SCABs

Collecting Dots – By @MalouStitz

By Malou Stitz

 

Collecting Dots

With less than 3 months left on the course we are now sprinting towards the finish line. We are using the techniques we’ve learned to come up with brilliant ideas. Or we’re trying our hardest. Sometimes you have a creative writer’s block. 

But I have found what I think is the best technique, and that is dot collecting. Go out, listen and observe people. When I joined the course, I restricted myself from going out. I felt like I needed to stay at home and work. I now know, that all it really did was preventing me from finding glorious insights and magnificent facts about the human kind. You see, I’ve learned to work smart, and that allows me to get more down time where I can truly enjoy London. Going out and have fun with friends. Meet new people. Go for drinks, dinners and exhibitions. If you’re looking and/or listening, it all counts as collection dot. The interesting bits and pieces – the obvious insights about a specific audience – is most likely those you find when out and about. Not sitting in front of your computer. 

My partner and I went to Kensington to do some research for our next portfolio brief. It was definitely worth the journey from Brixton. We spend a few hours talking and observing people while the rain was pouring down. I think that we both felt going out of the studio made us much more productive. Sometimes when you just sit and search for brilliant ideas (probably in front of your computer) nothing comes to you, but we managed to come up with several ideas real quickly. Simply by changing our surroundings. 

Over the Easter holiday, my mum came to stay with me. We went do Devon to visit some old friends of hers, went to the beach, breathed in the fresh air, saw the rock that Churchill sat on looking at war ships during WWII. He was collecting dots. And resetting his brain. 

Churchill is widely regarded as being the most influential people in British history. His writing, speeches and radio broadcasts helped inspire British resistance during the difficult days of 1940-41. Of course he was a great writer, but he also understood how to talk to people. What TOV they would listen to. It’s just the same with advertising. Find what it is that makes your audience click and go ‘ahhhh. That’s clever.’ (and have people working in advertising to go like ‘why didn’t I think of that. It’s so obvious.’)  

 

 

Not only am I now enjoying living in London more than ever, I’ve fallen in love with the city and its many possibilities, I am learning, and expanding my horizon. I am collection dots.

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