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COMMERCIALS 30


BRAVE NEW WORLDS Commercials producers are in no doubt that the days when it was possible to make nothing else but traditional TV commercials directly for agencies are coming to a close. Not that the 30-second spot business is disappearing, but those that have been battered on the rocks of advertising uncertainty over the last few years are looking more and more to other ways they can use their skills, and the talents of their roster. The average commercials production companies


now only derives 76% of its business from traditional commercials with 4% derived from promos, 1% from feature films, 3% from TV shows, 3.5% from branded content and 11% from “new media” with a host of other activities making up the rest of the picture. And it seems likely that that 76% will drop further in future. Even this year’s winner of the Commercials 30, Blink, a company that has had more success than most with the straight TV commercial feels things will change markedly in the future. “We want to stay focused on how brands engage with their consumers,” says Blink. And “the trend is less through traditional TV advertising as an interruptive media and more through brand participation and direct engagement. Branded content will probably dominate in the future.” This year’s second placed company, Rattling Stick, is similarly looking to a future where the straight TV spot is just one part of what it does. The company picks out the launch of its new wing, Rattling Stuff, as a highlight of its year. “Rattling Stuff is all about getting stuck into creative projects that fall outside Rattling Stick’s commercials remit. It will explore new media in its many guises, finding opportunities to produce interesting material in any form and we will either work with the talent we have already or cherry pick the best creative partners for the job. It could be a play, a short film, digital content, an installation – basically anything that isn’t a traditional TV or cinema commercial.” And this desire is replicated across the sector. HSI


reports it is opening up a new division called ISH “in order to facilitate the increase in non traditional work that we have been doing.” Others see that the breakdown in the traditional relationship of client- agency-producer making a standard advert could open up new opportunities that are only beginning to become evident. “The structure of the business as we knew it with very defined roles amongst client, agency, and production company have changed,” says Independent. “The main opportunities will be found in the cracks that have appeared as a result of this shift. There are no rules and guidelines as to how people conduct business. It is a bit like the wild west.” The signs are that production companies, so


long living in fear of “new media” and its effect on the traditional TV spot, have now fully embraced


AWARDS TOP TEN


1. INDEPENDENT 2. ACADEMY 3. PARTIZAN 4. GORGEOUS 5. STINK 6. SMUGGLER 7. BLINK 8. RATTLING STICK 9. SONNY 10. AARDMAN


£64.3 DIRECTORS TOP TEN


1. STINK 2. BLINK 3. HSI 4. PARTIZAN 5. PASSION 6. TOMBOY 7. INDEPENDENT 8. TH1NG 9. SPACE CITY =10. HUNGRY MAN =10. BELIEVE =10. PICASSO =10. CROSSROADS


PEER POLL TOP 10 We asked every commercials production company to name the rival outfits they most respected


1. RATTLING STICK Once again it’s Rattling Stick that takes the top spot in our peer poll. It’s now the fourth year in a row that the production outfit has been voted the producers’ favourite producer. It’s seen as a “solid production company” with “amazing talent” that produces “consistently high quality work.” “Good work, good people,” as one voter puts it.


=2.BLINK Blink moves from fourth place in the peer poll to joint second this time. “James Studholme is a legend,” says one voter. “Solid and beautiful work,” says another. “Clever diversity of a brand giving it greater longevity and taking full advantage of an expanding marketplace in straightened times,” is one voter’s take on the company.


=2. PARTIZAN “Always interesting and nice people,” is one of Partizan’s peer’s comments on the company. Others admire it because it has “developed a global brand but stayed true to its creative principles and preserved its standout quality with intelligent leadership by Madeleine Sanderson.”


=2. SMUGGLER Smugger moves from eighth on last year’s peer poll to joint second this year because of its “good directors” and because admirers “respect the talent and the incredible fast growth of the UK company.”


5. KNUCKLEHEAD Knucklehead makes it into the peer poll top 10 once again due to its “boutique roster and its intriguing


attitude” and for being “consistently good at growing directors.”


=6. ACADEMY It’s an equal sixth for Academy this time. The company’s admired for being “consistent, reliable, prolific.”


=6. GORGEOUS The home of Vince Squibb, Chris Palmer and Frank Budgen again takes its place in the peer poll top 10.


=6. SONNY “They have Bond” is how one admirer explains their vote for Sonny – that’s Fredrik , of course, not James. Others admire the company for its “good production approach” and because it is “known for producing great work and intelligent resourceful leadership by Helen Kenny and her production team.”


=9. MJZ “Great roster” is the simple take of one MJZ voter.


=9. RSA RSA is admired because it’s “run by a lovely md, helpful, professional, knowledgeable. Has lots of good talent.” And simply because it’s “been around so long.”


=10. PULSE FILMS “One to watch” is one voter’s take on the multi- dimensional Pulse.


=10. STINK A return to the top tier of the peer poll for Stink after four years away.


November 2011 | www.televisual.com C07


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