THREE STRIPES AND A FLOOD IN THE CONGO

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Alex Goldberg

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It was a rainy day in 1993. I was 10 years old, obsessed with comics, Nintendo, skateboards and 6 feet bubblegum. We were on the way to school and sitting in traffic. The newspaper vendor walked by my window with his newspapers. On the front featured a story about a flood somewhere in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The main photo was that of a raging river without a building in sight. Wading across the river was a man. On top of his head was a bag. On the side of the bag were three iconic stripes. In the deepest part of a jungle, there was the adidas logo.

This piece of branding had leapt off a designer's page, crossed oceans and immersed itself in a place few people have set foot. I didn't just see a person battling the elements; I saw the power of branding, and a future for myself.

When adidas released their 'Impossible is nothing' platform years later, I immediately thought back to that moment and smiled in agreement. That man was living it as he marched forth against the current. The whole scene was a celebration of the human spirit. It was at this moment that I knew I wanted to be in advertising. To leave my mark on this world through the power of creativity, and build brands that inspire the next generation of thinkers.

The challenge was set, I needed to find and create my three stripes.

THE MOST IMPORTANT BRAND YOU'LL EVER WORK ON

The Creative industry is an exciting space, full of legendary campaigns that have helped establish famous brands. But the first and most important brand you'll ever work on is you. It's the most significant project, product, non-profit, start-up, potential Fortune 500, love brand you'll develop. It's constantly evolving, ever-changing, full of highs, plenty of lows, regular doses of imposter syndrome, moments of glory and the occasional feeling where you've got this. It's yours to build or break.

You'll change companies and brands throughout your career, but the one thing that will dictate your trajectory is the way you work.

Everyone wants a seat at the table, but few want to do the work that earns that place. The reality is that your work needs to speak for you in the rooms you long to enter.

To be the voice that people listen to, you need to first .

FIND YOUR VOICE

As a Creative or Marketer your gut or inner voice is one of your most powerful tools, and it takes a while for people to learn to answer it. Some never do, and every decision they make ends up being safe - and safe is ignored. Your inner voice says what you really feel about something or someone. It's this voice that can direct your idea to greatness, help avoid a campaign being cancelled by the online mobs ready to ignite their torches on a whim, guide you to hire the right person, sense if something isn't quite right with one of your team, and ultimately make you a more confident, capable professional. But there will come times when the situation causes you to try muzzle that voice. You hush it, sit quiet and go with the flow, even though deep down that voice is telling you that the only way this is flowing is into a steaming pile of mediocrity.

A career-defining catastrophe for me happened when I was a Junior/Mid writer. I wrote a script and it had the potential to be great. Client bought it and the Director I really wanted to work with loved the idea and agreed to make it with us. I was beyond stoked. But then the Director suggested a different ending. My inner voice immediately shot up a flare. I knew right then it was wrong. This change changed things. And not for the better. Instead of listening to my voice, I came up with reasons why the change was right, that they knew better. After all, who was I to argue against an accomplished Director and my Executive Creative Director who had more awards than I could count? We did the shoot and the feeling stayed throughout. We got to the final edit. The ad finished playing and the silence was deafening. It was a crap ad. I vowed that day to never silence my inner voice, and I saw a noticeable shift in my ability as a Creative and as a person.

I started to use my voice more and share my thoughts. In reviews, edits, meetings, wherever. I suggested something and it worked. So I did it again. It worked again. I started to listen to my creative voice more and more, and with it I began evolving as a Creative. I wasn't going with the flow anymore. I was creating the flow.

Now, the first thing I tell any new member of my team, is: 'Find your voice'. One of two things will happen:

1.You give your view, it's wrong, and someone gives you a valid reason why (always ask for a reason). You end up closing the loop in your head, and keep that insight in mind when developing your next round of thinking. You are already better for it, and the people in the room will take note of your contribution.

2.You give your view, and it's right. The idea is better, and you've positively influenced the path of the work. People begin to value your opinion. You begin to trust yourself more. So you do it again, more people listen, your confidence builds, and you grow.

The next challenge is learning when to speak and when to listen.

BIG THINKING IS NOT RESERVED FOR BIG BRANDS AND BUDGETS

Aristotle once said: 'We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit.' I write this down on the first page of every new work book. The same clients who are buying a banner ad are the ones you're expecting to buy your big integrated campaigns. Big thinking and great work ethic is not reserved for big clients and budgets. Every Client, regardless of size and status, needs to feel like they are being valued. Every piece of work needs to show your invisible signature. Sweat the small stuff and create a culture where everything is considered and held to a higher level. Many will let things slide, but you're not longing to be like the many. You want to be part of the rare few that people talk about and reference.

The path to creating career-defining work is through building relationships with your clients. You do this through constant acts of excellence that ultimately build trust - in you, your people, company, product and word. Schmoozy lunches mean fuck all when your Client is taking bullets from the board for poor performing work.

My greatest campaign started as a 'nothing' brief. We knew there was a bigger opportunity and worked to show how a simple banner campaign could become something far greater. It demonstrated to the Client that the brand was capable of more, that we were capable of more. Every brief from there we pushed the boundaries and nudged the brand into more exciting spaces. Several projects later we were walking onto the stage to accept the coveted Grand Prix at the Loeries, Africa and Middle East's top awards show. We prioritised the little things, because we know the role they play in the bigger picture. No one will buy into your bold, ambitious ideas if you can't get the basics right.

IF YOU WANT TO BUILD YOUR BRAND, BUILD YOUR PEOPLE

I come from a martial arts background. Starting with Judo when I was 5, followed by kickboxing, Muay Thai, and then settled on the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu mats at Renzo Gracie Cape Town, which I've called home, school and place of many humblings for the last 17 years. I've been a national champion, coach and frequent rag doll, all necessary parts of the jiu-jitsu journey. I've learnt more about myself and how to be a better person, father, Creative, follower and leader on these mats than anywhere else. One of the most important things is the value of knowledge sharing. I will be a better fighter if you are. A better me, is a greater we. If I share my techniques to a fellow student who is more aware of them the next time we roll (fight), I'm forced to try different things and evolve. It's not just about how good you are, but how good you make those around you.

When you create a space where others feel comfortable sharing their views, even the ones you might not want to hear, everyone wins. Don't let hierarchy rob you of learning something that might benefit you and your team. I've learnt from champion black belts and newbie white belts, seasoned Creative leaders and grads fresh out of varsity. This is the key to getting the best out of people and creating a culture of greatness. Your briefs, reviews, work ethic, relationships with your colleagues, clients and suppliers, all lay the foundation for amazing work. This is all an essential part of your own brand building.

This is what makes people want to work with you, that attracts the talent you want in your team, and the clients who long for the type of work you love to do.

THE KEY TO CREATIVITY

The key to creativity is initiative. Not the romanticised moments of brilliance and 'Eurekas' in the shower. Initiative. Coming up with great ideas is tough, but it's the easiest part of the process. To make something fresh and original, you need to connect dots that haven't been connected before and sometimes you have to create new dots. It all comes down to you. If you want your idea to live then hunt it down and make it happen. Creativity is not just in the thinking, but the doing.

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