This is from the July issue of AdNews Magazine. To see it-print first, and to support AdNews, see here.
The creative contingent of adland is at the beating heart of the industry. To fully embrace this, and with a mission to create awesome and inspiring covers, each month AdNews hand–picks an agency to work its magic. The cover of the year is then voted for by readers.
To reflect this issue of AdNews' investigative feature on data and GDPR, we have called on The Royals, who were crowned AdNews Independent Agency of the Year 2017, to take on the challenge. Editor Pippa Chambers spoke with the agency's creative partner, Nick Cummins.
What were your initial thoughts on being asked to do the front cover of AdNews and your reaction to the GDPR/data privacy issue at hand?
Obviously we were honoured to be asked as one of the first few agencies to work on a cover concept and we knew we had to do something that made people think. We’ve been having a lot of conversations at The Royals about the benefits of letting brands access your data and also the dangers, so this felt like a topic that suited us. That being said, it is a tricky topic to bring to life in a simple and impactful way.
The one idea to rule them all — how did you know you'd landed on the best concept?
We had lots of conversations about great covers and what made them special. We wanted something that didn’t need a line to explain it. Something that didn’t feel like an ad. And most importantly, something that made people feel something about the topic. So, we decided to create a cover that reflected society’s fears about data privacy. The innocence of a young girl sharing her most private thoughts and experiences in the form of her diary with faceless corporates had the drama we were looking for.
Photographer: Chris Budgeon
Tell us about the shoot. Who shot this and how did it come together?
We were lucky to have our great friend Chris Budgeon shoot this. Chris is a master of lighting, which was important to build drama in this shot, and he is also incredibly skilled when it comes to working with talent and telling a story.
Any challenges on the day?
Our biggest challenge on the day was not freaking out Saffy, our hero talent. She did an amazing job.
Best bit about the process/any funny stories?
I think for us, the best part of this was the opportunity to create a simple, bold and pure thought that hopefully makes people feel something in one simple image.
See: AdNews July Edition: TV on top; Rob Galluzzo, Spam, data privacy
AdNews is proud to deliver strong, independent and credible news 24-hours a day, almost 365 days a year. And we know our free, online news helps power your career and knowledge. But, can we ask a small favour? To fund our ongoing commitment to delivering the best industry news, that you show your willingness to support us by taking a digital subscription to AdNews magazine? The cost is less than $50 for the entire year, and $4.94 per issue. Support AdNews. Support journalism.
Have something to say on this? Share your views in the comments section below. Or if you have a news story or tip-off, drop us a line at adnews@yaffa.com.au
Sign up to the AdNews newsletter, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for breaking stories and campaigns throughout the day.