John Gibson, Vice President/Global Planning Director at The Martin Agency, gave this presentation at "Ambidexterity 2," the VCU Brandcenter's Executive Education program for account planning on June 24th at the VCU Brandcenter in Richmond, VA.

1. HELLO, I’m John Gibson…but, call me Gibs.
VP / Global Planning Director, The Martin Agency
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June 23, 2014

2. PITCHING.
FOREVER.
EVER.
EVER.

4. The Martin Agency Wieden+KennedyGoodby Silverstein & Partners SID LEE GSD& M BBDO

6. START
iconography
voice
experimentationclear brief
craftCCI
START

9. A+

13. Why would we put ourselves through all this?

15. THE GREATEST
BRIEF AN AGENCY
CAN HOPE FOR
CREATIVE STRATEGY

16. OREO’S AMBITION
Transform Oreo from the world’s favorite cookie to one of the world’s most iconic brands.

17. B
A
EQUITY EXPANSION
!
We started from within…

18. B
A
The Oreo ritual
inspires moments
of childlike delight
and connection.
EQUITY TODAY
A
CHILDLIKE DELIGHT=
Potentially universal
...but constrained by being:
TOO FUNCTIONAL
(based in the Ritual)
!
TOO LIMITED
(Rooted in parent/child relationship)
B
????

19. CHALLENGE
Find an expression of childlike delight that is deeply and universally relevant.

20. Children experience delight because
they have a positive, unbiased perspective on the world.
!
They see and feel things differently.
CHILDLIKE DELIGHT

21. When we’re kids,
extraordinary is everywhere
!

22. Every stick is a light saber
!

23. ...and boxes make the perfect arcade
!

24. But as we grow older
extraordinary becomes harder
to see, limited to only the
greatest marvels

25. Still, there’s just something about Oreo.
This small, unassuming cookie, can be a token of seeing the world differently.
Once twisted open, it awakens a feeling, regardless of age.
Oreo rekindles a sense of wonder.

26. Where WONDER is the capacity to see the world through
open eyes and with a curious heart.
A UNIVERSAL VALUE

27. A
CHILDLIKE DELIGHT=
Potentially universal
...but constrained by being:
TOO FUNCTIONAL
(based in the Ritual)
!
TOO LIMITED
(Rooted in parent/child relationship)
B
A
The Oreo ritual
inspires moments
of childlike delight
and connection.
GROUNDED IN THE BRAND’S DNA
Sharing tokens of Wonder.
B
WONDER=
Truly universal
...something children experience
naturally and adults possess.
Adults simply need reminding…
!
Evolution, not revolution.

28. ENTER...

29. START
iconography
voice
experimentationclear brief
craftCCI
START

30. Oreo Sans comes in four delicious
flavors — Light, Bold, Heavy, and for
when you’re really hungry, Black. These
can be used together in the same layout
to bring emphasis to certain words, but
please, don’t use different versions of
Oreo Sans in the same word. Because
that would be unREadAbLE.
Oreo Sans Light Oreo Sans Bold Oreo Sans Heavy Oreo Sans Black
TYPOGRAPHY
OREO SANS
abcdef
ghijkl
mnopq
rstuv
wxyz
abcdef
ghijkl
mnopq
rstuv
wxyz
abcdef
ghijkl
mnopq
rstuv
wxyz
abcdef
ghijkl
mnopq
rstuv
wxyz
the voice

31. the voice

32. 29
WE OPTOMIZED
THE EMBOSS.
CAN YOU
SPOT ALL
THE CHANGES?
ACTUAL EMBOSS PATTERN OPTIMIZED EMBOSS PATTERN
( FOR CAMPAIGN WORK ONLY )
Product name is larger
Oval around product
name is larger
Fewer ridges along the rim
Fewer dots in between the
four-part designs
Improved reception on
radio antennae thingee
the iconography

33. the iconography

34. CORE CREATIVE IDEA
!
Sharing tokens of wonder in a cynical world
The cultural context.Two ways:
#1. Simple expressions of the brand’s point-of-view.
#2. Stories of perspective change.
But the goal is always a new perspective.
!
Seeing the world with open eyes and a curious heart.

35. I wonder if I gave an Oreo to strangers at school (people)
... familiar characters (folklore)
Endless stories, based on a simple question.
... The New York Times (media)
... Russia (new markets)
... Christmas (occasions)
... Los Angeles (cities)
CREATIVE CONSTRUCT

36. WHAT HAPPENS?
The new — more open-hearted and curious — perspective is what matters.
!
The depth and insightfulness of that shift determines the quality of the work
and its fit within the campaign

37. Ageless...not Childish
(We’re Pixar...not Sesame Street)
Optimistic...not Naive
(We question what can be...we don’t deny what is)
Self-aware...not Self-important
(We keep it LIGHT. We’re selling cookies, not saving the world)
Clever...not Pretentious
(There’s a wink, an insightful unexpected twist...but it’s always accessible)
THE WONDERFILLED VOICE
Timeless...not Nostalgic
(We’re always relevant...we don’t pine for the past)
Witty...not Snarky
(We love a good laugh...but our humor is never at someone’s expense)

38. LETTING
WONDER
LOOSE
BUILDING ON THE CREATIVE PLATFORM

39. INSPIRE
ENGAGE
CELEBRATE
MAY SEP
Plant our flag, introducing and
defining the Wonderfilled voice.
Invite participation, allowing people to
create and share expressions of Wonder.
Demonstrate the brand's behavior by
pushing forward the best consumer-
sourced expressions of Wonder.

40. INSPIRE
Plant our flag, introducing and defining the Wonderfilled voice.

41. ++
Martin Allais

43. WONDER IF I GAVE
AN OREO TO:
THE NEW YORK
TIMES?

44. WONDER IF I GAVE AN OREO TO: MY DAD?

46. ENGAGE
Invite participation, allowing people to create and share expressions of Wonder.

47. RELEASE THE CONSTRUCT
Wonder if I gave an Oreo to _________,
How would the story go?
It’s time to invite everyone to fill in the blanks.

48. Wonder if I gave an Oreo to
Walter White
Would he break back good
and love his wife?
Give up cooking meth and
donate the cash
to a charity and let Jesse live
free at last?
James Rich is

49. Billboard:
I wonder if I gave an Oreo to ______
User texts: Freddy Krueger
Billboard answers: Would he be the best
neighbor on Elm Street?
(These could also be banner ads)
INTERACTIVE
BILLBOARDS

50. WONDER IF I GAVE AN OREO TO J.FALLON?
Maybe he’d invite Owl City onto his show to play a song and to collaborate on a special Wonderfilled duet version of the
anthem, with Fallon-ized lyrics tailored to his hyper-social audience.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWEfszb9h8Q

51. CELEBRATE
Demonstrate the brand's behavior by pushing forward the best consumer-sourced expressions of Wonder.

52. Wonder if I gave an Oreo to the one that got away,
How would the story go?

54. Wonder if I gave an Oreo to people at school,
How would the story go?

56. STAYING IN
PITCH MODE

57. Let wonder loose in the world.
!
We are telling people what it is we believe as a brand:
The world is full of wonder and we are Wonderfilled.
THE CREATIVE MISSION IS GLOBAL

58. Δ
A + M
≠
THE POWER OF WONDERFILLED IS ITS FLEXIBILITY
(IT’S NOT A FORMULA)

59. PEOPLE WITH MOUTHS
OUR VOICE IS UNIVERSAL…YET SCALABLE
Who we are, our character, doesn’t change.
But our voice — though universal — is flexible, adapting to our audience, providing range.
(i.e., Moms with kids 6-12))
OUR CORE
GROUPS OF INTEREST
(e.g., Millennials)
PEOPLE WITH MOUTHS
Anthem :90/:30/:15 Bedtime Daydream ReplayU.S. EXAMPLES:

60. IMAGINE if I gave an Oreo to :
THE CONSTRUCT
REQUIRES ADAPTATION

61. THE CONSTRUCT
DOESN’T ALWAYS WORK
(AND THAT’S OKAY)

65. THANKSNow let’s talk.
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@gibo7
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