I attended Semi Permanent in Melbourne a few days ago. Somehow I can’t stop thinking about one presentation. There were two guys, Naren and Sudeep from Sydney, presenting the work of Droga5. Check out the website, you won’t be disappointed.
From the beginning I was excited by their work and the way they elaborate on concepts. I fell instantly in love with the interdisciplinary way of thinking and collaborating. I like the things they said about collaboration, that it’s not about like-minded people sitting in a room, working together feeling that you’ve got all the right questions and you can answer all the questions. The say collaboration is about diversity, seeing the world in a different light, it make us learn new things. That people come up with things other people never ever thought of before. They recommended asking stupid questions, even though it often feels awkward and uncomfortable. Too many people were afraid of asking questions.
They said it was bloody hard to let go of control, especially with Client expectation, but at times, one has to let go of all control and let others control the process. I noticed, even though they do have great teams, ideas and clients, they still have to deal with the same problems as any agency.
For innovation it’s neccessary to take risks. These days everyone wants to be innovative, but very few really have the guts to take the needed risks. Either you risk something or you are just a follower. These guys are definitely no followers. It became clear that being brave doesn’t mean being fearless. Naren advised: “There is no guarantee for success. Jump off the cliff and hope for the best. You need to manage the Angst.” As a result every project had a brilliant concept, well-conceived with appropriate use of social media tools. I could spend hours watching this great stuff, even though it’s advertising. I never spend time watching commercials on Telly! Most likely no one does.
As I walked out of the room after the presentation, I thought that I must have been numb the last few months from not knowing what I was looking for. Suddenly, like nothing before, it was so obvious. I want to collaborate with these unique characters and develop with them concise user-entertaining campaigns. It felt like I was taking the first breath after nearly drowning … like finally being refreshed with water after withering like an un-loved plant … oh dear, my plant …
Petunja's Journey 