Diaries of Roger Makak: The 10 Commandments According to Boyle

Happy Days

Seanie Boyle, my old Saatchi planning partner (who, for his sins, now works at JWT New York), was invited to speak at the 4As Transformation Conference in San Francisco recently.

It’s a dangerous thing to let a maverick Irishman on stage. Especially when you ask him to speak for no more than 4 minutes (he went over by a minute and a half, naughty boy). He gave the audience a sermon based on his STOP and START commandments.

Roger Makak, Asia’s most awarded advertising monkey, was impressed. “Although Sean has put on some weight, his words were lean and mean. His commandments should be watched by every adman that still cares about the business.”

Check out his video on youtube. Or if you haven’t got the time, here’s a quick summary of his points below, with a little bit of commentary by Roger.

1. Start telling the truth (we lie to each other, lie to our clients and we lie to consumers. Stop lying and start telling the truth. Unless it’s a spoof like a fake copywriter who’s really a monkey. Then that’s just good old fun).

2. Stop the bloody politics (Seanie reckons there’s too many money men in the business. And when things are all about money, instead of the work, politics become rampant. Put passion first, put money second. Unless you’re a monkey and then bananas should be pretty high on the list, too).

3. Start having fun again (we used to be the envy of the salary men. Now we’re just like them. We need to start swinging around).

4. Stop over thinking things (our business has got really complicated. People over analyze. It’s a simple business. Even a primate can do it).

5. Start doing something (we talk about stuff so much – I think this is particular to the US – that it takes years for stuff to get through. Stop talking. Stop Bullshitting and start doing).

6. Stop the incessant research (research is a crutch. Stop using it. Loads of it is bollocks anyway).

7. Start doing good (we should give back to the community. Why not take the money we spend on irrelevant award shows and start doing some good with it. Like ending homelessness. I’m alright, I’ve got a tree).

8. Stop banging on about digital (it doesn’t exist. It’s just the air that we breathe. Ideas are king, digital is just a channel).

9. Start ups again please (the big networks thought they had it all sewn up. But things happened – see previous 8 points above – which have given rise to independents. Seanie reckons the more the better. Has anyone called their agency APE yet?)

10. Stop using animals in commercials (every creative director in the US tries to sell a commercial with an animal in it. I think Sean’s being a little bit critical here. As far as I’m concerned, there’s far too much use of humans in ads).