Toronto creative agency Crowdiate has teamed up with Canadian ad icon Terry O’Reilly for a series of “mini-podcasts” about marketing and brand building.
The short monologues (between 37 and 77 seconds) are delivered by O’Reilly, who relates anecdotes and imparts folksy wisdom on big industry topics like finding ideas. “When looking for big ideas, here’s lesson number one: Act casual. If ideas suspect you’re chasing them, they’ll run away.”
Other topics covered include strategy, true insight, simplicity, and great briefs. The only visual element is a glass of something brown and neat in front of a flickering fire.
The idea was to share them on LinkedIn as a way get some attention for the agency, Mirlin told The Message.
“There’s nothing here that our audience hasn’t heard before, we’re just looking to have them feel warmed by the conversation and, by extension, aware of Crowdiate,” he said. “We kept them short and tight to maintain the laid-back mood—lengthy pieces move from laid-back to boring all too quickly.”
Though they are meant to be ads for the agency, they also feel like genuine personal advice from two of the industry’s most trusted voices, who have seen it all and done most of it as well.
O’Reilly built Pirate Radio, for example, but his voice is the literally the best-known in Canada when it comes to advertising, thanks to his many years on CBC Radio, his popular podcasts, and three books. Meanwhile Mirlin—who wrote the five mini-podcast stories—is one of Canada’s most respected creative veterans, having led one of Canada’s best agencies of the ’90s, Harrod & Mirlin, and today keeps busy as creative director at Crowdiate.
“Our approach on these mini-podcasts intentionally steers away from anything that sounds like soap box propagandizing on the principles and values everyone is all too familiar with,” said Mirlin. “Opting instead for a laid back reflective, fireside ramble on matters both creative and strategic.”