Herve de Clerck introduced the CP+B Europe team to the consultants with great excitement: "We've been waiting for four years to meet the CP+B team, and now here they are." No pressure then!
Chuck Porter admitted immediately that all agencies say the same thing. All agencies present a slide with client logos. All agencies only show you their positive, successful case studies.
Chuck Porter in Copenhagen
"I don't do these kind of presentations any more, I've done so many of them over the years. However, as a huge champion of the Europe office, I want to support them. I love the Europe team - and that's why I'm here".
On the structure of the agency, Chuck explained: "We have what we call factories. Because we're in the product business. What we build is ideas." These creative factories are in Boulder, Colorado, Miami, Florida, and Gothenburg, Sweden. There are also service offices in London and Madrid.
Chuck: "Our agency is not about advertising. We are about increasing our client's business. That's all we think about."
CP+B has been ranked as one of the top two interactive agency in the last five years - and CP+B is not a digital agency. Instead, CP+B comes from the world of traditional advertising, and works in an environment in which digital is the primary platform. It enables the agency to solve clients' problems in a unique way.
In terms of how the different factories work together, Chuck said: "we hate walls, we have no silos. Everybody works together - it makes the work better and we like that."
Anthony Glynn, Client Services Director, CP+B Europe, continued: "It doesn't feel like a network agency, it's one team spread across eight time-zones". It is achieved by using a lot of video conference facilities, by using technology to make that happen.
Anthony offered up 7 things about the agency that people may not know:
1. We believe that great advertising can re-align culture to suit a brand's unique strengths. Example: Microsoft 'I'm a PC' campaign.
2. We do this by exploiting cultural tensions to the brand's advantage. Example: Philips Nivea For Men.
Gustav Martner, ECD af CP+B Europe, based in Gothenburg, explained that "we're looking for untold truths."
Gustav Martner (left), Partner and Executive Creative Director, CP+B Europe
3. We believe your product is your best advertising. Example 1: Swedish Post's 'Magical Christmas Cards' campaign. Example 2: Burger King's development of chicken fries.
Gustav explained: "We recognise that product development or product enhancement is a powerful form of communication".
4. We use transparency as a business weapon. Example: SAS and SJ Trains.
Chuck recognises that sometimes, clients need to take a leap of faith on unusual campaigns. For this reason "all our work is at some level performance based. We learned that lesson a long time ago".
5. We embrace nowness. Example: Brammo electric motorcycles.
Gustav: "We see what sticks and then go with it. Campaigns become organic, real time and interactive".
6. We hire local experts for our global factories. Example: Burger King Spain.
CP+B Europe believes in trusting the local experts within the team. Even if most of the people in the team, from other cultures, don't get the humour in the ad.
7. We believe media planning is part of the creative process. Example: Burger King '***King Tasty' campaign.
The ad got banned from TV and flew virally.
Gustav: "So, ***king thank you for listening!"
Chuck Porter (centre), lunch at the Royal Opera House Copenhagen
