The Tim Ferriss Show
#715: Chris Beresford-Hill — A Master Ad Man on Superbowl Confessions, How to Come Up with Great Ideas, Cold Emailing Mark Cuban, Doing Naughty Things, Poetic Mind Control, Creative Process and Insider Tips, How to Negotiate with Bosses and Clients, and The Power of a Stolen Snickers
Episode guests
Podcast summary created with Snipd AI
Quick takeaways
- To build a successful portfolio, focus on work alignment, top agencies, and inventing opportunities.
- Taste in the advertising industry is crucial, requiring adaptability and producing fresh and interesting work.
- Working within constraints in a creative industry requires adaptability, proactiveness, and finding additional angles.
- Landing a Super Bowl ad involves brainstorming, evaluating ideas, and making it an easy yes for the creative lead involved.
- Creativity is enhanced through bold and unconventional approaches, such as using unconventional color combinations and writing techniques.
- Collaboration, risk-taking, and embracing new possibilities are key elements in achieving successful and impactful campaigns.
Deep dives
Building a Portfolio for Success
To build a successful portfolio, I focused on finding work that aligned with my interests and passions. I studied the top agencies to understand what was considered the best in the industry and shaped my goals accordingly. I sought out opportunities that allowed me to work on big, bold, and creative ideas. When I felt my growth stagnating or if I desired more opportunities, I took proactive steps to invent my own opportunities. This involved requesting assignments and actively seeking ways to work on projects that pushed the boundaries of creativity.
Taste and Developing Creativity
Taste is essential in the advertising industry. At Modernista, I learned about the modern Easter style, which emphasized impactful, concise writing and beautiful art direction. This experience taught me the importance of finding the correct voice for each project and being a chameleon in adapting to different styles. As I moved to Goodby, my understanding of taste broadened, and I realized the importance of producing work that felt fresh and interesting. Taste, standards, and skills merged to guide the type of work I pursued.
Navigating Constraints and Creating Opportunities
In a creative industry, working within constraints is common. When faced with hurdles, such as hierarchical structures or clients with particular preferences, it is important to adapt and find ways to work around them. Building a portfolio involves being proactive, seeking out new opportunities, and ensuring that the assigned work aligns with personal and professional goals. By identifying additional angles and possibilities within projects, you become more appealing and attractive to clients and creative leads.
Landing a Super Bowl Ad and Creative Techniques
Landing a Super Bowl ad involved seeking out the assignment and making it an easy yes for the creative lead involved. From brainstorming, I learned the importance of getting all ideas out on paper and pushing myself to think beyond the obvious. By challenging myself to come up with even more ideas, I was able to sift through the material and determine which ones were the most interesting. Over time, this process became more refined, and I developed the ability to evaluate my own ideas and determine what would make for a successful campaign.
Challenging color combinations and pushing creative boundaries
The artist KAWS discusses his creative process, highlighting his use of bold and unconventional color combinations. He mentions how he intentionally starts with colors that don't make sense and then forces himself to make sense of them on the canvas. This approach allows him to push his creative boundaries and find unique solutions.
Unpredictable sentence writing and creative ideation
KAWS shares an interesting writing technique where he starts a sentence without knowing how it will end. He uses this practice to challenge himself and force creative answers or solutions. This approach helps him break away from predictable outcomes and discover fresh and unexpected ideas during the ideation process.
Transforming Robert Goulay into an afternoon poltergeist
KAWS explains the process of turning the iconic singer Robert Goulay into an afternoon poltergeist for an advertising campaign. Inspired by a Fatboy Slim music video featuring Christopher Walken, KAWS wrote a sentence and challenged himself to finish it by transforming Goulay into a mischievous spirit causing havoc in an office setting. The idea was well-received and showcased the power of surprising connections and creativity in advertising.
The significance of making fast decisions and getting away with it
KAWS emphasizes the importance of making fast decisions and taking risks in the creative industry. He highlights that when an idea feels like it can get away with something or has a slightly edgy quality, it often leads to successful and memorable campaigns. KAWS also shares personal experiences where he made bold choices, even when facing potential backlash, and how they shaped his creative path in a positive way.
The Power of Pushing Boundaries in Creativity
The podcast discusses the importance of pushing boundaries and embracing creativity. The hosts share their experiences in the advertising industry, highlighting the need to take risks and think outside the box. They emphasize the value of collaboration, learning from mistakes, and staying open to new possibilities. The episode also explores the impact of constraints in creative work and the importance of finding a balance between creative freedom and practical considerations. Overall, it encourages listeners to constantly seek new opportunities and challenge themselves creatively.
Lessons Learned from a Challenging Advertising Campaign
The hosts share a personal story about a challenging advertising campaign they worked on. Despite facing numerous obstacles and disagreements with the client, they persevered and delivered a successful campaign. The experience taught them the importance of collaboration, flexibility, and maintaining a positive attitude. It also highlighted the need to step back and focus on the bigger picture, rather than getting caught up in minor details. The hosts emphasize the value of learning from failures and recognizing when personal egos can hinder the creative process.
The Importance of Collaborative Work in Advertising
The podcast highlights the significance of collaboration in the advertising industry. The hosts discuss how working together with a team can lead to more innovative and impactful ideas. They emphasize the importance of listening to different perspectives, being open to feedback, and fostering a culture of trust and mutual respect. The episode underlines the value of bouncing ideas off one another and leveraging the diverse expertise and skills within a team to create successful campaigns. Collaboration, they argue, is key to achieving the best creative outcomes.
The Power of Possibility and Embracing New Opportunities
The podcast episode inspires listeners to embrace the power of possibility and take advantage of new opportunities. The hosts emphasize the importance of thinking beyond routine and comfort zones, encouraging listeners to explore what is possible in their personal and professional lives. They stress the value of creativity, taking chances, believing in oneself, and trying new things. The hosts remind listeners that life is not just about following a predetermined plan, but about seeing what can be achieved and experienced by pushing boundaries and embracing new possibilities.
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Chris Beresford-Hill is one of the most sought-after creative leaders in advertising and has led brands with a combined market cap of over $1 trillion. He was recently named Chief Creative Officer of the Americas at BBDO Worldwide.
Previously, Chris served as North America President and Chief Creative Officer at Ogilvy and Chief Creative Officer at TBWA\Chiat\Day. His work for clients like Guinness, Mtn Dew, Dove, Workday, Adidas, FedEx, McDonalds, HBO, and Foot Locker has driven sales while putting dent after dent into pop culture.
Chris and his teams have won every award for creativity and effectiveness many times over, including five campaigns in the permanent collection at MoMA. He has been named to Adweek’s list of best creatives — Adweek’s Creative 100 — Business Insider’s Most Creative People in Advertising, and the Ad Age 40 Under 40, back when he was under 40.
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[00:00] Start
[09:45] How Chris landed his first job with the help of Mark Cuban.
[16:28] Lessons learned from first boss Lance Jensen.
[20:37] Writing cold emails that work.
[25:27] What Chris's dad taught him about workarounds.
[34:41] A golf strategy that inspired Super Bowl aspirations.
[37:07] Good taste and the Modernista style.
[41:22] Portfolio building.
[45:15] How Chris landed his first Super Bowl ad.
[58:46] Editing and expectations.
[1:02:58] Critical acclaim.
[1:03:35] Working with BBDO's David Lubars.
[1:06:51] Working fast and resisting the urge to "gild the lily."
[1:09:45] Shining a light on the Super Bowl LIV Mountain Dew commercial.
[1:15:48] The value of the vaguely naughty mindset.
[1:19:35] Making less more with Tor Myhren.
[1:21:59] The Adidas/Billie Jean King gambit.
[1:32:34] A Napster campaign crashes.
[1:38:54] Creative industry-related reading and viewing.
[1:45:11] Overcoming creative roadblocks.
[1:49:10] What Chris does in lieu of meditation.
[1:53:34] Books and videos that save lives and inspire curiosity.
[1:58:20] Best investments of less than $100.
[2:00:46] Capturing and saving good ideas for later.
[2:06:21] What words are worth.
[2:11:26] If the idea is good enough, there's always more money.
[2:13:00] Give Chris a Foot Locker and he'll take a mile.
[2:18:40] An ego check.
[2:23:16] Chris's billboard.
[2:24:17] Parting thoughts.
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