Words of wisdom with...

 

 

Yes, we are international. In total, we have nine different nationalities working in Hullabaloo out of a team of 15 people. The three partners; Jirka, Coxy and myself met when we were all working at Lowe. Coxy and I had already worked together for about 7 years, in Australia, Vietnam and within Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). We brought Jirka in as Exec Creative Director of the Prague office… And then we began talking about doing our own thing.
 

Our staff are international, because we are international. It was always our aim to work within the Czech Republic but also across CEE. As it turns out we have had work appear in 20 countries across Europe. Most of the creative people we employ came to Prague to study a creative discipline; photography, illustration, animation... They all have very active creative lives outside of the agency. I rather like the fact that you are just as likely to hear Spanish being spoken as Czech within the Hullabaloo office. 

We chose Prague for a number of reasons. Firstly, it is a place creative people want to live. I have also worked in Warsaw and Moscow and they are a little less inviting. Secondly, it’s central. We can drive to Berlin, Vienna, Bratislava, Munich and be in either London or Moscow within two hours. Thirdly, we can keep our overheads under control, which means we can offer international standards at highly competitive rates and lastly, but most importantly, it’s a really nice place to live. 

 

 

I went to Watford College and then got a job at Allen, Brady and Marsh, an agency that is seldom mentioned, but produced some iconic work. I loved every day of it. I then got the travel bug and ended up at FCB, Melbourne and I haven’t been home since.

 

Finally, before Hullabaloo, I worked for Lowe in Vietnam, China and then as Regional CEO for CEE, Russia and Turkey. I really enjoyed it, but it was a bit chaotic towards the end and I had always wanted to run my own business… So, here I am. 

 

Coxy started at DDB in Melbourne and then JWT. He joined Lowe, Vietnam and we have worked together ever since. Jirka is a local Prague boy. He worked at Leo Burnett, Prague when it was regularly scoring in the top 10 of the Gunn report. 

 

 

Vitana, Grandma’s’ is one of my favourites. To be honest it’s not the most original idea, but is probably the most successful commercial Vitana have made and represents their core brand values. We all really like working on Vitana because it’s a local brand in pitch battle against Unilever and Nestle, two clients from our past. I suppose it’s because they are an underdog and it’s great to win against the odds. 

 

What job/spot have you seen in the past year or so that you wish you’d worked on?   

I can’t think of anything. I honestly think the industry is going through a bit of a creative downer at the moment.

 

Not at all. In fact, I think it’s a very exciting time to be in advertising. We recently set up Praha Digital, a dedicated digital agency and we all love the things it does. However, as with everything, you can’t hide behind technology. You need a good idea if it’s going to have any impact.
 

 

Hullabaloo is 15 people. Praha Digital is four. Our emphasis is on creative output, so that’s where the money goes.
 

Have you had to employ a lot of new staff to adapt to the new technologies and ways of thinking?  
 

We have employed a creative guy from Boondoggle in Belgium to head up Prague Digital, supported by a local Business Director. We also have a Technical Project Manager who pulls everything together. It’s a horrible job because a lot of the programmers work different hours and are sometimes lacking in discipline. 

That said, there is no question it’s a different world but overall the process is similar to making a TV commercial and the standards we have across both businesses are common. We aim to produce high quality, creative ideas, executed to international standards.
 

 

There is no such thing as ‘great creativity’ without effectiveness. If an ad does not sell more, then it is a waste of time and money. Creativity is a tool, which we use to make our client’s more visible. Sometimes, if you have something really interesting to say, you don’t need to add additional layers of creativity. However, as products become less and less distinguishable, so the role of creativity increases. Sometimes the only thing that differentiates products in a category is the advertising, which creates the brand perception. Creativity is shorthand. It helps the consumer remember what we want to tell them.

 

 

I hate pitching. I can’t think of a less effective way of selecting a supplier. I would be much happier to be taken on 3 months free trial than have to go into a lottery. There is so much more to a client/agency relationship than can be demonstrated in a nervous 90-minute presentation. Some clients are a bit in awe of the digital world. I don’t blame them. There’s a lot going on and a lot of it is total bollocks. 

 

 

Czech’s are quite cautious people and so if anything the advertising is a little cautious as well. However, it gives us greater opportunity to create work that stands out.

I really do think Prague could become a creative centre in CEE. It’s quite alternative and , forgive me, ‘Bohemian’. I’d like to see the Government do more to encourage creative industries, in the same way that they have helped the film industry here.

Prague’s film business is truly world class… so it can be done.

 

 

Yes. There are only a handful of ‘Independents’ in Prague. The city is dominated by multinationals.

 

 

We definitely compare ourselves with European agencies and try and ensure truly international standards. Our revenue splits about 50/50 between international and local business. We have just opened an office in Moscow and have had work appear in over 20 countries.

 

No. Big ideas are universal. We use suppliers from all over the world. The only prerequisite is they know what they are doing.

 

 

Maybe. We have launched a t-shirt company under the Hullabaloo brand. We did this because t-shirts in Prague are crap and we have some very nice designs. Have a look at www.t-lab.cz

 

 

Honestly, there is so much scam now we can’t be bothered with it. I feel it really devalues what we do for a living. I would go as far to say I am passionately opposed to Advertising Awards as they currently stand.

 

 

We find talent either through word of mouth or through a local recruitment consultant; Richard Hunt. We have quite a few people contact us directly and we will usually make the effort to see anyone that sounds interesting.

 

 

I think the whole point of creativity, is to decrease the level of investment in media. Whether it’s a recession, or not; If an idea is seen once and remembered, you don’t have to keep repeating it.
 

We have a very simple approach to advertising, which is summed up in our strap line; ‘Make a Noise’! Be seen. Clients spend so much time knocking the hard edges off of work. This is the stuff people remember. 

 

The problem with the industry today is training. Both clients and industry people need to understand that the creative process is special. Not everyone can do it and ideas are fragile, if you keep on bending them they will break.

Apparently, there is software the removes advertising from websites such as You Tube. If you want to remove advertising from an App, you have to pay extra. It tells us everything we need to know. Advertising is an intrusion into the lives of people. It needs to become part of people’s lives if it is to be effective.

 

When I started, the vast majority of people actually liked advertising. It was interesting, challenging, beautiful, clever and informative. People were seduced. Now they are hounded.
 

 

Now most work is simply ignored. We have to realise that if we smooth away all the rough edges, there is nothing to remember. It’s like any form of communication. We remember the people with the outrageous views, who dress in a particular way, who are beautiful, clever, and funny. Being like everyone else is not memorable. The same applies to ad’s.

 

Of course. They are like banks. We might not like them very much, they might be a bit average but they are here to stay. Besides, we need someone to compare favourably with!