We all know that the day-in day-out work-a-day world of being in a creative agency is not always filled with euphoric moments of creative epiphany, and that's why nights and weekends should be for seeking out inspiration, sometimes in the form of wild, decadent good old-fashioned 90s-style night clubbing.
If you are pressured to consistently develop creative campaigns, be it digital or traditional, in advertising, marketing, public relations or social media, it is the world around you that is going to give you that jolt of insight for a client. For this I prescribe clubbing. Iggy Pop's song Nightclubbing should be ringing in your head now. Can you hear his lyrics about exploring urban delights until the wee morning hours?
However, your inspiration may come not from dull mega West End night spots, but from the pits of seedy grime in far flung postal codes. I'm thinking about this now, because I went out over the weekend for Halloween, but was a little surprised at the lack of outrageous costumes I found across London, clearly the clubbing generation has changed a lot from my 90s heydays. In fact, most people didn't bother to dress up at all.
I'm told that is because Halloween isn't really big in the UK, and that part (I'm a New Yorker living in London) is one of my cultural learnings here. So, being one of a handful of people who dressed to the nines for Halloween, and felt like more of a spectacle than I expected, I'm encouraging all the young creative people I know at agencies this week to go out clubbing, 90s-style and bring back some inspiration that might apply to a client campaign.
I'm showing my age, as I remember going out clubbing and finding the legendary "club kids" showing off like peacocks like Richie Rich, RuPaul and Amanda Lepore (who some of my friends affectionately nicknamed "Amanda Le Whore".) Back in the 90s club scene, nearly everyone would be out showcasing creativity with outfits, dancing and sometimes outrageous antics. My day job at the time was with a big agency, and unfortunately, a lot of the executives made fun of me for clubbing, as I'd get outted because it was awfully hard to get all the glitter off by Monday morning. Yet, many of those same executives dragged me into numerous brainstorming sessions, when they wanted some creative insight.
Now, mentoring junior creatives, I'm encouraging them to seek out the most creative night club scene they can find and come come back and report in Monday AM meetings. How can you be creative if you aren't living creatively?
Still creativly clubbing now and then,
-Lisa
*Photo of Richie Rich courtesy of Newyorksocialdiary.com
Sing along with Iggy Pop:
Nightclubbing we're nightclubbing We're what's happening Nightclubbing we're nightclubbing We're an ice machine We see people brand new people They're something to see When we're nightclubbing Bright-white clubbing Oh isn't it wild? Nightclubbing we're nightclubbing We're walking through town Nightclubbing we're nightclubbing We walk like a ghost We learn dances brand new dances Like the nuclear bomb When we're nightclubbing Bright white clubbing Oh isn't it wild...
You should go out again for Guy Fawkes night instead, it's bigger than Halloween in the UK to the best of my knowledge.... but I may be wrong
Great article!! Yes, I too had my 90s heyday when UK club culture reached its apotheosis. Think the 'super club' phenomenon helped to make the scene passé which was an inevitable by-product of the great-for-its-time warehouse rave. Clubbing back then felt like holy communion, so yes the creative juices would flow endlessly.
Lisa Devaney
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Member since: 14 Jun 2008
Last login: 16 Nov 2009
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