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Interview
OHH
Storytelling
Turning Heads
CGI
Trends
ISSUE #12
DEC 24
MOI Global creatives are often asked where we get our inspiration. The answer is always the same: anywhere and everywhere.
Take a stroll through this set of head-turning art, copy, ads, literature, culture, and trends that inspire us. And some of our original work that proves we take notice of what we see, when we look around. Features images and articles from multiple online sources, shared for inspiration purposes only, not commercial use.
Psembi Kinstan, Chief Creative Officer at DDB Melbourne, is widely renowned as a creative genius. With a BAFTA, several Cannes Lions, and over 200 international awards under his belt, he is one of the most successful creatives in the industry – and we had a chance to pick his brain...
Link for bio: https://www.linkedin.com/in/psembi-kinstan-26198119/
MOI: What’s your secret to getting attention and turning heads?
Psembi: The not-so-secret secret is simply bucking the category and making something that feels and looks totally unlike anything else that category is putting out into the world. The best work comes from some truth about the product or brand, but brought to life in a compelling, fresh way. I think algorithms will be great at finetuning our work to make sure it gets more attention, but that core idea at the center? That requires something else.
MOI: How would you bring a brand to life in an authentic way?
Psembi: I remember working on a whisky pitch with Nigel Bogle (the second B of BBH), and the discussion started with Nigel looking at the whisky box for a full ten minutes, reading every word carefully and coming up with the strategy that drove the entire brand idea. It all comes back to the product or brand’s truth. Unless you’re investing in that brand from scratch, chances are the most authentic, and therefore the richest and most enduring idea, will be right there waiting for you to find it.
The not-so-secret secret is simply bucking the category and making something that feels and looks totally unlike anything else
MOI: Bringing a brand to life, how much does brand purpose come into an idea?
Psembi: If by brand purpose you mean doing purposeful work in the world to make a difference, well at the moment, I think that type of purpose counts for fuck all. With inflation remaining high, consumers aren’t caring nearly as much as they were 12 months ago about anything beyond value. Will this come back around? Absolutely, but with Cannes deliberately moving away from small, potentially-scammy purposeful work, I think our industry won’t be rushing back to cause-based work like we were a decade ago.
MOI: What recent campaign has got your attention?
Psembi: It's Christmas season. Tesco Christmas is a delightful, magical tear-jerker. Instead of blabbing about it, check it out, but that brand has been on a roll recently, standing tall amongst all the supermarkets in the UK – tough competition!
Psembi Kinstan, Chief Creative Officer at DDB Melbourne, is widely renowned as a creative genius. With a BAFTA, several Cannes Lions, and over 200 international awards under his belt, he is one of the most successful creatives in the industry – and we had a chance to pick his brain...
Link for bio:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/psembi-kinstan-26198119/
MOI: What’s your secret to getting attention and turning heads?
Psembi: The not-so-secret secret is simply bucking the category and making something that feels and looks totally unlike anything else that category is putting out into the world. The best work comes from some truth about the product or brand, but brought to life in a compelling, fresh way. I think algorithms will be great at finetuning our work to make sure it gets more attention, but that core idea at the center? That requires something else.
MOI: How would you bring a brand to life in an authentic way?
Psembi: I remember working on a whisky pitch with Nigel Bogle (the second B of BBH), and the discussion started with Nigel looking at the whisky box for a full ten minutes, reading every word carefully and coming up with the strategy that drove the entire brand idea. It all comes back to the product or brand’s truth. Unless you’re investing in that brand from scratch, chances are the most authentic, and therefore the richest and most enduring idea, will be right there waiting for you to find it.
The not-so-secret secret is simply bucking the category and making something that feels and looks totally unlike anything else
MOI: Bringing a brand to life, how much does brand purpose come into an idea?
Psembi: If by brand purpose you mean doing purposeful work in the world to make a difference, well at the moment, I think that type of purpose counts for fuck all. With inflation remaining high, consumers aren’t caring nearly as much as they were 12 months ago about anything beyond value. Will this come back around? Absolutely, but with Cannes deliberately moving away from small, potentially-scammy purposeful work, I think our industry won’t be rushing back to cause-based work like we were a decade ago.
MOI: What recent campaign has got your attention?
Psembi: It's Christmas season. Tesco Christmas is a delightful, magical tear-jerker. Instead of blabbing about it, check it out, but that brand has been on a roll recently, standing tall amongst all the supermarkets in the UK – tough competition!
Psembi's latest Christmas campaign success for Coles in collaboration with Smith St Coles enlists magical Christmas elves to ‘Make this Christmas more delicious’.
Watch here
MOI: What’s one of your favourite projects you’ve worked on?
Psembi: I’ve worked with the charity Made by Dyslexia for seven years, helping to launch them in the UK with a sperm bank that only accepted sperm from dyslexics.
This year we launched our biggest project yet, working with Virgin, Open University and TikTok to launch a university to teach the world to think like a dyslexic. To learn the problem solving, creative thinking and storytelling that's inherent to dyslexics. Skills that the world’s largest recruiter this year revealed are the world’s most in-demand.
Contributing dyslexics include; Virgin Group founder Sir Richard Branson, Dash Water founder Alex Wright, Shark Tank USA star Barbara Corcoran, Trunki founder Rob Law, and Humanitarian Activist Princess Sarah Zeid, amongst many more.
MOI: What’s your thoughts on the future of brand stories?
Psembi: Social has been the dominant media (by spend) for the last 12 months, overtaking paid search. And what does social marketing reward? Brand stories.
Youtube, Meta and TikTok will use different language, but they’ll all tell you that sound is back on, engaging creative stories are cutting through, and if you can hold attention, then there’s no limit to how long your story can be. I think we’re about to hit a moment where brand storytelling comes back in a big way, where brands can create stories of a minute, or three minutes, (outside of the UK Christmas ad season) and it’s going to drive a massive jump in effectiveness for brands.
Psembi's latest Christmas campaign success for Coles in collaboration with Smith St Coles enlists magical Christmas elves to ‘Make this Christmas more delicious’.
Watch here
MOI: What’s one of your favourite projects you’ve worked on?
Psembi: I’ve worked with the charity Made by Dyslexia for seven years, helping to launch them in the UK with a sperm bank that only accepted sperm from dyslexics.
This year we launched our biggest project yet, working with Virgin, Open University and TikTok to launch a university to teach the world to think like a dyslexic. To learn the problem solving, creative thinking and storytelling that's inherent to dyslexics. Skills that the world’s largest recruiter this year revealed are the world’s most in-demand.
Contributing dyslexics include; Virgin Group founder Sir Richard Branson, Dash Water founder Alex Wright, Shark Tank USA star Barbara Corcoran, Trunki founder Rob Law, and Humanitarian Activist Princess Sarah Zeid, amongst many more.
MOI: What’s your thoughts on the future of brand stories?
Psembi: Social has been the dominant media (by spend) for the last 12 months, overtaking paid search. And what does social marketing reward? Brand stories.
Youtube, Meta and TikTok will use different language, but they’ll all tell you that sound is back on, engaging creative stories are cutting through, and if you can hold attention, then there’s no limit to how long your story can be. I think we’re about to hit a moment where brand storytelling comes back in a big way, where brands can create stories of a minute, or three minutes, (outside of the UK Christmas ad season) and it’s going to drive a massive jump in effectiveness for brands.
Watch here
Did you catch this OOH instalment from Aldi? Teasing the 2024 Christmas campaign, it had social media abuzz with concerns for the whereabouts of Kevin the Carrot (Aldi's Christmas mascot since 2016). Turns out his absence was nothing short of a genius marketing ploy – setting the stage for his dramatic entrance in this year's ad, as he swoops in to find and save the missing Christmas spirit.
Watch here
Cadbury's Secret Santa Postal Service is back for the third year running – and this year, it's arrived in true style, with mysterious chalk drawings appearing on hillsides up and down the country. Running until 22nd December, the activation uses QR codes and chatbots to help people anonymously gift loved ones with free chocolate bars – spreading Christmas cheer and bringing people together with small acts of kindness.
Watch here
Did you catch this OOH instalment from Aldi? Teasing the 2024 Christmas campaign, it had social media abuzz with concerns for the whereabouts of Kevin the Carrot (Aldi's Christmas mascot since 2016). Turns out his absence was nothing short of a genius marketing ploy – setting the stage for his dramatic entrance in this year's ad, as he swoops in to find and save the missing Christmas spirit.
Watch here
Cadbury's Secret Santa Postal Service is back for the third year running – and this year, it's arrived in true style, with mysterious chalk drawings appearing on hillsides up and down the country. Running until 22nd December, the activation uses QR codes and chatbots to help people anonymously gift loved ones with free chocolate bars – spreading Christmas cheer and bringing people together with small acts of kindness.
Few brands know how to do emotive storytelling quite like John Lewis. Their fool-proof Christmas formula has Brits counting down to their Christmas campaign each year. So what makes John Lewis ads so unique? Aside from the lovable characters and iconic ballad covers, they don't sell a product, they sell a feeling – trading in commercialism for those warm, fuzzy feels.
Watch here
Racking over 23 billion views, Sainsbury's 2014 Christmas Truce ad goes down as one of the all-time greats. Inspired by a real historical event, it's a perfect example of how to turn heads at a time of year where it's all too easy drown in the noise of Christmas advertising.
Watch hereStarbucks launched their first ever Holiday Cup 27 years ago, and since then it has become a holiday icon. But it's not the item itself that consumers buy into. It's the warm, cosy feeling of wrapping your hands around a Christmassy beverage. It's become a brand experience that customers look forward to, year after year.
Few brands know how to do emotive storytelling quite like John Lewis. Their fool-proof Christmas formula has Brits counting down to their Christmas campaign each year. So what makes John Lewis ads so unique? Aside from the lovable characters and iconic ballad covers, they don't sell a product, they sell a feeling – trading in commercialism for those warm, fuzzy feels.
Watch hereStarbucks launched their first ever Holiday Cup 27 years ago, and since then it has become a holiday icon. But it's not the item itself that consumers buy into. It's the warm, cosy feeling of wrapping your hands around a Christmassy beverage. It's become a brand experience that customers look forward to, year after year.
Racking over 23 billion views, Sainsbury's 2014 Christmas Truce ad goes down as one of the all-time greats. Inspired by a real historical event, it's a perfect example of how to turn heads at a time of year where it's all too easy drown in the noise of Christmas advertising.
Watch here
Turning Heads™
The way to get
to a better ‘what’.
(What? In this case… is brand!)
At MOI, we have our own proprietary ‘way’ that we approach creative and divergent thinking and problem solving which we call Turning Heads.
We use Turning Heads to help B2B brands rethink the role of brand—not as some fluffy, surface-level exercise, but as a critical component of growth.
Our philosophy? Brand is your biggest differentiator, especially in a space where everyone’s shouting about features and functions. With the right strategy, brand can elevate your value proposition, create emotional connections, and, yes, turn heads. It’s time to think differently about what your brand can do—because being the smartest person in the room isn’t enough if no one’s listening, but neither is being the most outrageously dressed if no-one’s taking you seriously!
(What? In this case…
is brand!)
When you think about Christmas, customer master data management isn’t the first thing that comes to mind. Stibo Systems’ awareness campaign just might change that.
We helped Stibo Systems bring the subject to life through an animated Christmas storybook telling the story of Santa’s data woes—which aren’t all too different from the challenges retailers face.
Just like Santa needs to make sure the right gifts get to the right children, so too must retailers help customers get their hands on all the highly-sought after products they want. It all relies on having the right data, which is where Stibo Systems comes in
Watch the video now to see how Stibo Systems saved Christmas.
Watch here
When you think about Christmas, customer master data management isn’t the first thing that comes to mind. Stibo Systems’ awareness campaign just might change that.
We helped Stibo Systems bring the subject to life through an animated Christmas storybook telling the story of Santa’s data woes—which aren’t all too different from the challenges retailers face.
Just like Santa needs to make sure the right gifts get to the right children, so too must retailers help customers get their hands on all the highly-sought after products they want. It all relies on having the right data, which is where Stibo Systems comes in
Watch the video now to see how Stibo Systems saved Christmas.
Watch here
Barbour and Aardman: the ultimate team up? Barbour shows there's no need to fix something that isn't broken, with the return of Shaun the Sheep for this year's Christmas campaign. Bringing the characters to life with CGI animation, the collaboration shines a light on the timelessness and multi-generational impact of the two iconic British brands.
Watch hereThis year's Sainsbury's ad takes a similar approach – blending high quality CGI with hard-hitting nostalgia for a whimsical and heartwarming tale. Bringing Roald Dahl's beloved BFG to life, they immediately win audience's hearts with a familiar face, and a tribute to the classic children's story. No cheap green screens to be seen here!
Watch here
Barbour and Aardman: the ultimate team up? Barbour shows there's no need to fix something that isn't broken, with the return of Shaun the Sheep for this year's Christmas campaign. Bringing the characters to life with CGI animation, the collaboration shines a light on the timelessness and multi-generational impact of the two iconic British brands.
This year's Sainsbury's ad takes a similar approach – blending high quality CGI with hard-hitting nostalgia for a whimsical and heartwarming tale. Bringing Roald Dahl's beloved BFG to life, they immediately win audience's hearts with a familiar face, and a tribute to the classic children's story. No cheap green screens to be seen here!
Coca-Cola's 2024 Christmas advert has received significant backlash thanks to its use of AI footage – and the notable absence of Santa Claus himself. With brief flashes of faces to avoid the inevitable 'uncanny valley' effect, many are scathing over its 'lack of warmth and humanity'. Yet, System1's annual testing shows that the vast majority love the ad, giving it top marks. Love it or hate it, it's whipped up quite the frenzy online.
Watch here
Boots' Christmas ad has divided the nation, with its diverse cast and celebration of the invisible work done by women to make Christmas magical. Starring Bridgerton's Adjoa Andoh as Mrs Claus, it has stirred up an 'anti-woke' movement fuelled by racism, bigotry and sexism, whereby many are opting to #BoycottBoots to make their voices heard. Yet, for the vast majority of Boots' target audience, it's a heartwarming acknowledgement of women's hard work during the festive season. And what's not to love about Adjoa Andoh?!
Watch here
Coca-Cola's 2024 Christmas advert has received significant backlash thanks to its use of AI footage – and the notable absence of Santa Claus himself. With brief flashes of faces to avoid the inevitable 'uncanny valley' effect, many are scathing over its 'lack of warmth and humanity'. Yet, System1's annual testing shows that the vast majority love the ad, giving it top marks. Love it or hate it, it's whipped up quite the frenzy online.
Boots' Christmas ad has divided the nation, with its diverse cast and celebration of the invisible work done by women to make Christmas magical. Starring Bridgerton's Adjoa Andoh as Mrs Claus, it has stirred up an 'anti-woke' movement fuelled by racism, bigotry and sexism, whereby many are opting to #BoycottBoots to make their voices heard. Yet, for the vast majority of Boots' target audience, it's a heartwarming acknowledgement of women's hard work during the festive season. And what's not to love about Adjoa Andoh?!
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