For as long as I can remember I’ve always liked making stuff. The stuff I’ve liked making most is the stuff that does something, functional stuff, solve a problem kinda stuff. I’m sure growing up on a dairy farm had some kind of impact on me, in this regard. Farmers are always making stuff to solve a problem or to make life that little bit easier. It’s extraordinary what you can do with a piece of four by two and some bailing twine.

It must have been amazing to be a ‘making stuff ’sort of person in the era when lots of problems were being solved for the first time. The automobile, shoe polish, the thermometer or stilts. An era where products were products and there was no need for fancy brands or fancy brand ads. But it wasn’t long before someone else came up with another shoe polish and all of a sudden we needed brand advertising like the “Chunder Loo of Akim Foo” campaign of 1908. Which shoe polish was the best? Which shoe polish did Churchill use? Which shoe polish had a memorable character in it’s ads?

I started in advertising a bit after this, but my job was pretty much the same. What we needed was a character, a jingle, some clever idea or analogy to remind people of our product and why we thought it was the best. All we had to do was come up with the idea and buy some media… simple. It was a fun job.

But then the world changed.

Now people can tell each other quite easily which shoe polish is the best. As far as brands go they want more than just funny ads. They want stuff like Twelpforce, Chalkbot, Ideastorms…..and that app you cant live without.

Which is great because this takes me full circle back to making stuff, functional stuff, solve a problem kinda stuff. Don’t get me wrong, I love ads. Hell I’m an ad guy and there will always be a need for a great ad. But I love making tools or platforms or products that actually help people more. So after 20 years I’ve just come full circle and am about to start making stuff. Stuff that helps people connect with brands rather than just spruiking brands. I’ve come full circle because this is what consumers and brands need, and are asking for. I’ve come full circle because I’ve finally found the team and the opportunity to make stuff, functional stuff, solve a problem kinda stuff.

Nick.