OUGD602 The Elephant Room: Shannie and Will

OUGD602 The Elephant Room: Shannie and Will

The Elephant Room are a new creative agency less than a year old. There focus is on advertising and creative brand strategy.

- They felt that at their old job people didn't really understand what culture is - so would then respond in a way that doesn't even consider culture.

- Started their own studio, both co-founders

- Experience isn't important, don't chase after job titles, own what your about.

- Mentioned that female creative directors are rare 

- There are 5 members of The Elephant Room all with different skill sets, but a lot of their job roles cross over.

Shannie:
- From Birmingham
- Used to dance
- Organised events for creatives
- Joined Liberty (PR and Marketing)
- Moved around from job roles because she was unsure what she wanted to do.
- Her passion projects (hobbies outside of work) became more challenging than her day job. She wanted her day job to be a challenge as well, so that she would enjoy it more.
- Helps young people - giving advice on how to do things
- She does reply on Linkedin - active on social media
- She created the right role for her

- Interests outside of your career are really important to elevate your creativity

- Connect with everyone - collaboration is important

- They put on talent days to see young designers work and to see who they want to work with on projects.

- Don't settle for mediocre 

Will:
- Lived in York and Japan
- Graduated from Brighton Uni doing english literature 
- Graduated in 2010 UK in recession, didn't get a job out of uni
- Lived in London doing unpaid PR internship
- Started in accounts
- Helped to build Liberty's strategy team
- Worked at Flamingo a brand consultancy agency (projects worked on such as Lego, Guinness and Adidas.)

- Your best work might be for free but it can get you noticed

- Work out the value of a project for you

- The Elephant Room exists because they are compassionate creatives who want to make a difference and change the way that advertising and marketing do things.

- Consumer and audience are so important in modern times, the relationship between brands and consumers has changed.

- Why does advertising keep getting it wrong?

- Brands as an activist role - political

- Brands need to find the balance

- There seems to be an assumption that the audience is stupid

Advertising trying to change:
- Axe/lynx are now trying to tackle the masculinity stigma (mental health)

Work they've done:
- Dyson their first client - their external team to come in, working on a global product launch around air pollution - can't share work because it's so secretive.
- Wileyfox mobile phone brand - making the brand more culturally relevant.
- Decca Records - promoting an upcoming artist
- Royal Mail - Rethink ink, creative lock in (making print more relevant again)

- Understanding social and physical spaces is important

- Value yourself properly / appropriately 

- They are D&AD Shift mentors - recommend finding a mentor to help

Friends of The Elephant Room:
- @Mamamanvz
- @KiranGidda
- India Harris
- Koby Martin
- Leon Carlton
- Abbie May

Places to look for internships:
- YCC (Young Creative Council)
- Social Fixt 
- Madland Hack
- It's Nice That
- Creative Ethos
- The Other Box
- Product Hunt 
- Liberty mailing list
- The Dots
- Exposure Room
- C4 Creative
- Young progress makers
- Creative access
- Hiive

Contact details:
- will.degroot@theelephantroom.net
- shannie.mears@theelephantroom.net