In the lead up to Christmas, 天美棋牌 AUNZ is asking strategists, creatives, CEOs, marketers, directors, and music and sound practitioners to share the best gift they鈥檝e ever received - an object, piece of advice or training, or person they鈥檝e worked with. Here鈥檚 what strategists shared with 天美棋牌鈥檚 Brittney Rigby.
A red bike so good it caused its recipient to faint, a mysterious poster, a hand-crafted spoon, 鈥榝ive principles to live by鈥, and a box set of 鈥楾he Wire鈥 are among the best gifts strategists across Australia and New Zealand have ever received.
Colenso CSO Rob Campbell wanted a red Raleigh Grifter bicycle 鈥渕ore than anything I鈥檝e ever wanted in my life, but it was expensive and unlikely my parents could afford it.鈥
鈥淏ig, solid, heavy with massive tyres. Made more special by the fact it was built in Nottingham, my hometown.鈥
In 1982, his parents planned a treasure hunt for Rob to find his presents. 鈥淚鈥檇 received some lovely pressies when 鈥 like a spoilt little prick 鈥 I asked if there was anything else.鈥 His parents looked at each other, then told him he鈥檇 get one last special thing in the morning. He begged to see it then and there. They told him to check the back room.
鈥淚 ran there, pulled open the door, jumped up to reach the light switch and 鈥 on turning around 鈥 saw a brand new, red Raleigh Grifter, resting on its stand right in front of me. My dream come true.
鈥淚 was so overcome with unmitigated joy, I fainted. Smashed my head on a table, knocked myself out, and spent the early hours of Christmas morning in the emergency department of Queen鈥檚 Medical Centre.鈥
A couple of years ago, he bought a refurbished red Grifter for his little boy. 鈥淥r at least I鈥檝e told my wife it鈥檚 for him.鈥
In 2009, Simon Wassef, Clemenger BBDO鈥檚 chief strategy and experience officer, was a young planner 鈥渁t that cathedral of creativity, Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO鈥. He benefitted from a generous and anonymous present-giver in the office Kris Kringle that year, receiving a DVD box set of 鈥楾he Wire鈥 - 拢70 from HMV, 鈥渆ven though it was a 25 quid limit鈥.
鈥淚 took it back to my suitably shambolic share-house in Clapham (of course), pushing past the empty Fosters cans and ignoring the fevered text messages telling me to come to Shay Boo Walkabout, and I watched. And watched. And watched.
鈥淭his show taught me how to do my job better (鈥淎ll the pieces matter鈥), how to write better (鈥淵ou come at the king, you best not miss鈥), even how to swear better (鈥淪heeeeeeit鈥).
鈥淎nd it was 70 quid! Which, in 2024 dollars, is like $137,000. Gotta cherish that.鈥
Emily Taylor also recalls an anonymous gift. The co-founder of Bureau of Everything, alongside her former M&C Saatchi colleague Cam Blackley, rewrites the brief, 鈥渓ike any good strategist.鈥 She doesn鈥檛 want to offend the 鈥渕yriad of excellent gifts my husband has selected over the years鈥 so she chooses the best anonymous gift she鈥檚 ever received: A poster tube in the mail, containing a big print, even though 鈥渋t wasn鈥檛 my birthday, an anniversary, or Christmas.鈥
鈥淚t's black with white chalk-style writing on it, which says, "NOT THE N.F.T. YOU WERE EXPECTING". It is FUNNY. It had no sender on the tube. The artist, who I contacted, refused to tell me who had gifted it to me. My best guess is Cameron Neale Blackley, but he only smirks at that question.鈥
Last year, Dom Hickey, the CSO at Australian indie Howatson+Co, received a 鈥渟poon, hand carved out of Huon pine by a friend of mine. It鈥檚 the most perfect wooden mixing spoon that delivers happiness in every stir. A thing of absolute beauty, made with pure kindness and one of my prize possessions.鈥
A couple of top strategists opt for a less-tangible present. Ryan O鈥機onnell, co-founder at AUNZ independent jnr., counts a colleague鈥檚 introduction to a client as among his favourite gifts.
鈥淭he truncated version of that intro is: 鈥榊ou鈥檒l enjoy working with Ryano. He likes to keep things smart, but simple. Unlike most strategists,'" he says.
鈥淎part from the fact that was a very nice thing to say, it was also the first time I鈥檇 heard myself described that way. From that day on, I鈥檝e always tried to live up to it.鈥
When he founded jnr. with John Marshall, he turned that introduction into the agency鈥檚 promise to clients: 鈥渨e鈥檒l keep things smart, but simple.鈥
Jane Jacob鈥檚 choice is 鈥渨hat I call 鈥榤y five principles to live by鈥 gifted to me by my late father.鈥 Ogilvy Sydney鈥檚 head of planning says those principles are: If you don鈥檛 know, say you don鈥檛 know; common sense is the rarest sense of all; 鈥淗ow do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time鈥; bad people usually self-destruct; and "Honesty, honesty, honesty": speak your truth and do the right thing, always.
These pieces of wisdom 鈥渉ave served me well throughout my career, resonated and guided many of my colleagues and fellow strategists too,鈥 she says.
鈥淎nd in all frankness, these principles 鈥 have allowed me to show up simply in an authentic way in my almost 20 years in the industry.鈥