A little radiation in our daily lives.

We spend a third of our lives in our workspace. Sometimes much more! And our environment can have a big impact in our mood, our creativity and our work. As humans, we all need a certain amount of stimulation and the environment can help to provide this. If our minds are kept active and fit then they will be ready to be called on when we need creative thought.

With the winter drawing in we felt we needed to brighten up our working space to inject some positivity into our daily lives to help us through the cold days ahead.

We have been working together with artist Tom Shedden to come up with murals that reflect our personality. Our company purpose is "Creation by positive energy" and so we wanted something radiant and energetic.. and these little touches are what we came up with..

We hope you like them and come and visit us to see them in person.




Tom is an artist based in London and Folkstone and has supplied us with a few interesting pieces to showcase. One project was to create art for the sensory deprived.

"Do not touch" is a large scale installation that has large scale Braille that spells out the title.




"Hide and seek" and "Green with envy" , uses coloured dots to form text which can only easily read if you are colour blind. A lovely example of giving something personal and special to the viewer.

ch ch ch ch changes...

Greg Porter
Operations Manager

David Bowie once memorably claimed that “time may change me”. The Wildhearts, on the other hand, declared that “nothing ever changes but the shoes”. Based on personal experience I’m more inclined to agree with the Thin White Duke on this one – we live and work in a world where change is prevalent, and evolution is crucial.

I have been with Publicis for what is rapidly approaching a decade now, and have seen a lot of changes and developments in that time: changes in personnel and in office; changes in clients, in leadership, in ownership; and changes in policy (though my campaign for a military-style medal for ten years service continues to go unheeded) … and the summary of all this is that I feel pretty qualified to reinforce the core message of this blog – Change is Healthy.

Change can be healthy on a physical level – not least because when I joined this agency, we were working out of a converted barn in South London with a leaky roof and minimal regard for creature comforts – a far cry from the über-modern surroundings we find ourselves in now. Change is necessary in an industry such as ours – advertising has undergone plenty of peaks and troughs in my time moving in these circles, with each high and low offering a new and different learning experience. Such experience is surely essential for anybody in any business or industry, and especially for someone such as myself who entered agency life as a wet-behind-the-ears teenager. Change in leadership has also offered invaluable insight into the world of business – watching different characters and personalities imprint their authority on this agency has been fascinating as well as beneficial, and has played a sizable part in my own career development in a variety of different roles within Publicis.

And perhaps therein is where we find the most important by-product of change – variety. What drew me, and I’m sure many others, to this industry is the promise of diversity in our working lives, with no two days promising to be the same. It’s impossible to be complacent in delivering workload when the metaphorical goalposts could be moved from one moment to the next, and the needs of a client rarely stay consistent for too long due to the nature of our ever-evolving industry. Change keeps us all on our toes, and continues to drive us to be the best we can be for ourselves, our agency and our clients.

Change can be unsettling and cause a disruption to a comfortable status quo, and change can sometimes seem wholly unnecessary at face value. Scratch deeper though, and you will find an overwhelming truth in the world of advertising – change is exciting, invigorating and, above all, healthy.

How did I end up here...?

Luke Cadman
Account Executive

When people think of agency life, they usually think it’s all glitz and glamour. The huge awards evenings where everybody is dolled up to the eyeballs trying to look more breathtaking than the rest of the attendees; the long lunches in the trendy restaurants; the über-modern swanky offices that are more about the impression they give than the functionality they provide; and the ultra-stylish people with their opulent attire and neoteric hair styles. Admittedly I was one of these people and I thought it would be a great way to make a living.

I had my first real-life experience of agency life about two years ago while on placement from Uni. I was working for a medium sized healthcare company and we were looking for an agency to handle the UK launch of a new formulation of one of our products and the Product Manager I was working with had met an agency contact at a European pitch. The agency’s name was Medicus London, and the contact’s name was Jenny Plant. And so the PM and I came to a nice little place called Kensington Village to meet with the agency.

So this was my first agency experience, and I liked it. The people I met were interesting, the things I saw around the office looked exciting, and most importantly we did have the long lunch in the trendy restaurant! I decided there and then that this was an industry I wanted to work in. I saw the hard work that went in to producing the work for the clients and it seemed very challenging but also greatly rewarding. First though, all I had to do was finish Uni.
I stayed in contact with Medicus during the rest of my placement and my studies, and they gave me advice and help along the way where they could, which I really appreciated. Eventually the time came for me to finish Uni and find that all important first job. I asked them if they knew of any openings in the agency world that may be suitable for a graduate like me. They offered me an opportunity and I grabbed it with both hands. So here I am, sat at my desk in Publicis Life Brands (formerly Medicus London) HQ telling my story.

So far my 7-week career at PLB has been interesting and very busy. Working in a team with two Account Managers and an Account Director, amongst other things I have been involved in building two brands, which is about as exciting and challenging as agency life gets, and it has been thoroughly enjoyable. Of course, I get to do all the less fun day-to-day admin as well, but...you have got to take the rough with the smooth! I have worked with pretty much every person in the office, from other Account Executives, all the way up to the Senior Directors, which has been great experience. I have been included in training which I have found very interesting and will undoubtedly benefit me as time goes on and my client interaction increases. I have been given the responsibility of solely managing some smaller projects meaning I have got a real feel of how a project works, from beginning to end; and finally being involved in the background research and development of some important pitches to clients. Overall my time so far has been great, and I don’t expect this to change, with new jobs and challenges constantly coming in, there is never a dull moment.

My only qualm would be that these long lunches in trendy restaurants don’t actually happen on a daily basis – shocking!!!

Rock 'n' Role: The PLB Supergroup

Greg Porter
Operations Manager

A thought occurred to me the other day. Once the initial alarm-bell-ringing, ear-steaming panic from such an unfamiliar and unexpected occurrence had subsided, another tentative suggestion reared its head – maybe, just maybe, that thought could be articulated for the PLB blog. And that thought, dear reader, was this – agency life is a lot like being in a band. Alas, not the throwing TVs out of windows and driving motorcycles into swimming pools part (2007 Christmas party aside, naturally), but rather the collaborative effort that goes on. From the charismatic front-and-centre guys in the limelight, to the manager behind the scenes who gets them there, via the supporting artists that stick to the shadows of the stage show, to the hired hands who ensure that the lights and pyro run without a hitch... and, naturally, to the captive audience whose attention we are trying to gain and then hold onto.

This blog is coming to you from the Operations Manager of Publicis Life Brands, taking a break from general administrative and financial duties to share these musings. I guess that makes me the bass player or the drummer (stop laughing at the back, accountants can rock out Animal-style too you know), trying to keep the rhythm of the agency without making too much of a splash. Then when I look around me I see the eternal collaboration between the dual frontmen of agency life: the account handling and creative teams – the ever-charismatic vocalists that represent the face of the band, and the achingly hip guitarists with mystique that trade off them. They might not always have the same idea at the inception of the songwriting stage, but with collaboration they always manage to pull together in the same direction to pen the best ditty possible for their public. And, of course, there are the heroic backroom team, the management groups that do not necessarily get to share in the immediate limelight, but make it all possible with their work behind the scenes to get their band on stage.

So here’s a query for you – which band or instrument would you say best represents your ideal working life? There’s no need to be embarrassed, taste is entirely subjective. Unless of course you say Coldplay, nobody’s day could possibly be that grey.

What do I actually do?

Beata Lewandowska
Senior Account Manager

For the whole of my professional career I have been an account handler. Six years ago I started out with the title Account Executive and recently, after progressing through the ranks, I was promoted to the heights of Senior Account Manager. To me, my job is very interesting. To me, my job is important. I feel as though people need me, people depend on me and without me nothing would get done properly. I also get to learn a lot and meet great (and sometimes not so great!) people along the way.

While I enjoy what I do, it has occurred to me that not many people know what my day actually involves, including my mother and even my boyfriend! I can sort of see why these people may not have the greatest idea as to what I do at PLB HQ for 8+ hours a day, but what about my clients? Do they know what my day-to-day activities are and what work I am doing on their account? What about my colleagues? Do the people whom I spend my day sitting next to and speaking to know what I am actually doing in order to try and meet our clients’ needs? What concerns me the most is whether or not they actually see any value in my role.

According to Career Cast, which is a major job research portal, the job of an advertising account executive is one of the most stressful out there. In 2010 it ranked 9th and in the previous year it ranked at 4th, beaten only by the roles of surgeon, commercial airline pilot and photojournalist. It was considered more stressful than roles such as real estate agent, physician (general practice), reporter and physician assistant. If you don’t believe me, check it out for yourself: http://www.careercast.com/jobs/content/JobsRated_StressfulJobs

Apparently “although not physically demanding, work in advertising is emotionally and mentally stressful. Competition and the pressure of acquiring and maintaining major accounts forces executives in this field to work long and irregular hours. The work requires a high level of creativity, meeting deadlines, close attention to detail and self-motivation.” This is a statement which I would whole-heartedly agree with.

Returning to the topic of me wondering whether my colleagues know what I do, I have decided to do a little research to find out. Tune in next week for the answers...

“I love talking about nothing. It is the only thing I know anything about.” Oscar Wilde

Nick Bartlett
Digital Strategy Director

I live in a world that seems to be endlessly noisy. From six in the morning when the kids wake up until late at night I’m constantly surrounded by noise, news, opinion and chatter. How much I pay attention to is up for debate but it got me thinking about how, when I sit down to write this, my mind suddenly goes blank.

Today’s “social” environment allows media, brands and individuals to have the ability to publish and push their content to me through a multitude of channels, without pause for breath. Time to formulate my own opinions outside of this noise seems to be a scarce commodity. Even those that carve through the noise with a more selective approach to content (using bookmarking and RSS feeds) are finding it hard to keep their sources under control. Natural curiosity gets fat online, thinking time is squeezed to make way for more content to satisfy the increasing cultural attitude toward being the first to know and to not “miss out.”
This balance of being useful vs needed is a tricky conundrum when brands approach their social media content strategy. Frequency is often the dominant determining factor rather than target audience considerations or quality; and although you have the ability, it doesn’t necessary mean what you’re publishing is useful, entertaining or most importantly interesting.

Saying things for the sake of saying things can do as much damage as saying nothing at all. Dull communications that don’t resonate lead to content blindness so that when you eventually have a golden nugget that could change your customer’s life, too late, they’re bored, ignoring you or even worse listening to your competition.

Writing blogs gives me the chance to stop and think. Although I started with a blank canvas, I’ve thought about you and how I could honestly create something useful with an opinion that creates a debate. Next time you’re looking at your brand or company’s social media activities, have a think about Oscar’s quote and see if it resonates!

Has it really been that long?

Paul Samuels
Art Director

The other morning I woke up to a rather startling realization, I realized that I had now officially been an Art Director for ten years. Now I’m not usually the most lucid person in the morning and more often than not first thoughts of the day have disappeared from my head in the time it takes me to get out of bed and walk the seven or eight short steps to the bathroom. This one, however, stayed with me and got me thinking.

It got me thinking about how - even in a space of time that has, from my perspective, flown by in a blur – things are really quite different to when I first started.

Way back in good old 2000, when we were briefed on a new campaign we’d be required to produce an ad that would feature in all sorts of journals, a mailer series that would, in all likelihood, end up in a dustbin, a detail aid and perhaps a quirky leavepiece or two. If we were lucky, we might get a bit of TV or radio thrown in as a treat.

Now we can enhance these ideas by going ‘all digital’. I know everyone’s saying it, and everyone’s trying to do it too, but that’s because it’s so worthwhile and it’s where the world is taking us.

New forms of websites where we can connect to vast audiences way beyond a mailing list, where we can be inclusive of all kinds of people and not just tell them what we think they should be told but actually ask them what they want to be told and what they need. We’re producing eDetails rather than just printed ones that allow our story to come to life beyond the printed page. Viral videos, email blasts, mobile phone applications and updatable tweets are all ways we are enhancing our more traditional creative thinking.

And it’s great. I’m no expert in this field so while I’m doing it I’m learning and that’s a great feeling. I mean look at me right now, I’m blogging for crying out loud! And even if it is a somewhat poor attempt, at least I’m giving it a go because, well, why wouldn’t you, this our world now so lets get involved and embrace it. Besides, I may be ten years as an Art Director but I never claimed to be any sort of writer.

Of course I still use all those familiar tools available to me – the still wonderful Photoshop for instance – but now I can enhance my visuals (or actually my ideas) by bringing them to life in After Effects. It’s pretty simple too, all it requires is a couple of highly skilled and willing accomplices within the studio – much gratitude fellas, you know who you are.

When I got my first job in advertising I went into the interview with nothing but an A3 portfolio and my enthusiasm. Who knows, maybe for my next one – not that I’m looking – all I’ll need is mobile phone. Or maybe an iPad. Do I like those yet? Not sure, think I might be coming around though.

PaulS