As you are probably aware, we have recently returned from 4 months in
China. During our adventure in the Far East we worked at Ogilvy &
Mather Shanghai, under the world renowned Graham Fink. It had always been our dream to work abroad, and making that dream a reality was a truly invaluable and life changing experience (and one that has proved rather hard to return home from). We made amazing friends in both work and play, and learned more about the world of advertising than we could ever have dreamed of.
“Kept in a small bowl the common goldfish will remain small, with more space the fish will grow double, triple or quadruple it’s size.” Big Fish
Below is a summary of our time living and working in Shanghai. For more photos please visit the new 'Ogilvy Shanghai' section on our website or if you would like to know more details about any part of our trip, just drop us an email (we have plenty more stories to tell, including one written on a pair of Lee jeans!).
The 3 best things:
1. The people
From the very first minute we felt right at home in Ogilvy SH. As Graham's 'experiment' from the UK, everyone was excited to have us there and welcomed us with open arms. We worked with extremely talented people across all levels and departments within the agency. Not being the kind of people to let language barriers get in our way, we made friends with everyone we could, even if it meant having conversations consisting entirely of hand gestures and translating apps on our mobile phones!
2. Creative training with Patrick Collister
Graham had arranged for Patrick, ex ECD of Ogilvy London, to come to China and hold a 2 day workshop for the agency, entitled 'How to be creative'. Using both left brain, right brain methods Patrick made us push ourselves and our ideas to new places. We left the workshop feeling refreshed, challenged and buzzing with ideas and inspiration.
We'd like to say a special thank you to Patrick Collister; it really was a privilege to meet you and be part of your training.
3. Working on Lee Jeans
The client we spent the most time on at O&M was Lee Jeans, mainly working on the launch of their new Asia Pacific A/W '12 collection called Nightskins. Graham made sure we pushed the ideas as far as we could, even challenging the Chinese laws about the percentage of black allowed on outdoor adverts. A personal highlight for us was meeting the client, the designers and attending an exclusive fashion show announcing the collection.
We just had word that the artwork is being finalised and the adverts will be released across Asia Pacific in a few months.. very exciting!
The 3 worst things:
1. The Internet
We were almost driven to insanity due to the terribly slow and temprimental Internet in China. That, added with not being able to access blogs, twitter, YouTube properly, was an annoyance and a hindrance to our work but did mean we were able to spend more time on alternative methods for inspiration and idea generation.
2. Lack of creative resources
We were surprised to find that O&M have a severe shortage of creative resources; one scanner and one colour printer really is not enough for an agency of 600+ employees. However, things are changing in the agency and there are some very exciting people ready to shake things up and invent new things such as black post-it notes!
3. A challenging client
Without naming names, we tackled one of our most challenging briefs yet whilst at O&M Shanghai. Working with a team of very senior creatives, idea after idea was sent back from the client with 'tweeks'. As far as we are aware the process is still on going.
The 3 best things:
1. Food
One of the main factors in us wanting to stay / go back to Shanghai was the food. It was so delicious we can't really put it into words. Having minimal cooking equipment meant we had to eat out for almost every lunch and evening meal. There was plenty of restaurants to tempt us and we made it our mission to try as many as possible. From street cafes to expensive restaurants the quality of cooking was always sky-high and is something we miss everyday.
2. Chinese New Year
Where better to spend this holiday than in China itself! The Chinese spend the week in much the same way we celebrate Christmas, surrounded by family and eating lots and lots of food. Our CNY kicked off with the O&M party; an elaborate meal and "talent show" for the whole agency in the Shangri-La Hotel. Over the following few days the city emptied as people travelled home and we had our own diners and fireworks with new friends. We spent the last weekend of the holiday in a remote bamboo forest eco retreat, which was pure relaxation.
3. Cheap & reliable transport, living next door to the coolest street in town complete with the best cocktail bar & nightclub in an old bomb shelter, giant indoor markets selling anything & everything, cheap massages/manicure/pedicures, the Avocado Lady selling fresh & imported goods at a reasonable price, 24/7 shops on every corner, a city packed full of art & culture, families of all generations socialising together and a killer skyline
Okay so we cheated slightly but even this list is seriously edited. There were so many 'best' things about living in Shanghai that we could go on all year..
Okay so we cheated slightly but even this list is seriously edited. There were so many 'best' things about living in Shanghai that we could go on all year..
The 3 worst things:
1. Not speaking Mandarin
Oh how we wish we spoke Chinese, and not just so we could bargain harder on the fake markets! We would have loved to spark up conversations with everyone we met and learned even more about the amazing country we were living in.
2. Smoking in bars & restaurants
Waking up after a night out smelling of smoke is never nice, but lighting up a cigarette at a dinner table is just wrong in our eyes (sorry).
3. Spitting
If you have a weak stomach we suggest you avoid walking down the streets of China. Someone coughing up phlegm and spitting it out in front of you is never too far away.
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