Kill off planning at your peril
Calls for the discipline of planning to be disbanded are a retrograde step when brands need to focus on the voice of the consumer more than ever, argues the Lucky Generals founding partner.
The worst question marketers ask agencies after pitches
There is one particular question asked at the end of the pitch that cannot be answered with a straight face, says the Lucky Generals founding partner.
KFC's response to chicken crisis shows confidence in its brand
KFC seems to have struck the right tone in its communications, but more work is likely needed in the months ahead, warns Lucky Generals' founding partner.
The Super Bowl offers universal truths for year-round advertising
Fresh from making a Super Bowl ad for Amazon, Lucky Generals' co-founder shares what the agency learned and how to apply those principles to advertising all year long.
Test the unexpected or settle for copulating canines
Real marketing magic happens when we swerve and deviate, says the Lucky Generals co-founder.
Rushing straight to the heart of the periphery
As we get our "back to school" heads on after the summer break, the Lucky Generals co-founder says it's time to start sweating the big stuff.
Brainstorm? Groupwank more like
I'm writing this in what is commonly known as a brainstorm. Or as I like to call it: an arseache. A groupwank.
Modern marketing can wreak havoc with the fabric of time
With pitch decisions taking forever and social media mistakes occurring in a nanosecond, modern marketing can wreak havoc with the fabric of time.
An alternative view of alternative facts
Most problems in the real world stem from technically true data that is simply misleading if viewed in a certain way.
Andy Nairn: The best marketers have big windows
Don't get preoccupied with what's happening inside the business and neglect to look out to the customer, says the founding partner of Lucky Generals.
Andy Nairn: Be afraid, but not very afraid
It's a scary time of year for us all, but the fears that have begun to envelop marketers are mostly an illusion.
Learn to like your target audience
We need to dispense with casual prejudices and try to truly empathise.
Andy Nairn: Create your own buzz and make your own news
Brands fall over themselves to react to news on social media, but in most cases their comments are instantly forgettable, writes Lucky Generals' Andy Nairn.
Pizzas and polished stones: how to build a great team
Embracing conflict is just one way to transform a group of also-rans into a team of world-beaters, says Lucky Generals' Andy Nairn.
Andy Nairn: Proving our effectiveness isn't always rocket science
Just like Woody Allen's comic creation, we too struggle to achieve our goals. But it needn't be that way, says Lucky Generals' Andy Nairn.
Andy Nairn: ideas are useless unless they're used
Lucky Generals' founding partner explains why an awards scheme recognising work that has never run is misguided.
Andy Nairn: point-scoring in our industry is pointless
MediaCom's Sean Seamer recently ruffled feathers by claiming he "wouldn't want to be running a creative agency". Andy Nairn, the founding partner of Lucky Generals, responds.
Creativity means less time on charts and more time doing
This week, we launched a music video for an up-and-coming rap act called Raylo, writes Andy Nairn, founding partner at Lucky Generals.
Andy Nairn: Find your Constantinople
Many big businesses today could learn a trick or two from old Constantine. Lucky Generals' Andy Nairn explains the way forward.
When social media goes wrong
I'd like to share a mildly amusing but, in some ways, somewhat terrifying experience that happened to me on social media last week.