Creativity Works S12

A rundown of every single masterclass we've had over the 10 weeks + snippets of the work created by S12's talented cohort!

Part 9

Going into the final week of master classes seems so weird; it feels like we were only doing Film and TV last week where did all the time go.

Tuesday

We spent the day with Merkle learning about their process with media planning and advertising in how they tailor it with each company they work with. The afternoon we spent planning a launch for a new iPhone and figuring out the best ways to target three different audiences. This was so that we would look across the whole media landscape in promoting the same products in different ways to maximise the sales of the products.

Wednesday

We spent the morning with Ceri doing desk yoga. It was a relaxing morning because of its similarities with meditation and using breathing techniques to centre yourself. Being given a guided yoga session while at home was great and something that I can carry forward whenever I need to and be added with my meditation sessions. It was a good morning because you are able to relax your body and mind through it and it helped energise and set me up for the day.

The afternoon we spent with Create Jobs, which gives skill sharing sessions, events and jobs and opportunities for young people looking into the media industry. This is something I will be looking into as a way to learn from people in the industry.

The final session of the day was graduation prep and updating everyone at where we’re at with the planning.

Thursday

We spent the morning with Joanna from Google for an I Am Remarkable session. It was so eye-opening hearing her say that most of the time women are less likely to apply for a job if they don’t meet all their criteria because it’s something I know I do. There’s always a part of me that believes that if I don’t have all the skills needed it would be a waste to apply and I need to change this belief. Having that session with Joanna was so useful and making sure that I remember and look at the things I am good at and the skills I do have to push that.

The afternoon felt packed with lots of different areas of Amazon coming to speak to us about advertising through their platforms. We looked at a brief for promoting the PS5 and trying to raise awareness and increase sales for them. Our group didn’t have much experience with either Twitch or PS5s but it was fun to talk about ways they could advertise to encourage us to look into it. We ended the session with a panel from various people working at Amazon and hearing their career paths to get into different areas.

Friday

Part 8

Monday

We spent the morning with Laura from Studio BLUP telling us all about how they run their campaigns from the initial briefs to the final designs. We worked on mood boards for the Olympics and tried to match their aesthetic and how they create their campaigns. We ended the session with her talking through a new brief they have for Tottenham in order to connect with a younger audience.

Tuesday and Wednesday

Edelman Take Over

We spent the first day learning about Edelman as a company and then looking into the PR, Brand Activation and Digital of the company. I learnt a lot about them and the company is something I would like to look into more after. We got a brief to promote Starbucks new summer versions of their iced coffee’s, teavana range and Frappuccino’s. Our team went with the idea around buy local week and creating Starbucks Summer Shacks made from recycled scraps and decorated by local artists. The shacks will use the Starbucks brand but containing drinks made by local coffee shops. We wanted to use it to help these companies recover after the pandemic. Through the week they can collect Starbucks points from these local shops and eventually come back to Starbucks to use them.

For the second day we talked through both the data and insights side of the company along with the planning and strategy. It was very interesting learning about how they decide on their marketing strategies with the help of previous advertising and knowing how the companies they’re working with need to advertise to their customers. The second half of the session we spent making a research plan for Starbucks summer drinks and how we can find out what their customers like.

Thursday

So interesting day, I didn’t actually have my coaching session with SmartWorks so that’s been rearranged and I’ll talk about it another time. I had my styling session with Elaine which was quite fun.

I’ve had my coaching session with Jenny and it was so useful just being able to sit with her for an hour and get tips from her about how to maximise my interviews. It was such a good experience learning from someone who working in TV and being able to ask tailored questions about the industry.

Friday

MONDAY: Today BLUP came in to speak to us about what they do we learnt about how their signature thing is working with animation and 3D stuff which was really cool, I loved all the nike work they've done. They also produce their own products and focus on what matters like raising funds for charity's which I really liked since not a lot of company's do that.

TUESDAY: Edelman we got to learn about PR which was interesting because i didn't know much about it at all, we got to ask them any questions in a Q&A which i found helpful. We got put into groups and had to come up with an idea pitch for Starbucks.

WEDNESDAY: We continued the Starbucks brief with Edelman which we were set to produce a research proposal.

THURSDAY: Today we met individually with smart works they helped us with interview techniques which I got quite nervous about. It was really helpful to have this session, next session we met individually again and got to pick out clothes which was so nice of them to give us this opportunity.

Seantoi Lee

Monday: BLUP and Clear Channel

*They gave us an insight on 3D rendering and movement

*Taught us how media and culture can in twine

*They produce their own products and produce which is really inspiring. They focus on what matters.

*We also got to come up with a brief to then pitch to them for a collaboration for the Olympics in japan

*For clear channel we got to learn more about outside advertisements

Tuesday / Wednesday: Edelman

*We got to learn about PR

*We got to have a Q&A where we got to ask them questions about PR and the industry

*We then got into groups to pitch a brief for the Starbucks campaigns in the summer. Which was one of my favourite points in the week.

*On Wednesday we got to continue with those briefs where we were tasked to develop a research proposal

*We got to finally pitch our ideas, and got a real understanding of what it's like doing. PR

Friday: Alumni

*We got to speak with the past alumni of creativity Works

*They told us about how the program change their lives and what paths they are in now

*They gave us amazing tips

*We then got connected with them via LinkedIn and they told us about opportunities that are available at the moment in their fields

MONDAY:

AM:

We started Monday morning with an amazing session with Studio Blup. We listened to the history of Studio Blup and learnt how they have created a unique blueprint on the work that they produce for clients and their brand. We were able to analyse a bunch of their projects and see how the research they use influences the creative decisions they make. They set us two distinctive challenges one for the Tokyo Olympics that was more of a creative and visual task and the other which was an ideas base challenge for Tottenham Hotspurs youth projects. One of my favourite parts of the session was hearing how Studio Blup always find a way to give back to charity or to younger creatives in the industry.

PM:

In the afternoon we met with Clear Channel who are specialist when it comes to out of home campaigns. I was really keen to hear how they navigated their way through the pandemic as we were all told to 'stay at home' and the answers really surprised me. They used all their data to work with the times and OOH is way more tailored that I thought. Many OOH campaigns are location specific that I would have thought. Things like weather, news events and social media are used. We had a look at briefs and digital activations that are changing the way OOH is used by companies and we even got to come up with our own ideas based on a brief given to us. We had a chance to ask many questions and hear first hand about different departments and their experiences working at Clear Channel.

TUESDAY & WEDNESDAY:

We spent two days with Edelman who showed us the different elements of PR, many of which I didn’t realise would be part of a PR company. It’s not just as simple as press released and maintaining a brands look on the outside. Edelman work hard on creative activations, events and research to ensure their clients are taken care of. We learned how they execute their activations and work along side the news cycle to keep their clients approaches up to date and relevant. We had a chance to work on a brief for Starbucks and pitch our ideas to some of the members of Edelman. On the second day, we had a great start to the session with tips from Anji Hunter, who was an amazing speaker, candid and motivational. We then explored the pre event or activation research phase. We spoke in depth about the research process and the methods they use. The ways Edelman keep their clients up to date and how they ensure the data they are using is relevant and accurate in the changing climate we live in. We then had a chance to put what we learnt into practice with the same task as the day before except from a research perspective, we received great practical feedback.

THURSDAY:

On Thursday we met independently with Smart Works which is very different to any other session we have had. I spoke with Heather about my CV and Interview approach and she gave me tailored advice that really made me feel positive about interviewing again as well as ways I can help my CV stand out. I then met with Claire from the styling who hooked me up with an amazing outfit for my interviews and some accessories. Smart Works is an amazing organisation and I am so grateful for them participating in this programme.

FRIDAY:

We ended the week with a great q&a with the Creativity Works Alumni Panel. It was really encouraging to hear how they use the programme to kickstart their careers and build their network. My favourite quote from this session was “your network is your net-worth” it made me feel more encouraged to reach out to those heading the sessions and stressed the importance of keeping in touch with my fellow cohort beyond this programme. There was a reality check part of the session where we were told that without us working hard we won't see the results we want. I believe that was so important to all of us on this programme to help us realise things don’t happen over night and that this is just the start!

Sorry I'm late..

MONDAY:

We started the week preparing for our graduation which is fast approaching. Each of us got assigned a tasks. I am excited to see how it all comes together on the night.

In the afternoon we met with Leo Young from Good Nugget. We discussed the qualities that make brands memorable and how these features are developed. Leo has a broad range of experience in the industry and created Good Nugget with the hopes of having a more positive impact in the industry. We discussed how ideas can be generated and explored different platforms that can help us to do that. We also talked about how brands can properly stand in unity with different causes without exploiting them. Leo answered all our questions and gave us good insights into working in this section of the industry as well as the opportunities available through Good Nugget.

TUESDAY & WEDNESDAY:

The next two days were spent with Initiative. These sessions were the highlight of the week for me. We discussed the media agency landscape and the role Initiative play within IPG their parent company. We looked at all the different media channels and how Initiative choose the right type of media fitting the briefs they are given. They explained that they use research to back up their decisions they present to their clients. We then had a look at past briefs and campaigns and even had a chance to explore this further by creating two pitches. One for Carlsberg and Amazon.

On the second day we had a look at more brief case studies and then got to spend most of the day putting together a pitch for the final brief they gave us. This time it was for Lego adults, we were joined by the brand manager of Lego which put a little more pressure on us but it was a great experience. We receive feedback from her directly, and I thoroughly enjoy that part of the session as one of my ideas was very close to happening last year. It reinforce to me that my ideas are be worth sharing.

THURSDAY:

On Thursday we spent the day with Wavemaker another brilliant media agency. We got to hear from different departments and they all echoed their appreciation for Wavemaker’s company culture and room for growth. My favourite part of the session was hearing from one of the past apprentices who expressed how much she has learnt from the apprenticeship and what a great opportunity it was for her. If I could go back and be a part of an apprenticeship like the ones we heard about in this session I would. We got to look at some past briefs and what each day at Wavemaker might look like. In the afternoon, we received a brief from TFL and in groups got to present our solutions to the problem. We were given great feedback and encouragement with our ideas. We ended the day with a look at the opportunities and a Q&A.

FRIDAY:

This Money Management session with Lauren was the most practical session we could have asked for. Money isn’t something that many of us feel confident or comfortable talking about but, it so important. We went over all the banking jargon that we might not be familiar with or understand the true meaning of. The importance of saving for a rainy day and our futures but also how to save effectively. It's not best to leave it to the end of the month or taking from the left overs after you have spent but setting it aside early! We received advice for if we are looking to become self-employed which was extremely helpful as all of us want to go into the media industry. A great way to end week 7.

Week 8 was PR & Comms week, which I went into not knowing a thing about.

Day 1 - BLUP Creative House

This day was my highlight of the week! I was hooked by their artistic style, it was soooo cool. Their designs encapsulate the urban aesthetic, which is popular among Londoners, really well. They try to create content that stops people from scrolling mindlessly through their feed, which I would definitely do as I find their adverts really eye-catching.

Day 2&3 - Edelman

For the next 2 days, Edelman came along and talked about market research and the different types of it. I learned about primary and secondary research and I liked the campaign they did with ASICS. They developed a running track built to train the mind, which was inspired by Japanese athletes and the word 'Doryoku', which means effort.

Day 4 - Alumni Panel / SmartWorks

On the last day of the week, alumni members of Media Trust courses came in to give us advice. I absorbed everything they said as much as I could as it was great to hear from those that were once in the same boat as us. I wanted to know what they did once the course ended and I appreciate how brutally honest they were about the reality of it. I will try to be as proactive as possible to secure my future and start building my portfolio. Thank you so much to the team for coming along!

I then had my coaching appointment with SmartWorks to discuss any concerns I had with work interviews. Shane told me to stack up as many interviews as I can, as the more practice I get doing them, the more confident I will get. Thank you to Shane for her time and I can't wait to see what clothes I receive.

This week was about creative branding and advertising. It was interesting to learn about how much thought and planning goes into an advertisement.

Day 1 - Graduation Roles / Good Nugget

During the morning session, we were reminded of how close we are to graduating! Only a few weeks left!! We each had to pick roles to design our own graduation night, which included being a host for the night or creating the highlight video. I can see it being tricky to work together online, via google docs and sheets, but that is our new reality and I'm sure we will still be able to pull it off. I can't wait to see how it turns out!

My highlight of the week has to be Good Nugget's session, led by Leo Young. He was so engaging and interesting to listen to and gave us so many useful tips when it comes to branding. I never thought about how important shape and colour is to a logo, in terms of making it instantly recognisable.

He also talked about the power of brands, having the ability to influence, educate and unite - just selling ‘stuff’ is no longer good enough. So he has chosen to work for companies that have a positive impact on the world and I was introduced to a few new ones that I'll definitely be buying from, like Change Please (a coffee shop that supports the homeless).

Day 2&3 - Initiative

We were joined by Initiative for the next few days and boy, was it a lot! I enjoyed working on the pitch for LEGO. Our group had a few different ideas to get adults playing with LEGO again. We thought of a Secret Cinema experience, where every week is inspired by a certain decade of superhero films. The audience will be required to dress up and there would be life-size LEGO models of the superheroes in their retro outfits. We would advertise this event on social media with the hashtag #BeALegoHero and #LegoComicCon21.

We also came up with the idea of an exhibition at the Tate Modern, displaying various art pieces made out of Lego, like portraits of Marilyn Monroe and David Bowie. The event would be tailored to adults by having alcohol available, mimicking other sophisticated art exhibitions. We also thought of having a photo booth available where people can take pictures, which would then be converted into their own LEGO portrait that they can build at home. After pitching our idea, we were told that LEGO was actually planning on doing an exhibition at the Tate, so we had hit the nail on the head!

Day 4 - Wavemaker

On this day Wavemaker gave us the task of designing campaigns to get London using the Tube again. Our team came up with loadddds of ideas, including a Clean Up Campaign that was influenced by Tik Tok cleaning challenges. These would be small clips showing how the tube carriages are cleaned, reassuring London that the tube is hygienic and safe to use.

We also came up with 'Tube Miles', inspired by how you can collect Air Miles when you travel abroad. The idea would be to encourage the younger demographic to use the tube more, and the more they do, the more points they can collect. These can be used for exclusive deals at London restaurants/pubs/shops/clubs or even be exchanged for free tickets. We were told that a business has been trying to develop this idea and has pitched it to TFL, with features like gaining more points for taking the more environmentally friendly route. So we hit the nail on the headddd!

Day 5 - Insight Money Management

On the very last day, we had a MEGA useful session with Lauren who talked us through so many important financial topics. I'm so grateful for her session as I now feel much more confident about understanding certain banking jargon and how to manage my money better. Thank you so much Lauren!

My monthly wrap up featuring all the things that i've learnt on creativity works!

Monday morning was spent delegating graduation tasks and then we were joined by Leo from Good Nugget. We played a few quizzes focused on branding, it’s crazy how certain colours are easily recognised as a particular product, the power of branding eh! We played a game where we had to think of different uses for a glass cup, it highlighted the importance of thinking out the box, TBH I think some of my ideas were pretty basic compared to the others BUT I had a few good ones such as back cupping , which no one else had hahah.

Tuesday and Wednesday were hosted by media agency Iniative. It was an incredibly interactive day filled with quizzes and leaders in each breakout room. We had Amazon and Carlsberg briefs. It truly gave me an insight of what I can expect working at a media agency, the budgets truly fascinate me!

Wednesday’s brief with initiative was super fun, we had the task of making Lego appeal to adult audiences. I honestly didn’t know Lego had so many adult pieces/toys. My group focused on Lego sport, vehicles, art and history and travel. It was one of my favourite briefs as it really honed in on creativity and thinking outside the box.

Thursday we were joined by another media agency, Wavemaker and given the creative brief of ‘Get London Moving’ which was essentially getting the message out that it’s safe to travel on TFL.

By Seantoi lee

Monday 17th May: Goldnugget

⚫️ We had a quiz in the morning

⚫️ They taught us the difference between brand, branding and brand ID

⚫️ We spoke about greenwashing

⚫️ learnt about positive branding

⚫️ Then we came up with a way we could sell a glass cup with 9 ideas

Tuesday 18th May: Initiative Creativity Works

⚫️ They taught us what strategy and design is

⚫️ We had a quiz which was really fun

⚫️ We got to learn about media agencies and what they did

⚫️ Later in the day we got to work in groups and pitch an idea for a amazon watch

Wednesday 19th May: 2nd day with Initiative

⚫️ We did another presentation for one of their big brands, Lego. We go to pitch an idea to get more adults to buy adult Lego’s

⚫️ They took us through the qualities they want from employees when hiring

⚫️ They gave us advice on websites to look at for job opportunities

Thursday 20th May: WaveMaker’s Media Trust day

⚫️ We got an amazing insight on the company

⚫️ They spoke to us about the splash initiative program

⚫️ We got to hear from people in the company and people who did the program. And got to ask them questions

Friday 21st May: insight money

⚫️ Got an insight on money management

⚫️ She taught us about the different kinds on loans

⚫️ Then we spoke about the differences between a debit and credit

Part 7

Monday

In the morning we talked through what to expect with the graduation and picking roles with which masterclass we want to talk about.

We spent the afternoon with Leo Young, the founder and creative director of Good Nugget. He gave us an introduction to his company and why he started it in the first place along with looking into branding itself and how strong certain brands are with their branding. The last part of the masterclass he gave us the task of finding 8 ideas in 8 minutes that a glass can be used for. I think this was a really fun task because that pressured situation is sometimes where the best ideas come from. I think a lot of us had similar ideas like a candle holder and a vase, some of my other ideas were using it as a filter for a camera or painting them, putting lights in them and then putting them in a garden as a border to a path.

Tuesday and Wednesday

On the first day with Initiative we went through their business as a whole going through everyone’s jobs and the roles they play within the company. We went through 2 different campaign briefs, Amazon and Carlsberg, and had to discuss how we would advertise their new products.

The second day with Initiative we briefly went through the company again as a reminder and went into the main brief being the Lego campaign. We got into the same groups as the day before and needed to advertise for Lego adults and raise awareness for it paying particular attention to nostalgia. We went with a Pleasure is Pain because we all know how awful it feels to step on a piece of Lego. We planned 3 parts of the campaign being promote, present and play. Through the promote section we had a series of TV adverts planned that could then be shortened and put on social media sites. Our present section was focused around having live builds with celebrities that you can build with at home such as David Beckham. We were also thinking to have a relay build where people come in and add their own sections to the build while giving donations from sales and donations from the streams to charity. We also wanted to collaborate with TikTok creators and encourage people to share their builds via #startedfromthebottom. Our final section is the play aspect, this is where we want people to go out to our events at Boxpark, adults only nights at museums and LegoLand, we also wanted these to include building competitions there and give the winners prizes.

Thursday

We were with Wavemaker today learning all about their company and the different aspects of it. Our task for them was to run a campaign for Get London Moving, which is trying to encourage people to use public transport. Our group wanted to aim at young families. We chose this demographic because we believe they would be scared about using public transport again after COVID and may be more health conscious than before. Our campaign was based around giving the different tube lines a story by adding a character for each one and has these characters give the children safety tips and keep them occupied while using the tube.

Friday