welcome to optimism

blogging from bucharest

The palace of Nicolae Ceaucescu, former dictator of Romania, is apparently the largest building in the world, after the Pentagon. Vast expanses of existing districts in Bucharest were demolished so it could be built. As totalitarian architecture goes, it's a pretty uncompromising statement. It's surprising that it wasn't demolished following the revolution in 1989. But it's still there, brightly illuminated at night. I don't think I'd fancy living next door.

I was in Bucharest partly to speak at a conference organised by local agency Headvertising, along with Russell Davies (ex W+K, ex Nike), Jeffre Jackson (ex W+K) and Ben Terrett of the Design Conspiracy. Pretty impressive venue for the conference:

I talked about the beliefs and ways of working of W+K, such as they are, and the audience let me get through it without throwing anything at me.

Wieden + Kennedy don't participate in too many of these type of events - we're wary of presenting ourselves as experts or seeming arrogant - so ironic that at this one we ended up with what may well have been W+K overkill. Anyway, it's interesting to meet some different people and get their perspective on what we do.

I've been asked to put the charts I used on here, so here they are. Download romaniadeck.ppt They won't make a great deal of sense if you weren't there. May not make sense if you were there.

The four of us were interviewed by the Romanian edition of Campaign magazine. (Who knew there was such a thing?) This was a little embarrassing as they asked us questions like, 'what is the future of the advertising agency?” I tried to give answers that seemed vaguely plausible and resisted the urge to fantasise about agencies of the future containing serried ranks of disembodied brains in jars, beaming messages into the minds of consumers via the power of thought. It's probably a blessing that if the interview ever appears I won't be able to understand what I'm reported as having said.

The other reason for being in Bucharest was to visit Orange Romania, a client with whom we have been working for some time on a confidential basis. Our first work for Orange is now appearing in Romania and we were over there to present some more work, discuss next steps and visit the new Orange 'concept store', which is about to open in Bucharest.

Very keen on the fishy toilets.

It's been a new experience developing a campaign for Romania out of London. There have been some challenges involved but the people at Orange (especially Doina and Mirela) have been a real pleasure to work with.

It's been fascinating learning about Orange in Romania. The country apparently had little in the way of communications and transport infrastructure under Ceaucescu's regime. (He spent all the cash on that palace.) There wasn't really a fixed line network. Roads and railways were poor. To talk to someone on the other side of the country required a long, difficult journey. So, the advent of wirefree technology enabled the country to make a big, sudden leap forward in ease of communications. Orange has brought a real difference to people's lives and is therefore very well-regarded.