Nightmare Fuel, Genius Strategy, and Big Kev: The Work That Made Daniel Fryer
Daniel Fryer is executive creative director at Hello, Sydney. Over his awarded career, which includes a D&AD Black Pencil and a Titanium Grand Prix at Cannes, he’s proud to have helped make a positive impact on some of the country’s biggest, smallest, and most important brands.
LBB> The ad/music video from my childhood that stays with me…
Daniel> Haunting my 80s nightmares and dreams in equal measure, there was this Dark Crystal-esque, fur-matted micro beast with a voice that only an Ewok could love, that used to shout ‘chipppieeees’ and run really fast.
Now I loved my salt and vinegar chippies, and running really fast, so this guy that Smith’s chips called the Gobbledock still loiters around in my hippocampus with the likes of Super Ted, He-man, Ninja Turtles, and the Garbage Pail Kids.
I can’t remember any particular ad plots, but I remember his laser chippie focus, and respect that to this day.
LBB> The ad/music video/game/web platform that made me want to get into the industry…
Daniel> I credit my entry into the ad industry to one man – the great Andrew Daddo.
He hosted a round-up show called the ‘World’s Greatest Commercials’. Every week he’d share a collection of Cannes-winning TV ads and I remember thinking… "That’s what I’m going to do!"
At the time, I thought every ad was brilliant, but the one that stuck with me was ‘Surfer’ by Guinness. It was totally captivating, mesmerising, and to my teenage brain, made absolutely no sense at all. It wasn’t long after that I got into surfing, drinking beer and having many confusing conversations telling people that, “No, I don’t want to be a copywriter. I have no interest in the law. I want to write ads.”
LBB> The creative work (film/album/game/ad/album/book/poem etc) that I keep revisiting…
Daniel> Honda 'Grrr'. This was the first time I really understood what my job actually was, with any real clarity. Aside from being a great piece of film, with great art direction, a superbly written and performed song yadda yadda yadda… it was the first time I can recall thinking, "That strategy is genius".
Hate something, change something, make something better. It kind of seems obvious now, but that’s what all the best work does, right? It makes you question why no one has done it before.
Apologies for that happy tune you’ll be whistling all day now.
LBB> My first professional project…
Daniel> I started in direct marketing, or the ‘shit that folds’ department, as it was affectionately referred to by the ‘mainstream creatives’. And the first idea I remember getting up, true to form, had many, many folds. A concertina fold, for all the nerds out there. I can’t recall the GSM, but it was finished in high-gloss and shrink-wrapped.
It was for the adventurous Mitsubishi Outlander. The idea – a stupidly long stack of postcards from all the adventurous places you could take this glorious soft-roader.
Not to brag, but I’m pretty sure this got me my first award, to my mum’s confusion and delight.
LBB> The piece of work (ad/music video/ platform…) that made me so angry that I vowed to never make anything like *that*…
Daniel> Not sure it was anger, or bemusement, but the first time 'Big Kev' blessed our screens was the first time I questioned if advertising was really the career for me.
Funnily enough… I could see a character like Big Kev ‘popping off’, as my son would say, in the social environment, or maybe I’m just delulu?
LBB> The piece of work (ad/music video/ platform…) that still makes me jealous…
Daniel> I’m not embarrassed to say that there are hundreds of ads, campaigns, stunts, activations etc that are living rent free upstairs.
So maybe I’ll give you Eric Kallman’s name instead.
'Touch' - Skittles.
'The Man Your Man Could Smell Like' - Old Spice.
'Lab Rats' - Goodboybob.
I could go on and on. What a bastard!
And to all the other people involved in those great spots, take a bow, you’re all bastards too.
LBB> The creative project that changed my career…
Daniel> It was an open brief for the whole agency to help save the little-known paradise of Palau, from some not so great tourist behaviour. The kind of brief that never seems ‘real’, until it actually happens.
I remember early on after the client bought the idea, saying to her, “We actually have to change the immigration laws for this to work.” And she said “Yep.” I said “No, we can’t just fake it, we actually have to do it, for real.” And she said, “Yeah I know. We will.” Many hands, and countless hours of work later, Palau Pledge was born.
I think we all learnt the importance of great clients, who share the same, single-minded vision as an agency. Clients who might not have all the answers, but never take no for an answer either.
That one piece of work changed many careers, including mine. More importantly, it’s still making a positive impact for the country of Palau today.
LBB> I was involved in this and it makes me cringe…
Daniel> Let’s just say a friend of a friend (wink wink) was working on a supplement brand. Maybe 10 to 15 years ago. The king or queen of that particular castle was a little off their rocker, and 10 to 15 ideas in, they finally bought something.
The idea itself was ok, as it was intended. Maybe a 6.5 out of 10. But all intention was lost in translation when that client left and saddled up with a new agency.
Some months later, I saw this terrible spot on TV.
It cut through for all the wrong reasons.
I remember my friend of a friend wondering what muppet came up with that mess… then that friend of a friend realised it was them. Maybe someday I’ll get to… I mean, my friend of a friend, will get to apologise to those creatives for that awful handball.
LBB> The recent project I was involved in that excited me the most…
Daniel> Pretty keen on an upcoming project for an entertainment brand.
I can’t say too much, but a goat is involved.
Maybe some animatronics. Plenty of antics.
That kind of thing.
Stay tuned.
