BJK&E

We three (Gemma, Charlotte and I ) have been discussing the prospect of internal agency awards.  We think it’d be a great Idea!

Here are a few suggested categories, feel free to suggest more or more importantly to nominate……………..
1. Agency Mentalist
2. Agency flirt
3. The most clumsy
4. Agency entertainer
5. Most likely to end up in jail (if nominating please suggest a crime)
6. Agency booze hound
7. Most likely to be sick first in Dublin
8. Desk asbo
9. Most likely to cross dress
10. and of course ..The agency hottie!

When we think of classic movies such as James Bond, Kill Bill, Rocky III, Star Wars, and Breakfast Club the movie and their theme song seem to go hand-in-hand.  Some we can sing and some we just think we can sing or hum.  Maybe it is a qualification for a movie to become such a classic.  Think of how many great movies that you can you think of that have a horrible theme song…not too many.

Is it an 80s thing?

 Or maybe it is just that the 80s were such a great time for both movies and music.  Being a child from the 80s and early 90s I am quite biased as to which era is the greatest.  As much as I love Ace of Base, I think Guns ‘N Roses have a slight advantage.

What do you think are the best theme songs (and their movies) of all time?

My #1 Kenny Loggins - Danger Zone AND Berlin - Take My Breath Away from Top Gun…..did you hear the rumors there might be a Top Gun 2???

Did anyone see the new TV ad for Heinz? It features two men kissing! HOW SHOCKING!!! That’s not me speaking, but the 200 people who complained the over the next few days. It seems most complaints (according to the Daily Mail, naturally) were from parents who were subsequently forced to explain same-sex relationship to their children. A tricky job, but then isn’t it a case of sooner rather than later? You can only shield children to an extent from the world around them, and wouldn’t this have to be explained at some point anyway?

Despite deliberately creating this potentially controversial advert, in response to these complaints Heinz quickly buckled and removed the ad. But you can’t please everyone. By removing this ad they have aroused the wrath of the gay community, with gay rights group Stonewall, and Gaydar condemning the brand as “gutless” and “homophobic”. The two groups are now calling for a gay-boycott (never has the phrase felt so appropriate), amongst the 3.6million strong UK community.

The ASA is now in the tricky process of deciding whether the ad is offensive or unsuitable for children enough to be banned.

But hang on, I think we need to get our priorities straight here! There’s something in this debate no one has mentioned… BEANS MAKE YOU FART!! Isn’t that just so much more offensive?!

To quote Jean-Paul ‘off-of’ Hollyoaks last night: “Gay is the new black”

Isn’t it strange how we seem to spend most of our lives attempting to classify the various things, people, places around us.  Its almost as if we require this process in order to fully understand, to put things into perspective as it were.  Racket sports as opposed to motor sports, dairy products, horror movies…

However as media planners and buyers will agree, there are certain classifications that are imperative to our work.  Geographic segments, income brackets and of course demographics generally.  And its the latter of these three that I think deserves some inspection.

According to NRS the Social Grading classifications were born from a survey dating back over 50 years.  They also claim “it remains a highly effective way of classifying readers of different publications”.  Certainly the natural hierarchy of Doctors and Lawyers still holds true, but surely there must be instances of social migration; leading to a shift in the traditional running order?   For example, teachers (according to NRS) are classified as B, whilst Junior Managers come in at C1.   Subtleties aside I think it’s fair to assume that teachers are generally considered underpaid for their efforts and that it’s certainly not the desirable austere profession it was some 50 years ago.

More obvious discrepancies include skilled tradesmen (sparkies, plumbers etc) that can demand a very high premium for their services now that they’re seemingly in short supply.  Then there’s musicians, celebrities, and sports personalities… where do they fit into this antiquated rank?   

In my opinion it no longer ‘remains a highly effective way of classifying readers of different publications’ but rather an old fashioned way of doing business that’s no longer relevant to today’s consumer.

I was watching the match last night and found it rather amusing.  The French coach, Raymond Domenech, has a very unusual approach to team selection….he likes to take a players star sign into consideration before making his decision.  He apparently doesn’t trust players who are
Scorpios and thinks that defenders who are Leo’s are show-offs and has been quoted saying “When I have a Leo in defence I’ve always
got my gun ready as I know he’s going to want to show off at one moment or another and cost us”.

Can this theory be applied to the media industry?  What star sign do you have to be in order to go far in media?  I’ve conducted a quick review
of all 31 BJK&E employees and noted the following:

We have a fairly even spread across the 12 star signs although interestingly 26% of us are Geminis.  Now, the purpose of Gemini is to be
one who gathers and conveys information - a good trait within our industry, one could say!  It also states that Gemini is an air sign, and as such
puts great value on the mind and its thinking function, to the extent that emotional experiences may be regarded as complications that are
best avoided. Psychologically, air is attracted to water, but air finds the emotions difficult to deal with as they don’t fit in with its concept of an
ideal world.  Hmm, they may need some more emotionally-led team members in order to create the rounded media strategy?? 

In an industry that is based on numbers and spreadsheets, is it any wonder that there are no Pisces at BJK&E.  Pisces have vivid
imaginations and will often think they are being followed. They have some influence over their friends and people resent them for flaunting
their power.   Underneath it all they lack confidence and are generally thought to be cowardly. 

Fortunately, only 2 people in BJK&E are Scorpio.  This is the star sign that is said to be shrewd in business but cannot be trusted. They
will reach the pinnacle of success because of their total lack of ethics. Tut tut…..you Scorpios know who you are!

I, myself, am a Capricorn and am one of three in the company.  We have a need to conserve…the survival of the clan.  Our sign
denotes time, age, strength through patience. Ah yes, clearly the best!!!

Congratulations to Tim and Helen Irwin on the birth of their new baby girl.  Born on Thursday 12th June, Miss Betsy Irwin weighed in at 8pounds 10 ounces.   I’m sure a head-wetting drink will be had over the next day or so……..

I note with a heavy heart that Big Brother 9 starts tonight.  Apparently the house is the biggest ever (oooh!), Big Brother more wiley than ever.  No doubt the contestants will be more mind-numbingly stupid than ever and Davina McCall more irritating than ever. 

After last year’s Celebrity BB racism row and lower ratings for the main series some predicted the programme’s demise.  But Channel 4 are adamant that there is still great demand for the show and that ratings are not their main concern anyway.

When Big Brother started, it was (like Davina) fresh, quirky and fun.  It was, without doubt, a good concept.  But it’s become little more than a freak show, churning out transient tabloid fodder at the expense of decent programming every night of the week.  No amount of cosmetic changes and hackneyed twists can disguise the fact that the format is tired.

Not all reality TV is bad.  The genre still has legs, the success of ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ is testament to that.  As everyone knows, I’m a sucker for ‘The Apprentice’!  But please, please, no Big Brother 10.

Today the press has been full of talk about the new Honda ad airing tonight on C4 during Come Dine with Me. Following on from their headline grabbing ads, Cog and Grrr, Honda have gone one step further and are now throwing people out of planes in the name of promoting the brand!

Based on the widsom of Honda’s founder who is purported to have stated ‘difficult is worth doing’ (now the tagline used in the ads), the new ad features 19 skydivers attempting to form the word Honda in the air. The stunt will be shown ‘live’ and in ‘real time.’ Unless it rains. In which case a rehearsal jump filmed yesterday will be shown.

Of course this is all very innovative, publicity grabbing - and no doubt award winning- but do the car buying public really care that much? Do they appreciate the fact that the stunt is live? And is the reported £500k cost really worth it? I suppose the question should be - is difficult really worth doing?

Ok so I’m sure I’m not the only one impatiently awaiting the much anticipated Sex and the City film…

It began with a few whispers and hopeful predictions that a film was to be made and now the time has come for what I believe will be one of the biggest Box Office hits of the year.

Whilst us BJK&E girls are being treated to a true SATC experience of cinema and cocktails I’m not sure that my excitement can wait that long and I’m already planning Thursday night’s trip to the cinema.

Although I am a big SATC fan and I am hugely excited about the launch of the film, I worry that I may be disappointed following the hype…does Big die? does Steve cheat on Miranda? There speculations are endless and I for one worry that the film may not live up to them.
Regardless of what may loom ahead , I shall sit with my  BJK&E girls dressed in our cocktail dresses to watch the most anticipated film of the year!

On one hand we get told how we are becoming an ever more unshockable society, desensitised by ever increased violence, sex, drugs (and of course rock n roll) in the media around us. Yet 2007 experienced the highest ever number of advert complaints (a total of 14,080) according to ASA.

Coming out top was the Department of Health with their “Get unhooked” advert aimed at getting people to quit smoking, which prompted 774 complaints. Running on TV, press, internet and posters the campaign was unmissable, and certainly seemed to create a stir! Those who complained said the adverts were offensive, frightening and distressing. Don’t worry - you won’t be chased by a real fishing hook piercing your cheek! They just want you to drop the cancer stick! I have to admit it made me shudder and feel uncomfortable, but then don’t we need more shocking tactics like this when it comes to changing people’s perceptions and behaviour on topics like this?

On a lighter (and rounder) note, the 10th most complained about advert was awarded to the Sun for their bus T-side campaign, with page 3 girl Keeley promoting the new 20p cost of the paper. I actually worked at CBS outdoor at the time, who surprisingly have a rather stringent copy approval process. The 10p pieces were originally considerably smaller when copy was first submitted… these complainers should be grateful that there are these measures in place - I’m sure the original nipple-clad buses would have ranked this ad higher in the complaints chart!