A Wonderful New Vietnamese Design Blog

Hi Voung Nguyen. Nice blog. Wonderful blog. I wish I had see it before. But now I know so you're on the radar. For all the rubbish we all have to slosh through on a regular day around here finding Voung's blog was just a joy - a man who designs his way through all sorts of projects with joy, skill, talent and an 'oh-so-obvious' love for his craft, art direction & design. Spend a few minutes with this blog. It's simply presented and funnily written in English by a guy who oh-so-seriously-get's-it. And get this, it's written by another Nguyen and although I have been warned by the word police to never ever say this, I'm going to do it anyway - it looks like a Nguyen/Nguyen situation (ok, shoot me). I had seen his team's (non-winning) campaign for the Young Lions competition against school violence but I really was taken aback by his advice to new teams, "If you wanna win, do the same things as previous winners.. " That's a sad comment on the whole damn industry, and possibly the judges. But it's from a man who is already Nguyening, so I think he won't be sucking up that badly anytime soon. Check his blog and watch his butt. If I had a job, I'd worry!

Mads Monsen hits the Big Show and finds it BIGGER but not necessarily better

Following are snippets from Mads Monsen's post on the Big Show. And I agree. Completely.

The Big Show at Saigon Zoo 2010

The Big Show has been around for some time. I remember the first show I went to hosted at Pierre’s former restaurant at Thai Van Lung street. Back in the old days. Work was pinned up on dividers set up in the restaurant and the creative community mingled. It has moved around to various venues. Sometimes indoors, sometimes outdoors, sometimes both.

The Big Show has gotten bigger over the years. Recently Sun Flower Media, my former employer, have been improving the show in some aspects.

What struck me was the feeling of fewer participants on display. They had a lot of work up. New work. International work. But no digital work.

According to Todd at Golden Digital (via David), it took Vietnam only 5 years to get up and going on the Internet. The young generation that is looking for inspiration, the very inspiration the Big Show used to provide, are finding that information easily online. They do not need to wait one year to see it on display.

To me, personally, by attending an event such as the Big Show, it doesn’t give me much anymore. Except the possibility to actually bump into interesting people. To me, it is more an networking opportunity than an actual learning experience.

People in the creative industry are complaining how hard it is to find local creative talent and how they wish the local design education could improve. Well, to only see the final product, you only feed the industry of copyists that will take what they see and just copy it. They will not understand the creative process. They will not be accustomed to research. They will not understand creative analysis. They will not innovate.

By showing end results only, you will not create the opportunity to learn from the process. In the past, having access to international work was an inspiration as it was very difficult to access that information otherwise, however, technology has made that information so accessible that the need is no longer there.

One of the remaining strengths of The Big Show is that it highlights the creative industry in the media, but how about extending the current scope and try to look at other ways to bring better value. To evolve and improve.

Walking at the show the day after was sobering. The stage was empty. The screen showing re-runs of the reels. Staff sitting around waiting for the time to pass so they could wrap it all up.

Imagine the effort put into creating the event. The marketing material produced, the advertising of the event, the building of the stage and different booths. All the staff to make it happen. For mainly a one night stand. Too much effort, wasted.

How about using the next day inviting the local agencies for short presentations? Make and publish a schedule. Get people to come and listen and see the work and hear about the process the day after. Get more out of the event than just an evening. BarCamp is successful for the presentations. People come to listen. To learn. There is a real interest here. Evolve and be part of the progress or wither as a dinosaur. The show will always go on.

As they say, find an itch and fix it. The best way to invent a new product or service.

Well, Saigon/CreativeMornings are about to see the light in HCMC. A monthly get-together for creatives. Takes place in the mornings only. A healthy stimuli. Scheduled for launch in January. Stay tuned! Thanks Mads!

3 Big Shows: Two big ideas

So everybody knows I did 3 advertising, marketing and digital events last week - and writing about all will take some time. So with three shows, I have three comments for each. Take it in stride, I have a bad cold and no time for BS.

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The Vietnam Digital Marketing and Technology Conference

What a crappy name. Too bad it was a great event. Lowly promoted, highly attended, this event made people talk, all day long. As opposed to what the Vietnamese call seminars, where old professors stand up and deliver all day, this conference got everybody talking - and served up more Chivas than anyone could drink at the end. Sponsored by Golden Digital I loved this event because it brought all companies together to sell an idea, and the sponsor won for being a sponsor, not a sales shill. Key points:

1) Fast talking man from Brandtology.com who presented that Tiger Woods won public sentiment with his extra-marital activities because the Chinese value a man's prowess by how many mistresses he has - and China is Nike's biggest future market. Hello Accenture? Didn't you used to Be Arthur Anderson? Those slimes who sold us Enron's accounting? Who are you to talk about morality?

2) Tony Troung from Golden pulled this off almost all by himself and is an absolute rock star. Plus, you gotta love his freakin' hair. He does, we know that!

3) Todd from Golden also rocked. Why? Because he didn't give a PowerPoint presentation. He worked from a sheet of internet linked notes on screen and the audience took his presentation apart - but directed it in ways that made everybody care. Tired of being lectured to, the participants bonded here. Open forum = open ideas.

The Big Show/Vietnam Advertising Festival

Hey kids! Let's put on a show! Right. Isn't a festival supposed to involve people, engage people, make them talk and discuss? This festival seemed designed to put us all to sleep. From the three old men, the only guys to hit the stage, it seemed like Sun Flower Media, The Creative Circle and Vietnam Marcom were just three old dudes doing this for themselves. So they gave them flowers. To put on their own graves? Festival? I didn't see anyone dancing. A drab display of old media as if no one saw that digital had already wiped out most of their business. Next year, we'll call it the BIG Dinosaur awards - and we can still have it at the zoo. But, yes, there were highlights.

1) TBWA's YouTube moving announcement. It features gay dudes, bitches, more bitches, and the ever so hot but camera shy "George". That bitch. The biggest film idea of the show - but way too long. It's a 140 character world girls. Next time. Audience loved it.

2) Grey print. Like I care about Grey? They're uhh, gray. But their print and copy rocked. Unfortunately Indian creatives did the work and took the credit. And nothing against people from India. If the expats around here aren't putting Vietnamese creatives front and center and passing on the knowledge, that just sucks. We didn't send you here to get famous, expats. We sent you here to teach other people how to get famous. Stop sucking limelight.

3) The Young Lion's school student necktie campaign. Everybody else on that assignment over-thought it. You nailed it. Thank you. True. Clear. Brilliant. And totally on target. Cool. The other teams thought the judges were the target. You nailed the target. Kids in school.

BarcampSaigon

What a mess. And that's what we like about it. "My PowerPoint fucked up.". Okay. "Geez, people kept walking in and out of the room." Yes, com se, com sa. Shit happens? But sometimes good shit happens. And BarcampSaigon is the place for it. I saw no other advertising agency people at this event. May describe the death of dinosaurs while they're still walking - slowly, through the old rubble they used to make a living out of...

1) Sun at Little lives. com has 40,000 kids, little kids, on an educationally based social network in Singapore. "Dad, can you help me with my math homework?", sez kid. "Make you a deal, can you help me with my Facebook profile?", sez parent. Oh, da times dey are-a changin'.

2)Time/People/Money/Heart/Community

Vietnamese guy explains Silicon Valley culture (in Vietnamese). A mix of capital and ideas that becomes a business in itself. How to make it here. Sorry no direct link.

3) John and IPR

Audience lost. Even trouble asking questions. "Wait. My idea is an intellectual property? Like I thought of it and it has value?"

You've gotta love the idea that anybody is even listening to this idea. "So wait, can't I just steal an idea from another guy?"

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These events should make us all think and talk. The Vietnam Digital Marketing Conference and BarcampSaigon did that. The Vietnam Advertising Festival/Big Show was just an outdoor display without even an internet community to discuss or any social activity at all. Why or why not? I don't know why or why not. And nobody else will either because the organizers don't seem to want that. They want a kingdom. And so they have one. At a zoo. And then the people leave.

Stay tuned for Saigon/CreativeMornings starting in January.

Two Communications Events You Should Not Miss

Yesterday I wrote about a planned marketing event for spring of next year, that if goes as explained, with be the communications equivalent of a used car salesman's convention. The next two events won't. Make sure not to miss them.

The Big Show

This year The Big Show will be part of the Vietnam Advertising Festival, organized by Sunflower Media . The official opening ceremony of The Big Show will start at 6pm Friday 10th, Dec 2010, and will showcase the best creative work from Vietnam's top advertising & marketing agencies. The venue will be The Zoo, Thao Cam Vien.


Barcamp Saigon

BarCamp is a user-generated event — open, participatory workshop-events, whose content is provided by participants — focusing on technology as well as teaching and learning. Sunday, December 12th, 2010 From 8:00a.m to 05:00p.m. RMIT International University. 702, Nguyen Van Linh Str., District 7, Ho Chi Minh City.

Both events are free, and that's truly good news in a market where professional conference organizers come in, put on a lackluster show, and then leave with all the profits. Both these events not only come from the creative community but give back to it in inspirational and educational ways.

Finally, after years of competing unsuccessfully, the Big Show and the Golden Bell Awards will now exhibit together under the banner of the Vietnam Advertising Festival. Organized by Sun Flower Media, this event promises to showcase the best advertising work of the city at a venue that truly gets the Young Lions inspired. The Zoo. - Correction: The Golden Bell Awards, organized by The Vietnam Advertising Association, will not be participating. Why not? I don't know. They did two years ago. Another mystery only the VAA can answer.

Barcamp is a more unusual and not really marketing oriented event. Most geeks will know it as a good place for geeks - but I attended the first event two years ago and found it inspiring creatively. No big star speakers, no awards, but a truly collaborative environment that sparked thought and inspiration.

Do give these two event your full attention. They'll both be better than any profit making conference coming into town anytime soon.

"It's Baaaaaaaaack!" The BIG SHOW Vietnam!

After a seriously confusing year last year with The Golden Bells, The BIG SHOW and The Vietnam Advertising Festival all staging shows in a market that's really only large enough for one good show, The BIG SHOW is back and promising to incorporate the Vietnam Advertising Festival, including The Young Lions, possibly the highlight of all these efforts. So does that mean that The Creative Circle and The Vietnamese Advertising Association have put their gloves down and realized that combining efforts will strengthen the industry for all? Let's hope so. But messages to Creative Circle have failed to confirm this and the BIG SHOW website only sports a cryptic message about the date of the new exhibition, December 11. And will the Golden Bells still try to put on a less than exciting TV show out of the deal? Let's hope not. Unfortunately it doesn't look as if I will be able to make the show this year as I am in Germany, but here's wishing the organizers, participants and festival goers the best of BIG SHOWS! It seems my suggestions of the previous year may have finally found their place. Vive la BIGGEST SHOW ever! A recent article in Vietnam Business News indicates that the ad industry in Vietnam has successfully shrugged off the recession - let's hope the creative work has helped. No awards for Dr. Thanh, please!

Follow-up info from the Creative Circle indicates that The BIG SHOW and The Vietnamese Advertising Festival (Sunflower Media) are not associated with the Vietnamese Advertising Association and the Golden Bell awards, so the cooperation I had hoped for before does not seem to have materialized. So does that mean that another dreadful TV show is planned for the Golden Bells? Check your TV Guide.

Vietnam Advertising Association Surfaces: WTF? A party at the zoo!

Just in: In the wake of The BIG SHOW, I received this news notice yesterday from the Saigon Times regarding yet another show, sponsored by the Vietnam Advertising Association and coming up this weekend, at the Ho Chi Minh City Zoo. WTF? Look, I don't come up with this stuff, I just report it.

By Huu Thang - The Saigon Times Daily

HCMC – Vietnam Advertising Festival 2008, organized by the Vietnam Advertising Association (VAA) and Sunflower Media Co. Ltd., will take place for the first time next Friday and Saturday at the HCMC Zoo and Botanical Garden.

The festival will display over 100 ads selected from Cannes Lions 2008 and Yellow Bell 2008 and ads winning the Vietnam Young Lions award, said the organizing committee.

With all due respect to the writer and staff at the Times, who undoubtedly wrote this from a press release, this story is just a minefield of misinformation, disinformation and just plain incomplete information. What time is the show? Who should I contact for more information? Where is the website I can visit? And what do all those confusing show titles mean? My notice came from a Google Alert and I have seen nothing at all from the Vietnam News, or any of the other major Vietnamese newspapers on the event. At least, The Vietnam Advertising Association should get together with the Vietnamese Public Relations Association and structure a proper release and release schedule. Announcing it one week before in a relatively obscure, English, city-only, newspaper, is curious at best. I will attend the show and file a report afterwards. And who knows, I may be surprised. All I know now, is that the association responsible for promoting the show could look to their moniker and do a whole lot more of "word #2" to get the news out.

In other unofficial reports, VAA rules will follow the same scheme as most other world-renowned Ad shows as follows: Direct Mail categories will be judged and showcased in the Aviary Center, TV in the Lion House, with Account Service awards presented deep inside the Snake House. Elephants have been charged with stamping out unacceptable entries and lizards, small mammals and lemurs will officiate opening and closing ceremonies. The usual assortment of Monkeys, Gorillas and other primates are slated to handle judging.