SCABs

OOOXOOO by @JezzaFonteneau

Jérémy Fonteneau

By Jeremy Fonteneau

 

Dave Trott came in SCA.

When I first thought about it, it felt like it was The God of advertising who was coming to the basement.

God? No way. Now I can tell you, I’ve been sitting in front of him for more than four hours.

They are still a few things that I would like to share.

 

1st — You need to be prepared.

A Dave Trott talk is way more intense than a marathon. In fact, it’s twice longer than a marathon (at least for the world record).

And it’s about you and your brain. The most complicated muscles of your body.

Do you have what it takes to ask the first question? This is about you.

Are you ready to fight the reality you’ve created yourself? This is about your brain (cf. Creative Mischief).

You better not coming if you don’t think you have what it takes.

And ask the first question. Do you think the marathon runners are waiting for someone to start?

 

2nd — You need to stand out… 

The first big advice that he gave, and the one that he would always have referred to, is living in the title of this article.

OOOXOOO / XXXOXXX. Don’t be one hiding around others, be the one.

Be the one who is asking the tricky question. Be the troublemaker one. Be the one who stands out.

This is true for a Dave Trott talk, decisive for your career in advertising.

When you think about it, it’s also relevant in the real world.

How do you think Cassius Clay had a chance?

 

3rd — … and to be smart.

This is not just about a Dave Trott talk. It’s about spotting what most of people are doing or not doing.

As I said before, you need to stand out.

If everyone is asking for a placement in advertising, ask for a job!

If everyone is trying to impress the same ECD, take the piss out of them.

So what? 99 ECD will hate you, one will love you.

How many job do you need?

 

4th — You need to want it.

A career in advertising is a boxing final. You need to go to the next round, to the next level.

Always look for something bigger, better, higher. Stay hungry.

The most inspiring words he said were:

« You can have what you want or you can have reasons for not having it. »

When the people better than you are making four ads to get one right and you need eight, just make 16.

At the end of the day, who is looking at what you’ve thrown away?

 

5th — You need to be proud of what you are doing.

He kept talking about being proud of your work, not so much about enjoying it.

Stop being embarrassed about advertising. It’s an amazing place to be.

If you are proud of it, you will do a better job. So stop being embarrassed about it.

If I could I would ask him one last question about this point:

Was it your own way to say that you are secretly smiling behind your desk?

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