Styling The Market

Rapp Collins headquarters are based in New York, 437 Madison Avenue. He is the greatest leader for marketing solutions with more than 2900 professionals working in 70 agencies across 33 countries. We met 3 talented directors of contemporary creation, Gavin Twigger (from Dallas), Rachel Heapps (from New York) and Isabelle Delatouche (from Paris). Heading those three Rapp Collins offices, these famous creators have been in the last years the wiser on-lookers of the expertise system in marketing solution, both traditional and multimedia. We invited them to play for RHIZOME and they generously provided their time to create this interview. We melt and reform the term -marketing style- to reanimate some art practice outside the content of the art world community.

_______________________________________________________________________________________
Fabrice Monier Euphrate: How long does it take to design any interface ?
Gavin Twigger : Interface design depends primarily on the complexity of the project. Before we start designing we have an Information Architect develop a wire frame that the designers adhere to. The size of the project and the complexity of the site/microsite will determine how long the creative process will take. Inevitably, the interface of the site will dictate how the creative execution plays out. We have completed interface design in as little as a couple of days, whereas a complete site design may take weeks. I think it also depends on the individual designing the piece; sometimes the creative comes together very quickly and other times it may take quite some time.
Rachel Heapps : It depends on the complexity of the website and the design. Prior to the design phase, the designers need to understand how many pages need to be developed for the entire site. Information architects sort through content and develop user scenarios and wireframes to inform the design team. The first phase of the initial design usually includes a home page and a few lower level pages. This process usually takes a few and should allow us enough time to establish an initial look and feel that will carry throughout the site.
Isabelle Delatouche:
Rapp Collins is not only a new media agency. We work with our in-house agency, Tribal, on these problems. It happens often, it is true, although it does not belong to our expertise range. It took us time to work well with Tribal: our agency culture is to take on problems at the source, to think marketing strategy and creative strategy before to produce anything. On the other hand, Tribal put themselves in front of the screen and offer a site, a style etc. Today, we teach them how to take a step back, how to always seek the coherence that is always guiding us. On the other side, we rely on their reflexes, their practical and technical knowledge, their spontaneity of inveterate web surfers. Thus we are always going towards a better integration.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
What about idea research and development ?

Gavin Twigger : The creative process usually involves the following; Creative Director, Art Directors and Copy Writers, though it’s not uncommon to have Account Services and Producers take part in brainstorming sessions. It’s during these times that ideas are formulated and it becomes the role of the design team to develop concepts into a workable strategy. Brainstorm sessions can vary in time from a few hours to many hours over several days, though timeframes usually dictate that brainstorm sessions be kept as short as possible.
Rachel Heapps : A great idea can come from anywhere. Our brainstorming sessions include representatives from every area and discipline in the agency. This allows members of the technology, information architecture and the creative team to contribute to the ideas and bring their unique expertise to the table. Ideas can start small and grow into innovative ideas simply by having a technology person involved in the brainstorm.
Isabelle Delatouche: I fundamentally believe that what counts is the idea, to find the right concept and translating it in the most powerful way, no matter the media. And also that we shall not let the technology guide us. We develop it: we do trainings in creativity with movie producing, numeric movies shooting, editing on iMovie: numeric becomes so accessible that we can do whatever we want. We offer more and more little movies to our clients, for their websites or e-mailings. We had Jean-Marc Barr and Pascal Arnold coming to show us their movie ‘too much flesh’ shot in numeric. They told us of their very special way of doing it. It was utterly interesting.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Do you have any plans for the interactive creative space next generation ?

Gavin Twigger : Next generation of the online space, particularly broadband connectivity, will offer the designer more flexibility in their design as we gradually move away from developing narrowband content. With the additional speed we will be able to interact with the consumer at a deeper level and gain a better understanding of their actions. I’m looking forward to the promised convergence of television and the Internet.
Rachel Heapps : I would like to see ‘interactive’ mean more than websites, banners, or even PDA applications. I believe the future of interactive creative extends beyond the gray box on our desktops and into the lives we currently lead. Bar code scanners are playing a huge role in this, like self-checkout systems in grocery stores. Even something as simple as wireless internet creates a more human experience, allowing you to sit in your favorite chair and access your bank account.
Isabelle Delatouche: Also, the web and the multimedia in general influence us a lot. Creators surf daily, they look for info, for new websites, surprising graphics. As soon as someone finds a site he likes, he sends it to everyone. The web also influences the print outlook. Today; we do not build a page the way we used to, the way it is read, from left to right and up to down. It shifts, it changes and the page becomes a space that allows every path, the visual wealth of sites of all kinds irrigates the eye and ideas of all creators.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Any other ideas for future creative products ?

Gavin Twigger : Watch this space! We are always looking for new talent and opportunities in interactive. I hope technology advances will allow us to express our creativity at even deeper levels.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Do you think that the marketing service give a restriction of poetic space ?

Gavin Twigger : The quality of creative should not, and at Rapp does not, depend on the requirements of the piece. There are obviously times when we feel restricted by a marketing goal; sometimes the goal is so specific that the designer can tend to feel restricted, but it’s up to the designer to make their mark on the piece, regardless of how hard the Marketing group drives the piece in a particular direction. Every piece of creative should meet the expectations of the client and the internal Account Services group, but not at the expense of a poor creative.
Rachel Heapps : Usually the more specific the objective (i.e. online sales), the more poetic space is restricted. We need to focus on developing clear and concise creative and messaging to inform the user and provide a path to a sale. However, if the main objective is branding, there is a lot more creative freedom to explore new and different ideas. We simply want to engage users to spend more time with the brand and a unique idea can usually do exactly that.
Isabelle Delatouche : What an odd question. I am not sure I understand it. The strength of a creator is to use his own background, what he likes, what he is, in his work as material. I definitely think that advertising, whatever its form, is an applied art. It is effective and attractive partly because it has a playful vocation. To defend this view point, we have to make announcers understand that they need to be generous in their messages, that they can not only be commercial and informative to be seen. One has to make people smile, bring something new, beautiful, in order to create connivance and not be rejected or invisible. Poetry is the part of pure inspiration that escapes the censorship of consensus and, at the end, gives a unique colour to the message.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Do you have a marketing vision of architecture?

Isabelle Delatouche : As far as architecture, design, art etc. are concerned, artists are researcher in aesthetic. Every creator owes it to himself to always pay attention to art to feel, sense where is today’s artistic expression. Designers and architects are close to our thinking processes: they also try to create coherent systems, to solve problems, find new and convincing solutions. They are always on creators’ minds. Last year we all went working one day in Bordeaux to see the exhibition on the City organised by Jean Nouvel. It was utterly interesting. Fashion also inspires us, creators’ fashion… But it is very French I must say. We go to the FIAC every year. We went to the Palais de Tokyo opening nights. We often talk of the last exhibition, to know what to see, what is interesting out there, everything that can shake our brain cells and ideas. We know that advertisers are cheeky copycats. I prefer to say that they popularise art and graphic trends.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
How many brand identity do you produce of a given model ?

Gavin Twigger : How much money does the client want to spend? Before we start work the client has signed of on a Statement of Work which outlines specifically what the client can expect for the hours that we spend on project. Generally speaking, we try and get a feel of what the client wants by using trend or mood boards to help the client understand what they are asking for. From there we develop a brand identity and usually offer several solutions, and through refinement arrive at a piece that is mutually acceptable to all parties.
Rachel Heapps : Typically, when developing new brands online, we create moodboards explore different attributes of the brand personality. We use the moodboards in focus groups to research and understand how our targets respond to the online representation of the brand.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Don’t you make models specially for the Japanese ?

Gavin Twigger : Some of our clients are global and have faces in various countries outside the USA. Rapp Collins is also a global company and can meet the demands of any client, here or abroad. If we need to produce work for another country we can work closely with our other groups to provide creative suitable to that market. I think it would be foolish to think we can be all things to all men.
Rachel Heapps : If Japanese is required, we look to our global offices and partners to develop creative that is appropriate for the local market.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Is there a design star at Rapp Collins ?

Gavin Twigger : We are all stars! We all have our strengths and our weaknesses and it’s the combination of both across the close-knit teams that produces success.
Rachel Heapps : Everyone on the team is a star and contributes unique talents including illustration, 3D design, flash and typography.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
May I ask the salary of creative director ?

Gavin Twigger : All salaries are strictly private and confidential.
_______________________________________________________________________________________

How do you get a head of advertising ?

Gavin Twigger : Set personal goals and surpass them. Be a team player and try to have fun!
Rachel Heapps : Work hard, be a team player and always have fun!
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Do you pay attention to new media art ?
Gavin Twigger : We have to. We have to understand what is going on outside our sphere. New media art is a great way for creative individuals to express themselves and have a global audience. We send each other links on cool sites we might come across and this helps to keep us all informed.
Rachel Heapps : Yes. As difficult as it is, we all try to keep each other informed as a team. There is simply too much information and technology developing every day to keep ahead.
Isabelle Delatouche : Young creators have a natural affinity with the web, many have their site, they play with it. There are as many copywriters as AD who do it. The multimedia culture is here, “dans nos murs”.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Do you have an exciting new project coming out ?

Gavin Twigger : Everything we do is exciting! We try and keep things as fresh as possible and push the envelope. I’d love to show you things we are working on but we all have to sign confidentiality agreements that protect both the client and ourselves.
Rachel Heapps : Unfortunately, the most exciting new projects are the ones we cannot talk about until they are launched. All I can say is that we are continually looking for ways to create interactive experiences that are personal and unique to the consumer.

_______________________________________________________________________________________
Do you look at what kids do with computer – Do you get inspiration from internet web site ?

Gavin Twigger : We try and keep a look out for all sorts of cool things happening on the web. We have to stay educated and informed of the sort of trends that very often start out on the street and over time become mainstream. There are some remarkably creative people out there producing creative just for the fun of it – I love seeing what people can do just for themselves.
Rachel Heapps : We are constantly trying to stay ahead of the trends and understand how children and teens are using computers and technology. We host internships for students from the University of Colorado which sponsors a program that supports research and emerging technologies.

_______________________________________________________________________________________
Do you make more concessions to non-design departments than you would like ?

Gavin Twigger : No. We have to work as a team - a very big team! Everybody outside of work represents a consumer at every level so we use him or her to bounce ideas off. Remember, there is no such thing as a bad idea in design.
Rachel Heapps : No. Ultimately, everyone in every department represents the consumer. So, non-design departments help guide the usability and practicallity that can sometimes diluted in the creative process.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Who designed the Rapp Collins logo ?

Gavin Twigger : Interbrand – the company.
Isabelle Delatouche : I do not know who has created Rap Collins’ logo, shame on me. I am not crazy about it, I find it too dated. It is subjective.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
What do you think of the mailing of America and the globe ?

Gavin Twigger : Different countries have different requirements. You cannot simply translate from one language to another; so many nuances are not replicable in a different language. Each piece of global creative needs to be sympathetic to the audience.
Rachel Heapps : Global creative need to be localized not translated. Therefore we are sensitive to the unique differences in each market and have experts to address these differences at a local level.
Isabelle Delatouche : There is no Rap Collins’ model. Our network relies on people, not on structures. It seems to me that this network has a culture of exchange, opening and independence. No orders coming from the USA, no president of the world but a decentralised enough system that offers regular meeting points in order that everybody learns from what others are doing. There is no ‘party line’. Cultural differences are important. We find American messages very commercial, not surprising. They must find ours too intellectual and ‘aestheticising’. We feel closer to what Dutch and English do.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Any opportunities ?

Gavin Twigger : Call the HR department of your nearest Rapp Collins location for employment opportunities.

www.rappcollins.com

This project was conducted by Fabrice Monier for RHIZOME, courtesy EUPHRATE Paris translated from the French by Sophie Dupre. Special thanks to Sigrid Roger for TRIBE and Len Stein for VISIBILITY New York for their advice.