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Theartschool at the Houses of Parliament
Posted by Eliza Williams, 7 January 2011, 12:10 Permalink Comments (18)
Theartschool, an enterprise set up by M&C Saatchi’s Graham Fink and Deirdre Allen in 2002, irregularly offers students and other interested parties the chance to attend free workshops hosted by some of advertising’s brightest stars. Each session takes place in a different venue, and for the most recent, held on December 16 last year, Fink and Allen rustled up a very unusual setting: the Houses of Parliament.
Access to such rarefied surroundings was made possible by ex-M&C account man Damian Collins, now the conservative MP for Folkestone and Hythe. The workshop was held in the Grand Committee Room, a debating room not used to witnessing the practice of advertising, a fact that clearly tickled Fink, who opened by remarking: “The Saatchi mantra is ‘nothing is impossible’, and the fact that this session of theartschool is taking place in this amazing, iconic building is testament to that.” To further emphasise the incongruous nature of the event, he then produced an Indian drone box and invited his audience to join him in humming a perfect middle C. The group nervously rose to the challenge.
A harmonious start
Proceedings then returned to more traditional ground with a speech by Collins who gave a brief history of the Houses of Parliament and also discussed his experiences as an MP, before taking the group on a whirlwind tour through the building. Back in the Grand Committee Room, Fink then presented a history of 40 years of Saatchi's greatest creative hits (featuring work from both Saatchi & Saatchi and M&C Saatchi), with commentary also provided by Simon Dicketts, global creative director of M&C Saatchi. Famous spots for BA and Castlemaine XXXX were shown alongside less familiar, but excellent pieces for Cosmopolitan and Dunlop, as well as a striking film for The Samaritans. Sadly I can’t find this anywhere online to share, but it was set to a remixed version of Is There Anybody Out There? from Pink Floyd’s The Wall. This feat was made possible by an unusual connection: the then head of TV at the agency meeting Roger Waters at a PTA meeting at the school both their daughters attended.
Damian Collins MP shows the group around
Collins talked a bit about the similarities between political advertising – for which both Saatchi & Saatchi and M&C Saatchi are of course hugely famous – and political rhetoric and discourse, remarking that both require the use of emotion to simplify the message. He remarked: “All great political advertising distils complex political ideas to one thought”.
Industry advice was also proffered from Dicketts who recommended that it’s wise to “always be the last person to leave the office”, relaying a story of how he wrote a successful Pilkington Glass ad in the office on Christmas Eve after everyone had gone. Fink then suggested that the students “be a pain in the arse”, while relating how he pestered everyone at M&C Saatchi to get the famous BA Face ad made. Turning to more recent work, the multi award-winning Dixons print campaign, Fink recounted how the work turned the Dixons account from being one of the least popular amongst the creatives at the agency to one of the most sought after.
The showcase was then completed with brief presentations by M&C’s young stars talking about how they broke into advertising. While varied in style, the tales were united by tenacity and audaciousness, with one team relaying how they finally got a permanent contract at the agency by printing thousands of fake £20 notes and leaving them on Fink’s desk in an attempt to convince him to find the budget to hire them. One thing lacking from these presentations though, was an insight into how a less traditional creative player might find a way into M&C’s creative department, with the work shown all based in traditional TV and print media, and presented by teams of art directors and copywriters (alongside account teams). There was little talk of the new advertising landscape of digital and interactive creativity, and how this was being explored at the agency.
The students get to work on the brief
Fink then put those present to work by setting a brief, which he described as a “silent debate”. The subject proposed was the tuition fees, a hot topic for this audience, with the most recent student protests in Parliament Square having taken place only a week before, and the government cutting all funding to the very subjects that would lead most students into the ad industry. One half of the room was asked to create work that promoted the introduction of the fees, while the others argued against. With only 25 minutes to complete a set of ideas, slogans, or images that could be articulated only on paper – no speaking was allowed – it proved a tough ask, so after looking through the work, Fink also encouraged the students to send any further ideas to him by mid-January. He plans to turn these into a book to be presented to both the Prime Minister and Ed Miliband.
Fink and Dicketts view the results
Theartschool offers an opportunity for students to experience some of the pizzazz that advertising holds – previous workshops have seen contributions from guest speakers Gary Oldman and Alan Yentob, as well as ad luminaries such as Trevor Beattie, John Hegarty and Chris Palmer. But it also reminds those attending that the key to real success in the industry is tenacity, combined with quick-thinking and great ideas: invaluable advice for any budding creative-to-be.
Future events from theartschool will be advertised online here and via Graham Fink’s Twitter feed.
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18 Comments
Hmmm…so an agency founded by Tories, which helped those Tories into power to begin the process of privatising and commodifying life and shifiting wealth from the poor to the rich–which, like a cancer, is destroying this country–is now hosting (thanks to a Tory MP!!!) a session in that dungheap of democracy we call Parliament, just after that MP and his friends have sold a generation down the river into debt and wrecked art and design education as well as the HE system in general.
How insulting to those young kids, have you no scruples Graham? Oh, hang on you work in advertising, silly question…that book better be bloody good, though I'm sure it will be full of cliches like how you need to be a pain, and stay late at the office…the kids should have been a pain and told the Tories in the room to f**k off!
2011-01-07 17:59:26
Well said Noel
2011-01-09 09:41:58
I wholeheartedly AGREE with Noel's comments.
However, I'd take it further and ConDem the passivity of these 'young kids'. There were thousands of their fellow students who protested against the government's draconian increase in tuition fees and the abolition of the EMA. To add salt to the wounds, the government is also going to axe public funding for many arts and humanities courses!
Maybe I'm being over zealous and these students did confront Damian Collins MP, but it just wasn't reported?
Sadly, it all looks very pleasant and this article is a great little PR opportunity for the Tories.
I PREDICT A RIOT!!!!
2011-01-10 09:57:00
And one day they woke up and realised that politics is just religion.
2011-01-10 12:11:38
Perhaps we were there to learn something?
One of Simon Dicketts opening remarks after Damian Collins talk was a borderline critical remark about his use of emotive language to press his point home, such as "searching his soul" (or something along those lines) whilst deciding about the tuition fees vote. A point Collins conceded.
The focus was entirely on creativity, advertising and the workshop. It just so happened to be in a really interesting environment hosted by a former ad guy who's now an MP. Yes you could be all cynical and imply that this was merely a Tory PR opportunity, and I'm sure somewhere a PR person will spin in that way when the books are given to David Cameron and the Human Shield. However, in reality, there was not a single smidgen of political willy waving, propaganda or smiling for the cameras.
Personally I was astounded that security even considered letting a gaggle of students through doors given the current social climate. If anyone had caused trouble it would have never happened again, and whats useful about that in any way?
The next few years are going to be dire, and I'm sat here feeling like I'm about to graduate over the edge of a cliff. So, why not put rioting to one side Bill, buckle down, maximise your chances of getting a job (by attending extra curricular industry stuff, like this event) and just get on with it?
2011-01-11 00:58:06
Fink didn't take his sword with him?
2011-01-11 12:24:10
The lunatics have taken over the asylum...at last!
2011-01-11 12:38:48
Pleased that Dicketts spoke up at least and pleased that not all students live in a hermetically sealed bubble like you Ben. Good luck with your career, I'm sure you'll do very well.
I'm now going to 'buckle down and get on with it'. See you at the next election ConDems.
PS. apparently Damian Collins has a link to this story on his 'political willy waving' website (thanks Judy, for sending me this info).
2011-01-11 13:26:18
Get a life, Bill. You have clearly missed the point here.
This wasn't a day about Tory PR, it was an opportunity for students to put their arguments against ( and for ) raised tuition fees straight into the hands of Ed Milliband. It's legal, creative and empowering.
Thank you very much, Graham, for artschool, and Bill, seems like you need a bit of enlightening. I suggest you attend the next one.
2011-01-15 15:16:18
It astonishes me that someone can go to great lengths to organise such an event with the sole intention of helping and educating only to have it met with such comments.
' have you no scruples Graham? Oh, hang on you work in advertising'
Since when is taking time away from your burliness to give advice on entering industry, a soulless act?
The attitude of 'it's ok to critisize this person in a fairly personal level because he used a contact in parliment who belongs to a political party who i do not support'.
I am struck by how ironic it is that you can on the one hand be so damming of conservatives and those who associate with them because of the cuts in public funding making you comments on a post about the FREE EDUCATIONAL EVENT these people organised.
The purpose of this event was an educational one, as a student that attended the event I can vouch that none of us were brainwashed/manipulated. We were shown an intriguing array of historical advertising that was largely successful. Reasons as to why, methods of working and stories of past ventures.
Agreeing with Bens comments, a great and rare opportunity to listen in on a great mind share his thoughts on times gone by and times ahead.
If anything, holding a lecture on advertising in such an iconic venue is an illustration of Saachis mantra that anything is possible.
2011-01-15 21:27:26
The purpose of this talk was not to brainwash. It was to educate. Not about politics but advertising. Graham Fink set aside time to give advice and teach us somthing, if anything people ahould be taking note. Here is someone providing a free educational experience. Not only that but this person is considered one of the best in the industry. Personaly I would like to thank Graham for his time and advice. I had a lovely day and hope the above comments won't deter you from continuing to host these events.
2011-01-16 11:10:22
While I wouldn't go as far as the gushing defense in the comment above, I will say the day was both very useful and insightful and I hope to attend further events. Suggesting the students, myself included, who attended should have used it as an opportunity to protest are shortsighted. Further protest in such a venue would only further damage the student reputation; if we abused the opportunity to go to The Houses of Parliament, nothing like that would ever happen again. Worse than suggesting protest is the one that we are all so easily manipulated and are oblivious to the duplicity of the coalition government. I don't know many arts students who would turn down a free talk from a world renowned agency like M&C Saatchi and I think anyone who was there would agree that the event wasn't about the Tories at all. We were there to learn from industry leading professionals, not argue with politicians.
2011-01-16 21:37:17
Firstly, I would love to say “Thank you” to Graham Fink and everyone who gives us so inspirational day. It was fantastic experience. I didn't feel Tory PR was around till he introduced himself. The day was full of creative thought and tips. I am grateful we had opportunity have such a great free event in astonishing building.
There are creative and inspirational days in our lives and some days no. Environment and time works the same way. We travel to different countries; we take a day away, spent time with people or we stay late at the office it just depend on each of us what way we prefer to work and where we can get our best ideas. We don’t know so we are exploring the world. On the day we were exploring and humming a perfect middle C. Which made me feel different and happy and the same time.
Educational moments are need it>
I am looking forward to next time. Nothing is impossible.
All the best BILL
2011-01-16 22:49:07
A really great experience, with probably some of the best ideas to come out of Westminster in a long time!
Thanks again Graham for a very different and inspiring event.
2011-01-16 23:00:02
As a student who attended this event I was very pleased to be given the opportunity to learn from one of the best in advertising and felt that there wasn't any kind of political anterior motives. Admittedly a very topical and provocative brief was set during the workshop but as mentioned at the event itself advertising is advocacy regardless of its subject area. It was simply an exciting educational event held in an alternative but very stimulating venue.
2011-01-17 00:25:58
A really great experience, with probably some of the best ideas to come out of Westminster in a long time!
Thanks again Graham for a very different and inspiring event.
2011-01-17 19:29:57
Firstly, I would love to say “Thank you” to Graham Fink and everyone who gives us so inspirational day. It was fantastic experience. I didn't feel Tory PR was around till he introduced himself. The day was full of creative thought and tips. I am grateful we had opportunity have such a great free event in astonishing building.
There are creative and inspirational days in our lives and some days no. Environment and time works the same way. We travel to different countries; we take a day away, spent time with people or we stay late at the office it just depend on each of us what way we prefer to work and where we can get our best ideas. We don’t know so we are exploring the world. On the day we were exploring and humming a perfect middle C. Which made me feel different and happy and the same time.
Educational moments are need it>
I am looking forward to next time. Nothing is impossible.
All the best BILL
2011-01-17 22:00:17
This was a challenging event held in a challenging arena, but one which did not shy away from its topical controversy. Through confronting the issue of fees and cuts, we were forced to go beyond our own personal beliefs, and confront the issue in a creative way. Surely this is more productive, empowering and insightful than boycotting the visit and the building itself, in which the media would yet again portray students as irrational, disrespectful and impulsive. This was a stimulating event which allowed for views to be freely expressed. Thank you Graham for a very interesting day.
2011-01-17 22:51:42
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