51: The story behind the world’s most boring advert for a sex toy client with Halo co-founder Nick Ellis

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This week, armed with the promise of sex and drugs and How Brands Grow, we’ve waded our way through gaggles of groupies to catch ex-rock star, pitch addict and award winning creative, Nick Ellis.

A respected strategic thinker and pre-watershed sex toy advert pioneer, Nick is Creative Partner & Co-Founder of Halo, a Design Week UK Top 100 independent brand agency based in Bristol. He has over 20 years’ experience working on significant global projects for clients including Jack Daniel’s, SEAT, BT, Live Nation, Ticketmaster, and Diageo.

He talks to us on his failed career as a rock star, running an agency, why he’s ashamed of his “womb room”, tips on creative briefing, the importance of account management, making the world’s most boring advert for a sex toy client and loads more. Tune up, plug in and enjoy.
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Follow Nick on Twitter

And on LinkedIn

Check out his agency Halo

Watch Wow How Now: A Creative Pitch Technique on ISOLATED Talks

And check out the slides from his ZeeMelt talk on Account Management
Hovering Art Directors on Tumblr

Nick’s book recommendations are:

How Brands Grow by Byron Sharp

Paid Attention by Faris Yakob

Delusions of Brandeur by Ryan Wallman

Strategy is Your Words by Mark Pollard

Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell

Slade House by David Mitchell

The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman
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