Creative Mischief

Creativity and Advertising develops novel ways to theorise advertising and creativity. Arguing that combinatory accounts of advertising based on representation, textualism and reductionism are of limited value, Andrew McStay suggests that advertising and creativity are better recognised in terms of the ‘event’. Drawing on a diverse set of philosophical influences including Scotus, Spinoza, Vico, Kant, Schiller, James, Dewey, Schopenhauer, Whitehead, Bataille, Heidegger and Deleuze, the book posits a sensational, process-based, transgressive, lived and embodied approach to thinking about media, aesthetics, creativity and our interaction with advertising. Elaborating an affective account of creativity, McStay assesses creative advertising from Coke, Evian, Google, Sony, Uniqlo and Volkswagen among others, and articulates the ways in which award-winning creative advertising may increasingly be read in terms of co-production, playfulness, ecological conceptions of media, improvisation, and immersion in fields and processes of corporeal affect. Philosophically wide-ranging yet grounded in robust understanding of industry practices, the book will also be of use to scholars with an interest in aesthetics, art, design, media, performance, philosophy and those with a general interest in creativity. Andrew McStay lectures at Bangor University and is author of Digital Advertising, and The Mood of Information: A Critique of Online Behavioural Advertising and Deconstructing Privacy, the latter forthcoming in 2014.

Cooper has the clever idea of making his mom pancakes for her birthday, and his friend the moose offers to help. The moose claims he's the best chef in Alaska, but is he really? Find out if Cooper's mom is happy about the surprise awaiting her in the kitchen!

In-your-face and with a definite entrepreneurial edge, Mischief Marketing shows readers how to employ highly unusual and creative marketing strategies and plans to achieve their business or career goals. Filled with tons of creative, off-the-beaten-path tactics, lessons, and tips culled from the notorious exploits and ingenious high jinx pulled by many famous and successful folk, from Steven Spielberg to Estee Lauder and Mother Teresa.

An irreverent, colourful guide to becoming more interesting and successful by gaining self-knowledge and building your confidence and charisma In addition to having scads of acting and writing credits between them, actor David Gillespie and writer Mark Warren are co-founders of a unique organization. Called The Speechworks, it is a group of performance-based professionals who draw upon their professional expertise to teach clients—including businesspeople, sports stars, politicians, actors, writers and celebrities—the skills they need to communicate more effectively, to impress others with charisma and find greater success at work and in life. In this wildly funny, irreverent and practical guide they share their proprietary formula for achieving a heightened and sustained level of interestingness. Practical tips for achieving everyday interestingness, along with personality tests to aid self-knowledge Tons of fascinating quotes, outrageous humour and vibrant visual material—including mindmaps and infographics Everything you need to increase your personal appeal, engage more effectively with those around you and lead a more enjoyable and fulfilling life The Speechworks clients include Fortune 500 & FTSE 100 companies, professional bodies, start-ups and SMEs, charities, politicians and sports personalities

Susan Silverman's ex doesn't call himself "Silverman" anymore--he's changed his name to "Sterling." And that's not the only thing that's phony about him. A do-gooding charity fundraiser, he's been accused of sexual harassment by no less than four different women. And not long after Spenser starts investigating, Sterling is wanted for a bigger charge: murder...

How do you make something out of nothing? Up your game with this masterclass in creative thinking. Combining Dave Trott's distinctive, almost Zen-like storytelling, humour and practical advice, One Plus One Equals Three is a collection of provocative anecdotes and thought experiments designed to light a fire under your own creative ambitions. From the First World War sailor who survived being sunk three times in one day to the one-time 'merchant of death' who made his name a byword for peace, and the gypsy who lost two fingers and then reinvented jazz. From boardroom to battlefield, these stories of unconventional wisdom from one of the world's true advertising greats are a rallying cry for anyone who wants to think differently, stand out and truly innovate.

Super Strategist: The Art and Science of Modern Account Planning is the only modern guide to advertising’s arguably most vital discipline, that has been written with the passion of someone who’s found their calling and the wisdom of an industry veteran who is still actively leading strategy in a large, modern, full-service agency. Super Strategist is full of practical advice for newcomers and usable strategies and insights for experienced planners, or anyone with an interest in the discipline. Readers will find clear outlines of the role of account planners within an agency, including step-by-step plans to achieve success with clients large and small: how to conduct modern consumer research, develop and implement the creative brief, use data skillfully to protect and improve great work, and use all of these tools and more to influence the feather in the planner’s cap—the customer journey. Whether it’s called account planning, brand planning, strategic planning, or creative strategy, the goal is the same: to inspire brilliant work that is backed by rigor and data. Creative is still king, but in today’s fractured markets clients need to know their multi-million-dollar campaigns are supported by up-to-the-minute research and data-driven insights. Account planners ensure, as Douglas Atkins puts it in the foreword, that the work is idea-led, but consumer-informed. To find that perfect balance of art and science, the successful account planner is “X-shaped”: experienced in digital, social, communications and brand strategy, comfortable in creative and quantitative disciplines—a Super Strategist who is the fulcrum of any successful agency.

When Jessie and her older sister Kay find a book called The History of Mischief,hidden beneath the floorboards in their grandmother's house, they uncover asecret world. The History chronicles how, since antiquity, mischief-makers haveclandestinely shaped the past &– from an Athenian slave to a Polish salt miner andfrom an advisor to the Ethiopian Queen to a girl escaping the Siege of Paris. Jessiebecomes enthralled by the book and by her own mission to determine its accuracy.Soon the History inspires Jessie to perform her own acts of mischief, unofficiallybecoming mischief-maker number 202 in an effort to cheer up her eccentricneighbour, Mrs Moran, and to comfort her new schoolfriend, Theodore. However, noteverything is as it seems. As Jessie delves deeper into the real story behind theHistory, she becomes convinced her grandmother holds the key to a long-held familysecret.The History of Mischief is about the many things we do to try to escape