Call To Action

We’ve sent out our largest trawler into the (Quiet) Storm and landed ourselves a bumper super catch this week as we snare ad land power couple Rania and Trevor Robinson OBE. Rania and Trevor are the CEO and ECD respectively of Quiet Storm; a creative marriage of ad agency and production company. Rania has worked magic on accounts and strategy for some of the world’s biggest brands, including Haribo, Mercedes, Google and Coca Cola, whilst Trevor is the creative force of nature behind some of the most talked about advertising of our era, including You’ve Been Tangoed and Haribo’s Kids Voices adverts.  Tune in for an epic and topical tale that takes us through working as a court illustration artist, the benefits of working in a small independent agency, how to direct a great TV advert, How the Haribo ads were created, their Create Not Hate initiative, balancing running an agency together with life as a married couple and a net full of more nuggets.  ///// Follow Rania and Trevor on LinkedIn  And Rania on Twitter   Here is their agency, Quiet Storm    And their recently rejuvenated Create Not Hate initiative that you can get involved with and support.  Trevor’s book recommendations are: The Catcher in the Rye, J.D Salinger  Auto Da Fé, Elias Canetti.  And Rania's book recommendations are: Thinking, Fast and Slow, Daniel Kahneman.  The Chimp Paradox, Professor Steve Peters  /////

We’ve lurked in the long grass by the canal and nabbed consultant, mentor, and music-geek Jess Gregson for a chinwag as she visits her houseboat this week. An optimistic, pragmatic, and friendly soul from Sheffield, Jess is the founder of Extra Brain, where she uses her experience to help business leaders come unstuck. She is also the founder of Open to everyone. Closed to racism, an initiative getting businesses to take a stand against racism, and also hosts themed social listening party #Sunday7social every other Sunday on Isolated Talks radio. Tune in to hear Jess talk about her first job working with Unilever as a client, her priceless experience of both agency and client-side, why she set up her new business Extra Brain, common business problems and themes that go across all sectors, the highs and lows of living on a boat and tonnes more. ///// Follow Jess on LinkedIn and Twitter  Read more on her new consultancy business, Extra Brain Get involved with Open to everyone. Closed to racism  Check out the #Sunday7Social hashtag on Twitter and get listening to her bi-weekly Sunday radio show on Isolated Talks. Jess’s book recommendations are:  Utopia for Realists by Rutger Bregman  Just Kids & M Train by Patti Smith  /////

This week, baited by a Bedouin birthing blanket, we caught big thinker and bestselling author, Paul Feldwick. The man behind one of our favourite all time ad campaigns, Paul worked at the legendary agency BMP on some of Britain’s most famous brands for over 30 years. His latest book ‘Why Does the Pedlar Sing?’ explores why selling and entertainment go hand in hand and was described by Rory Sutherland as “possibly the book I would most highly recommend to anyone in marketing”. Paul talks to us on tonnes of topics, including BMP, being the world’s worst account manager, clowns, talking to real people, what brands can learn from Snow White, Jeremy Bullmore, PT Barnum, fame, shame, purpose, Mrs Brown’s Boys, whether ads need to be "liked", Martin Boase, and a whole lot more. Tuck in. ///// Check out his website  Follow Paul on LinkedIn  We implore you to read both of his fabulous books:  Why Does the Pedlar Sing?  Anatomy of Humbug And here’s that famous Barclaycard ad with Rowan Atkinson  Paul’s book recommendations are: How Brands Grow by Byron Sharp  Building Distinctive Brand Assets by Jenni Romaniuk /////

All it took was a curly-wurly and a whiff of Hooblahoo to snare bumbling, bestselling author, Andrew Boulton, this week.  A senior lecturer on copywriting and creative advertising at the University of Lincoln, Andrew has over a decade’s scribbling experience writing for big brands, tiny brands, and even a man who carved dolphins out of cheese. Andrew talks to us on tonnes of topics, including being robbed by Roy Keane, teaching, why copywriting makes you a better creative writer, Umbongo, a cartoon toilet brush, his terrible radio play, wandering, words with no consonants, the inspiration behind Adele Writes an Ad, and a whole lot more. You’d be a fool not to let us bend your ear ‘ere. ///// Follow Andrew on Twitter and LinkedIn Get wandering with Creativity in the Wild on ISOLATED Talks  Here’s his column for The Drum His book Adele Writes an Ad might be just the thing for ad parents struggling to explain what they do to their children There’s also a free audiobook version narrated by gem Higgins And for a glimpse into what life as a copywriter is like, here’s Copywriting Is Andrew’s book recommendations are: Read Me by Gyles Lingwood   Junior by Thomas Kemeny   The Art of the Click by Glenn Fisher   /////

This week we’ve laced up our hiking boots and traversed the trails of North Carolina to track down Founder and CEO of Indie Consulting, Molly Baker, for a chinwag.  Molly is a digital marketing pro both client-side and agency-side chops, including a tasty stint at Ben & Jerry’s. Over the past 3 years she’s built a fully remote team of boffins around the world who agree that nothing is more valuable than people’s time and thoughts.   She gives us the lowdown on her first job as a “supreme babysitter”, why her mum had her filling out cost sheets at 14-years-old, studying abroad in Perugia, what she’s learnt building a remote team, how to avoid Zoom fatigue, the art and science of data driven marketing, accountability and ethics when using data, her counterargument to Byron Sharp’s POV on brand loyalty, her approach to client services, building trust and tons more. ///// Follow Molly on LinkedIn and Instagram Check out Indie Consulting and sign up for their newsletter Fight off Zoom fatigue with advice from her ISOLATED Talks donation Molly’s book recommendations are:  The Great Client Partner by Jared Belsky   The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah   The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah   The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah   /////

This week we’ve got our longship out of dry dock and nipped North to Nyhavn to snare Danish marketing activist and author, Thomas Kolster.  Hell-bent on making businesses put people and the planet first, Thomas is a branding and sustainability professional, the founder of the global Goodvertising movement, and the author of two books, Goodvertising and The Hero Trap. He talks to us about joining the industry with dreams of helicopters and Ogilvy’s Chateau, frustration, getting brand purpose all wrong, the problem when megalomanic brands try to do good, Simon Sinek’s self-glorifying exercises, dinosaurs, what he really thinks of Patagonia, consuming Carlsberg and playing Lego (simultaneously, of course), where to get an evasive cheap pint in Copenhagen and bucket loads more. ///// Follow Thomas on Twitter and LinkedIn Here’s his website Check out his books: The Hero Trap Goodvertising And if you’re gasping for a pint in Copenhagen, but don’t fancy paying through the nose for it, Thomas recommends Det Lille Øresund, Oehlenschlægersgade 41, 1663, Copenhagen. Thomas’s book recommendation is:  Spørge-Jørgen by Kamme Laurents and Robert Storm Petersen   /////

Summer is over, so we’re migrating south (well, to Bristol) to catch a Bird not afraid to ruffle some feathers: one of the all-time greats in the world of copywriting, Drayton Bird.  A man who could fill The British Library twice-over with his stories of mayhem and misadventure, Drayton was dubbed the man who “knows more about direct marketing than anyone in the world” by David Ogilvy and, at 85 years old, still writes great copy every day.  He chirps to us on what makes a great copywriter, reading, what he learned from David Ogilvy, applying his principles to Airbus planes and Peppa Pig, living under a false name for 7 years, why despair is the route to success, skirting death (more than once) and a treasure trove more. ///// Follow Drayton on Twitter and LinkedIn Here’s his website And sign up for his mailing list (if you're brave enough) If you want to learn from the man himself, check out Ask Drayton Get a free copy of Scientific Advertising Drayton’s book recommendations are: Ogilvy on Advertising by David Ogilvy   Scientific Advertising by Claude Hopkins   Tested Advertising Methods by John Caples   How to Write Sales Letters that Sell by Drayton Bird   /////

This week we’ve ditched the Dolmio and danced across the pond to sniff out Brooklyn’s master meatball maker and talented designer, Victoria Rosselli.  Victoria is a freelance Art Director and Designer based in New York. She’s also a Pitch 100 Superwoman and co-founder of Our Silent Partner, a collection of crowdsourced work designed to give voice to the silent mental health struggles of creatives. We tuck into tons of topics including the benefits of an early internship at FCB, mental health in the advertising industry and why she chose to leave it altogether, hustle culture, imposter syndrome, freaky flashbacks of Gary Vaynerchuk, using ADHD as a creative advantage, Our Silent Partner, and, most importantly, the Rosselli family secrets for a winning meatball are revealed. Buon appetito. ///// You can find Victoria on Twitter and Instagram. Go support Our Silent Partner. Here’s her Campaign article on mental health and working in advertising. Watch Mental Health and Creativity by Victoria Rosselli and Laurel Stark Akman. Enjoy the Mental Health Matters Clear Channel Event.     Victoria kindly dedicates this episode to Becky Brinkerhoff. Give her some love too. And, most importantly, has Victoria finished redoing her portfolio yet? Victoria’s book recommendations are: The Secret Lives of Colour by Kassia St Clair   Fake Accounts by Lauren Oyler   /////

There’s a Freaky Friday/Trading Places film vibe to this episode, as JP Castlin puts the boot very much on the other foot to volley a tonne of tough posers to the outspoken founder and Creative Director of Gasp, and this show’s usual host, Giles Edwards.  A “wonderful overachiever”, he’s also the creator of ISOLATED Talks and has collaborated on two #1 best-selling books. He believes in “proper (timeless) Marketing” and its vital role in the boardroom and usually rants about this, and more, with esteemed guests on this podcast. But today, it is him who is in the hot seat. He talks to us on almost becoming Comic Book Guy from The Simpsons, learning Serbo-Croat and the fundamentals of communication, what he set out to do with Gasp, media neutrality, the noose around the neck of many marketers (aka the billable hour), awards, behavioural economics, stand-up comedy, and Wu-Tang Clan. Plus, find out why the front page of an Indonesian newspaper dubbed him “Mr. Cheater” after an ill-fated spelling bee… ///// You can find Giles on Twitter and LinkedIn.   Enjoy all 67 episodes of Call to Action so far.   Check out and support ISOLATED Talks.   Don’t Be Brave, Be Right by Giles Edwards and Ryan Wallman. Here’s the Hans Brinker ads, the Party Cannon logo, and Gasp’s award-winning crumpled up letter campaign. A huge thank you to a friend of the show JP Castlin who, not being content with being on this podcast twice already, humbly invited himself to be a guest host. You can listen to both his episodes of Call to Action here and here. Giles’s book recommendations are: Delusions of Brandeur by Ryan Wallman   Copywriting Is by Andrew Boulton   How to Make Better Advertising and Advertising Better by Vic Polkinghorne and Andy Palmer   A Smile in the Mind by Beryl McAlhone and David Stuart    Sync by Steven Strogatz   /////

We flogged an old, precious ad book on Amazon for three grand and just about covered a one-way ticket t’Blackpool (cheers privatisation) to nab one of the most outspoken voices in ad land: copywriter, Creative Director and author, Steve Harrison.  He’s bagged more Cannes Lions in his discipline than any other Creative Director in the world, and his book “How to do better creative work” became the most expensive ad book ever sold. His new, updated version of "Can't Sell, Won't Sell: Advertising, Politics and Culture Wars" has turned up the heat and promises to be “the most provocative advertising book in years”.  He not only shoots the breeze, but scary Birds, the big problem with big agencies, the juggernaut band-wagon of social purpose, class and the diversity conversation, and the vanity and entitlement of our industry to think we can set a cultural agenda. In fact, we had to stop and reload a few times to take aim at industry leaders, publications, Soho pub-goers, and Peter Crouch. What an episode. ///// Follow Steve on Twitter and LinkedIn  Bung the updated version of Can’t Sell, Won’t Sell in yer’ basket   Check out How To Write Better Copy  Here’s his biography on Howard Gossage   And here’s How to do better creative work (but good luck getting your mitts on it!)  Here’s his pod with Dave Dye  And the talk we mention by Hans Rosling   Steve’s book recommendations are: More Bull More by Jeremy Bullmore  Factfulness by Hans Rosling   /////