Herve de Clerck, Ad Forum
From the impressive harbour-side furniture design showroom Paustian, Grey EMEA presented a compelling story of change, open-ness and long ideas. David Patton, CEO, Grey EMEA, hosted the evening, along with colleagues old and new from Denmark, Germany, Amsterdam, Hungary, Sweden, Norway, and London.
In true design interior style fitting to the location, the consultants made themselves comfortable on a vast array of chairs, chaise longues, sofas, benches and stools – David Wethey, from Agency Assessments in the UK, looked particularly regal on a furry white rug atop a contemporary throne.
David explained the mind-shift at Grey from the big idea to the long idea, which is designed to offer excellence across the full marketing value chain. “Long ideas bring old and new media together”, he said, when the tinder – the flame, the spark, the hook – is “so entertaining or useful that people want to get involved. Our role is to create fame and facilitate involvement”.
David Wethey, Agency Assessments International
The tinder can be lots of things: a promotion, an event, an ad, a cause, a widget. Or a first, such as the Space Chair Project for Toshiba, which tested the limits of technology by sending a chair into space.
Change and an open attitude , involving no departments, no offices, no ego and no obsession with TV – or digital for that matter – was summarised by a new mantra for offices throughout the region:
Dispense with the tradition
Destroy the production line
Chuck out the ego
Mess with the hierarchy
Mix up the building
Stir up the departments
Broaden the skill set
Jump on the preciousness.
David Patton (left), President & CEO of Grey Group EMEA
Hazelle Klonhammer, Managing Director of Grey Amsterdam
Catherine Davis, New Business Director, Grey London
Peter Cowie, Founding Partner of The Oystercatchers (London) and Tuuli Kahma, Founder and Managing Director of Breezeway Oy (Finland).
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