Tutssel plays to a full house in Melbourne
Last night in Melbourne the MADC hosted Mark Tutssel, Leo Burnett's global chief creative officer and chairman of the 2010 Cannes film and print juries, for an intimate talk about his views on the future of the industry, judging award shows, lessons he has learned and the direction he's taking Leo Burnett worldwide.Speaking to a sell-out crowd, Tutssel was honest and unpretentious in his delivery, sitting casually on a chair at the front of the theatre and happily fielding questions from the audience. Says Tutssel: "It's our duty to be creative and interesting. We don't have a divine right to people's attention."
Having just judged the ANDY Awards, Tutssel said he was disappointed in the work this year.
"I don't know what I was expecting but I was expecting something. The cupboard was bare - and that frightened me," he said - although he did single out the Gatorade 'Replay' campaign as an example of a great piece of work.
In talking about the changing nature of creativity and advertising, Tutssel proclaimed, "the days of selling are dead".
"It's about activating and amplifying human purpose in a fresh new way."
He used DDB's VW 'Night Driving' campaign as an example, telling the audience that great ads no longer feel like they are selling you something.
"The VW campaign was an inspired understanding of human behaviour and the way people interact with their cars, rather than trying to sell them a car," he said.
"They understood that there is joy and freedom in driving at night. It's for people who just love driving," he said. For the length of the campaign, VW dealerships were closed during the day and only open at night.
Being frightened was a recurring theme in Tutssel's talk. He spoke about the task of reshaping Leo Burnett worldwide and how that process has scared a few people, including clients.
"Clients know the road is running out and they have to change the way they operate. It is difficult - there are clients out there who hide behind research."
He told a story about a global client who did exactly that and how it was killing the work. Tutssel put together two reels and invited the client over to watch them. He played the first one and asked the client his opinion.
"That was hideous - they all spoke at me, not to me. They were crap," the client said.
He played the second one and the client was jumping up and down with excitement - "That was amazing stuff. Play it again!"
And so they did.
Afterwards, Tutssel told the client that the ads on first reel were rated as the Top 10 in international Ipsos ASI research. The second reel was examples from Burnetts offices around the world whose clients believed in their agency, not research.
There was silence in the room and then the marketing director turned around and said, "I take your point".
Within Burnetts, Tutssel has created 'Energy Pools'. They are groups of young, inexperienced people in hubs around the world, who are allowed to work on the most coveted briefs in the network, including pitches.
"They've been winning, too. They beat Goodby - who are one of the world's best agencies - in a recent pitch and that scared all our older creatives," he said.
"When you say 'digital' to young people, they say, "what's 'digital?" To them, digital is everyday life."
Tutssel also spoke about Burnett's philosophy of HumanKind, which is based on creating ideas and experiences that are human-centred and have the ability to transform the way a person thinks, feels and ultimately behaves.
"The ultimate goal of humankind is to create work that enriches people's lives - with content that genuinely moves people," Tutssel said, illustrating his point with the Leo Burnett Portugal's recent 'Hope Store' campaign for the Red Cross.
The audience was filled with a cross-section of creatives, producers, suits, photographers, students and clients.
"It was unique that an agency shared some of its insights so generously," said Richard Patterson, creative director of Onion Communications.
"It is exactly the sort of thing the MADC should be doing - offering us high-level stimulating events which leave us in a position of thinking about things differently. Mark Tutssel's talk contained truths and tools that were relevant to everyone in the communications buisiness," he added.
Richie Ralphsmith, MADC President said that the talk was creatively challenging and reminded us all that people should always be at the centre of everything we do.
"As part the revitalised MADC, we'll be bringing our members many opportunities to be inspired by creative leaders. Mark Tutssel is certainly one of those. We're grateful to him and Leo Burnett's for sharing such wonderful insights with us," said Ralphsmith.
"I don't know what I was expecting but I was expecting something. The cupboard was bare - and that frightened me," he said - although he did single out the Gatorade 'Replay' campaign as an example of a great piece of work.
In talking about the changing nature of creativity and advertising, Tutssel proclaimed, "the days of selling are dead".
"It's about activating and amplifying human purpose in a fresh new way."
He used DDB's VW 'Night Driving' campaign as an example, telling the audience that great ads no longer feel like they are selling you something.
"The VW campaign was an inspired understanding of human behaviour and the way people interact with their cars, rather than trying to sell them a car," he said.
"They understood that there is joy and freedom in driving at night. It's for people who just love driving," he said. For the length of the campaign, VW dealerships were closed during the day and only open at night.
Being frightened was a recurring theme in Tutssel's talk. He spoke about the task of reshaping Leo Burnett worldwide and how that process has scared a few people, including clients.
"Clients know the road is running out and they have to change the way they operate. It is difficult - there are clients out there who hide behind research."
He told a story about a global client who did exactly that and how it was killing the work. Tutssel put together two reels and invited the client over to watch them. He played the first one and asked the client his opinion.
"That was hideous - they all spoke at me, not to me. They were crap," the client said.
He played the second one and the client was jumping up and down with excitement - "That was amazing stuff. Play it again!"
And so they did.
Afterwards, Tutssel told the client that the ads on first reel were rated as the Top 10 in international Ipsos ASI research. The second reel was examples from Burnetts offices around the world whose clients believed in their agency, not research.
There was silence in the room and then the marketing director turned around and said, "I take your point".
Within Burnetts, Tutssel has created 'Energy Pools'. They are groups of young, inexperienced people in hubs around the world, who are allowed to work on the most coveted briefs in the network, including pitches.
"They've been winning, too. They beat Goodby - who are one of the world's best agencies - in a recent pitch and that scared all our older creatives," he said.
"When you say 'digital' to young people, they say, "what's 'digital?" To them, digital is everyday life."
Tutssel also spoke about Burnett's philosophy of HumanKind, which is based on creating ideas and experiences that are human-centred and have the ability to transform the way a person thinks, feels and ultimately behaves.
"The ultimate goal of humankind is to create work that enriches people's lives - with content that genuinely moves people," Tutssel said, illustrating his point with the Leo Burnett Portugal's recent 'Hope Store' campaign for the Red Cross.
The audience was filled with a cross-section of creatives, producers, suits, photographers, students and clients.
"It was unique that an agency shared some of its insights so generously," said Richard Patterson, creative director of Onion Communications.
"It is exactly the sort of thing the MADC should be doing - offering us high-level stimulating events which leave us in a position of thinking about things differently. Mark Tutssel's talk contained truths and tools that were relevant to everyone in the communications buisiness," he added.
Richie Ralphsmith, MADC President said that the talk was creatively challenging and reminded us all that people should always be at the centre of everything we do.
"As part the revitalised MADC, we'll be bringing our members many opportunities to be inspired by creative leaders. Mark Tutssel is certainly one of those. We're grateful to him and Leo Burnett's for sharing such wonderful insights with us," said Ralphsmith.
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He really sold me on the idea of not selling things.
Oh, wait a second...that's selling!
Bugger, looks like we are in the sales business, after all.
As if the man does anything other than fly from one lovely city judging a show to another. With a quick stop in yet another lovely place to give a speech. Advertising rules.
Tut tut, 3:42.
Is he happy?
Happy, but not very funny.
As if he does nothing else Karl? He probably does more than you, seeing as you took the time to comment on this article. And the fact he does do award shows, shows commitment past the office. Is he happy? Who knows.. is he funny? debateable, but is he some loser on a forum (Hyprocritical i know).. probably not..
kiss it
Hahahh. I'll tell you the state of the industry in years to come: GUTTED.