Oliver Dyer

My one blind spot around this has been to do with sales. I fully signed up to the ridiculous misconception of new business meaning I had to be the ‘smile and dial’ extravert that gets their energy from working a room. In other words, pretending to be someone I’m not.

But not even sales is off limits to introverts, let alone creative ­– which is a more stereotypically less social skill. I was aware of the premise of consultative sales and new business but hadn’t internalised it. New business, it turns out, is a series of one-to-one conversations… A genuine process of curiosity with problem solving as the goal.

I thrive on conversations of substance; on getting deep into problems to try and walk in a client’s shoes. With real understanding, I can either offer something of genuine value, or I can direct my client elsewhere and we’ll share another conversation another day.

This is squarely in an introvert’s wheelhouse. There’s no aspect of creativity that introverts can’t shine in when we play to our strengths instead of being defined by others.

Stephanie Griggs, Creative Director, Studio Griggs
I say work with what you’ve got!

If you’re more of an extravert, then face-to-face meetings, presentations and networking events – which still sort of feels like a novelty, after covid – is more likely to be your preferred way of talking shop. If you’re introverted, the thought of these might make your palms a bit clammy.

Either way, I believe soft skills are the most important aspects of relationship building; good communication, willingness to collaborate, empathy and active listening go miles on the road to succeeding in the industry… And as creatives, one of the most powerful ways we can show this is through our work.

Personally, I’m an extraverted introvert. I need balance. I really like solo working, but my creativity is probably most prevalent when I’m engaging with my creative peers face-to-face. I’m always amazed at what can come from organic introductions and conversations. These happen much more commonly when putting yourself ‘out there’ in some capacity. Take BLE for example. It’s a great event in bringing together introverts, extraverts and all manner of blends together in one room – I would encourage all to go along.

Your creativity is your super power, so whether you showcase this best via an extraverted TED talk style presentation, or a masterfully annotated emailed document – do it your own way!

Danny Heffer, Creative Lead, Aardman Animations
There are two areas where it comes to bear… Firstly, we can look at our careers and path through the industry. Naturally, I’m quite introverted and find it difficult to holler and shout about successes and get recognition – it’s hard, isn’t it? It can be a real cheek burner to put your head above the parapet – not those kinds of cheeks! So I’ve found it a hindrance, and always have, throughout my career.

Secondly, we can look at our work as creatives. I strongly believe it’s all about designing to the audience or consumer. Being able to understand that person relies on an empathic interpretation of what they want… I feel that being introverted helps that. I like to get my head into that persona – watching, observing, soaking up their world. I think being an extravert in that situation could skew it… Quiet, thoughtful, searching for insight; all of those are introverted traits. So there’s a positive side too.

I guess I’m saying a balance is good if you can manage that.

Julia Broughton, Director, Scatterbrain Studios
Being an introvert has definitely helped me as a creative. So much of the business journey involves keeping your head down and getting the work done. If, like me, you’ve created a brand by yourself, you have to be happy to spend hours, days, weeks – years even! – working by yourself and keeping yourself accountable. I like being by myself, so this hasn’t been a challenge. In fact, it stops me getting distracted!

Being an introvert doesn’t mean I’m shy though – that’s a common misconception. Spending so much time working alone means my social battery is fully charged when it’s time to go out and shout about my business alongside my agents!

Sharon Weisman, CEO, PowerStation Studios US
In recognising the diverse talents within our industry, I think there is a crucial opportunity for enhancement in the way we conduct client meetings and tradeshows. Traditionally, these engagements have primarily involved our dynamic licensing and salespeople; the front-facing champions of our enterprise… And yes, there are usually extraverts – or they fake it really well!

However, I believe in the power of inclusivity and the magic that comes from every voice at the table. Our creative professionals are the visionaries who transform client needs into tangible solutions. While they may often be more introspective, their insight is invaluable for capturing the essence of a client’s vision.

We believe the industry should be pioneering a new approach, where cross-functional collaboration is the norm. By integrating our creatives directly into client interactions, we bridge any disconnect and ensure that nothing is ‘lost in translation’. This inclusive strategy harnesses the collective ‘brain’ of our agency, ensuring we deliver outcomes that are as effective as they are inspired.

Rav Kiran, Men’s Lead Designer, Outerstuff
Everybody is different – and even more so when it comes to the creative mindset itself. We tend to think of introverts as those who like to be alone, whereas extraverts are more sociable and outgoing… That said, I feel an introvert can be very outgoing and extraverts also require moments of isolation and focus. The big difference between the two is actually the environments they thrive in.

When in the right environment, introverts can be uniquely creative in a way that extraverts can’t and vice versa – and no one can be branded one or the other completely.

I myself am considered a combination of the two – the ambivert. An ambivert is a more balanced combination of both the introvert and the extravert. You could say that they possess both personality types’ strengths and weaknesses, but – depending on the situation – are able to channel either option. In business, this is extremely useful. An employee who is just as able to handle large social situations as well as dealing with low-key methodical work is a great advantage.

While introverted minds might find it harder to work in a group, and extraverted minds might struggle working in silence, both are able to overcome their natural instincts in order to complete a task. A brilliant designer – or any other type of creative – knows when to be open-minded and step outside of their comfort zone.

It’s important to remember that you’re only ever as flawed as you let yourself believe.

Sophie Bloomfield, Creative Director & CEO, SBC
It’s good to have personality in this industry. That’s probably more important than being introvert or extravert as everyone’s got a unique mix of both. Having managed teams of designers – as well as working with freelancers and agencies – you notice one thing… Great ideas come from designers that feel supported, nurtured and comfortable to explore ideas.
No idea is bad; there are just some that are more commercial. All ideas are welcome – that’s what I tried to instil in my team. Feeling empowered is what’s key for all creatives.

Ben Cox, Creative Director & Co-Founder, Fraktal
All personalities have their place in a company; the key aspect is that they are used to their full potential – and in the right positions. For example, an extravert might work better in a marketing role where a forthcoming, outgoing personality is beneficial in engaging with clients and partners. An introvert can bring value by having a focus on work and being thoughtful in their decision-making. Each can enhance and temper the strengths and weaknesses of each other respectively by balancing the other out. Embracing both can lead to a more diverse, well-rounded, successful company.

Sarah Lawrence, Licensing Director, This is Iris
Being approachable, respectful and making sure you’re on top of the many changes that take place within our colourful industry is key to building relationship with partners, colleagues and buyers – all of whom are constantly under pressure to launch the ‘next big thing’.

Does being an introvert or an extrovert help – or hinder – things? I’d say this doesn’t come into play if you are representing a credible show or collection that fits the criteria being searched for by the licensee or retailer. And this works both ways. If those decision makers are doing their jobs properly, they’ll be listening to the ever-changing needs of the consumer and be out in the market looking for the right IP.

There are some big personalities in every industry but, in ours, does that equal a licensing success? There are fantastic people who are quieter, work just as hard and are just as creative and passionate about how they deliver great stories and programs to the customer. They’re also just as good at investing in building all-important long-term relationships.

Now, these people may not shout the loudest, but if the right conversations are taking place and the quality of the collection or IP is there, surely this should lead to the success of each program?

More now than ever we should be aware of the amazing creatives working within our industry and be open to new conversations and building new relationships… There is so much more available to this industry if we took a little time to look beyond the usual routes to market.

Ciara Glynn, Head of Creative, The Department
I believe that a combination of traits from both personalities can be highly beneficial as a creative. Yes, you could say being a strong-minded loud extravert will get you places in the industry as a creative, while the pensive silent creative could produce genius work without the fanfare. Ultimately, a blend of both is the ideal.

Good creative work requires observation, listening, taking it all in and noticing things others don’t. Introverts tend to be reflective and introspective, which can enhance creativity. This means they might excel at generating innovative ideas and solutions by spending time in thoughtful contemplation. But you do need to sell these ideas – which is where the extravert qualities come in… Strong relationship-building and brilliant communication skills are crucial aspects of the licensing industry. Networking with potential partners, clients, and collaborators are real factors in success – and ones that I personally hate, but I try to channel my inner extravert!

In delivering work, introverts pay close attention to detail and thrive in tasks that require precision, such as contract negotiations and responding to a brief. This is something that extraverted creatives might struggle with a little as they develop creative, love it and dream big without necessarily dwelling on the smaller details. Something I do daily to rein in my strong-willed creative directors!

In all, versatility and a diverse skill set is what can bring you success as a creative. Individuals who can own a blend of introverted and extraverted characteristics may find themselves well-equipped for the challenges in the licensing industry.

The post Talking Brands: Introvert or Extravert… Which personality type is more useful for a creative career in licensing? appeared first on Brands Untapped.

I was fortunate enough to spend a few days in the parks during the festive holiday. However, like most people in the licensing world, it’s hard to switch off and I was drawn to their merchandise and fantastic designs.

Here is just a brief glimpse into what I saw…

The 90s are back
In most of the fashion shops, nostalgic 90s designs were always their star product. What I found most surprising was that out of everyone who I saw purchase something from this range, most were born well after the decade – highlighting that this is a growing trend.

For the little Thumpers
The baby/young children apparel was absolutely adorable. Disney knows who their cutest characters are and they use this to their advantage, with the Bambi range being the most frequent collection I saw.

For the older Bambi
Sticking with Bambi, they had a very fashionable Bambi knitwear collection for adults. The jacket and knitted sweater worked fantastic together and taps into the growing knitwear trend.

Other adult fashion was very much split between two ends of the spectrum – subtle or bright and in your face. The bright range looks good fun and I imagine appeals to the die-hard Disney fan.

On the other hand, if you compare this to the Star Wars range, they use much darker colours with less overt branding.

There was one shop by the enchanted castle which sold high-end fashion items. These were considerably pricier than clothing found throughout the rest of the two parks, but the range was much bigger. The theme throughout was the old fashioned designs of Mickey & Minnie. During my time in the shop, the college-style jacket was the best seller.

Disney treasures its characters and I love when they tried to build the character design into the design of the apparel. For example, Stitch’s mouth can be zipped open or shut for extra storage in the Stitch hoodie.

Anyone can cook
I wanted to share some final products which I absolutely loved:

• The Ratatouille rolling pin – an example of a product fitting its story perfectly.
• The Star Wars Baby Yoda make up bag – a great example of a repeat pattern.
• Character hats – when you squeeze the ends, their ears move!
• And possibly my favourite product – Mickey & Minnie gloves. The weather was freezing, so most people were walking round the park proudly showing off their gloves.

That’s a wrap
To conclude, I think that calibre of products available throughout Disneyland Paris is exceptional. While they could have easily stuck a square image on a white t-shirt and called it a day, instead they have fun with their ranges and try to keep up with the latest trends – while also setting them.

The post The magic of brand design at Disneyland Paris appeared first on Brands Untapped.

Oh my God! Refrigerator? Well… You didn’t just get off lightly, you came out strong. Refrigerator. That would have been…
It’s like a wrestler name, isn’t it?

People would’ve joked, “What a cool name…”
Luckily, my mother had a bit more sense. I’m quite pleased with Merlin.

I’m glad I asked! Moving on, then: am I right in saying you started off as an animator with Aardman?
Actually, way before that, I was a runner; the making-the-tea-and-sweeping-the-floor job.

When did that come about?
When I was still an animation student, I got a job as a runner for about four months. I bunked off college for a bit because the contract went into my third year. I thought it was for good cause… Aardman was still quite small then but scaling up before Chicken Run. They just knew they didn’t have enough people across all departments.

I imagine being a runner at Aardman would be eye-opening back then?
It was like an animation apprenticeship! I got into the National School of Film and Television at the same time to do a postgrad, but I deferred my place. I never went; I’ve just been at Aardman ever since. I became an animator and I was one of the lucky few who got promoted very fast. I was a senior animator on Chicken Run and it all went from there really.

When you say an “animator on Chicken Run”… This is proper stop motion; plasticine models on an armature… You did that; thumbprints on the plasticine?
Totally.

Wow. Then would it be right to say patience is one of your gifts?
I actually think you only need patience when your mind is idle! And with that kind of work, there’s so much to keep track of. When you’re animating every single element of a body – well, let’s just look at a hand. How many joints have the animators got to control? Then do all the expressions on the face… You’ve got to know where you are, you’ve got to know where you’re going. And you’ve got to have the whole shot clear in your head.

And in my incredibly limited experience of stop motion, you only get one go at it, right?
Right. And because of that, you concentrate really, really hard… Animators often need reminding that it’s lunchtime, or time to go home because they’re just so focussed. So I guess you do need patience but not because it’s slow.

Sounds trance-like… I guess it’s like driving a car. You drive – you focus – you have no memory of the journey. The people in the car, though, “Are we nearly there yet? Are we nearly there yet? Are we nearly there yet?”
Precisely. As a spectator sport, it’s not the most exciting process. It’s probably up there with watching paint dry…

Makes sense. So if patience is one quality that you have and partly need, what would be the definitive quality? What makes you tick, Merlin?
Being creatively challenged. That’s what makes things interesting. If something is easy, everybody would do it. Not just in the animation, but moving into directing and creative directing as well. Each time the challenge got harder, I enjoyed it a little more.

I’m curious about that. Presumably the higher up the chain you get, the more creative freedom you experience?
Well, yes, that’s true. As a runner I didn’t have much say! With character animation, the animators essentially are the performers. You’re the person putting the performance of the character on the screen. I haven’t animated for many years but looking back, I think I was a good animator.

You didn’t know that at the time?
No, I didn’t; not really. I was a performer, and my method of performance happened to be via animation. And that performance mostly came from my understanding with the director… So when I’m working as an animator, or directing with an animator, I never talk about animation. It’s always about the performance, or the film, or the shots… What’s the sequence about? What’s the feeling? Because animation is purely the vehicle to get the comedy moment or the dramatic moment up onto the screen.

So now, you’re no longer down in the plasticine… You’re now Creative Director of Wallace & Gromit. What is it you do, day to day?
Wallace & Gromit are busy! They have a lot of fingers in a lot of pies. My role is to keep Wallace & Gromit on the straight and narrow, and out of trouble. Or keep them in trouble, I suppose, depending on which way you look at it.

Keep them in trouble, I like!
So I work with writers to make sure that everything feels as you would expect Wallace & Gromit to feel, and look the way they should look. In some cases, that means stepping up and actually getting hands-on with the directing. I also work with directors – just mentoring them to make sure they get the DNA of Wallace & Gromit that Nick Park seeded all those years ago.

And presumably, you help steer ideas when it comes to licensing?
Yes, I want to make sure everything we do feels cohesive, it must never feel like a badge slap. We must have the humour and quality. This isn’t for us to say – but other people have said – Wallace & Gromit have become national treasures… Do you know that?

I do know that – and I agree, actually! Our national treasures are Wallace, Gromit and Julie Walters. There’s a couple of “also rans”, but they’re the main three…
Julie Walters! Yes! Well, this means that a lot of our fans have a sense of ownership. If we get stuff wrong, boy, do they tell us.

And what is it you look to do with licensing these national treasures?
It varies hugely. From working with the Sales an Marketing team on the latest T-shirt designs, merchandise or lunch boxes or whatever, through to more prestigious things like hot air balloons or coins for the Royal Mint… It goes all the way through to commercial partnerships with DFS and the like that we’ve had over the years for television. Wallace & Gromit earn their keep!

So when you’re considering projects, then, what key ingredients are you looking for? How do you know something should be green-lit?
Certainly, on larger projects, there’s more clarity because they are Wallace & Gromit adventures. But if we’re talking about third-party partnerships, then we have a brand team and a brand manager with an admin. We also have a brand rep who’s out in the marketplace…

There’s a whole team scouting and scanning…
Right. It’s very much a case of looking at what’s out there. Looking, and listening at what our fans and what our core audience base like and understand. Also, we like to challenge them and push them a little bit. It’s not always about pandering to fans. It’s about taking some creative risks occasionally to stay fresh. You’ve got to roll with those punches.

Why bother taking the punches? Why not just badge slap?
I think you stagnate! I work with the brand team… They go out into the market, they go to all the trade shows like Brand Licensing Europe; all of those kinds of things for really big partnerships, and all the way down to the smaller partnerships we have. The core question is: can Wallace & Gromit be represented well, with a bit of humour, in this partnership? Is this the kind of thing that Wallace & Gromit fit well with? It’s the base question, really.

You mentioned DFS. Those TV ads really seem to nail it. I’m often working away when I hear the Wallace & Gromit theme. I feel I have to look up! When I do: there they are: funny, familiar, cosy… My question is, how scientific is the execution? And how much of it is gut instinct?
It’s mostly gut instinct. With that case in point, it’s us working very closely with the DFS agency, which was krow in that case. They’re very experienced creators of advertising and marketing… DFS has a very clear message to communicate to sell their furnishings. Let’s be honest, that’s the primary reason for the whole exercise. And partnering with Wallace & Gromit as a third-party IP has been very successful for them.

Why is that, do you think? Why does it work?
Because Wallace & Gromit’s core brand values, which are coziness and familiarity; a kind of British quality; friendship ties in with nice, warm cups of tea on the sofa. It actually happens in Wallace & Gromit world… It’s not a leap to believe they’d have a nice DFS sofa, for example.

It dovetails…
It dovetails. And because that partnership has a nice cohesive beginning, it’s much easier to write a script which shares the message the client requires. Also, it’s comfortable and meets all of the brand requirements we have with Wallace & Gromit. Before we embark upon a relationship, we each set out those ground rules – both as individuals and as brand entities…

“Wallace & Gromit have red lines; things they can and can’t do. Equally, so do our partners…”

You share and discuss your parameters?
Exactly. Wallace & Gromit have a certain set of requirements that we need to satisfy; we have red lines… Things they can and can’t do. Equally, so does a partner like DFS. As long as those are clear and we, the agency, and the client are all signed up to that, everything is much more straightforward… Especially because Wallace & Gromit are an established IP if you like.

And presumably that stops it feeling like you’re selling out?
Actually, we do get lots of people disappointed that Wallace & Gromit are doing commercials. They say, “Oh, Wallace & Gromit sold out.” The reality is that we’ve always made commercials with Wallace & Gromit, right back from the very beginning. The very earliest things that Nick did were some channel idents for BBC Two. Then we did lots of commercials in Japan…

Right. I thought adverts were part of the make up…
When Wallace & Gromit were unknown in Japan, the way to get known there was to do commercials. So we did commercials with them around the time of the launch of The Wrong Trousers. That was for a brand called Gilco Pucchin Puddings. But Aardman is fiercely independent. We don’t have billion-dollar backers, we’re not owned by a big corporation. Aardman has always, at the heart of its ecosystem, made television commercials. That includes with our characters like Wallace & Gromit and Shaun the Sheep and things like that.

Creature Comforts just came to mind: the short film was very quickly followed by adverts… When is that? Mid ’80s?
Late ’80s, early ’90s, that would be. That’s a good case in point. It’s not that they had to earn their money, it’s the fact that the studio wouldn’t ever have made the half-hour specials that people love without those kind of things. And as long as you tread carefully, and you’re confident and everyone is clear about what they’re doing, in terms of the partnerships, then it’s good. Actually, it’s great for us, to give us a presence. Take Wallace & Gromit films, as an example… The last special that Nick made came out in 2009 or ’10 or something like that. It’s a fair chunk of time ago.

You’re saying that without the licensing, the brand’s far less visible?
Yes. To bridge those gaps, licensing is great for us… To have a presence out there without Wallace & Gromit in a full animated form. They’ve been on stamps, they’re on a 50p coin… You can go and ride their rollercoaster in Blackpool; all sorts of other things…

And in terms of a license or a brand, is there anything you’d really like to look at that you’ve not yet broached?
Good question. For Wallace & Gromit we’ve got The Big Fix Up going on at the moment. It’s a UK Research Institute-funded research project looking at storytelling using emerging technology. That’s out at the moment, it’s free on Android and iOS. It uses comic strips, live-action, Wallace & Gromit in CG animation, and Augmented Reality, all presented through an app on a mobile device.

Interesting!
The story’s told over a couple of weeks. We don’t shy away from challenging ourselves. That was intended to be a live event where you would go into the centre of a city and you’d see this giant robot and things that Wallace has made careering over buildings… Because of COVID, we had to park that. That’ll be launched later this year instead. It’s using massively advanced technology to try and tell a story.

So Augmented Reality… And Virtual Reality?
That’s the kind of thing we’re interested in. VR has been hot and cold, hot and cold… Who knows where that’ll go? But because Wallace is an inventor, it fits really well into his world and his story when we dip our toes into these new and exciting ways of representing.

Augmented Reality as well, from a brand perspective, in terms of partnering with third-parties, is a very interesting arena. That’s something the brand team is always looking for opportunities for. The main trouble at the moment is it does require quite significant investment to get it to the point where it’s a satisfying experience.

Which is the top priority…
Yes, a satisfying experience is the number one thing. It’s all well and good trying something new, but if it’s flaky and not a good experience, then that’s no good. We’re treading that line very carefully with The Big Fix Up. It works very well on the most-advanced, new mobile devices. It can be loaded onto devices that are slightly older and the experience isn’t bad. With a really old device – well, let’s just say it’s a little wobbly! That’s just a balance you have to make.

I hear that. You have no control over that, but have to take some responsibility… Let’s talk about your creative process. How is it that you generate ideas? How do you go from no idea to steering national treasures?
It can be quite daunting sometimes, having a blank sheet of paper. So having a framework and a brief really helps. Sometimes it’s deliberately thinking things over… Sometimes, things just come to me. If I’m cycling home or whatever, I’m like, “Argh, I’ve got to make a stop, write it down.”

Actually, when you have to do it all the time, you get used to working an idea. It’s very useful to bounce ideas off colleagues and to make the process a collaborative thing, but that kind of meeting can go off in all sorts of directions with amazing, “Yes, that’s brilliant, that’s brilliant” moments.

And if you’ve done that? Had a thought, jotted it down, bounced it around? What’s next?
Then it’s often a case of identifying which one of those ideas to pluck and work. Actually having ideas isn’t necessarily the hard part… It’s identifying which idea is the good one and the one that feels right. It’s a bit of, “Oh, well, we know we need to do this, this and this…” So there might be an idea that fits for logical reasons, or there might be some brand parameters that mean you can’t do some.

I can only imagine…
Being family-oriented automatically throws out some very funny ideas. You whittle it down and get practiced at working an idea. For me it’s very familiar territory. It’s very, very rare that one idea falls out of your head onto the page and it’s perfect. In fact, I don’t think it’s ever happened. I think that’s one of the things: with Wallace & Gromit, the end product should always be funny, satisfying… Everything you’d expect.

But the process behind it – not so much?
No, the journey to get there is not smooth and it’s not easy. I wouldn’t ever wish to imply it was. That’s what I like – coming back to what I said earlier… It’s a challenge, it’s difficult and that’s what makes it fun.

“It’s a challenge, it’s difficult and that’s what makes it fun.”

We need to start wrapping this up, Merlin, but it’s been terrific fun. And not difficult! Something you mentioned earlier on I wanted to follow up though… You mentioned the Wallace & Gromit red lines earlier… Can we talk about those? They absolutely can’t do sex and drugs and rock and roll, presumably? Well, maybe rock and roll.
Right… Some rules are set in stone; some are more to do with context. It’s very well and good having rules, but rules are meant to be broken, aren’t they? So, our brand team has a style guide; all the formal things. They help when you’re sharing with multiple partners… You just need a framework that you can refer to; a point of agreement to start with. Some of them are just really boring day-to-day requirements.

And others?
Others are around character. And actually, when it’s around character, it’s a bit more woolly. That’s where I come in as Creative Director to make those calls… If it can’t be written down in a rule, then it needs to be a judgment call about what’s good for the brand. That, in a nutshell is what I do. I look after rules which can’t be written down and navigate from a creative point of view.

Brilliant. Well, look, that’s more or less where we started the conversation, so let’s wrap it up there – one last question: What’s the quirkiest thing you’ve done for Wallace & Gromit?
Oh, so many quirky, wonderful things happen… Hard to say one! You know what, though? I’ve been on the TV show Blue Peter a couple of times over the years; three or four times… It was a massive life goal of mine to be on Blue Peter. So I’ve done that!

Huhhhhhhh! You have a badge?!
Oh, yes, I’ve got several! One for every time I’ve been on the show. I don’t have a gold though… Nick Park has a gold Blue Peter badge. I think Peter Lord has a silver one. I’m a bit envious of that…

And what do you have to do to get a gold Blue Peter badge?
You have to invent Wallace & Gromit.

Or Julie Walters! Listen, Merlin, this has been a genuine pleasure; thank you so much! What an insight; thank you.

The post Merlin Crossingham, Creative Director of Wallace & Gromit, on brands they can work with – and lines they can’t cross appeared first on Brands Untapped.