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Creativity's Honor Roll: Five That Stood Out in 2009

Game-Changing Ideas. New-Business Wins. Here's What Else These Top Shops Have in Common

Published: January 25, 2010

GOODBY, SILVERSTEIN & PARTNERS

We'd say another year, another remarkable body of work from Goodby, Silverstein & Partners. Only it wasn't just another year, which made Goodby's creative contribution that much more remarkable. The San Francisco powerhouse added a wad of new business, including eBay, Yahoo, Fritos, Lipton, Dickies, Sierra Mist and more.

Sprint Now Widget

--> Goodby also won the top-agency slot on the Creativity Awards Report by a mile -- earning points for a range of work, including the Comcast "Rabbit" spot; the web adventure Hotel 626 for Doritos; Help the Honeybees, an integrated campaign with a heart for Haagen Dazs; the culturally penetrating "There Can Only Be One" campaign for the NBA; and more. For its interactively inclined ways, the shop also earned digital agency of the year honors at Cannes.

In 2009, Goodby maintained its creative standard, sharpened its digital discipline and all around demonstrated why it's consistently one of the best agencies anywhere. Real-time and data visualization were among the most discussed web/culture talking points of the year, and Goodby harnessed both, stylishly, for client Sprint. With the "Now Network" campaign, the agency made Sprint all about real- time data, with online efforts such as the Now widget and a TV campaign that stood out for its clean, modern combination of dynamic data visualization and dry humor.

Denny's Nannerpuss

--> Goodby was out in front of one of the other big things of 2009 -- augmented reality. The agency created one of the first brand AR applications as part of GE's Plug into the Smart Grid site. Later in 2009, it used the tech to bring rock concerts to the back of chip bags for Doritos' Late Night flavors.

The shop also used the Super Bowl to dramatic effect, exploiting that singular audience opportunity to tout compelling, real-world marketing initiatives. For Denny's, Goodby created a funny spot to promote the restaurant chain's offer of a free Grand Slam breakfast to all comers (and also gave the world the immortal Nannerpus). Two million got the message and showed up for their day's worth of free calories. And the agency helped departing client Hyundai achieve sales gains with its Hyundai Assurance spots.

Goodby also followed up admirably on the successful Hotel 626 for Doritos with a scarier scarefest, Asylum 626, brought back Milk spokesman White Gold, who topped last year's performance with a rock opera, "Battle for Milkquarious," created humanizing spots for Comcast and much more.

DROGA5

Method Shiny Suds

--> When New York-based Droga5 was named Creativity's agency of the year in 2007, just over a year after launching, the classic industry backlash centered on complaints that the agency wasn't working on behalf of "real" or big enough marketers. Never mind that with its early work, the agency won every award available, and never mind that that work -- efforts such as the Tap Project -- represented the kind of big, useful ideas the industry says it should be producing. Somehow it still wasn't enough for a year-old agency.

After its 2009 performance, D5 has surely silenced the where's-the-beefers with even more new business wins. To its duties as AOR for Method, Rhapsody, Net10, Puma and others, last year the agency added Unilever (digital AOR for Suave), Activision and other clients and is working on projects for the likes of Coke and Estée Lauder.

Tony Hawk Viral

--> And growing 40% in a terrible year didn't mean sacrificing creative standards. Per usual, the agency produced outstanding work in 2009, including a stellar viral for Activision featuring beloved skateboaring canine Tillman playing (or appearing to play) the Tony Hawk "Ride" game and a much-discussed spot for Method that became even more discussed when it was pulled in response to consumer complaints. The shop created a visually arresting spot and a site (with Firstborn) for Puma's LIFT shoes and, for Puma Bodywear, an app built around comely models and the premise: when the markets go down, the clothes come off. In 2009, the shop became the first agency ever to capture not one but two D&AD Black Pencils for two different clients -- winning for "The Great Schlep" as well as the Million project for the New York City department of education. To cap it all off, the shop's spawn, Droga5, Sydney, was named agency of the year in Australia and has turned out one after another interesting, innovative brand initiatives.

CRISPIN PORTER & BOGUSKY

BK Whopper Sacrifice

--> Whatever the opposite of resting on one's laurels is, Crispin does it. Every year. The agency once again earned its status as a game-changing idea place in 2009, with things such as Whopper Sacrifice for Burger King, which had so many people ditching their Facebook "friends" (nearly 234,000 sacrificed) in favor of the famed sandwich, that Zuckerberg, et al. finally had to step in and spoil the fun. The shop did its rabble-rousing duty with the controversial "Whopper Virgins" campaign, which had people in far-flung locales sampling BK beef for the first time and then created "Flame," allowing burger fans to douse themselves in eau de boeuf.

For Best Buy, the agency created Twelpforce, allowing consumers to tweet questions to BB employees. In addition to unleashing cute Kylie, the photo-forwarding tot, Crispin also helped Microsoft make hay out of forward momentum created by the critical success of Windows 7 with a series of ads that has proud PCs asserting "Windows 7 was my idea." The shop appropriated the celebrity gossip mag aesthetic for Old Navy, creating a cast of Supermodelquins that appeared in stores, in spots and in the online Old Navy weekly. There was more, including a Washington road trip for electric motorcycle maker Brammo and a nicely updated version of a classic spot for Coke Zero. The agency also expanded its European presence with the acquisition of Swedish digital player Daddy.

BIG SPACESHIP

Second Life

--> One of the things that will be interesting to watch in 2010 will be the potential obviation of agency classifications -- digital agency, full-service agency, production company, etc. -- and the degree to which digitally centered shops of all stripes gain a bigger share of clients' hearts. With that in mind, Big Spaceship, a shop that has always defied easy categorization, will be one to watch in the coming year.

The company, which in recent years has done high-profile agency-affiliated work such as HBO "Voyeur," has expanded in directions strategic, creative and technological. In 2009, it seemed to capitalize on an open, entrepreneurial approach to work and its own identity. Last year the Spaceship did everything from spearhead a huge "Second Life" UX redesign and the launch of Paramount/Lions Gate/MGM movie site EPix to developing The Next Move, a mobile app for Urban Daddy that recommends nightlife venues based on location, companions and mood. The company also gained attention for some of its proprietary efforts, such as Pretty Loaded, an online archive of web screen loaders. Of course, the agency took a significant step forward with the win of Wrigley's digital account (the business is shared with Firstborn and EVB), and it's also developed a strategic partnership with Activision another major marketer. All of which will likely move Big Spaceship, like our agency of the year, into some interesting new territory in the coming years.

GLOBAL STANDOUT: DDB, STOCKHOLM

Volkswagen Fun Theory

--> In recent years, DDB, Stockholm, has become a global spotlight hog, thanks to its inventive, platform-agnostic campaigns that always seem to strike a human note. The continuing Swedish Armed Forces campaign, which has put its audience through rigorous tests of mental acumen, remained as compelling as ever in its third year, posing a new set of challenges that ran across all platforms. The agency managed to serve up some real truths in its refreshing work for McDonald's, which included the "Casanova" print effort, featuring a man who tosses out drunken pick-up lines throughout the night, finally settling for a simple request for a Big Mac. The agency also didn't dumb it down for consumers in no-frills McD posters that featured nothing but a red and yellow color palette, a pocket-friendly price and the tagline, "The World's Most Famous Hamburger."

DDB Stockholm's high point, however, was the "Fun Theory" campaign for Volkswagen, a viral sensation and one of Creativity's top picks of 2009. The effort, which gently touts VW's fuel efficiency, aims to convince people to make better choices for themselves by making those better options fun. It's also asking the rest of the world to do its part with a contest to generate even more do-gooder ideas. It's the kind of big, scalable, participatory idea that should serve as a model for brand creativity in the '10s.

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16th AIMIA Awards Finalists

Best Advertising or Marketing

Naked Communications & Frank PR - Ask Richard Profero; Soap Creative & OMD - JOHNSON’S® Baby: 50 years of No More Tears Publicis Digital & Virgin Mobile - Virgin Mobile Members' Lounge 26000 Vodka - Resn Resn & Krafthaus Films - JAG Black Soap Creative, Universal McCann & Unilever: Lynx - Lynx Primate Soap Creative, Universal McCann & Unilever: Lynx - Party Across The Internet

Best Children's

BMF Advertising & Commonwealth Bank - Pi | Create Your Own Cool Milk Digital & Learning Links - Counting For Life Sputnik Agency - Origin | EnergyForce Vishus Productions; Katalyst Interactive & ABC Children’s Multiplatform - The Figaro Pho website Roar Film & The Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy - Budd:e E-security Education Package

Best Classifieds, News, Media or Reference

ABC Innovation - Black Saturday CommSec - CommSec Video Updates Moon Communications Group - BresicWhitney Estate Agents Website SBS Online; SBS News and Current Affairs & Different - SBS Dateline Wotnews - TeamStream

Best Cross-Platform

Holler & BMF - Tooheys Extra Dry | 6 Beers of Separation Mobile Online Business & Sculpute by the Sea - Sculpture by the Sea: PC, Mobile & AR Experience Publicis Digital & Virgin Mobile - Virgin Mobile Members' Lounge Soap Creative, Universal McCann & Unilever | Lynx - Lynx Primate Tourism Queensland & Sapient NitroTourism Queensland | Best Job in the World

Best Cultural or Lifestyle

ABC Innovation - Gallipoli: The First Day Monkii - Melbourne Fringe Festival 2009 Website National Museum of Australia & Roar Film - European voyages interactive RedBubble - RedBubble Salted Herring & Splore - Splore

Best Enterprise

August & Origin Energy - Origin Energy 'Brand Central' Flash Group & Global Corporate Challenge - Global Corporate Challenge 2009 Moon Communications Group - BresicWhitney Estate Agents Website Viocorp International - Viocast Viocorp International - Viostream

Best Entertainment

FOXTEL Active; Emuse & Fox8 - Australia's Next Top Model 'Game On' FOXTEL; Lowe Sydney & Publicis Media - I am unIQue Holler Sydney & BMF - Tooheys Extra Dry 5 Seeds Resn - Shapeshifter Soap Creative; Universal McCann & Unilever | Lynx - Party Across The Internet The Wiggles & The Farm - Wiggle Time Wotnews - We Are Hunted

Best Export Achievement

Adrenalin Media & FortisWMS - Adrenalin Media - FortisWMS AURA Interactive - AURA Interactive DDX.COM.AU - GLU Platform Traction – Massmedia Studios Soap Creative - Soap Creative

Best Financial Service

BMF Advertising & Commonwealth Bank: Pi - Create Your Own Cool InvestSMART Financial Services; Fairfax Digital: InvestSMART Free Portfolio Manager Macquarie Bank - Macquarie Edge: The new way of online trading Sputnik Agency - Frank Health Insurance The White Agency & Commonwealth Bank - Commbank Website

Best Integration with an Offline Campaign

Droga5 & Future Buro - Right Music Wrongs Holler Sydney & BMF - Tooheys Extra Dry 5 Seeds Naked Communications & Frank PR - Ask Richard Soap Creative; Universal McCann & Unilever:Lynx - Rexona Australia's Greatest Athlete Visual Jazz - Jenny Craig: Magda's Journey

Best Learning & Education

ABC Commercial & Pascal Press - ABC Reading Eggs ABC Innovation - Gallipoli: The First Day Change 2 & 2and2 - Change 2 Liquid Interactive; Liquid Animation & Social Skills Training Institute, a division of Triple P International Pty Ltd - Secret Agent Society Game TigerSpike & The University of Western Sydney - The Vaughan Supremacy

Best Mobile Advertising or Marketing

AURA Interactive & Mediaedge: cia - Transformers : Revenge of the Fallen Telstra Corporation - Mum 2.0 Digital Makeover QR code and .mobi site Visual Jazz; & Defence Force Recruiting - Defencejobs Games: Supreme Air Combat iPhone Free Facebook - Vodafone Hutchison Australia Webling Interactive - Tic Tac Shake & Share

Best Mobile Product or Service

ABC - ABC Mobile iPhone App ABC - ABC Mobile Site (m.abc.net.au) AURA Interactive - AURA BlueZone network Coastalwatch, mogeneration & Hurley - Hurley Coastalwatch iPhone App CommSec - CommSec iPhone Sensis & DWS Consultingm - Yellow Pages® iPhone Application VHA - 3 mobile & Front Foot Media Solutions - 3 mobile content portal - iPhone & Android

Best Non-profit or Government

BCM Partnership - Share My Story Circul8; MeTTro; The Inspire Agency & Greenpeace International - Greenpeace Action-Pact Naked Communications & Frank PR - Ask Richard Profero & MS Society - MS Sydney to the Gong Fundraising Online The Live Local Foundation & Digital Eskimo - Live Local Website the white agency - DrinkWise Visual Jazz & Defence Force Recruiting - Ocean Recon

Best Retail

Adrenalin Media - Proactiv Amblique & SUPRÉ - SUPRÉ MYER & DTDigital - MYER Profero; Axe Group & Adactus - Pizza Hut - Online Ordering Website Reactive - Jeanswest Visual Jazz - Holden.com.au Visual Jazz - Mecca Cosmetica

Best Science, Health or Environment

Change2 & 2and2m - Change2 Circul8; MeTTro; The Inspire Agency & Greenpeace International - Greenpeace Action-Pact Digital Eskimo & Live Local Foundation - Live Local Website Flash Group & Global Corporate Challenge - Global Corporate Challenge 2009 ABC Science Online & CSIRO - Big Aussie Star Hunt

Best Sport

Costal Watch; mogeneration & Hurley - Hurley Coastalwatch iPhone app m.Net Corporation Limited & Premier Media Group - Foxsports Mobile Site Soap Creative; Universal McCann & Unilever: Lynx - Rexona Australia's Greatest Athlete TigerSpike &Telstra - Official AFL: Finals 09 iPhone App WeAreDigital. - Carlton natural blonde: Match Centre2009

Best Student Project

Kara Bombell, Joel Caban, Jian Long, Jochen Spencer & Abbey Z - Traps Online Institute for Interactive Media and Learning, MIMM, University of Technology Sydney - dboard Luke Milkovic - Piano Jungle Master of Interactive Multimedia; Institute for Interactive Media & Learning (IML) & University of Technology, Sydney (UTS) - Strine.net.au University of Technology Sydney & Institute for Interactive Media and Learning - SoapBox Project

Best Tourism or Travel

Daemon Group &Tourism New South Wales - Tourism NSW 7 Days in Sydney Social Media Campaign Microsoft Australia, Amnesia & Lonely Planet - Lonely Planet Store Proof of Concept Tourism Queensland & Sapient Nitro - Tourism Queensland - Best Job in the World Visual Jazz - Jetstar Photo Competition Visual Jazz; Media Contacts & Projekta - Tourism Northern Territory 'Mix it Up'

Best Use of Social Media

Cadbury; Saatchi & Saatchi; DDX & GLU Platform - Cadbury Eyebrow Me! Application Droga5 & Future Buro - Right Music Wrongs Naked Communications & Frank PR - Ask Richard Profero - The Sims 3 Ultimate Aussie Fan Competition RedBubble - RedBubble Tourism Queensland & Sapient Nitro - Tourism Queensland: Best Job in the World

Best Video

ABC Innovation - Black Saturday Deepend, Unilever Australasia & DDB Sydney - Continental Free Cup Campaign Holler Sydney & BMF - Tooheys Extra Dry 5 Seeds SBS Sport & SBS Online - TdF 09 Telstra Media; C4; Chief Entertainment & Sportsdata - BigPond Sport Game Analyser

Effectiveness Award

Droga5 & Future Buro - Right Music Wrongs News.com.au - News.com.au InstaBudget Pusher - Samboy is Back Soap Creative - Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 Soap Creative & LG - LG Autobot Stronghold Wunderman Sydney & Microsoft - Ten Grand is Buried Here

Got a job that’s totally boring but pays the bills? Hold onto it. But don’t use it as an excuse NOT to go after your dream of being self-employed doing something you love.

A common misconception about successful independent workers is that one day, in dramatic fashion, they quit their dayjob, hung a shingle and lived happily ever after. The truth is, most freelancers start off moonlighting, volunteering, interning, and doing client work at night and on weekends in addition to a nine-to-five gig. If you fantasise about living the freelancer life, you can do the same — even in a recession, starting now. Let’s turn some of your free time into a new career without giving up the steady pay.

Freelancing in a Recession: Inroads and Safety Nets

Armies of employees have gotten laid off in the past year, and when you’re one of the survivors still on payroll, the natural instinct is to feel grateful you were spared, hunker down and not make a peep. The idea of looking for contract work when the unemployment rate is so high may seem ludicrous. However, there are contracts to be had. Freelancers cost companies less than full-time employees, and major waves of layoffs often create opportunities for contractors to fill in the gaps.

Doing freelance work in a time of job insecurity benefits you in two ways. First, it diversifies your income stream. When you freelance on the side, you don’t depend on a single check to pay your bills. If you do get let go or have to take a salary cut or furlough, the side income softens the blow to your bank account. Secondly, freelancing for clients is the best way to show off what you can do to potential employers. When you freelance you’re in constant “interview” mode, hoping to get re-hired or recommended to other clients. If you lose your job or decide to leave, you’ve essentially already interviewed for your next gig.

The point here is that even in a recession, freelancing is far from impossible — in fact, it’s downright smart.

Put Yourself on the Market

The tough part about becoming a freelancer — especially for introverts — is putting your name out there and having to hustle to sell your services. In addition to whatever work you do, being a freelancer means you also have to be a salesperson.

How you should put yourself on the market and showcase your offerings depends on your field. If you have no idea where to start, find some great freelancers that do what you do, and follow their example. It’s probably safe to say you’ll need some kind of website, business card, and a portfolio or CV. Don’t skimp on this stuff: Instead of settling for a free hosting account somewhere, spend the $US20 to register a domain name and put together at least a one-page website describing who you are, what you offer, and contact information. If you’re a photographer, include a gallery of your best photos; a programmer, a list of projects you’ve contributed to; a project manager, a list of companies you’ve worked for. If showing off actual work you’ve completed isn’t possible, gather together some testimonials from folks you’ve worked for that get across your best skills.

Don’t do anything crazy like advertise your services in the newspaper or on the internet right away. The best way to find work is through people you know and referrals from happy clients.

How to Find Contracts — and When to Work Pro Bono

Once you’re officially on the market, it’s time to get some clients. Remember that old saying about who you know versus what you know? It’s so true. In my experience, referrals from people you know — the most vague acquaintances, even — yield the best business opportunities. Let your friends, business associates, former co-workers, fellow book club members and the guy sitting next to you at the barber shop know you’re available to do freelance work. Don’t be annoying, but don’t be shy, either. People are much more likely to hire someone recommended by someone they trust, so it’s up to you to work your network. When you do, remember that other freelancers are not your competition — they’re your friends. Knowing other contractors who do the same or similar work just widens your pool of contacts and potential clients. Be generous and send referrals their way, and they’ll return the favour.

When you’ve exhausted referrals from folks you know in person, you can try advertising your services more broadly, but use the right outlets. The key is to find your audience. Figure out where your ideal clients look for contractors and get yourself listed there.

If you’re just starting out and need to fill in your portfolio AND kickstart potential referrals, consider doing pro bono work for a non-profit or deeply-discounted work for a desirable client. I hate advising fellow freelancers to charge anything less than what they’re worth, but the reality is that sometimes you have to give something away to prove yourself and earn opportunities down the road. (In fact, I was in the right place at the right time to start Lifehacker precisely because of a barely-paying internship.) You don’t have to work for free on an ongoing basis to use this strategy: try speaking at a local event for free (and mention that you’re for hire), or offer a free trial of your services for potential clients. But remember: Only give these freebies to good prospects.

Pricing Yourself: When Time Really Is Money

Even after seven years of freelancing part and full-time, answering the question “What’s your rate?” is still a challenge for me. Your hourly rate will depend on the project, your industry, market, location, the economy, your experience and how deep-pocketed your client is. Pricing conversations can be a scary game of chicken that take pluck, confidence and a strong sense of self-worth to navigate. As a general rule, when you’re quoting an hourly rate, overestimate both time and money.

When you’re just starting out, the tendency is to underprice yourself because you really want to score the contract and you’re optimistic about the number of hours it’ll take to complete. However, you’ll forget to take into account things like taxes and time for administrative tasks. As you get more experience, you’ll adjust your prices, learn how to read different types of clients and what their budget range will be, and have enough confidence to walk away from contracts that aren’t worth taking. I’m much more likely to do interesting work for lower prices, but I’ll only take on tedious stuff that’s well-paid. When it’s time to ask for the upper range, I use an unscientific method: I quote the highest rate I can while still keeping a straight face.

When it comes to scheduling, don’t forget that you’ll be doing this work at night and on weekends, and things almost always take longer than your initial gut estimate. So, overestimate the number of hours a job will take. It’s always better to set expectations and deliver early than have to pull an all-nighter and barely break even.

The Financial Life

Sending out invoices and chasing down unpaid ones, filing activity statements, itemising tax deductions, managing your own retirement fund — these are all necessary parts of a freelancer’s financial life. Do yourself a favour and put a good system in place for making sure 1) that you’re getting paid for the work you do by invoicing promptly and following up and 2) that you’re putting aside money to pay estimated taxes on that money. Once you get that system down — and it should be easier with the cushion of a day job’s steady pay — you’ll be ready to face the “feast or famine” state that is a full-time freelancer’s financial reality later on. I use a simple “Waiting for payment.txt” file and schedule calendar reminders to check that list once a month and do my activity statement each quarter. Start slow, see how your side gigs affect your financial picture, and work from there.

With your day job in hand, you can start your freelance career with less pressure to make loads of money right away; you’ll be able to get the word out, establish a client base, build a portfolio, and set your prices on your own time. Do you moonlight as a freelancer? What’s your best piece of advice for those just starting out? Let us know in the comments.