….

Jimmy’s Ice Coffee is here – and we are with him all the way… Here are some of the pictures from when we helped them out!

Un Jeu de Pong

2011-01-15T00:03:00.003Z

To play this classic computer game the French way, all you’ll need is a quirky computer game nut, a bunch of equally wacky friends, a Parisian park and a Zorb.

Of course the Zorb had to be tested to ensure it worked and everyone on the production team took it in turns to verify it’s 'structural integrity'.

Thanks to Victor for being so up for it, and giving it his all. It was a day everyone will remember for a long time to come.

Et voilà…

Our Festive Pics

2011-01-13T12:14:00.009Z

George

Vikki

Paul

How's this for Quietly Brilliant?

2010-11-16T10:28:00.005Z

While shooting in Bilbao over the weekend we couldn't help but notice that the city's tram system runs over perfectly manicured lawn - brilliant...

And yes, we did take off our shoes to make sure it was real...

Toast anyone?

2010-11-12T09:44:00.014Z

We had so much fun helping Laura and her friends in Warrington lay over 9000 slices of toast as part of our HTC Wildfire Experience - we’re thinking of making it an annual FF event…

And we set a new toast mosaic World record…

Actually if someone was measuring it we probably set a new World record for the volume of tea consumed in a day too - it was an early start…

To see the film of Laura's day please visit:

http://www.facebook.com/htcuk

In the meantime please enjoy some exclusive behind the scenes footage from our in-house auteur George.

Off to Germany next…

Toast anyone? from Fearlessly Frank on Vimeo.

What’s our favourite petrol station up to now?

2010-11-05T11:44:00.007Z

First it was a pop up cinema called the Cineroleum and now it’s the venue for Hendrick’s Horseless Carriage of Curiosities. For London Cocktail Week, Hendrick’s have parked a converted 19th century rail carriage to introduce its ‘delightful peculiarities, literary shenanigans and exceptional libations to those with an inquisitive mind.’

Apparently this means guests can climb aboard for a gin an tonic, contribute to a drinking related story (a cocktale, oh this is too much) and hear the history of Hendrick's. Our adventurous copywriter George went to claim his free gin and indeed, after writing a tall story on a postcard (and giving all his contact details), he was given a very small plastic tumbler of tonic and Hendrick's.

He wasn't overly impressed as he came back into he office shrugging his shoulders and saying the whole thing was well...a little bit flat. We give Hendrick's a thumbs up simply for doing something with the space and brightening the place up a bit and next time we will send George out to sample such attractions at midnight and not midday.

George's creative process revealed...

2010-08-25T17:35:00.004+01:00

Every man and his...

2010-08-18T12:36:00.003+01:00

Genavieve, Melanie, Gold Cup... good times...

What Jim did...

2010-08-12T23:45:00.011+01:00

Thanks to everyone that helped us make Jim's London Wildfire Experience a day to remember - particularly Marc and crew at Heart, the tireless Ben Newman (Director) and always cool under pressure Neil Andrews (Producer) both at Pulse, the team at Splice, and of course the astonishing force of nature that is Jim...

FF x

Buckets and spades at the ready...

2010-08-12T23:24:00.012+01:00

Animation by the brilliant Tom Judd at Agile.

Original music by the equally brilliant Stefan Melzak.

Check out the rest of our campaign to support the launch of the HTC Wildfire: facebook.com/htcuk

FF x

If you're stuck for something to read on the beach...

2010-06-17T12:37:00.013+01:00

You could do a lot worse than picking up a copy of this little beauty.Set in an English language newspaper in Rome, The Imperfectionists is full of wonderfully drawn characters (oddballs to a man) and is by turns funny and poignant. In the same week that The Times goes behind a paywall, it's a delight to read about good old fashioned newsprint and in the Eternal City to boot.

Don't take our word for it - check out Christopher Buckley's (Thank You For Smoking) rave review from the New York Times here.

FF x

Our George is almost crowned ‘King Of Ads’

2010-06-15T16:05:00.011+01:00

Not quite a King but definitely a prince. We’re proud to announce that George, one of our star creatives, beat 3000 other entries to earn a runner-up spot in the recent Doritos 'King Of Ads' competition.

His entry, 'The Dorito Trio' follows three intrepid Doritos fans cramming as much clichéd viral content as possible into 30 seconds.

Champion effort...

FF x

Clerkenwell Design Week

2010-06-15T15:42:00.020+01:00

We're pretty used to seeing photographers and other creative happenings going on around the local neighbourhood, but last week things shifted up a level during Clerkenwell Design Week. It sounded just up our street (pun intended).

Exhibits included everything from chairless chairs to a giant forest of fabric street lamps. The lamps were more akin to the ones you switch on by your bed than something to light up a street, but they certainly brightened up our lunch spot in St John's Square.Topping the list of cool stuff was the Cloud Project ice cream van that creates floating clouds of ice cream fired from a canon on the roof. George spent the best part of a morning tasting clouds and apparently it works a treat...We also thought the Ovei Media pod was fun. At first glance it seems little more than a comfy space in which to tweet and check Facebook, but it’s actually packed with the latest sound and computing technology from big brands like Blue4, LINN, Loewe and Sony.Looking forward to next year (and more ice cream based innovation) already.

FF x

The Men Who Stare At Goats App hits iTunes

2009-11-03T11:16:00.007Z

Small Screen Productions (Fearlessly Frank's sister company) is delighted to announce that the official iPhone App for "The Men Who Stare At Goats" is now live on iTunes. Click here to download.

The movie opens November 6th. Watch the trailer here.

FF x

On yer bike!

2009-09-08T22:18:00.011+01:00

Summer hasn't really happened unless you've spent at least one weekend in Amsterdam... and here at FF we've been getting our fair share of sunshine - assisting our good friends at Two Fish develop a new strategic platform for the YAMAHA brand across Europe...Big shout out and a massive thanks to Andrew and Russ for a recent (legendary) evening spent cruising the canals and sampling the local amber nectar - we're looking forward to setting sail again soon...

FF x

A Small Screen Production

2009-06-11T13:41:00.020+01:00

Fearlessly Frank's sister company, Small Screen Productions, is delighted to announce the launch of Red Bull GP, the first official F1 team app on the iTunes Store.

Carry all the most up-to-date information and statistics for the Red Bull Racing team in your pocket, and stay in touch with all the latest qualifying, race results and standings for the 2009 season with Red Bull GP.

In addition to news, info, photos and video content, the ‘Pitter’ section offers a Twitter feed functionality enabling you to receive a unique insider’s view (observations, gossip, controversy) from the pit lane, and reply in real time, bringing you closer to the team than ever before.

APP FEATURES:

GARAGE: Check out the latest Red Bull F1 car (RB5), cars from previous seasons, exclusive video content and photos.PITTER: Fast talking from the pit lane. Get up close and personal with this in-app Twitter feed from the Red Bull garage in the Paddock. To use Pitter you will need to enter your Twitter account details in your device’s Settings.
TRACKS: Know your Suzuka from your Sepang - an introduction to the twists and turns of each track on the F1 circuit for 2009.
TEAM: Meet the men under the helmets - Red Bull drivers Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel and get the latest news, results and photos.
Download away!

FF x

Fearlessly Frank TV news: Lie Detectives

2009-06-08T19:25:00.008+01:00

Fearlessly Frank has started shooting a tester film with Waddell Media for its TV show LIE DETECTIVES starring husband and wife polygraph team Don Cargill (pictured) and Nadia Penner. Watch this space for more details.

FF x

Ole!

2009-05-22T11:51:00.006+01:00

Fearlessly Frank is pleased to announce that it has been added to the Red Bull agency roster. We are working on a couple of exciting projects with them and will report more soon.

FF x

Fearlessly Frank TV deal

2009-02-24T13:55:00.036Z

We're delighted to announce that Waddell Media, Northern Ireland's longest established independent television production company, has recently optioned a Fearlessly Frank TV concept entitled "Guilty Until Proven Innocent" and will develop it alongside Fearlessly Frank.

More details will be released shortly.

FF x

All guns blazing...

2008-11-26T17:15:00.007Z

Lots of activity to report at Fearlessly Frank HQ:

We're currently working with Red Bull, have recently sold our first TV programme, and are currently developing several iPod/iPhone applications.

More details to follow. Watch this space.

FF x

Another Fearlessly Frank award win

2008-10-30T10:06:00.010Z

We're pleased to announce that Fearlessly Frank/Momentum London won Gold for best multi-disciplinary campaign at last week's PRO Awards in Chicago for MINI's "The Other Lunch Break" campaign.

For info about the campaign check out "recent work" on the left-hand sidebar or click here.

FF x

Transport for London 1950s style

2008-10-19T17:21:00.008+01:00

Spotted on BoingBoing.

FF x

Mooore!

2008-07-07T16:31:00.008+01:00

OK, so it’s not the Ivy, Wolseley or even Kettners…but Fearlessly Frank’s version of corporate hospitality (a filthy footlong and several bottles of pear cider in Hyde Park) went down a storm over the weekend. Thanks to all who joined us for a bit of Clapton and The Police - especially James from Mallinsons - the luxury photographic studio - and Ben from UBS (both pictured). Yes, you were there…

FF x

Same again!

2008-07-07T15:40:00.008+01:00

After Cannes we were more than happy to trade the French Riviera for its more laid back Italian cousin. Speaking of relaxation, there’s nothing we like more than a bar with a relaxed dress code and this one near Portofino more than fit that description. A hearty thank you to big Steve Back for buying the beer, and congratulations on setting a new (local) stone-skipping record!

FF x

Fearlessly Frank @ Cannes 2008

2008-06-18T11:56:00.015+01:00

At this year's Cannes Lions Fearlessly Frank was a finalist (for the second year in a row) for our work on MINI.

Maybe next year we'll go one better and actually win!

FF x

Words of wisdom, pt 6

2008-06-03T12:46:00.010+01:00

"He who does not travel does not know the value of men."
Moorish proverb

Cheers!

2008-06-03T12:41:00.004+01:00

Fearlessly Frank proof that Englishmen can hold their drink while abroad…

Mac vs. PC

2008-05-11T15:42:00.000+01:00

Words of wisdom, pt 5

2008-04-24T12:27:00.008+01:00

"I wouldn't have seen it if I hadn't believed it."
Marshall McLuhan

Words of wisdom, pt 4

2008-02-28T16:08:00.013Z

"Even in literature and art, no man who bothers about originality will ever be original: whereas if you simply try to tell the truth (without caring twopence how often it has been told before) you will, nine times out of ten, become original without ever having noticed it."

C. S. Lewis

Good News!

2008-02-26T17:56:00.006Z

Rich, smokey plumes of relief (nothing Cuban) are currently being exhaled in the Cigar Bar!

The Limeys have officially left the building...

Safely back form Missouri not just Cardinals fans, but huge fans of the fine city of St Louis.

Thanks in particular to the always awesome Jeff Stevens for getting us involved in Momentum’s latest challenge, the lovely and charismatic Deborah Nobis for making sure everything ran smoothly, and to our spontaneous team of designated ‘Frankettes’ Jason, Sally and Hafiz for helping to bring our crazy thoughts and scrawls to life, and make them better…

Also great to catch up with the dynamic duo of Matt ‘Glamour’ Glarner and Chris Aguirre, if anyone could justify wearing capes and underpants on the outside of their jeans into the office - it’d be you guys…

All in all we had a blast and look forward to seeing you all again soon…

Also, the quality of decent ‘pitch munch’ can never be underestimated, so an extra loud shout out to the team at Dewey’s who, through a combination of brave culinary innovation and what must be a monster-sized oven, have indeed managed to take pizza to a 'next level' unheard of in Europe…

Love unlimited…

FF x

P.S. Brendan, we hope the coffee ‘half bagger’ has been exposed and disciplined in the appropriate manner…

Please don't feed the...

2008-02-18T18:20:00.011Z

From now on Tom is only going in up to his knees...

Great work from Bren and Tim down in Melbourne.

FF x

G'day

2008-02-08T20:04:00.003Z

Wayne's had his Gentleman's Relish. Have you?

Get in the back!

2008-02-08T13:24:00.003Z

FF extends a meaty Australian-sized thank you to all who made our recent trip Down Under such a raging success and all round pleasure…

Extra special thanks to the extremely handsome and inspirational Steve Back for making the harbour city seem like a home away from home. We're thrilled to hear that Steve is now creatively in charge at Saatchi & Saatchi Sydney - great news for all their clients, we’re sure he’s kicking goals as we speak.

Also huge thanks to regular FF collaborator, advice guru (and Wayne’s brother), Brendon Guthrie, for introducing us to the excellent pubs of south Melbourne and for providing us with yet another brilliant script to add to our slate of film projects.

FF x

*Sun-smart dogs courtesy of their very friendly owner, Dave.

Words of wisdom, pt 3

2008-02-08T11:34:00.005Z

"Do one thing every day that scares you."

Kurt Vonnegut

MINI Clubman Launch

2008-01-31T17:51:00.000Z

We'd like to thank everyone who helped make our recent experiential campaign - The Other Lunch Break - such a success. We had a great turnout for all of the events and hope you enjoyed the courses such as "Think You Can Beat A Lie Detector", "Man/Woman School" and "Meet The Parents: The Rehearsals".

You can see The Other Lunch Break viral films below, produced with our partner Momentum.

Thank you.

Fearlessly Frank x

MINI Viral: Man School

2007-10-03T16:15:00.001+01:00

Agency: Momentum/Fearlessly Frank
Creative Directors: Ben Little & Wayne Guthrie
Producer for Fearlessly Frank: Tom Hodgson
Production company: Between The Eyes

MINI Viral: Spy School

2007-10-03T16:13:00.002+01:00

Agency: Momentum/Fearlessly Frank
Creative Directors: Ben Little & Wayne Guthrie
Producer for Fearlessly Frank: Tom Hodgson
Production company: Between The Eyes

MINI Viral: Moonwalk

2007-10-03T15:59:00.001+01:00

Agency: Momentum/Fearlessly Frank
Creative Directors: Ben Little & Wayne Guthrie
Producer for Fearlessly Frank: Tom Hodgson
Production company: Between The Eyes

FF/Momentum in Marketing Week

2007-10-03T15:35:00.001+01:00

MARKETING WEEK
October 2, 2007
Robert Lester

Mini UK is running a series of events to encourage people to learn a new skill during their lunch hours. The Other Lunch Break campaign, which has been created by experiential agency Momentum and starts tomorrow, runs twice a week for five weeks in London.

The BMW-owned marque says it wants to resurrect the lunchtime tradition of getting out of the office, citing a survey from YouGov that claims one in five UK workers no longer takes a lunch break.

Mini UK advertising manager Ysabel Vazquez says: "Mini is all about making even the most boring journey a little bit more enjoyable. The Other Lunch Break is designed to extend that idea into the seldom-taken daily ritual – the much-needed lunch break."

The first event is called "Think You Can Beat A Lie Detector?" and sees the UK's only husband-and-wife polygraph testers challenge people to beat a lie-detector test. Other events include "Spy School", "Meet the Parents… The Rehearsals" and "Bruce Lee for Beginners".

FF Bites the Big Apple...

2007-09-09T22:10:00.002+01:00

High fives all round after a great (and extremely productive) week in New York City…fantastic to get back into the ring with our old creative sparring partner Jeff Stevens and to meet the utterly brilliant Matt ‘Glamour’ Glarner…

We'd say thanks to Mike at Momentum for introductions to the Blind Tiger and Venerable Radio, but it just doesn’t seem adequate… so we’re sending a collective hug instead (a copy of John Peel’s autobiography is on its way…)

FF x

New MINI campaign...

2007-08-28T14:09:00.001+01:00

Big news from Fearlessly Frank coming soon - keep 'em peeled.

In the meantime, we thought we'd boast about our recent Clio win (and Cannes Lion nod) for our campaign for MINI in 2006. We rock.

An ever bigger, better campaign is to follow next month. You heard it here first.

FF x

FF bags Hennessy

2007-04-23T22:00:00.002+01:00

Fearlessly Frank is pleased to announce its latest new business win is Hennessy cognac.

More details to follow.

FF x

Words of wisdom, pt 2

2007-01-12T16:26:00.003Z

"After the game, the king and the pawn go into the same box."

Italian Proverb

Words of wisdom, pt 1

2007-01-03T20:47:00.002Z

"The farther he goes the more good it does me. I don't want philosophies, tracts, dogmas, creeds, ways out, truths, answers, nothing from the bargain basement. He is the most courageous, remorseless writer going and the more he grinds my nose in the shit the more I am grateful to him. He's not fucking me about, he's not leading me up any garden path, he's not slipping me a wink, he's not flogging me a remedy or a path or a revelation or a basinful of breadcrumbs, he's not selling me anything I don't want to buy - he doesn't give a bollock whether I buy or not - he hasn't got his hand over his heart. Well, I'll buy his goods, hook, line and sinker, because he leaves no stone unturned and no maggot lonely. He brings forth a body of beauty. His work is beautiful."

Harold Pinter on Samuel Beckett