‘Meet Graham’ creative team / twin brothers Tom and George McQueen land at Droga5, New York
CB Exclusive – Campaign Brief can reveal that twin brothers Tom and George McQueen, the Clemenger BBDO, Melbourne creative team on the multi-awarded TAC ‘Meet Graham’ campaign, have scored senior creative roles at Droga5, New York.
The twins, who also co-created the Marriage Equality campaign for Airbnb, Myer ‘Santa’s Star’ and Origin Energy ‘Rate my roof’, have been in New York over the last few months and did not make the trip to Cannes, where ‘Meet Graham’ won two Grand Prix and 29 Lions including eight Gold Lions, contributing to Clemenger BBDO, Melbourne being awarded Cannes Agency of the Year.
The month before ‘Meet Graham’ won Best of Show at the New York Festivals, which the pair attended (see pic below).
And then a coveted Black Pencil at D&AD, resulting in Clemenger BBDO Melbourne being crowned D&AD Agency of the Year.
The pair told CB from New York: “Droga5 is an agency we’ve always admired. They’ve amassed an impressive body of work over the years and it’s humbling to get the opportunity to work alongside the creative minds behind it all. It helps that there’s a healthy mix of Aussie expats in the mix too. We’ve had a great couple of years with the exceptional team at Clemenger Melbourne and wish them all the continued success. We’re excited to explore this new opportunity and the brand new set of challenges that await.”
36 Comments
Proud as punch x2
Impressive work, but how many creatives are actually allowed to have come up with Meet Graham as here’s another two?
“The name Graham came to the duo early on in the creation stages.”
http://www.thedrum.com/news/2017/06/27/meet-graham-s-creators-the-aussie-duo-rewrote-the-shock-and-awe-road-safety-creative
Who der?
I had nothing to do with Graham, I was too busy claiming credit for Earth Hour and World’s Best Job.
The ones who had the “idea” go to NY but the people who executed the whole thing are nameless. Ideas are nothing, execution is everything. Ideas are cheap, how they’re made and communicated is what sells and wins. They had the idea but they made nothing themselves. Typical Ad Land.
The article says ‘on’, as in they worked ‘on’ it, not that they came up with it. Sure there was a lot of people who worked on it, and any of them would be entitled to take some credit for its success.
The anti-smoking version of Meet Graham campaign won two D&AD pencils in 1987
Crazy times.
It’s not rocket science. The most junior ranked creatives who have their name on something, are usually the ones who came up with it.
If the CDs, ECD, or Creative Chairman (nice title) actually came up with the idea for Graham, no way these guys would be getting any kudos, awards, or the opportunity to work at Droga.
These guys have done great work, in just a couple of years at Clems. Give them the credit they deserve.
@Little People. Execution with no idea is just disjointed pretty pictures. That’s the problem with our industry at the moment. A lot of execution led retrofitted ideas. Aussie adland should be proud of these boys and their work.
I’m always bemused by people who win big at awards and then decamp for Droga/Weiden/wherever under the guise of being able to do cool stuff.
These guys, the Dumb Ways guys, the Best Job guys etc etc.
Surely they’ve already been able to do cool stuff where they were?
It’d be nice if they didn’t pretend it was about the work.
I think @Nick is on the money. The twins are also credited with airbnb and rate my roof so it doesn’t look like they are one hit wonders.
Heard the planner came up with it.
Matt Pearce should be getting more credit. Amazing planner.
@Execution
Sure you’re completely correct. Execution alone is nothing but pictures and fluff. But ideas are cheap and everyone has them. Graham cuts through because of the visual communication, it reads instantly because the visuals are so clear. I still have no idea who actually created the visuals for Graham, because in ad land it’s all about which beanie-wearing bearded hipster had the idea then tried to direct other more senior people with actual craft skills to create it. And yes, if the people with the actual skills to create the visuals don’t have ideas, then that’s just as bad.
Can we get over the stupid divide in ad land please that there are “ideas people” and “makers” and never the two shall meet? In ad land it seems they are actively kept apart and cross-over is discouraged. Show me an art director who can make some art for once. Hardly any of them can even use photoshop. Good luck in NY boys it’ll eat you alive.
Never has a single womb produced this much creative talent simultaneously. Well done lads, this is very well-deserved.
Um, yeah, these guys are really humble talented people and they wouldn’t want to take credit where it wasn’t due.
They worked on Graham and made it great, as the did with many of the other projects they worked on at Clems along side other teams.
But the history is the ‘idea’ was hatched before it got to them. They just made it better. That’s why their name is on it. And it should be. End.
Matt, chill out.
You’re a really good planner.
In my opinion, complex ideas don’t need to be credited to a couple of people alone. The best work is a collaborative effort brought to life by a cohesive team of people. We know how it works: Insight + idea + sell + perseverance + flawless execution = A Graham. We don’t all get to do it, but all the people credited must have played their role for stars to align and for this project to engage with people the way it did. When I saw it I thought, wow, and I saw people outside the industry talking about it and sharing it. So, congrats to everyone who worked on it.
Congratulations. Ignore the negative comments on here from people who did not win at Cannes this year – or any year for that matter. Enjoy New York and come up with another brilliant idea that these idiots can tear apart after you win at Cannes next year again.
Free coffees at Bonnie to anyone who mentions this article.
I’ve not heard great things from Aussies & Kiwis working at Droga.
As a creative in Sydney, I’ve never met you two but I’ve seen your work published here and numerous other sites. Seeing you guys achieve so much in so little time is an inspiration, something every creative aspires to. I hope I’ll be seeing more of your work in the future. Keep killing it. And when the time is right come back to Oz, you’ll surely be welcomed with open arms.
The people on here who are negative have obviously never worked with Tom or George before. The hardest workers in the industry on and off the tools.
I have been behind them from day dot.
I hate you, I hate you, I don’t even know you and I hate your guts!
onya Bro’s!!
Seeing all the great success Australian talent has had at award shows of late – Worlds Best Job, Dumb Ways, Graham – I hope Clems appoint from within and don’t embark on a ‘global search’ for the next Ant; because the record shows the next Ant is probably already here in Australia, in Clems!
@Little People. You sound like you need a break from the industry. Ideas are cheap and everyone has them? You’re not serious? Graham is good because the visuals are clear…because the CDs, and ADs and creatives directed it that way. Taking in input along the way from all parties. You probably know all Tarantino movies…. but when was the last time you singled out Sally Menke for her editing of all his movies. Have you ever credited Janusz Kaminski for his cinematography on all Spielberg movies? Probably not.
Well said @Execution. @LittlePeople is a industry troll, time to put on your big boy pants.
@Little People – “the young hipster has the idea and then gets older people with craft skills to make it”?
That’s not the inside any agency I’ve seen. If anything it would be the other way round.
But maybe you’re talking about TVCs – they get an older director from outside?
Reading all these negative and spiteful comments make me happy I left the ad game. Sick of seeing people in Aus adland being cutdown by keyboard fuckboys and girls. You’re all a bunch of c*unts and I hope your fingers get herpes.
The amount of whingey has-beens on here is insane.
Well done boys- hugely deserved
the vast majority of message her are supportive
good on you boys!
They just seem like ripper, down to earth blokes. Good on ’em.
Well done fellas, you’re both brilliant creatives, talented minds and hard workers, good luck in your move to your New York, I look forward to seeing the above people humbled when you come back with a long list of industry leading creative work under your belts.
Smash it!
I think my earlier comment might’ve been misinterpreted. My comment was more a reference to ‘failure’s an orphan and success has many fathers’. Just as the list of people who claim to have created Worlds Best Job, Earth Hour and Dumb Ways gets bigger by the day, I was waiting for the same to happen with Graham [and it has a bit]. But, just to be clear, I have no doubt that Tom and George created Graham.
I congratulate them and wish them every success in their new adventure.
Would. Would.