Monday Inspiration: Google enters middle age, The Last Dance and Ditty in a Dash
I'm sure many of you will have seen Nike's latest TV spot already but I thought it worth sharing here. Created by Wieden + Kennedy, “You Can’t Stop Us” is the third film in Nike’s campaign of the same name. It's about celebrating sport as a source of inspiration and the creative is quite compelling: a dynamic split screen series detailing 36 pairings of athletes, developed through research of more than 4,000 pieces of footage:
It’s an impressive piece of editing and another masterful example of brand-building creative. Plus it carries a much-needed positive message about people’s resilience during tough times.
There was a lot going on last week with plenty of great content to catch up on. Here are a few things I thought worth sharing with you today:
Google enters middle age | The Economist
The four major tech giants were grilled by a congressional committee in Washington D.C. last week over allegations of anti-competitive behaviour. Whilst this might seem many steps removed from what we do, the actions of these companies have a disproportionate effect on our lives, from the content we see (Facebook, Alphabet) to the products we buy (Amazon, Apple). Alphabet, parent company of Google, came under scrutiny for their search engine advertising market (~90%) and relationship with the pentagon.
The Economist notes that Google is now approaching 'middle age'. They've gone from a nimble, innovative start-up, to a sprawling conglomerate with all the associated problems and challenges. This article is a neat summary of where Google is now and where it might be heading. They have a few options: manage itself better as a conglomerate; spin-off the different businesses (e.g. YouTube, Google, Android); rediscover a new purpose, e.g. Microsoft has reinvented itself as a provider of cloud-based software tools and services. Whatever they decide, they may need to do it quickly before the choice is taken out of their hands!
The Last Dance | Netflix
I know I'm way behind the curve on this one. This series first aired back in April/ May and there has already been lots of commentary (including this thoughtful take from Chris Clayton and this one from Shane O'Leary). It’s entertaining, thought-provoking and a brilliant collection of character studies.
The documentary's primary focus is Michael Jordan and his influence on the Chicago Bull's final championship-winning season in 1998. It simultaneously explores not only Jordan's journey up to that point but the role of his teammates and coach. You cannot help but come away from the series in awe of the talent, determination and will to win of arguably the greatest basketball player (athlete?) of all time.
But whilst Michael Jordan's genius is undeniable, the Bulls were a success because of the team they created. Scottie Pippen, Steve Kerr and Dennis Rodman were great support. And Phil Jackson, the coach, pulled everything together. Jackson’s great skill was his ability to bring everyone all the different egos and personalities together into a collective process.
In a neat link to the Nike intro above, in 1984 Nike signed a sneaker deal with Michael Jordan. Nike's expectation (or hope) was that by the end of year 4 they would sell $3m worth of Air Jordan's. In year 1 of the deal they sold $126m. Nike being associated with the best players in the world is a long-term strategy that has fuelled their tremendous growth: ~14% revenue growth per year, for almost 40 years. And Michael Jordan’s brand is worth billions of dollars on its own.
Ditty in a Dash | Frances & Masie Peters
I've always been interested in the creative process, especially artists whose creative powers can seem almost alchemic at times. Music and song writing is something that's always captured my imagination. There's so many different parts: song structure, chords, lyrics, melody... so I was pleased to find this new podcast (courtesy of Ian Leslie), hosted by a young British singer-songwriter called Frances.
In each episode she invites someone to write a song with her in fifteen minutes. The episode I listened to is with Maisie Peters and it offers a real insight into the creativity and craft of song writing. It's a fun, positive 25 minutes in which two musicians play around with different ideas and create a piece of music in a short space of time. It's a good reminder of what's possible when you have a bit of time pressure and a clear brief!