Made in Leith – Dock

Another “I love my job” moment. Three hours ago, I was stomping around a cold wet woodland (don’t ask) killing time til a depth interview started.

Fast forward to 4:39pm and I’m back at my desk, there’s a creative review going on in the sofas next to us and I look up to see Phil Adams sitting there in black tie…

I’m negelecting this poor blog sorely just recently for which I can only apologise.

It’s an interesting insight into how many ‘spare words’ I have battering around in my head.

I’ve been reviewing for the Evening News this festival so bashing out 200 words a pop for whatever I’ve been seeing. I think I’m up to about 20 shows so far which is a tribute only to the fact that I haven’t done any washing or seen any family or friends (unless at shows) for the past 3 weeks.

I think I’ve just completed my quota of shows to review. Though I have a lurking suspicion that an overlooked show will suddenly rise up to naggingly nip my forgetful mind.

So I promise to be a more assiduous blogger in future.

Usually when we see companies that come along to our regular Wednesday night business clinic, they have fairly formative ideas about what they’re going to do and little idea about how they’re going to do it.

Last night, we saw a chap called John who set up Tokyoblu 6 years ago and has been running it happily and successfully ever since. So it was vaguely embarrassing as everything we suggested, he was doing or had done already. Although we had one or two small moments of triumph when we managed to latch onto something he’d not thought about.

Really, he’s waiting to be discovered. They have their regular club nights featuring their very own live band – which is pretty unusual (I suspected but having met him, can now confirm!) in club land. But they want more clubbers and more money so they can get bigger. From their demo CDs, they’re doing something pretty special so if you’re fancying a bit of a wriggling dance one Friday, indulge me and get yourselves along there. If I refer enough people, I might get a cool free T-shirt…

Focus groups last night in Dundee. Winding up the group and one poor long-suffering woman who’s putting up with all sorts of nonsense in her personal life said plaintively:

“D’you know what I wish? I wish that someone one day would say to me, ‘you sit down and take a break and let me make you a cup of tea’. That’s my dream.”

Another (also to be fair, pretty long-suffering) woman, chimed in helpfully:

“My dream is to have a Smeg fridge to keep my milk in.”

I’m on the train back up North after a day in the big smoke. Given that it’s Friday and that we left London at 7:33pm, I was surprised at the number of people who unpacked their laptops, set them up on their respective tables and began to study them intently. I question my own dedication as I delve into my bag to retrieve my book.

But then I go for a wander. And in fact it seems that all of these besuited businessmen are busy on sports websites. Some Sky Sports. Some BBC Sport. Free Wifi for all on National Express East Coast trains. There’s how to brighten up a Friday night journey home. So I whipped out my own laptop for a cheeky little blogging session. True dedication.

The other thing I should say – in my rediscovered love affair with this blog – is that we did astonishingly (obviously deservedly) well at the Roses last week, scooping up the following:

GOLD
Best Television Campaign – Strathmore
Best Commercial of 21-30 seconds – Strathmore, Double Dutch
Best Commercial of 21-30 seconds – Strathmore, Ribbons
Best Cinema Campaign or Commercial – Strathmore, Double Dutch Skipping & Ribbons
Best Use of Animation – s1 Jobs
Best Low Budget – Leith Short film Festival

SILVER
Best Television Campaign – s1 Jobs
Best Use of Illustration – Ocean Terminal
Best Use of Photography – Strathmore
Best Integrated Campaign – Strathmore

Relive the glory of the now award-winning Strathmore ads here.

And huge congratulations to Mikey and Mark, Phil and Guy and Chris and David as well as the ever patient Les and Kate.

I’ve been half demented. I’m not nearly clever enough to know exactly what’s been going on but there’s been some kind of technical hiccup hitchy thing which has meant that I’ve been unable to blog here for 9 whole days. This coupled with 6 days of holiday and I’ve been a whole 15 (working) days without posting. I’ve been suffering from terrible withdrawal symptoms.

As with anything that you know you’re not able / not allowed to do, I have of course been obsessively checking a couple of times a day to see whether the site is back up and running again. And this morning, a panicky last-ditch hope check, and hurrah! We’re back.

So you can look forward to more mindless observations about ketchup now, thank goodness.

Oh and we’ve just launched a storming new IRN-BRU ad. Enjoy.

Surely the greatest compliment ever.

One of our (lovely) Scottish Government clients described (lovely) Brian as the horse whisperer of advertising for his solid and calming skills, manner and disposition.

I can only aspire.

Groups in Leeds last night so another welcome this morning to the weird underworld that is the hotel breakfast bar. And another hard-to-rival people-watching opportunity.

Most breakfasters sit solo with their heads buried in their newspapers, glancing up only to furtively receive their weird thin cafetiere for one and their slightly burnt toast. But there are a few delightful exceptions.

This morning, we had the sharp-suited surely-trader, gobbling up the FT, shiny-shoed and darting glances around and around the bar, apparently fearful of missing something.

A shoulder-padded and matching scarved woman with a man in a weird soft blouson-style leather jacket, straight out of the 80s, speaking noisily about his recent wedding anniversary trip to Edinburgh and his sorrow over their miscarriage.

A noisy man holding court to a posse of nervously laughing much younger women. Their father? Their boss? Their ringmaster??

A contented looking fellow who shrank into the corner when his two besuited colleagues turned up, all pinstriped and briefcased and full of jolly cameraderie.

I wonder if you could make money from some kind of hotel based business breakfast facilitating the chance encounters of all these people who surely would compliment each others’ businesses in some way? As long as I could watch.

Today saw the official launch of the sales and information centre for parclife in Edinburgh. We trotted along at the appointed hour to find the place that 3 weeks ago, looked something more like a building site, now swarming with people.

Andrew Skakel, of Skakel and Skakel fame, should be highly commended for his imaginative building design.The place looks great. Not at all what you’d expect from essentially a marketing suite.

Various local dignitaries spoke in honour of the occasion. And to my secret delight (though I hid it well), John-Mark, director of the EDI Group, thanked us as the insightful “imagineers” who had created and then brought to life the parclife brand. I’ve never been called an imagineer before.

But the icing on the cake came when what appears to be the site dog – mascot, someone suggested – darted past the window. He’s a little terrier type thing (can you tell I know nothing about dogs??) who’s put in an appearance at various meetings before now. An interesting and unusual accessory for a bunch of new houses.

If you’re looking to buy exceptional value for money 2 or 3 bed apartments in Edinburgh, go see (the apartments and the dog). The centre opens to all at the end of the month.