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Honest Shit

Famous Brand Manifestos, Revised

By Ewe Shufei March 4, 2020 No Comments
Famous Brand Manifestos, Revised

Are manifestos necessary for brands? And are they quite as dubious as the politician ones?

One of the perks and perils of working in an agency means we are constantly exposed to copious amounts of purposes, aims, objectives, inspirational quotes, etc. etc.

In the spirit, however, of every “can we rewrite the copy” we receive daily and some extremely questionable life choices later, our Copywriters decided to just do it and go forth into revisions – of a more fun kind.

1. Niké – Just Do It

“Greatness.
It could start with an unshakable gut feeling.
A brisk run. Or a few.
An inextinguishable fire in your belly.
A purposeful squat.
The truth is, there is no hard and fast way to greatness.
Except to begin.
Because greatness is about getting it out as much as it is about getting there.
Greatness is about having the intestinal fortitude to go straight for the throne.
Greatness is about making the first move.
Your move.
Just doo it.”

– Audrey Lee, Copywriter

2. Fiat – Life is Best When Walked

“There are some people who simply shouldn’t drive. The people who take charge of their lives – and the lives of others – every time they take the wheel. Chaos defines their every lane change and every turn they make – big or small. It’s not just a cursory disregard of road rules, but unadulterated contempt for them. It is this ability to ignore basic safety with such joy that arises from a relaxed way of life. It is this attitude that is at the core of speeders, double-parkers and red light runners across the Malaysian peninsular. So don’t drive, walk. It’s safer. Just look both ways before you cross the road.“

– Matthew Corban, Copywriter

3. Holstee – This is Your Life

“This is your life.
Do not “do what you love”, unless you love being broke. Chances are you don’t like a lot of shit, like your job, or not having enough time: congrats on being human.
Stop looking for the love of your life. You cannot afford it in this economy. And no, “start doing things you love” is not a Tinder euphemism. Stop overanalysing – overthinking is where it’s at. All emotions are not beautiful, unless you’re a puppy. 
Life is simple: You work, then you die. Do not be that psychopath asking people about their dreams and opening up your arms to embrace people, you will get punched in the face.
Go travel. Get lost. Never come back. If opportunities come once, wave at them as they pass by. Since life is about people and interaction, please use alcohol as a coping mechanism together. It’s cheaper too.
At the end of the day– life is short, until you have to go to the bathroom…during a meeting.”

– Ewe Shufei, Copywriter

4. Gary Provost – This Sentence Has Five Words

“I try to write a manifesto.
I begin by writing a moderately long sentence.
And then I shorten it.
Into a few words.
And it becomes
One.
Word.
Pandas.
I interrupt your reading pleasure with a super long sentence that hopefully starts to make some sense.
It doesn’t.
But oh, here comes another moderately long sentence.
I swear there’s a point to all of this.
So I continue on by creating a suspenseful build-up to the big idea.
I then rephrase my big idea into another one-liner.
And end this with a prelude to the tagline that took me weeks to write.
Panda butts are great.”

– Beatrice Tan, Senior Copywriter

And, thankfully, you’ve reached the end of this post.

In case you need to contribute to our therapy fund, you may call us at 1-800-The-C-In-C27-Stands-For-Copy.

Ewe Shufei

Fuelled by a combination of hope, caffeine, self-deprecation and weird humour.

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By Ewe Shufei
Shit We Like

Step Aside, Marie Kondo: How To Spark Joy, The Jeremy Phun Way

By Jeremy Phun December 13, 2019 No Comments
Step Aside, Marie Kondo: How To Spark Joy, The Jeremy Phun Way

No, that’s not my studio. It belongs to my friend Casey.

Life might be a mess but your things shouldn’t be. I mean, why do you have to ask yourself whether something in your life sparks joy before you can start organising? All you need to do is to store things nicely and keep things tidy™.

My mum calls me a hoarder but I would like to think of myself as a collector. I love hoarding collecting all sorts of things from random coffee cups to Eclipse mint boxes (you’ll see). I mean, you’ll never know when you need inspiration from these items.

So I’m gonna show you how I organise my life without spending too much money (sometimes).

Unless your room looks like this:

Then I think only Marie Kondo can help you.

BAGCEPTION

All your items should have a place they belong to. Get smaller bags or pouches to categorise your items. This creates a modular system so you don’t need to dissect your bag every time you need to find something. Nothing should have too much freedom.

I personally like to use different bags for different occasions; it makes it easy for me to swap them around for different events. Here are some of the pouches I have and how I use them.

THE TECH POUCH

The pouch that I have in my bag every day for work. Everything that I need can be found in this pouch. I have 3 different types of phone cables here: USB-C, lightning, and micro-USB (I’m that one true friend you need). There are also compartments for drugs pills like painkillers (for when somebody tasks me at 6pm and the deadline is at 7pm), charcoal pills, and motion sickness, and storage systems for my 2TB hard drive and a thumbdrive (so I can pass around my emo mixtape).

I usually carry my camera (never know when there’s a freelance job, I’m always ready) around with me daily so I have some essentials such as a charger for batteries and an SD card reader. On top of that, I have some pretty random stuff like a hairpin and a food “kiap kiap“ thing (lol what are those things called?)

Here’s where you can get it. (Don’t judge me. I got it for a good price second-hand.) This also doubles as a sling bag with the Peak Design anchor hooks.

THE WEEKENDER

It’s like a daily tech pouch, but compressed. This is the pouch I bring along when I want to travel light and give my back a break. I only store my essentials here (but I still bring along 3 types of cables. Why? I don’t know ?).

THE WINDOWS LAPTOP LIFE POUCH

For my big ass charger and big ass mouse (I love you though). This is super useful because it keeps my mouse safe and it’s easy to throw this into any bag I have my laptop in. It being a bright colour also helps when it’s stored deep in your bag.

THE “MIC CHECK, ONE, TWO” POUCH

For the time I ever bump into Wes Anderson on the streets and I get the opportunity to interview him– this bag holds everything I need: an audio recorder, wind muff, extension cables, and a fresh AA battery (just in case our conversation goes well).

THE “I FEEL LIKE A ROCKSTAR” POUCH

For whenever I have to play the guitar on the weekend, this is the bag I carry with me: a capo, tuner, tin (thanks Abu) of picks and an in-ear monitor with an extension. This automatically lets people know that you are legit.

DRAWER INSERTS

Remember that episode when Marie Kondo told you to use random shoe boxes to organise your things in drawers? No thank you. It is ugly and makes your drawer feel like an old newspaper or sao kao pou chi bin.

Use drawer inserts instead – they are usually the same size as your drawers. Make each section to store a particular item. Once you make a mental visualisation of where each of the items belong to, you should be able to keep them organised. Easy.

I only have 2 drawers in my office table (pictured below) and this is what I do with them.

MY PERSONAL PANTRY

I LOVE COFFEE, but buying and drinking kopi peng or flat white every day isn’t too kind on my wallet (I need to fund my pouch obsession). So I’ve resulted in drinking instant coffee (the only reason I bought Essenso is because they have the best packaging). Other times when my tummy doesn’t allow me to drink coffee, I have a nice collection of tea (thanks Jon) on top.

Yes, those are all mint boxes but no, sadly they are all empty. I like hoarding mint boxes because they are good for storing things. And they look nice.

This is actually a kitchen drawer insert from IKEA. I believe there are different sizes for this, and are also very affordable.

ALL MY OTHER RUBBISH

Without these inserts, my drawer would be a chaotic mess with the amount of stuff I have. The smartest thing I’ve done? I created a spot for me to throw all my coins in. Brilliant. Definitely made my quest to be a billionaire much faster.

I found this insert from DAISO, but I’m not sure if they still sell them. Fun fact: They are actually stackable.

And that is all, folks! PM tepi if you guys need links to any of the stuff above. Most of the pouches I’ve purchased are either from Bay or Lazada. Have fun organising your things!

Jeremy Phun

Motion lead by day, bird impersonator by… all other times.

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By Jeremy Phun
Debatable

Joker, Dissected

By Yu Ren October 23, 2019 No Comments
Joker, Dissected

Walking in the cinema, I had no expectations whatsoever. I’ve not read any of the comics or watched a Batman movie (no hate please). But this was something else, wasn’t it?

Joker was painful to watch. Painful in the most realistic way possible. Why, you ask? It was twisted, hands down.

You can’t deny the movie addressed many real-world problems that most people are used to ignoring. That said, it sure caused a big hoo-ha, dividing people into groups that either supported the realism factor, or that thought the film was too deep and disturbing.

And if you’re wondering, I personally fall under the group that supports the realism.

But this post holds the voice of a few others, written and perceived in a way beyond my very own imagination – touching these primary aspects: its story, its soundtrack and its cinematography.

– Samantha Ong, Production Designer

1. The Story & Characters

This movie brought a story and flow that people wouldn’t have imagined. From its start, I felt conflicted because I could empathise with Arthur despite knowing his inevitable end.

As the story progresses, Arthur’s laughing becomes the pivotal issue. He would laugh at bad times, or in bad situations, and we learn this is in part due to his mum asking him to smile through a tragic childhood. The film showed us it isn’t terrible to be depressed or have mental conditions, what is terrible is the expectation to behave “normally”. The idea of always wanting others to be like us, rendering all other points of view a form of madness if they deviate from the norm.

Through the film, Arthur endures so much bullying and abuse, even being framed by his colleagues with his possession of a gun. All these troubles penetrate Arthur’s psyche, and the cumulative pain drove Arthur to become a “joker” by doing what he does best: laughing during the bad.

This movie shows us nobody is born bad but instead broken by their circumstances. Here, Arthur’s breaking point arrives with his decision of creating his own happiness, instead of constantly seeking it. Thereafter, he becomes irrevocably and wholly consumed by another identity – the Joker.

– Yu Ren, Motion Designer

2. The Sonic Madness

In case you thought Hollywood couldn’t reinvent a classic supervillain like The Joker – well, joke’s on you! Todd Philips’s adaptation of the Clown Prince’s origin is sure to make you feel a whole spectrum of emotions.

There’s a saying that “Bad sound is obvious, good sound is invisible” – believe me when I say this: the overall sound design and score arrangements were anything BUT invisible. On the contrary, both the sound and music in Joker added weight to Arthur’s character development and gave you hints into his descent to madness. It’s rich, real, foreboding and menacing.

Throughout the film, the dance between quiet moments and orchestral sections lend a sense of underlying dread and despair that really gets beneath your skin, unraveling repressed emotions that you’ve kept within.

I loved the way crescendo strings were used to amp up Arthur’s emotions in key pivotal moments, and how the echoes of late 1970/80s-esque songs underpinned Arthur’s own fantasy and disillusionment for things happening around him.

The scene that uses sound and music so cleverly is when Arthur finally has the guts to perform stand-up at a comedy club, and totally loses it; yet when we think his performance couldn’t go further down the rabbit hole, Jimmy Durante’s Smile kicks in, and Arthur’s routine seemingly picks up. It then cuts to him spending a lovely evening out with his supposed love interest, Sophie. We soon realise that the song choice was a reflection of Arthur’s inner fantasies, and that the reality of that evening was actually bleak and foreboding. This signalled the start to Arthur’s  downward spiral into depression and eventually, insanity.

– Jonathan Lee, Lead Strategist + Certified Sound Engineer

3. The Cinematography Stairs

One thing that stood out to me in the film was the use of the stairs as a representation of Arthur’s character arc. I believe there were 4 prominent stairs scenes (can’t confirm because I’ve only watched it once).

The first 2 stairs scenes appearred at the very start. They were almost identical to each other. After another tough and mundane day at work, Arthur takes the same routined path back home. Almost saying: as though life isn’t giving him enough sh*t, there is one more battle before reaching the comfort of his own home.

The scene is shot at a low angle to show the enormity of the stairs compared to Arthur. The super-slow pan and the long shot of this scene also relays the struggle of Arthur walking up them.

The third stairs scene happens when he’s fired as a clown from HAHA. But, for the first time, we are shown Arthur walking down a flight of stairs. Here he vandalises the “Don’t forget to smile” poster while walking down. Instead of feeling defeated, he’s found a purpose and is filled with the excitement of what he could become.

And the final stairs scene is, of course, the most iconic of them all – Joker in his full Joker outfit, dancing down the steps. Fully embracing himself for who he finally really thinks he is. The stairs are no longer an obstacle in his life, but a bridge to his insanity.

This can be seen with the cinematography: no longer are there long slow takes and pans, now we are greeted with close-up shots, side shots, and mid shots. And so no longer do you feel the struggle of Arthur Fleck, but instead excitement at The Joker’s arrival.

The stairs, usually an insignificant object, is the film’s symbol of Arthur Fleck’s transformation. It signifies the character ascending in the beginning as a normal man, and descending as The Joker at the end – transforming him from a broken man walking up those steps to a new man, now dancing, down those same stairs.

– Jeremy Phun, Motion Lead

Overall, not only was the depth and weight of every character amazingly conveyed and executed through its storytelling, but its soundtrack, cinematography and setting left everyone speechless.

Whether in a good or bad way though – we’ll leave it to you to decide.

The views expressed by the authors on this blog do not necessarily reflect the views of C27, our CEO, the management, the fish in our fish tank, and/or all the awesome people within the agency. The content and opinions shared are the personal views of the author so please don’t sue us.

…or the author.

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By Yu Ren
Uncategorized

From Chef to Strategist

By Ophelia Ong October 11, 2019 No Comments
From Chef to Strategist

I started cooking at the age of 10. I was always trying to help my grandma out in the kitchen, only to be chased out from it, and became the ‘rebellious’ child of the family. I fought for what I wanted to study when I was 15 years old – ignoring my dad’s advice of ‘how being in the kitchen would mean losing precious time with friends and family’, and unfortunately for me, I had to experience some of those painful moments.

Since young, I knew that I wanted to turn my hobby and love for cooking into a career. However, I learnt the hard way that some things should remain as a hobby (although my ultimate goal is still to have a café and restaurant of my own in the future but let’s leave that for another post).

I got out of the F&B industry in 2015 and decided to take on a whole new path – in being a Strategist here at C27. I know, I know. It’s completely different. Almost scary, even. But it’s not all that bad.

So what does it feel like to take on this role after working in the kitchen for a while? It’s actually same, same but different. Let me tell you why.

1. You Gotta Keep It Together! 

One thing I’ve learned from working in the F&B industry is that teamwork and communication are absolutely essential and that goes the same with being in whichever industry but more so in an advertising agency. Can you imagine an environment without good teamwork? Well, I can’t because that would be absolute madness. Also, without communication, so many things would go wrong. For example, a lot of angry customers = extra revisions needed/a lot of time wasted. 

2. What’s That Tiny Thing?

It is all about the details. Is your dish up to standard? Is it visually appealing? Does it taste good? The same goes for our work, like creating content calendars. Everything has to be cohesive. Don’t do something for the sake of doing it (i.e. making something look IG-worthy).

Like how every ingredient on a plate has to make sense and complement one another, your content calendar should make sense with both copy and visual. Understanding what the target audience likes is important too because why serve something your audience doesn’t like? Also, one key takeaway I learnt from all of this is to check-in with your teammates – are they doing fine? Do they need help and how can we help them to make it work better?

3. Hello, Project Managers. Can I Get Timelines Plis?

One of the most valuable lessons I’ve learnt after being in the kitchen is the importance of managing timelines and being organised.

Back in culinary school, we were required to make a timeline sheet for our finals and our work station would always have to be kept organised. That said, being unorganised is a big no-no. Imagine being bad at managing timelines – all that hard work put into making a dish would probably be burnt by now. And if things do go wrong, what are the quick solutions to salvage it? I think learning culinary arts has taught me to always be quick on my feet. 

All in all, my decision to make this jump into a whole new industry has made me realise that there’s really nothing to be scared of. I’d have to give a huge thanks to Fazil for inspiring me to write this blog post. During my interview, he asked, “How can you apply what you’ve learned in culinary, in being a Strategist?”

Well, tadah!

The views expressed by the authors on this blog do not necessarily reflect the views of C27, our CEO, the management, the fish in our fish tank, and/or all the awesome people within the agency. The content and opinions shared are the personal views of the author so please don’t sue us.

…or the author.

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By Ophelia Ong
DTF

Swipe Right For Love: How Technology Has Changed The Dating Game

By Daena Marissa August 9, 2019 No Comments
Swipe Right For Love: How Technology Has Changed The Dating Game

Back when there were no DMs to slide into and no friend requests to send, my father won my mom’s heart by giving her a hundred roses… At a red light… While she was in the car… On a date with another guy. Grand gestures aside, courtship back then was very different.

Technology has changed the way we connect and converse with each other but being connected comes with a price. As a result, dating is no exception.

Different Strokes For Different Folks.
There are tons of different apps in the market meant to cater to your different wants and needs. But just so we have an idea of what we are dealing with, here are my observations of the 3 most used dating apps on my phone:
1. Tinder
  • The gateway drug into the online dating world.
  • With over 3.8 million users worldwide and an unlimited number of swipes, this almost guarantees that you will match with some creeps out there.
  • Quality of matches can be subpar but more often than not entertaining.

Very classy.

2. Bumble
  • Females make the first move here – a good thing in my book as it takes the pressure off men of always having to say ‘hi’ first.
  • Matches expire in 24 hours so if you aren’t active on the app, you could potentially be missing out on a connection.
  • Lots of ang moh backpacker types looking to find themselves but slowly picking up in the local market too.
3. Coffee Meets Bagel
  • The UI/UX is the least impressive out of the 3 to me. (This is a good piece that explains why.)
  • Tries to enable better conversations with prompter questions.
  • Matches are usually pretty vanilla/boring until they try to awkwardly touch your face on the first date. #truestory
Navigating life as an adult is not as fun at MTV made it out to be. There are bills to pay, taxes to file, clients to deal with. Add dating to the list of things they should have taught you (but taught you how to make electrical circuits instead).
The main reason I dived into online dating apps was when I realised making friends as an adult is hard. Away from the comfort of your collegiate social bubble, the people you see most often are your colleagues. And if I was going to leave my romantic future in the hands of my connections at work, I’d say my options look… pretty bleak.
So, here are some lessons I’ve learnt along the way.

10 things I have learnt about online dating

1. “Meeting Someone” Before You Meet Them: Hands up if you’ve pretended you had no clue about something your date said but really you’ve gone through their tagged photos from 2014. Social media helps verify if a person exists or not but save some of that mystery for the actual conversations.

2. 6 Degrees of Separation: This is especially true in Klang Valley. You are bound to bump into matches at bars, meetings, clinics, maybe even work #alsotruestory. You will always wonder if you should acknowledge the fact that you both swiped right on each other. Just do it. We both know we saw each other. Let’s just get to it and move on.

3. Reading Between The Lines: It’s hard to read people’s intentions from behind a screen. Whether you are finding the father of your future child, just DTF or somewhere in between, it’s best to cut to the chase up front. If you do realise that you both don’t feel the same way, you are one ‘unmatch’ away from moving on.

4. Window Shopping (For People): Indecisiveness is built into the dating app culture. Swiping right or left on a seemingly endless pile of potential partners doesn’t get you one step closer to your knight in shining armour/warrior princess because they don’t exist. And if they sound too good to be true, just remember that catfishing is a real thing.

5. Ask Questions: Be inquisitive. Listen. To have a good conversation, you need to be interesting too. Tell me what you are passionate about, what gets your gears grinding, about a book that changed your life. Also, please ask me anything aside from what I do for work.

6. Give In To Wanderlust: One of the best things about these apps is that you don’t need a stamp in your passport to meet people from a different country. You get to learn about other cultures while playing tour guide in your own country and feel super cultured when you order ‘teh tarik kurang manis’ in Malay.

7. Safety First: Maybe because I’ve seen ‘Taken’ one too many times but be wary about how much information you reveal of yourself. Text a friend on your whereabouts or get them to call you to check up on you mid-date. Update your emergency contacts on your ‘Grab’ app.

8. Equal Opportunities: Being treated to drinks or a meal is nice. But make sure you aren’t expecting it just because of your gender. Boo social norms. You can buy a drink for your date too.

sorry I found you over-WHALE-ming

Sorry I found you over-WHALE-ming.

9. Ghosting: I am the worst at texting. My friends and family can all attest to this. This is very evident in my online dating life as well. To all the people I’ve matched and forgot to reply before – I’m sorry. And to those who remain persistent. You guys are the best. Just remember there is a REAL person behind the screen.

10. Take A Chance: It’s been a long day. Your bed seems way more inviting than the thought of sitting at a bar and trying to have a conversation with a stranger. But trust me – say yes (more often than not). Don’t take yourself or the date too seriously. Best case scenario, something great happens. Worst case scenario, you’d have an equally great story to tell.

The views expressed by the authors on this blog do not necessarily reflect the views of C27, our CEO, the management, the fish in our fish tank, and/or all the awesome people within the agency. The content and opinions shared are the personal views of the author so please don’t sue us.

…or the author.

Daena Marissa

Our very own yoga-loving Cali girl.

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By Daena Marissa
Honest Shit

Why I Left C27… And Came Back

By Michelle Koh July 26, 2019 No Comments
Why I Left C27… And Came Back

You know how they say you can get too comfortable at your workplace?

Well, I did. I was at C27 for 4 and a half years. That’s 1,642 days of being an Account Manager and then, a Project Manager. And during that time, I kept wondering if there was something else for me outside of this office.

Don’t get me wrong, I loved the work and people here, but it felt like everything was on autopilot. It felt like I was in this little bubble and I was tired; tired of feeling so committed. I felt like I needed to leave and try something else. Something that scared and excited me at the same time. As they say, “listen to your heart.” And that, I did.

Leaving C27 was probably one of the hardest decisions I ever had to make. Such commitment eh.

So I left. Went on a path that was entirely different – the corporate side. Yup, I became a client. A 180-degree change. That’s got to be challenging right?

My first week in, I knew this life wasn’t for me. Maybe I wasn’t adapting fast enough. “Give it some time”, I told myself. “Eventually it will all get better.”

Weeks passed and I realised this wasn’t what I wanted. I had no passion for the work and it was honestly pretty dreadful coming to work each day. So I quit (it seemed really long but it was only less than 3 months).

Again, I took a break to figure my life out (come on, twice in a year?!). I took up a nutrition course because I wanted to look good and eat well in hopes that I didn’t look like I was doing nothing. (Of course, I was interested in the course too.) While I was having my me-time, it struck me that I was always missing C27. Yup, sure sounded like I couldn’t get over an ex.

It got me thinking, “What if all I needed was a break to see things from a different perspective?”

I dwelled on this and true enough, it was a wrong move to leave C27.

Why?

Because I loved the people. Managing their workload and making sure there was enough food at the pantry taught me to love and care for these people. Plus, they’re all very nice human beings. ❤️

Because I was able to make a difference. I could make suggestions and improvements on processes, workflows, and any other people and/or office matters. I mean, we’re at work 25% of the time so why not contribute to a better workplace environment?

Because I missed the freedom of speech. Fun fact: I LOL (literally). But this is not about my laughter. At C27, people actually take the time to hear you out, no matter the reason. You can be honest about things here and the boss, and basically everybody else, will try to make things better for you.

Because there was no drama mama. Okay. Well not entirely. But the people at C27 aren’t into office politics and generally get along pretty well with another. There’s no hate and we respect one another.

Because the work was meaningful. You can say C27 is like any other agency in terms of its services, but people here generally just want to do good work. Period. We kind of have the luxury to pick brands we would like to work on and turn down pitches if we need to. That’s not too bad right?

So now that’s basically why I came back, only now with BIGGER responsibilities. But at least…

Of course things aren’t always rainbows and butterflies but hey, we’ll try to work things out at the end of the day.

Before I go, I thought this quote would be a good one to end my little lame life story. Enjoy!

The views expressed by the authors on this blog do not necessarily reflect the views of C27, our CEO, the management, the fish in our fish tank, and/or all the awesome people within the agency. The content and opinions shared are the personal views of the author so please don’t sue us.

…or the author.

Michelle Koh

Eats like a rabbit, works out like a beast. Meet the real mama and unicorn of C27.

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By Michelle Koh
Shit We Do

Advertising Lessons From Westeros

By Matthew Corban July 19, 2019 No Comments
Advertising Lessons From Westeros

Okay, so. It’s been a month give or take, (at the time of writing, anyway) since the finale. The credits have rolled, the dust has settled and people have navigated the 5 stages of grief to come to acceptance. So let’s reopen those wounds and talk Game of Thrones. Yes, yes, spoilers, duh.

You right now.

Yeah, Jon comes back from the dead in case you didn’t know.

Anyway, they say, “learn from your mistakes” but it’s waaaay more convenient to learn from other people’s mistakes. And fun. So just how did the big-budget series that began so brilliantly end up on fire in a dumpster? And what lessons can we take from that? LET’S GOOOOO!

1. DON’T OVERPROMISE
Number one offender right here.

Fun fact time! Did you know both HBO and Georgie R (blessed be his name) wanted 10 seasons of Game of Thrones at least? However, the guys in charge of the show, David Benioff and Daniel Brett Weiss (henceforth referred to as D&D), were like, “Nah guys, we got this in 7. Just watch.”

Well, that was an oopsie.

So then they had to add an eighth. Yes, that’s right, the 8th season was not part of the original GoT pitch. Tsk tsk.

Your Creatives when you overpromise things.

Likewise for us agency folk. I get it, you want to impress your client and make them happy. But when you promise them that you’ll have those 10 new EDMs developed by EOD tomorrow, you’re only going to disappoint them when you come back the next day at 5:30pm asking for more time. Also, all your Creatives will probably kill you.

2. DON’T GET COMPLACENT
Last words of complacent man.

After putting out 4 solid seasons, D&D seem to have figured that Game of Thrones’ momentum would carry it through to the end. Which it did. Mostly. Hardcore fans will tell you the writing started to smell fishy around Season 5, but most people weren’t too fussed. At least not till the wheels fell off in Season 8. Momentum and goodwill will (ha) only get you so far.

Agency-wise: Winning a new account is great, and you should take the time to celebrate it, but don’t think that was the hard part. Now the real work begins, and if you want a chance at extending the contract you’re going to have to push for it.

3. GIVE THE PEOPLE WHAT THEY WANT
R.I.P. Tywin. Maybe you should have, a little.

There’s a fun trend of subverting expectations in film and TV now (See also: The Last Jedi [It’s not fun anymore, please stop]). With the two-year gap between Season 7 and 8, GoT ending theories were flying in migratory numbers:

Will the Night King come and kill everyone a la GoT’s ‘everyone you love must die’ law?

Will Jon and Dany get married and rule the 7 kingdoms, incest be damned?

Surely Cersei won’t somehow pull out a win and stay Queen?

What we got instead, was the Night King smashed (literally) in a single episode, Dany’s ‘For the people‘ attitude free fall into ‘Burn the people‘ in two, and BRAN THE WHEELY LEGS NO FEELY ON THE IRON THRONE AT THE END OF SIX.

 Talk about unexpected. And unsatisfying.

You shut your smug face, Captain Cripple.

Agency life is a balancing act between satisfying the client, satisfying the audience, and satisfying your own creativity. Sadly, your creativity doesn’t pay in cash, but the client does – on the condition you satisfy their audience.

So, you’ve got to know what the audience wants to see. If you know what they want to see, you can give them what they want to see, then they’ll watch it and not riot in the streets (or on the internet) and then everyone will be happy and you’ll get paid. Easy-peasy.

4. GET SOME FEEDBACK
Not for long, Your Grace

Hey D&D, maybe you guys shouldn’t burn bridges with Georgie Porgie Pudding and Pie. Since y’know, he’s the author and everything. Also, don’t take sole control of the writing for the last four episodes and kick all the other writers off the show. That would be plain silly.

Welp.

Are you seeing the trend yet?

We’re in the business of ideas. Sometimes we need to be in the business of killing ideas too. Yeah, it hurts to smother your own creative baby, but if you don’t cut down the bad ideas, you’ll never end up with a gold one. Getting good feedback builds great things, and great things make people happy.

This doesn’t mean you get to be nasty to your colleagues by the way, be constructive.

5. REMEMBER WHAT YOU’VE ALREADY DONE
Nothing personal.

So in Season 8, Jamie and Brienne have a heart-to-heart talk in the snow where he tells her he’s a terrible person because he strangled his cousin. Not only is he a terrible person, he’s forgetful too, because in Season 3 Jamie caves his cousin’s face in before strangling a guard.

Also Gendry’s bastard name is Waters, not Rivers but I guess he forgot that too.

Just like the writers did.

Anyway, the takeaway is if you don’t remember an idea you’ve done already, and the client does, somebody is going to be having a reaaall awkward conversation when you bring it up again (Hint: it’s you).

6. DON’T HALF-ASS THINGS
Unless you're Team Wheelchair, in which case you just win.

If you need to add a 10-minute segment to the end of your 70-minute TV episode to explain what happened, chances are you’re probably half-assing. Once D&D got busy looking for the next big paycheck, the quality of GoT started to nosedive.

There’s a lot of money thrown into, at and around advertising. You’ve got to make sure you’re worth that money and are always adding value to your client. If you only see them as a fat paycheck, one day they’re going to cotton on to your half-assing and drop you like a hot potato. Unless you work for HBO. Why la HBO.

7. HIRE THE RIGHT PEOPLE
Thank you, Lord of Highgarden.

Oh God, Disney please don’t let D&D have Star Wars, I’m so scared.

For real though, advertising is a team sport. Hire cool people who are nice and who will do nice, cool things for you and your clients. Don’t hire people like D&D who will do uncool, not-nice things for your clients. Because then your clients will be upset and you’ll have to fire them.

Wow look at that, 7 lessons for 7 kingdoms, not contrived at all. Join us next time, when we look at how Castle Black could be building and renting out billboards on the Wall. It’s prime advertising space and no one has figured this out yet?? Come on Lord Commander Snow, try to know a moneymaking opportunity when you see one.

The views expressed by the authors on this blog do not necessarily reflect the views of C27, our CEO, the management, the fish in our fish tank, and/or all the awesome people within the agency. The content and opinions shared are the personal views of the author so please don’t sue us.

…or the author.

Matthew Corban

Matt likes reddit and hates books.

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By Matthew Corban
Shit We Do

The Roles of a C27 Strategist (that’s not in the JD!)

By Carey Khoo June 21, 2019 No Comments
The Roles of a C27 Strategist (that’s not in the JD!)

(Source: About Face Illustration)

A little backstory: Unlike other agencies, C27 does not have a separate department for Suits and Planners. We handle both roles, and are called Strategists. So yes, we plan, research, and service them clients. Besides that, C27 also comprises of the Management (of course), Project Managers and two other departments – the Creatives and the Developers. The Creatives make magic with their creative juices and the Developers, well… they code, build digital products, and bring amazing things to life.

Got it? Good – you’re all caught up now!

I’m from the Strategy department in C27 and funnily enough, I come from a PR background. The amazing part about that is how much that skill has helped me grow as a Strategist in C27. People are often confused and lost on what a Strategist does on a day-to-day basis and that’s okay, because half of the time, our job consumes so much of our time that even we don’t even realise the many hats we put on.

So I compiled a whole list of roles a Strategist has to take on, that no one ever speaks of.

1. You are everyone’s punching bag.
As a Strategist in C27, you’re both the Suit and Planner. Most of the time, your job is to make everyone happy. You need to understand the needs of the client and at the same time, be careful to not step on anyone’s toes – that means the client, Creatives and Project Managers (or traffic)! Now the solution to this is to find the incredibly thin line and never cross it. Once in a while, you’ll get shit for it but that’s okay because that comes with the job.
giphy (2)

Similar to the Chain of Screaming, except you’ve got no one to scream at.

2. Your to-do lists never end.
Every day, I attempt to complete all my tasks in my to-do list. And here’s the thing: It never ends. As I’m halfway through my list, a whole new list would miraculously appear. This happens almost every day and you’re back to square one. A full list.
to do list
Here’s something that never happens.
3. Being your clients’ therapist.
Being a Strategist can be emotionally draining at times. It’s as though you have a master in Psychology. Your natural instinct or habit would be to read your clients’ minds and learn their body language over time to know exactly what they want when they don’t really know what they want. It takes a lot of back-and-forth communication, but when you finally get what they want, it feels like you’re in a whole new world.
a whole new world

*Cues Aladdin’s A Whole New World*

4. There is no such thing as “daily routine”.

The work changes every day, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. There are always new things to learn and new challenges to overcome which keeps the work interesting. You might do something you completely hate today and be rewarded with work you enjoy tomorrow. Being a Strategist really is a job that requires you to work with passion and forces you to expand your horizons.

5. You work long hours, but that’s okay.

I mean, what’s new right? Being in an agency automatically means you’ll have crazy long hours. Thankfully enough, we get to have a work-life balance every once in a while during quieter months. Work hard, play harder. Just kidding, though I really am not. It is so incredibly important to have that burning passion in what you do because sometimes, that is the only motivation you need to keep going. Every successful campaign and achievement along the way makes all the hard work and sleepless nights worth it.

6. It’s like maintaining a crazy ex-girlfriend.

Obviously, this is very subjective and highly dependent on the client you’re servicing (fortunately, I have amazing clients). But sometimes, client servicing means dedicating your hours listening, giving suggestions, and finding solutions. You’re signing up for a whole new commitment.

sleep

But all in all, being a Strategist is such a rewarding job in its own ways – from seeing your campaign being a success to understanding what your client wants before providing feedback.

It is a never-ending cycle of work with different results and that’s what makes it great.

The views expressed by the authors on this blog do not necessarily reflect the views of C27, our CEO, the management, the fish in our fish tank, and/or all the awesome people within the agency. The content and opinions shared are the personal views of the author so please don’t sue us.

…or the author.

Carey Khoo

Strategist by day, karaoke (Carey-oke) queen by night.

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By Carey Khoo
Honest Shit

The First Time

By Ewe Shufei June 7, 2019 No Comments
The First Time

My new job nerves really had me fooled by not showing up until they deemed the time right: the morning of my first day. At 9am. Enjoy the inner monologue of my descent into (or rather, permanent habitation within) meltdown central.

The First Entry (not a euphemism)

Wait…wasn’t the door alarmed? So how do I get in? Oh okay, I’ll just leech off this chick who’s going in now then. Oh shit, she just turned around to ask me who I am. Do I just say my name? Do they know who I am? Oh, there’s an entire Slack notification with my name. Fantastic. Exactly the kind of lowkey thing I was aiming for.

Whoah why are there so many people? Everything is black and yellow. This is a very literal manifestation of that Wiz Khalifa song. Holy crap I will never remember everyone’s names all at once. What do I do now? Everyone looks insanely busy. Am I even legit enough to be here though? How did they even ‘yes’ me? I have an entire table to myself? Why am I sitting next to these artsy people? What’s going on?

Eh. Wait a minute. What in fresh hell and heaven is an “introduction deck” supposed to be?

The First Lunch

Oh, it’s lunch? Time to socialise. Okay. I got this, I got this. I don’t got this. How do I try to convince them I’m not an awkward permutation of limbs and laughter?

The First Meeting

You guys seriously think I have the chops to be dropped right in the middle of an account– sure…do that, I guess.

Now, Shufei, your task for today: don’t fuck this up. Wow, that’s so much easier said than done.

Fuck. Even my drafts need drafts. Does this copy sound vaguely weird? The more I read it the stranger it becomes. That should really be the plot of Stranger Things. Not the point, okay, focus. Nope, that definitely sounds super off. Is this even grammatically right? What is English?

Should I…ask people if this is right? Everyone looks reaaaaally busy…

The First Submission

They definitely think it sounds off. Why did I send this shit off? How did I think this was a good idea for a copy? Or a job? Do I even know how to write though?

How am I here, for real? Everyone seems super legit. What am I doing? Will I even manage to cope? How am I going to do this? Am I actually even qualified? How did I manage this? What if they kick me out after the first week? What if they’re already so bored, they kick me out right now? What if– oh, my copy was approved.

The First Existential Breakdown End of Day

Okay, great. I’ve survived today so far, let’s see what I have lined up for the rest of this week…ah, inductions, inductions, and more inductions.

So…will I be useless until those happen? Scratch that, will I be useless even after that happens? How long until they realise I’m actually just generally useless? This cannot be a healthy way of processing my emotions. What else can I do while I’m here?

Oh, wait, it’s already 7? Thank fuck. Let’s go home. I’m tired of thinking. I can’t English for the rest of the day. Bye.

Addendum: I’m still here, still awkward, but a little bit less nervous. Little wins.

Disclaimer: The views expressed by the authors on this blog do not necessarily reflect the views of C27, our CEO, the management, the fish in our fish tank, and/or all the awesome people within the agency. The content and opinions shared are the personal views of the author so please don’t sue us.

…or the author.

Ewe Shufei

Fuelled by a combination of hope, caffeine, self-deprecation and weird humour.

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By Ewe Shufei
Honest Shit

Boss Baby: What It’s Like Being the Youngest in C27

By Nickii Chan May 13, 2019 No Comments
Boss Baby: What It’s Like Being the Youngest in C27

“Eh, how old are you again ah?”

I was 19 when I first graduated college, and without giving myself the neccesary break I deserved, I jumped right into my first job.

Having skipped a year in high school and entering college at a younger age, I was always the baby in all groups. But, I never really acted my age, no one has ever needed to baby me before. I guess growing up with people who’re older than you forces you to act a certain way. I’d prefer hanging with my seniors than people my age — I’m sorry to all the other 98’s out there but most of you listen to Jason Derulo and have no idea who Tina Turner is.

Fast forward a year later, I ended up here in C27 at the age of 20.

Being the youngest one in the company, I cannot stress the amount of times I’ve had to remind people of my age and go through the whole “Oh my god, no. Stop. Walao eh I damn old already you make me feel so old la!” reactions. People tend to forget that I just stepped out of college a year ago because I guess I blend in with the rest? Apparently to other people, I look 25 — which is the average age of everyone else in the company. My colleagues are always in disbelief when I reveal my age, but maybe that’s due to the fact that I listen to the Carpenters at work… and everywhere else (stop trying to change my music taste).
Working with people who are older than me is hella scary. You know for a fact that they’ve lived longer than you, hence, more experienced. Will my work ever live up to their standards? What if I’m not good enough? These thoughts run through my head EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. without fail. Some days I feel like I may have put a lot of people down. Some days I feel like I’ve accomplished wonders, but it doesn’t just stop there. In between everything, it’s an emotional roller coaster ride.

However, with that being said, whenever I’m in doubt or when I feel lost at sea, the people around me here at C27 are ever willing to provide guidance and advice. I learn so much from so many people of different departments, I kid you not when I say I learn a new thing every day here. Whether it’s work-related or just pure (useful) bullsh*t, there’s always something new that will surprise me every day. I’ve been working in this company for 322 days — that’s 322 new pieces of information I’ve gained since working here. Do other people my age get to learn 322 things in 322 days? I think not. 😉

I think being the youngest in the company has given me a huge advantage. I wake up some days feeling thankful that I chose not to take that break after college. I thank God I was motivated enough to head out and earn some cash for myself. I may have screwed up my life timeline and started working way too early, but at least now I’m ahead of time.

Not only do I get to work with these amazing people of age (25- to 30-year-olds okay, you guys are not that much older than I am),  I also get to learn and experience things not many other 21-year-olds can. These people here in C27 have watched me grow into my adulthood and they will always be apart of the transition process.

“Eh, how old are you again ah?”

“I’m 21 and I’ve got a great head start to a very exciting future.”

The views expressed by the authors on this blog do not necessarily reflect the views of C27, our CEO, the management, the fish in our fish tank, and/or all the awesome people within the agency. The content and opinions shared are the personal views of the author so please don’t sue us.

 

…or the author.

Nickii Chan

Mother to a pug named Rufus Valentino Flatface Gup Puggerson Chan Puk Chai.

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By Nickii Chan
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