Outside Creative

We kinda like making TV ads.

2011-05-01T15:38:00.001+08:00

Here's the new TV commercial for Bethany Funerals which was concepted by OC and produced by Lomax Media. It's a little different from normal funeral ads, but that's what you get with OC, something different that works.

Awards and Finalists

2011-05-01T15:28:00.001+08:00

Great News

Josh received 2nd place (tied) in the international Radio and Production Awards in the small Market Catagory for a radio spot for Roadwise done through Radiowest / Hot FM.

and Andy came 3rd place in the same catagory for his Northam Toyworld Spot again for Radiowest / Hot FM.

Also Josh's Roadwise spot made it to 2010 Finalists for the National Siren Awards, for advertising agencies and radio stations. The spot is also in the Craft catalogory.

Ever seen these commercials?

2011-02-24T19:46:00.002+08:00

We're very excited to post the first OC TV ad showreel. We try and make sure all our TV commercials follow the OC advertising philosophy:

1. Must tell a story.

2. Talk to the viewer (not at them)

3. promote the benefits not list features.

4. be relevent and make a connection.

We think for regional commercials, they're pretty good. (but we're biased)

All the ads were produced by Lomax Media.

The last ad is still a work in progress, but i liked the idea so much i included it.

Last Jingle for Outside Creative

2011-02-10T08:09:00.001+08:00

Wood Bros Mazda in Perth has the honour of getting the last jingle from Outside Creative. And boy does this one rock! Play it loud. (it's a top and tail only so don't worry if there's no singing in the middle) It's playing on 96fm and 882 6PR.

Wood Brothers Mazda Top And Tail by Outside Creative

Marketing tips 101

2011-02-10T07:52:00.000+08:00

We've been banging on about these masic marketing tips for years now and it seems that the latest edition of the Telstra Business Magazine has caught on too.

In regards to point 10, i see so many clients pull or change a branding campaign after only a few months to a year, because they get bored with it or a customers says they're getting bored with it. If that's the case, then DON'T change it. If the campaign is still been recognised and is working, then leave it. When the time is right then UPDATE the campaign, don't change it completely. Otherwise you're throwing months of hard earned branding for your business out the window.

What makes bad advertising so bad?

2011-01-27T15:18:00.000+08:00

2 things.

1. They lack a story. Everybody is engaged by a story, because a story is something spoken to you, not at you. It involves you. Harvey Norman ads don't tell a story, in fact most hard sell retail ads don't tell a story, that's why we find them so annoying.

2. And the second major thing (among others) is the ads talk about the features not benefits, making it irrelevant to you. It’s the old saying "sell the sizzle, not the steak". The listener or viewer should be saying ‘what’s in it for me’. Sure the new Mazda has 4 doors and power steering, but what does that mean? How will that benefit my life?

That’s the difference we strive for at Outside Creative, we create TV and radio ads that tell a story and promote the benefits, not features. Keep a look out for the Cullitys Trade one commercial on TV as well as Treendale and Southern Shutters and you’ll see what we mean. (or just play the vids below)

New Southern Shutters

2011-01-24T18:01:00.000+08:00

More Lomax Media Magic! We've just finished doing a new TV ad for Southern Shutters, where we did the concepting and storyboard, while Lomax did the graphics. Client was very happy with the outcome.

New Culitys TV commercial

2010-12-17T08:59:00.001+08:00

The new TV Commercial for Culity's Trade One should be on air on GWN as we speak. OC concepted the idea and wrote the script, while Lomax Media, filmed and edited the spot.

A TV commercial starts out as an idea on a storyboard like this: (It's designed to show flow of storyline and camera shots)

and then once Lomax Media weave their magic, it looks like this....

Tracey caught on tape

2010-10-28T12:07:00.000+08:00

Tracey caught on tape! Using the new iPhone 4, we caught our favourite Magpie gliding down from her nest to grab some cheese from Andy's hand. Amazing stuff

OC does the blues

2010-10-06T19:22:00.001+08:00

The Blues at Bridgetown committee approached OC to develop a new campaign to promote the festival, which we thought was a great challenge. Firstly, we designed to radio and TV ads to have the same feel as each other and then we added an element of 'awesomeness'. This is the result.

Watch out for the Blues at Bridgetown facebook page, which we'll be launching next week.

Stick to your positioning statement

2010-09-10T10:15:00.006+08:00

It was great to read an article about our client Total Telephone in the Bunbury Mail, where they're strongly using the secondary positioning line "ultimate Telstra experience" that we developed for them as part of the press and radio campaign. It's important to always stick to a positioning statement and using at every opportunity. Never be wishy washy. Strong branding requires a consistent message.

Total Telephone wanted to overcome the impression they were just about business phones systems and create the new impression that they can do anything a Telstra Shop can do, just without the bill paying side. I think they're achieving that.

http://www.bunburymail.com.au/news/local/news/business/renovations-reflect-changing-industry/1938499.aspx

Treendale Campaign

2010-09-03T09:00:00.006+08:00

In conjunction with Lomax Media, Outside Creative has finished the soft rebrand of Treendale, an estate just north of Bunbury. We wrote the TVC's, Press ads and radio commercials. It was a huge team effort, especially from the guys at Lomax Media who got to fly around in a chopper and wake everybody up on a sunday morning! Also thanks to Julie Rick for the artwork and Henderson Photographics for the cool pics.

This is one of the radio ads

Treendale - OCT497 by Outside Creative

time out

2010-08-15T09:22:00.000+08:00

life's not all work and no play.... there's rest as well.

One of the best ads i've seen.

2010-08-14T15:14:00.000+08:00

Don't make me change!!!!!

2010-07-15T10:06:00.004+08:00

Advertising shouldn’t be about changing behaviours, it’s about encouraging latent wants to be fulfilled.

For example:

You’ll never get me to switch toothpaste brands. I love and trust colgate.

But you’ll get me to ‘want’ to avoid seeing the dentist for a couple of years or not wanting to offend anyone with my bad breath.

See the difference?

I’m not making you change anything, I’m highlighting something that you feel anyway and showing you a way to solve it, encourage it, or show it off.

*note, this maybe obvious to some people, but I only just realised it. (I can be a bit slow at times)

National Radio award

2010-06-28T20:20:00.002+08:00

Great news, Josh picked the national Southern Star Award for best commercial (joint winner with a TV ad) for my commercial for Roadwise in Northam.
The Southern Star Awards is the big national awards for Southern Cross Media who own most of the radio stations and TV (southern Cross Ten etc) stations around regional Australia.

The award was presented at a gala night at the Twin Waters Resort on the Sunshine Coast Queensland last Friday night as part of the Southern Cross Media annual conference where I also gave a talk on Social Media integration with TV and Radio. Gotta love staying at fabulous resorts and having BIG breakfasts!

Tagging radio ads with Facebook.

2010-06-21T13:58:00.000+08:00

Boost your social media presence by directing customers to your facebook site using traditional advertising - here's an example.

Body Firming and Beauty SECRET 01-Mixdown (2) by Outside Creative

Why business is joining Facebook in droves.

2010-06-21T09:13:00.005+08:00

If you run a business, then make a cuppa, sit down and read this article on why so many businesses and organisations are joining facebook in droves. One you've read it, contact us and we'll help you get you started the right way.

http://money.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=1043369

Dynamic Print Face book 2 - call to FB

2010-06-21T09:10:00.001+08:00

SCDJL0377 - dynamic print FB 2 by Outside Creative

Dynamic Print - call to FB

Apologies to Jackson Pollock

2010-06-17T07:09:00.001+08:00

In a previous life i used to paint, obviously inspired by Jackson Pollock. However I never knew what I was doing, that was the difference between me and Jackson. Hence i gave up.

When the Mumballup Organics truck goes past

2010-06-10T08:28:00.003+08:00

In the days before we wrote the famous jingle for Mumballup Organics, we'd see his truck go past our window with a few pallet loads of the good stuff on the back. This morning, we saw Mark drive past with his truck fully laden, stacked high with pallets and ALSO pulling a trailer full of pallets.

So to celebrate his success, let's sing along to the jingle one more time... "Mumballup Organics has put Mumbie on the map...... "

01 Mumballup Organics Full by Outside Creative

Dynamic Print Facebook 1

2010-06-05T11:10:00.001+08:00

000440901 - dynamic print by Outside Creative

VIDEO: MenuPad

2010-06-05T09:10:00.002+08:00

I love the way new technology is being used.

VIDEO: MenuPad

What we do and why

2010-06-05T08:15:00.005+08:00

We help business make the vital step to incorporate Social Media as part of their on line presence. It's where the future is heading and you don't want to miss the boat.

But it has to be done right, not half arsed and we know the right way to do it.

We can either do a simple set up with trainng or completely manage it on your behalf.

Josh Langley and Andy Macleod are also two exceptional writers with a passion for writing smart ethical adverising. Josh has won stacks of radio writing awards and Andy has an amazing understanding of human behaviour.

Our dream for Social Media.

What if you could find out your sister is engaged (again), your work mate got too drunk last night, your favourite clothes shop is having a 50% off sale tomorrow, you're mum is about to visit, the cafe next door has freshly baked blueberry muffins straight from the oven and Greenpeace has just stopped a slaughter of whales... and you didn't have to do anything except what you're doing now.

Welcome to our dream, let's create it.

Effortless Design

2010-06-05T07:37:00.003+08:00

While i struggle to make anything seem effortless, let alone look aesthetically pleasing, for KLOPPER (based in in melbourne) it comes naturally. Take a look at the way she arranges simple objects to create a sense of warmth and connection. You just want to EAT the picture. Take a look at the rest of her stuff at KLOPPER on Facebook and become a fan of the page, just for the sheer visual pleasure!

Where is social media going?

2010-06-04T20:23:00.003+08:00

Is Social Media just crap or is it the evolution of communication?

Can we create an online utopia, where all our friends, favourite brands and shops and the things we're passionate about come to us?

Then join Outside Creative and find out.

Facebook and your business.

2010-06-03T18:10:00.005+08:00

I’m really frustrated and pissed off.

With who?
With people who have a Facebook business page that has no personality, no balls and no courage to grow a set.

Facebook is about being spontaneous, fluid, sometimes controversial, random, informative, caring, loving, angry, gentle, funny and every other bloody human adverb there is.

You know….pretty much like being human.

Alrighty then, so you have a business and you’ve been told that to have a FB business page is really important and can do wonders for your business. Maybe you were told at a seminar or convention that you’ve paid a fortune to attend. Well it’s plain bullshit if you treat the page like a website that changes every couple of hours.

If you have a Personal FB page that you rarely make a status update on, never express an opinion, never disagree with anyone, never do something random, then you have no business being on FB and you certainly should not have a business page. Unless of course you are brave and smart enough to let me manage it properly.

Get ready to Shake the Shack!

2010-06-03T17:46:00.003+08:00

In conjuction with Soundfoundry.net here's our latest jingle featuring narration by Andy himself. The Shake Shack is a funky Milkshake stand with a big difference. Put your dancing shoes on.

Shake Shack Full Vocal Mix by Outside Creative

Find your favourite Business on Facebook

2010-06-01T15:03:00.003+08:00

If you haven’t thought of searching for your favourite businesses or brands on Facebook, then give it a go. There are heaps of businesses already regularly posting discounts, offers, free tickets and new products. Start searching.

We've already help set up a few clients with Facebook, Twitter and Blogs, which in the industry is called Social Media Management. No longer will you have to search out products and services, they will come to you via social media and it'll only be the ones you want, not an avalanche of unwanted ads as with traditional media.

OC feature in local press.

2010-05-27T13:14:00.004+08:00

OC was inadvertantly given the credit for writing an award winning campaign for Shoe Be Doo in the press piece for the local newspaper. It was writen Josh, but for Radiowest / Hotfm. But hey any piece of publicity is good.

A revolution is happening....

2010-05-16T09:29:00.007+08:00

And Outside Creative is leading the way. This video shows how social media is becoming the dominant force of the internet and where the new direction in advertising is going. Jump on board with Outside Creative as we'll be leading the charge.

Ever heard a car ad sound like this?

2010-05-12T06:59:00.002+08:00

Why not let your client voice the ad?

2010-05-10T18:37:00.002+08:00

We all usually run screaming if we find out that the client wants to voice the ad, but really is it that bad? Let's face face it, having another voice on the air, makes the ad standout and adds texture to the ad break, light and shade.

If all the ads were creative masterpieces they'll all blend into each other.

So i say, go ahead and let you client voice the ad, give the good direction and encouragement and both the station and client will be rewarded.

Your business name

2010-05-05T09:10:00.005+08:00

What’s in a name?

When Josh started OC in January 2000 he needed a name for his great vision.
Originally OC was simply an outsourced radio copywriting business, albeit the only one in WA at the time. But Josh was sure it was not going to stay that way and when Andy came on board it would never be same.

It was important that the name remained relevant as the business grew and became more diverse.
It also had to be easy to remember, particularly if a website was involved.
Let’s face it; you’re not going too get many hits on your website if your radio ad says “visit Pabongka Rinpoche dot com dot au. Let’s face it, it’s too hard to remember, and if the listener is able to remember it, how the hell do you spell it?

The name also had to mean something about what Josh and the business was about. This is really important because your business name gives you a foundation to hang your beliefs, your vision and your direction if things get a little tough along the way. It also needs to be something that partners or employees can empathise with as well. Remember, people have inbuilt wank detectors.

So Outside Creative was born. And our inspiration?

Outstanding, creative and effective copywriting, outside the box (excuse the cliché, for us the box no longer exists).
Working outside, at the beach/in the forest/under the stars/on the front verandah.
Our love of the environment.
And………George Michael’s song Outside. Well it’s a great song and we love the film clip

So what does your business name say about you and can your customers relate to it?
Maybe a little rebranding is what you need to get the cash flowing.
Maybe it’s time to reinvent, change and refresh.

Look what happened to Goldstar when they changed their name to
LG Electronics.

Outside Creative can help.

Mexican Lasagne

2010-04-22T14:16:00.003+08:00

Quick (very healthy) Mexican Lasagne

1 packet of lasagne sheets
1 tin refried beans
400g tin of kidney beans rinsed and drained
1 big jar of hot chunky salsa sauce
1 cup (200g) of low fat cottage cheese
1 cup of corn or more if you want
1 cup of grated cheese
Sour Cream

In a saucepan, mix refried beans, kidney beans, corn and salsa and simmer for 10 minutes. (you need to reduce the sauce until it’s slightly thick – other wise the dish will be a little sloppy)

Place small amount of sauce in the bottom of a lasagne dish. Then a layer of pasta, sauce, cottage cheese and cheese. Repeat process until you end with a layer of sauce with cheese on top.

Bake at 180ºC for 30 minutes.

Top with Sour Crean, sliced spring onion and slices of avocado if you want.

Goes well with a few glasses of Cab Merlot (from the Geographe region)

Winter Warmer Soup

2010-04-22T11:15:00.003+08:00

Sweet Potato, Corn, Chilli and Coriander Chowder.

This is a surprisingly quick meal to cook, I had it ready in just over an hour and served with fresh baked bread, it was delicious.

1 tbsp Olive oil
1 onion chopped
3 chillies chopped.
2 tsp coriander power
2 tsp cumin power
Packet Soy Rashers (or bacon if you're a carnivore)
3 sweet potatoes chopped finely
2 tins of corn
1 litre of milk ( 4 cups)
1 cup of vegetable stock
125g can creamed corn
½ cup grated tasty cheese
¼ cup chopped fresh coriander.

Fry off soy rashers until crisp and set aside.

Heat oil in large saucepan and sauté onion and chilli.

Once softened, add the cumin and coriander powder and stir for a minute until the aromas start to waft up.

Add sweet potato, corn, milk, stock and creamed corn – stir and bring to the boil. Reduce heat then simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.

Using a hand blender or mixer, blitz the chowder until the sweet potato has broken down. Add pepper and salt to taste.

Chop the soy rashers and add to the chowder along with some of the fresh coriander. Heat through.

Ladle into bowls and top with grated cheese, fresh coriander and serve with thick slices of fresh wholegrain bread.

Getting Pissed at Easter

2010-04-22T10:47:00.003+08:00

It not often you get the chance to write an ad like this, so I was grateful to Roadwise for letting me have full creative license. It was written as part of my part time work at Radiowest / HotFm and produced by Jez Busniak. It went to air over Easter throughout the Wheatbelt. (I bravely believe it might just be better that what some of the agencies in Perth can create)

Let me know what you think.

More Andy Champagne!

2010-04-22T10:22:00.003+08:00

Andy recently finished writing and voicing a very distinctive radio campaign for greendayToday.

Solar power and looking after the planet are some of Andy's great passions and it showed in the way the campaign of 4 x 30 commercials come out, especially by using the customed designed music bed by Jez from www.soundfoundry.net

The distinctive Didgeridoo based bed created the 'sonic brand trigger' that the client was hoping for - take a listen.

And again, we were involved in assisting in writing some of the web content for the new greendayToday website, so that when people go to the site, after hearing the ads, they could easily access the information they needed.

As they say radio and the internet is a marriage made in marketing heaven!

Getting all 'Joyce' about it!

2010-04-22T10:06:00.005+08:00

After doing a great second radio campaign for Joyce Property Investments, we helped them add a little personal touch to the Joyce Property Investments Website.

www.joyceproperty.com.au

We have a policy that any advertising or promotional material, including websites, should be about the customer or about the reader. That's why we wrote the web content from that point of view. Take a look and see what we mean and ask yourself what point of view your website comes from? Are you talking to your customer or are you talking to yourself?

Sirens Finalists Announced

2010-04-08T07:50:00.002+08:00

Yay, it's fantastic that the ad I did for Main Roads Kalgoorlie made it through to 2010 finalists for the Siren Awards!

http://www.sirenawards.com.au/page.cfm?page_id=1040

The Creative Muse

2010-04-07T06:26:00.003+08:00

I found someone today.

It was like I heard his voice for the first time, but he’s been there for the last 14 or so years, whispering to me. Whispering words of comfort in times of need, feeding me streams of consciousness when the deadline is due, throwing down idea after idea when I least expect it and making ME sound like I know what I’m talking about in front of clients.

He’s my muse, my advertising guardian angel, my Positioning Statement Guy. He’s the real one that has won all those awards on the wall, not me. I just turned up at the keyboard, wondering what the hell I’m going to write!

But I can’t force him to come through, if I’m worried about stuff, got too much on my mind, feel pressured to perform or have a too high an expectation of the ad or campaign that I’m about to write, I shut him out. And it’s this that I’m learning. Finally.

But he starts coming in with ideas at the least perfect moments for me, like sitting on the dunny, driving to the radio station, feeding the animals, swinging in the hammock, least of all when I think he should be there, like sitting in front of the computer getting frustrated because I don’t know what the hell am I going to write for a Pool shop.

But eventually when I go quiet, I can hear him, like a flow of lucid thoughts, he pours in ideas that I would never even dream of! “Hey Josh how did get the crazy idea for that client?”, “Um, I don’t actually know, I just came from nowhere!”
Now I can say I had help, from my “positioning statement guy”. And the good thing about him is that he’s not a snob, he’ll even drop in a quick idea for the Harvey Norman ad I’m working on, whether the client likes the idea or not doesn’t matter, “positioning statement guy” doesn’t care either way. It was just an idea.

So now I can take the pressure off myself to perform and allow space for “positioning statement guy” to come through and all is good. It’s like channelling spirits I guess in a strange sort of way.

So now I can let the mental pressure go and trust that He'll come through for me
when i let him. He's always there, i just have listen.

Pamela's hunt for for the perfect floorcovering!

2010-03-11T12:47:00.003+08:00

Andy's just finished writing, casting and producing a sensational 4 x 30 campaign for Doug Buckey's Carpet Court in Nedlands. Enjoy! (i'm so proud)

Mention this ad to receive a free can of Schweppes Cola

2010-02-25T11:31:00.003+08:00

NO!!!! Tell them to get stuffed!

From my very first foray into radio copywriting I learned that putting an ‘identifier’ in a radio commercial in the form of getting the listener to mention they heard to ad to receive something, doesn’t work. It never has and never will.
I first discovered this about 14 years ago when in was working in Merredin and wrote an ad for the local video store which included, “mention you heard this ad and get a free can of Schweppes Cola”.
I soon discovered, when I asked the client how the campaign was going, that no one asked for a can of the amazingly delicious Schweppes Cola.
I learned that:
1. Schweppes Cola tastes like shit.
2. No-one will voluntarily ask for something for free. It sounds like begging.
And no client should ask their customers to beg.
So why do clients do it?
To test to see if the radio campaign is working - which stems from fear and a lack of trust in the advertising medium being used. If it was a newspaper coupon, that’s a different story as they have something physical to take in as proof.
Solution:
1. The client should monitor the sales figures, before during and after the campaign, making sure the campaign was on air for a decent enough length of time.
2. If the ad is good enough the client should be getting feedback from family and friends saying they heard it.
At Outside Creative, we kindly refuse to put identifiers in our ads and offer clients alternative ways to measure the success of their campaigns.

How do you sell grass?

2010-02-25T10:18:00.004+08:00

Like this.
Westland Turf came to OC asking for ways to liven up the Empire Turf Brand on radio. The client was wanting to tie in the "empire strikes back" theme, however i was initally hestitant, but soon found a way we could work in the theme without running into copyright issues and without making it sound overly cheesy. The ads are currently on air on 2 major stations in Perth.

What's the difference between country radio ads and city ones?

2010-02-15T12:02:00.005+08:00

Just 2 words, “They” and “Their”.

If you listen to any city radio station, none of the radio ads contain either of those words. Listen carefully next time.

So the tip is to always replace the word ‘Their’ with ‘The’ or say the name of the business. Using the terms ‘They’ and ‘Their’ keeps the focus on the client, when the focus should be on the listener.

Ie:
Country version:
At Bob’s Cycle shop you’ll find the bike you want.
Their range is so big you’ll....
Metro version:
At Bob’s Cycle shop you’ll find the bike you want.
The range is so big you’ll....

Here’s how to replace the word “They”

Country Version:
At Joe’s Garage they’ll have your car fixed in no time.
Metro Version:
At Joe’s Garage your car will be fixed in no time.

It’s simple but makes a hell of a difference.

Why most conversation ads sound crap.

2010-02-12T11:18:00.001+08:00

FVO1: "Hey Julie, love the curtains"
FVO2: "thanks, they're from ABC Curtains and Flooring centre"

Why do most 2 voice conversation radio ads sound crap?
Because they're not believable. The conversation part should most often NEVER mention the client, always let the announcer tag reveal what the people are talking about.

Avoid writing them at all costs unless you're a trained professional like us.

Yay, another award!

2010-02-11T08:57:00.003+08:00

Just found out that an ad i wrote for Main Roads in Kalgoorlie was Highly Commended in round 4 of the National Sirens award. It was produced by the legendary Jez Busniak
Listen to it here.
http://www.sirenawards.com.au/winners.cfm

More World Class Radio Commercials

2010-01-13T05:54:00.006+08:00

We've just loaded a whole stack more world class radio commercials onto the OC website.

All written by Andy or myself for OC or for my work through Radiowest / Hot FM.

Some are pretty rude, some funny, some deadly serious and there's even horseshit in there somewhere!

Click here to listen and enjoy. And remember if you want commercials like that, just see us.

Outside Creative radio ads

Is this the biggest squash ever?

2010-01-08T18:07:00.002+08:00

Just picked from the veggie garden - will taste delicious sliced thickly, covered in soy, garlic, chilli and then grilled on the barbeque with slices of halloumi cheese!

Have you added your boss as a friend?

2010-01-07T17:12:00.003+08:00

Seeing as we’re all being bombarded by heaps of advertising including, ambient, traditional media and on line, we now seriously have to get smarter with our clients.

Customers are becoming more advertising savvy than ever so we need to do something to avoid our clients becoming irrelevant and being ignored.

So how do we make advertising more relevant to the target demo? Read the list then check out the ad below, which was written by myself and produced by Jerimiah Busniak for Radiowest / Hot Fm for Dynamic Print,

1. talk about things the customer finds interesting.
2. write in a style that rings true.
3. avoid heroic chest thumping, such as “we’re number one”
4. don’t make ambiguous claims that make a client look dishonest.
5. use specifics, don’t be wishy washy – best service, best range etc.
6. substance is more important that style.
7. relate to customers on their own terms.
8. link in and refer on line social networking sites, FB, Twitter etc.
(1 to 7 courtesy of Wizard of A

So if you want an ad like that to blow your client away with, talk to Josh or Andy.

Find a Copywriter - CD at Austereo Melbourne

2009-12-16T05:57:00.001+08:00

Ok all you copywriters - here's the gig of the year!

Creative Director- Local Sales, Melbourne Austereo
11 Dec 2009
• Melbourne CBD Location
• Training and Development Opportunities
• Lead a highly successful Creative Team
Located in South Melbourne, this is a great opportunity for a Creative Director to guide and manage a small Creative Team to provide outstanding client service, write advertising copy and oversee production for on-air clients.
Reporting to the Director of Sales, your key focus will be to manage and maintain a small cohesive Creative Team and assist with the development of marketing strategies and the utilisation of station resources by account executives to maximise opportunities.
Your proven track record in managing and motivating people as well as 3 + years successful radio writing/production experience and 1-2 years customer focused background will ensure your success in this role. In addition experience in jingle writing is highly regarded.
In addition, you will have extensive knowledge of the media industry and an ability to provide integrated solutions across multi platforms. Your commitment to developing fresh, compelling ideas will inspire your team and impress your clients.
Knowledge of talent management and the latest media production tools will be a distinct advantage.
If you feel that you have the relevant skills and experience for this role, please send your resume detailing your skills and experience relevant to the role and a covering letter (including salary expectations) using the link below.

Email you application to careers@austereo.com.au

Apps close December 24.

The cutest thing!

2009-12-12T17:33:00.003+08:00

Every time he wriggled in his mum’s pouch, the wound would open a bit more, causing immense pain for the mum. So the decision was made that for the mother’s sake, the little Joey had to find a new home.

And that’s the how baby Yeshe, the western grey kangaroo came to our place. Our neighbours who have wild Kangaroos on their property, came to Yeshe’s mum’s rescue after she’d been attacked by a big male causing severe injuries to her stomach only to discover that she was carrying a joey.

So we’re now official guardians of Yeshe, until such time he feels the urge to run with the mob, so to say. He’s 4 feeds daily of Marsupial Formula and spends a lot of time sleeping and looking cute. But the cuteness won’t last forever as he’ll grow to be taller than me (which isn’t hard).

Can you advertise good customer service?

2009-12-04T10:13:00.001+08:00

We recently bought a new computer from a major retailer, who I regularly write ads for through my work at Radiowest and Hot FM, and was left a little unsure about the overall experience. In their commercials they promote themselves as the best at everything, but it was obvious to us they fell short on that promise on several levels.

They didn’t have the range they promised and the quality of the product was less than perfect. Mind you to their credit the technical department provided good service and offered many solutions, yet unfortunately most were unsatisfactory. So we got a refund and went to a real computer store and had one custom built. I can’t recommend highly having your own computer custom built.

So getting back to the original question, can you advertise good customer service or should it be an expectation?

I firmly believe it’s an expectation. “Great service”, “Friendly staff”, etc are hollow and empty promises that can’t be quantified. Only by personal experience can you judge the type of service. You should always expect to get good service, not matter what.

So if your client wants to make some reference to customer service in their commercial, kindly advise them it’s a waste of time and they’d be better off spending more ad time explaining to people how their lives will be better by using their product or service not pontificating about how their staff have the friendliest smiles.

What’s in a word? Fine or Sunny?

2009-11-20T08:54:00.008+08:00

The weather bureau has ditched using the word “fine” to describe days of no rain. In place they’re using more descriptive words, like cloudy, sunny etc. I kinda like the word “sunny”, as apart from describing a person’s disposition, it can create the mood for the day ahead.

"And today, it’s going be sunny and a top of 25 degrees”

and you know what, hey I want a sunny day!

and may all your days be sunny.

What happens when sweet nothings fall on deaf ears?

2009-11-20T08:32:00.005+08:00

Creative, funny commercials can be just that, but nothing else. All fluff and no substance.

Sure you may laugh at the ads and when they’re strung together you’ve got yourself a TV show hosted by one of the Daddo brothers, but did the ads really work?

But once you've stopped laughing, can you remember the name of the client and what was been advertised?

Did the ad appeal to you? Did it speak quietly to a wanton need or desire? Did it gently whisper in your ear and say, “hey, I know you would really love to be watching the footy than fixing the lawn mower, so I’ve got a way you can get the mower fixed and watch the footy at the same time, listen up and I'll tell you”.

Now that’s how an effective commercial works.

Spread the word.

The day the juncia fell

2009-11-19T16:20:00.004+08:00

My favourite shrub came down yesterday in the wind. here's the souvenir photo and memorial poem.

'Juncia'.
Long slender branches, swaying
pretty little flowers, Praying,
that the whipper snipper,
didn't make you cum a cropper
But you survived, to grow tall.
so tall in fact, the f'ing wind made you fall

Food Porn with Jamie Oliver

2009-11-15T08:52:00.005+08:00

Jamie's version.

While researching background information for a client who do kitchen makeovers, I came across a Jamie Oliver pizza recipe and just had to try it.

Sensational! It's like food porn!

Egg, Artichoke and Mozzarella Pizza.

Smear the tomato sauce evenly over the pizza base. Tear the artichokes into quarters and scatter over the pizza. Lay over the torn up soy rashers slices and sprinkle the kalamata olives over. Crack over the egg and place little torn-up pieces of mozzarella in the gaps. Drizzle with Redtail Ridge extra virgin olive oil and season with pepper and a tiny bit of salt. Cook until crisp and golden.

Our version from last night

Explore, dream, discover.

2009-11-09T17:12:00.000+08:00

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."
- Mark Twain

The Mid Dawn Guy

2009-11-09T11:58:00.002+08:00

This short film stars a good friend of ours Kim Blair

How cute!

2009-11-06T15:01:00.002+08:00

Our resident ducks seem to have been busy over the winter!

Andy and the Amazing Tracey!

2009-11-05T06:39:00.003+08:00

Tracey the Magpie is an integral part of the writing team here at Outside Creative providing valuable inspiration for many campaigns. The great thing about Tracey, is that we can pay her crackers. Literally. In the photo you can see her taking a cracker from Andy's hand. (We're thinking about taking the "Andy and the Amazing Tracey" show in the road, visiting schools, hospitals or setting up a circus tent just outside of small towns and charging $5 to see the spectacle)

Words fail me

2009-11-05T06:21:00.003+08:00

These photos were taken 2 days apart and difference in light is amazing. It shows how light can change the mood and how we feel about something. It also reveals how redundant words are when trying to describe the indescribable. Could words ever really capture the beauty of a sunset from Lojong?

Feel free to save these images to your desktop and use them as wall paper. When you're stressed at work and need to take a moment, just stare into the sunset and zone out. Right click and click on save as.

What you need to know about social media advertising.

2009-11-04T05:32:00.006+08:00

This is from the Monday Morning Memo -by Roy H Williams and is extremely relevent in light of on line advertising with new social media verses traditional methods.

"Advertisers are hungry for trackable, direct-response “cause and effect” advertising. Deep down, their fantasy is to be able to say, “Every time I spend (x) dollars on advertising, I make (x) dollars in profit.” Advertisers like to think of advertising as a giant gumball machine: “You put in your ad budget, you crank the handle, and out come the results."

And advertising salespeople have convinced most advertisers that "reaching the right people is the key."

But success is more often determined by how you crank the handle.

Specifically:

(1.) How relevant is your message?
Are you talking about what people actually care about, or only what you wish they would care about?

(2.) In what psychological environment was your message delivered?

EXAMPLE 1: Everyone knows that more people listen to the radio during morning drive than at any other time during the day. But people during morning drive are thinking about what awaits them at work. It’s during the drive home that they’re thinking about what awaits them at home. Consequently, radio ads tend to work better during afternoons and evenings.

EXAMPLE 2: Facebook ads allow you to target with laser-like precision the customer profiles you want to reach. But you’ll get better results with keyword-targeted Google adwords because Google ads appear when the imperfect customer is in looking-for-answers mode. Facebook ads appear when the perfect customer is in connecting-with-friends, wasting-time mode.

I realize it’s counterintuitive, but “When” is often more important than “Who.”

What is god?

2009-11-03T09:29:00.000+08:00

When there’s nothing left to say, what do you say?

2009-10-30T12:54:00.002+08:00

In a cluttered market of car yard ads, how do you standout?
It’s got me thinking, so I won’t interrupt this train of thought and I’ll keep babbling.

You need to promise the customer a different experience. Sure we’ve all heard the clichés before, “we need to move 20 cars in 5 days”, “driveaway deals”, “the sporty Kia Idiot is perfect as a city runabout and at just 12/990, it’s about to run out the door”.

I’m guilty of falling back on clichés myself, because it’s what we’re used to hearing and I’ve had to use them so many times.

But what I find (and I speak from personal experience) is that it comes down to your experience at the car yard. You ask yourself these questions - What’s in it for me? Will I feel I got a good deal or will I feel I’ve been ripped off?

The answer is for the car yard to surprise the customer (in a good way). Offer something that doesn’t cost a lot, but gives the customer a ‘feel good’ feeling. Then advertise it.

I know most car yards offer a full tank of fuel, but who advertises it? And why not throw in a bottle of wine?

Imagine hearing this on the radio.

At Jackville Toyota, when you buy a new or used car, you’ll not only driveaway with a deal that you’ll feel good about.

We’ll also fill up your new set of wheels with a full tank of fuel and we’ll give you a bottle of Margaret River wine to celebrate with.

SFX OF CORK AND WINE POURING.

Jackville Toyota, Expect more than just a good deal.

Pushing the envelope with shoes.

2009-10-30T08:54:00.006+08:00

How rude can you get with shoes?

As part of my work with Radiowest / Hotfm, we do intensive campaigns for clients called "super think tanks", where the producer Jez Busniak (http://www.soundfoundry.net) and myself are given a fair bit of creative license.

We have an amazing conversion rate where most ads developed end up going to air and the client also investing more money with the radio station as part of a continual belief in the power of radio.

The latest one was for Shoe Be Doo in Bunbury,www.shoebedoo.com.au a funky shoe shop that's about to start on line sales. We fleshed out an idea developed by the client and came up with some gutsy radio. The rule is, don't be afraid to push the envenlope.

Voice over outtakes

2009-10-30T07:33:00.007+08:00

I had this commercial for Vamp Games voiced through Hardy Audio who got a genuine American to voice it and he seemed to enjoy it so much, i had to include the outtakes.

This is the outtake 1.

And this is outtake 2 plus the final ad that went to air, so you can hear the difference between the raw VO and the end result.

Red Capsicum stuffed with Fetta and Kalamata Olives.

2009-10-22T12:53:00.003+08:00

These have been a perpetual favourite in our house. Making these, heralds the start of summer and the Barbeque season. We always have these with baked potato and home grown corn cobs both done on the barbeque.

Serves 4 or 2 really hungry people

2 large red capsicums

for the filling

300g block of fetta (find a local producer preferably)
175 g tub of pitted Kalamata Black Olives from the deli section at supermarket.
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons of good quality olive oil. (Redtail Ridge - link in sidebar)
1 garlic clove
1 tablespoon dried oregano.

Cut the Capsicums in half lengthways through the stalks and remove the white pith and seeds.

Mix all the filling ingredients together and stuff into each side of the capsicums.

Heat the grill part of the barbeque and place the Capsicums round side down, with the filling facing up (For obvious reasons). Either close the barbeque lid if you have one use a Wok lid and cover the Capsicums.

Cook for about 10 minutes.

#4 What does cold spaghetti sound like?

2009-10-22T11:36:00.008+08:00

“Most words fall on a page like cold spaghetti” – Bryce Courtney.

In a previous life Bryce was one of Australia’s leading ad men, creating massive campaigns like "Louie the Fly" etc. He was mainly referring to print advertising in regards to the above spaghetti quote but it can just as easily apply to any advertising medium radio, TV, internet, flyers and the rest.

Most ads are full of lifeless words that do nothing to help the promise or message of a commercial. You know what I mean. Filler words, that mean nothing to anyone or just fall into boring old mind numbing ad speak. Ads usually go like this “At computer warehouse we have the biggest range of PC’s in town including Notebooks, laptops and more. We also have this, that and more this. And there’s lots of stuff for you to buy, and we have a really boring shop”
Now that’s the cold spaghetti syndrome - Lifeless words that don’t mean anything to anyone.

The Architect and the copywriter.

However, at Outside Creative, we craft commercials, so that every word has its place and helps structure the ad so that the promise is rock solid. It’s like when constructing a building, the architect knows exactly what needs to go into the design so that it fulfills its purpose.

The client, or you and me, may not know or understand the intricacies involved, but we trust the architect to know what they’re doing. You don’t hear the client saying, “look, I don’t like the steel trusses, can we take them out or many be use bamboo instead? Or maybe put the trusses on the floor and the concrete on the roof – I think that’ll look a whole lot better.” But that’s what happens often in radio. You can design a cutting edge building that everyone will love to work in, but it runs the risk of being turned into a small straw humpy by the end of the process.

The moral of the story is trust. Just because someone can’t ‘see’ the use of particular words or parts of a commercial – doesn’t mean they’re useless and should be ditched or changed to something else. There’s a reason why every word or SFX is there.

Here’s a perfect example of a client that’s trusted the process and ended up with a commercial that really made a difference

#3 Christmas ads - kick starts for ideas.

2009-10-12T14:53:00.005+08:00

With Christmas looming on the horizon, we thought it might be timely to share some Christmas ad idea starters.
If you have any more, just ad them under "comments".

Write the ads from these different POVs

1. from santa
2. from the elves.
3. from mrs santa
4. from the reindeer.
5. from the kids POV
6. from the parents.
7. from the point of last years lame presents that haven’t been used. “life's pretty boring being a lame Christmas present, just sitting around at the bottom of the cupboard doing nothing…”
8. from the angel at the top of the Christmas tree.

Others:

Santa’s sick so he needs help.
The elves are on strike. Taken industrial action. Claim for higher wages and better conditions.
Mrs claus has walked out taking all the furniture.
So many ideas, santa can’t keep up.
Elves are being retrained and reskilled to make PS2’s and Xboxes.
Kids writing a letter to santa (but make it funny).
Anti Christmas ads “Don’t like Christmas? Can’t stand tinsel? Then you’ll love the sale at Baby Janes shoes shop…it’s a tinsel free zone!”
Make Santa or the elves do unusual things. Trying on womens shoes, sky diving etc.
environmental point of view – all the waste. (promote gift certificates etc).

So go get em guys and if you have any other ideas, just add them in "comments".

#2 Why is KISSing so important?

2009-10-09T07:07:00.004+08:00

KISS - keep it simple stupid –one strong theme or selling point per commercial.

Don’t jam it full of too many ideas or themes as you’ll dilute the message. It’s like having a G & T with too much Tonic water and not enough Gin and Lime. Clients always want to mention everything, Open 7 days, dog grooming on Thursdays, locally owned and run, convenient parking…. Etc. But all that is just audio wall paper. Find out what the strongest selling point or unique aspect of the business is and run with it.

The best ads always just have one major theme that the audience can make an emotional connection with and that’s what gets the results.

Here’s one that we wrote for Joyce Property Investments in Perth about their investment seminars.

BBQ food - Mexican Quesadilla

2009-10-09T06:16:00.003+08:00

It's getting close to BBQ season, so whip up a batch of these and everyone will love you!

Mexican Quesadillas.

This would have to be our favourite barbeque food. They’re easy to make (if a little messy) but the end result is definitely worth it.

Remember to have everything ready as they come together pretty quickly. And don’t over load them with ingredients as they won’t hold up too well. (you can use any ingredients you like really)

Packet of 10 Tortillas.
250 g sliced mushrooms
1 finely chopped onion.
bunch of sliced spring onion
tub of pitted chopped Kalamata olives
big jar of Mexican salsa.
1 cup of grated cheese

Arc up your barbie and when it’s hot, add some local olive oil (Red Tail Ridge - link in side bar) and fry off your mushrooms and onion and set aside and keep warm.

Take a tortilla and place it on the barbie, then on one half, layer your ingredients, starting with mushroom and onion, olives, salsa, cheese and then spring onion.

Gently fold the empty half over the full half and press down gently with your egg slice. Give it a minute or so, then again using great gentleness combined with swiftness, turn the quesadilla over. Press down and again and give it a few minutes. When browned on both sides, remove from hot plate and keep warm. Do the same for the rest.

Serve immediately while hot, topped with chunky Guacamole, sour cream and serve with a fresh corn salad and several ice cold beers.

Tip # 1 Phone Numbers in radio ads

2009-10-08T07:06:00.005+08:00

Clients still insisting on using phone numbers in radio ads? Here’s way to convince them not to.

No one drives around with a pen waiting to write a phone number down. No one can even remember a phone number, especially a mobile number.

The idea of the ad is to remember the business name, that’s why we make the ad memorable. Name and location - they're the 2 most important aspects. If someone can remeber the name of the business, then they'll find find a way to get in conact.

If the phone number is the only way to contact or it’s really easy like 131122, then make it the whole point of the ad or if the phone number absolutely has to be there, then give people a reason to ring the number, get them excited about it.

More advertising marketing tips to follow. It's a sweet life:)

OMG We're on Twitter!

2009-10-03T07:12:00.005+08:00

We're embracing new social media to spread to word about Outside Creative, and how we're changing the face of advertising one client at a time! Armed with several chickens, glass on good red and an MSI Wind Note book, we're ready to sit under the Marri Trees and start twittering and blogging! So stay with us, it's going to be a bumpy ride! The above photo is the view from the front verhandah.

http://twitter.com/outsidecre8tive

DAN O?DAY TALKS ABOUT RADIO

2009-10-01T07:09:00.002+08:00

DAN O?DAY TALKS ABOUT RADIO

Shared via AddThis

"Find a Copywriter" Launched

2009-09-24T15:47:00.004+08:00

Press Release
23 September 2009

Radio copywriters come out of the closet!

We all know radio copywriters are extremely hard to find, but now thanks to Outside Creative, they’re coming out of the closet!

Find a Copywriter is a new service, where radio station managers, sales managers and PD’s across the country can easily source copywriters to fill in house positions or work freelance.

“I’ve seen and experienced how hard it is to find a copywriter these days and thought how can I make this easier?” says Josh Langley, Director of Outside Creative.

Designed to compliment existing industry employment services Find a Copywriter is free and simple to use.

If you need a position filled, just call or email Josh or Andy at Outside Creative and your details will be passed on the appropriate list of potential writers.

If you’re a copywriter looking for work or wanting to change jobs then be part of Find a Copywriter by sending an email to josh@outsidecreative.com.au.

All writers’ contact details are kept confidential.

For enquiries contact
Josh Langley or Andy Macleod
Outside Creative
08 9732 1174
0417 942 232
josh@outsidecreative.com.au
andy@outsidecreative.com.au

I buried a chicken this morning.

2009-09-23T14:54:00.006+08:00

One of our chickens, The One That Shall Remain Nameless, (only because we couldn’t think of what to call her) got very sick and passed away overnight.

She was also a bit sickly, tail hanging down, didn’t scratch much, walked with a limp ever since we got her and she rarely ventured outside the chicken run. I don’t even know if she ever gave us any eggs, as there’s just a pile of them in lawn mower catcher at the end of the day, so you don’t know who laid what (thanks anyway girls).

But the point is, even though she wasn’t the ‘star’ chicken, it didn’t mean we should get rid of her and trade her in for a faster, better laying hen that looked cute and cuddly. She had her place in the scheme of things and this was her home. You don’t know what effect she had on the other girls. They could have taken pity of her and produced more eggs to make up for her shortfall. You never know!

So what’s this got to do with copywriting and advertising?

It’s like with clients, some may not be the biggest spenders or even the easiest to get along with, but they play a vital role in the whole experience of running a business. If all your clients were ‘perfect’, we wouldn’t learn vital business and personal skills. And who knows, it could be that small once a year client who then recommends you to a business associate who then becomes a big spending client.

It’s all connected, it's just most of the time we don’t see it.

PS. She’s continuing to be of benefit even now as part of the garden, where we plan on celebrating her life by planting a native shrub.

Dreaming of KD Lang

2009-09-18T07:38:00.005+08:00

Had a dream last night that KD Lang had released a song called "Choices", but a seach on google proved fruitless. But i felt like a dose of KD anyway, so here's her version of the Neil Young classic After the Gold Rush.

And here's another version with Dolly Parton, Allison Krauss and Suzanne Cox.

Jazz on the stairs

2009-09-18T07:09:00.001+08:00

Great big bags of ....it

2009-09-13T12:28:00.003+08:00

As the Mumballup Organics sensation spreads, we decided to get in on the action with a load of pig shit for ourselves to kick start the veggie gardens for summer.

As most people know already, we wrote both jingles for Mumballup Organics and recently created the audio for an AV presentation they had as part of their display at Dowerin Field Days.

Here's the owner, Mark proudly standing by his product!

A bit of fun for a friday

2009-09-11T12:03:00.005+08:00

Spiderman dances to Outside!

The Inspiration behind the name Outside Creative

2009-09-11T08:19:00.005+08:00

It was late 1999 and I was looking for a change. Starting a freelance copywriting business seemed to be the best idea at the time and the name Outside Creative just hit me after hearing George Michael's song "Outside".

It said everything i wanted to say, outside the mainstream, outside the box, freedom to be creative and it was also a term that people used in the media industry when getting ads written independent of the station, be it Radio or TV. "Let's get outside creative for this".

But when Andy kindly mentioned what George Michael's song was really about, I thought, well that fits in too. It's about turning every situation into something we can work with and use it to our advantage. Instead of winging about something, we can see the postive and take action.

After getting caught doing something naughty and publicly humiliated, George Michael simply said, "watch me turn this into a positve and make an another squillion dollars!"

Mind you this would have to one of the most fun and raunchiest clips I've seen.

Enjoy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=da5uoggW9Eg

How to give your clients CUT through!

2009-09-11T07:56:00.005+08:00

How to give your clients cut through.

We know that most ad breaks are crowded and cluttered with all sorts of different messages, promises and noises. So how do you give your clients a point of difference? How can you make them be heard above the din?

Unfortunately, the solutions most people have fall into 2 categories.

1. Be as loud / annoying as possible. (I won’t name any clients, you know who they are)
2. Or this is written on the creative brief: “be creative, want an ad that really stands out and grabs attention and is catchy and sticks in people’s minds”.

Both answers are ineffective and add to more air pollution on our radios. In regards to the second one, as writers we try and achieve that for every client anyway, but it’s just the difference between what the client thinks is creative and what actually is creative.

A creative commercial is a smart, well thought out and executed ad that creates an emotional connection to the target demographic.

This is not - “Want a really creative ad for my client “South West Glass Service”, like 2 people talking and the sound of glass smashing”. The amount of times I’ve seen that on a brief!

Here are some quick ideas on how to give your clients cut through.

1. A different voice over, something distinctive. BUT it has to be in context with the ad. Like you wouldn’t have Peter Vlahos voicing an ad for Women’s underwear. Or an English accent on an ad for Barbeques Galore.
2. Less is more. Dead air, silence, drones to create suspense. Gentle sound effects that invite the listener to turn up the radio.
3. Unusual words. Sometimes a single word can make an ad standout, because it’s not something you wouldn't normally hear in a radio commercial.

· How to avoid a kitchen catastrophe.
· I’m normally quite languid, so the thought of exercise never occurred to me.
· Do something about that insipid bathroom!

4. Controversy or offence. I did a campaign a many years ago for Acellcomm, a business that professionally installed hands free car kits. I used the line “you don’t want some dickhead drilling holes in the dashboard of your car”. Knowing full well the ad would only run for a few days before being pulled off air, I recorded a second version at the same time, replacing ‘dickhead’ with ‘idiot’. But in the listener’s mind, it was the same ad, they didn’t realised it had been changed.

5. Trust the writer. I guess this is the most important of all, as it’s the writer that can create an ad that delivers on the promise of what a good creative ad should be.

Sex and the Purchase Order

2009-08-27T11:18:00.005+08:00

One of the other fun things I like to do apart from writing radio ads, is to write text for websites! (yes, some people think i'm weird!) Below is the website of a long term client CEPO Mobile, who develop on line ordering technology. My challenege is to make stale IT technology exciting and sexy for the target demographic. It's not something for everyone but it gives you an idea of what we do. The site was developed by a good friend of ours Nick Jacobsen at Affinitry Technologies.

http://www.cepomobile.com/

Andy gets Sassy!

2009-08-27T10:43:00.001+08:00

Andy's coming into a class of his own as a writer, currently doing freelance writing for radiowest / hotfm. This is an amazing piece of "sense of place and time" for a Kalgoorlie client Sassy Sue's. Take a listen, it's a very 'visual' radio ad.

Andy's available to weave his magic on your commercials, whether it's a one off or bulk writing for radio stations anywhere around Australia.

New hit jingle

2009-08-27T09:09:00.003+08:00

We've just completed a new jingle package for Croissant Express in Perth.
Play it a couple of times and you'll be humming along!

how green is your home?

2009-08-16T15:57:00.000+08:00

We've recently helped a good friend of ours, Mike Harwood, with a few ideas regarding his new business venture in becoming a Home Sustainability Assessor. A casual brainstorm resulted in discovering the perfect business name "how green is my home?" and various methods for promotion and marketing.

As part of the federal government's Green Loans initiative you can have Mike (or an assessor near you) come out to your place and have a FREE assessment of your water and power usage.
He can also see if you're eligible to qualify for an interest free Green Loan to help with any changes recommended in the sustainability assessment.

Here's Mike checking our fridge, which tends to be one of the biggest users of electricity. We found out that by turning the fridge up to between 5 and 3 degrees, we'd save about 1 unit of electricity a day! (and yes the beer will stay cold)

If you live in the Bunbury region and you want a FREE home sustainability assessment, then contact Mike on 0407 737 761 or email howgreenismyhome@sctelco.net.au

For those of you elsewhere, then just visit the Federal Governments website to find your nearest assessor. http://www.environment.gov.au/greenloans/

How many balls are you throwing?

2009-08-07T10:54:00.001+08:00

While wandering through Radiosalescafe.com I came across the perfect analogy for describing how radio ads work best, in regards to having one simple message.

“If you throw three balls at someone, they’re most likely drop all three. But if you throw them one, they’re most likely to catch it!”

That’s exactly how radio ads work.

One simple, strong, effective idea that appeals to the target demo. Too many ideas or messages and they all get lost or ignored.

Here’s a perfect example I wrote a few years ago.

The Office is Done!

2009-08-06T10:32:00.001+08:00

Well, after a lot of hard work, our new office has been completed and it feels fantastic to be working in a nice bright space with a great view. We've got so much creative juices flowing we may need a mop and bucket.
The next project on the renovation front will be the painting of the kitchen.

But the big question is; who was the first client to have their commercial written in the new office? Well actually is was the final edit of 4 x 30 second scripts for Joyce Property Investments for 96fm in Perth. But it was very inspired editing none the less!

The New Office Part 1

2009-07-30T08:58:00.001+08:00

We're in the final stages of doing up the new office, which we hope to be moving into this weekend. What was first meant to be a simple task turned out to be a bit more of a nightmare as the ceiling needed to be stripped entirely, (hence all the stuff over the floor) 4 coats of paint put on on the dado, plus having to use tiny brushes to brush between the timber boards on the dado as well. The only interuption to the hours of serious concentration was Andy wailing about how he 'hated painting'!

We were very fortunate to have the help and expertise of a good friend of ours, Lindsay, to do all the hard bits and show us useful tips and ideas.

Because Outside Creative is growing so fast, we needed to shift into a bigger office to accomodate both of us writing on projects together as well as on seperate jobs. Plus it's a much more light and airy room perfect for letting the creativity flow. I'll post some of the finished pics later next week.

2009-07-25T12:43:00.001+08:00

The Best of Outside Creative Jingles.

We all have to start somewhere!

2009-07-24T12:56:00.000+08:00

Here's the first vague ramblings of the Outside Creative blog. It's not all just going to be about advertising, it'll also include a some nifty ideas, social commentary, recipes and some postive uplifting videos and stories.