The Drum Awards for Marketing - Extended Deadline

-d -h -min -sec

David Buonaguidi IPA Karmarama

Vibrator: Brilliant but binned creative ideas; IPA chief Ian Priest sporting a thong; Ad Week NY hotel horrors, and tourists interrupting new-biz pitches

By Claire Snare

October 17, 2014 | 5 min read

Come one, come all to the hive of marketing industry gossip that is The Drum’s Vibrator. Every two weeks, resident gossip Claire Snare shares the news from the media and marketing industry that pesky press teams are dying to keep quiet...

The Drum’s gossip guru Claire Snare offers her fortnightly update featuring some of the brilliant, but sadly binned creative ideas from the likes of Karmarama founder David Buonaguidi and his Death Row Dinners pop-up restaurant, to the tales of naked masseurs in the office; tourists interrupting new business pitches; Ad Week New York hotel horrors, and yet another sighting of the Hoff.

Binned Brainwaves

There’s nothing like a good ‘media’ lunch where that steady flow of wine can help squeeze out those creative ideas that little bit more easily, and at times, even surface some of those that have proved a little too crazy – even for the ad industry.

DigitasLBi’s group creative director Chris Clarke once referred to these kind of brave ideas as his “dead babies”, admitting there are “drawers full of them” at the agency. But I thought it high time a few of these binned ideas should get a little airing, or at the very least some appreciation.

Idea No 1: Last Supper

A particularly interesting one has to be the brainchild of Karmarama founder himself David Buonaguidi and his brother. Currently off being a “free creative spirit and loving it” as he describes it, one of David’s bravest, but sadly binned ideas, was his recent plan for a pop-up Hoxton restaurant – called Death Row Dinners.

This would involve – you guessed it – diners being served five-course feasts all of which are a culinary twist on some of death row’s most interesting, popular last meals. Of course such an idea was always going to court controversy but on this occasion things got a little too heated for the owners to remain invested. The PR “went mad” but later turned nasty, according to the owners – “We couldn’t guarantee the safety of the event and both my brother and I were not really excited about doing it after all the fuss, we’ve got a couple of other things planned though,” says David. Stay tuned.

Idea no 2: Morning Glory

There are of course countless others, but one of the most amusing stories I’ve heard is that of agency St Luke’s plans to encourage the flow of creative…er juices…by ordering morning, naked massages for its staff! It’s an interesting take on the usually glum Monday morning meeting to employ the services of a Spanish masseuse to carry out treatments sans clothing.

I hear that they were told to ‘focus on their genitalia’. Meanwhile at the same agency, a briefing in the ball pool (the mind boggles) ended with one unfortunate member of the team extracting a condom from between the balls once the meeting ended. No word on whether it was still in the wrapper…

Hotel Horrors

Most amusing tweet of the fortnight goes to 10 Yetis’ Andy Barr – whose new business pitch was apparently interrupted by a bunch of American tourists who mistook him for a hotel concierge and tried to place their drinks order with him! Who knows – perhaps these “dopey” tourists as Andy described them have raised a valid point – that perhaps a hotel lobby isn’t quite the right place for a pitch Andy?!

A far more outrageous hotel story occurred over the pond during Ad Week New York. Some of my colleagues complained of what they believed was a bed bug infestation at the Holiday Inn Midtown. As far as we know, only one set of guests complained. But rather than being greeted with apologies, and a 'customer is always right' approach, police were called to ensure they were evicted from their room. An alternative room was found, but it had a broken toilet. Said one: “It was the most bizarre experience of the week.

What were you thongking?

IPA president Ian Priest was in for a treat at the organisation’s recent IPA Talent Adaptathon event as he was presented with his very own collection of AdaptaThongs.

Each set of briefs was personalised with the design work from the events, including, randomly, a meerkat, penguin and crab. Priest then modelled the underwear (over his clothes, thankfully) in front of delegates. How ‘modern’ and ‘free thinking’ industry events have become!

Hot for Hoff

Spotted by moi: The Hoff himself, arm in arm with a young lady in hot pants as he

slinked into the glitzy River Plaza Hotel where the Dadi Awards was taking place. Perhaps he was getting some R&R prior to IAB Engage, where he was speaking this week.

David Buonaguidi IPA Karmarama

More from David Buonaguidi

View all

Trending

Industry insights

View all
Add your own content +