How I created the most successful agency of the 90’s - Rupert Howell, HHCL & Partners
Uncensored CMO19 Maj 2021

How I created the most successful agency of the 90’s - Rupert Howell, HHCL & Partners

Rupert Howell is one of the founders of the advertising agency HHCL & Partners famous for campaigns for Tango, The AA, Ronseal, First Direct and Go amongst to name just a few. They were awarded ‘Agency of the Decade’ by Campaign in the 1990’s and experienced phenomenal growth for over a decade before being sold to Chime.

We covered so much ground in this bumper 2 hour episode, so here's the list of what we touched upon:

  • How Rupert made HHCL the best agency of the 90’s
  • Ruperts New Business Mantra – Honesty. Respect. Trust.
  • Why saying ‘I don’t know’ and ‘we got it wrong’ is so important
  • How the agency’s sole focus is Advertising but the Clients sole focus is the business
  • Why new business should always be separate to the day to day account management
  • How Rupert became ‘the finest new business director of all time’
  • How to win a pitch even after you have lost it
  • Why the pitch process begins with the phone call and only ends when its announced in Campaign
  • The sole purpose of the pitch is to win and not to solve the clients business problem
  • Why HHCL had a strike rate of 65% for new business
  • What the company annual report can tell you for the pitch process
  • Why you should try and get your customer promoted
  • How Carling Black Label inspired the most successful Tango Advertising of all time
  • How Tango destroyed Fanta and forced Coke to withdraw it from the market
  • How a call from a Surgeon led to the Tango Slap commercial being withdraw from market
  • Why the ‘4th Emergency Service’ transformed The AA and how the bold idea was sold in
  • How spending time with an AA team out on a call led to the idea
  • The importance of winning your internal teams and why they matter as much as your customers
  • Interrogating the product until ‘it confesses its strength’
  • Why the harder you practice the luckier you get is just as true for an agency
  • The real hard yards of the start-up phase that meant not taking a day off in 3 years
  • How tabloids create controversy and how to respond to it
  • Why relationships are the secret to really succeeding in business
  • Turning down offers to sell the agency including a £1million bribe
  • Why HHCL accepted an offer from Chime with the support from Sir Martin Sorrell
  • Why so few agencies ever succeed after being acquired by a network
  • Why HHCL was never the same after Rupert left and why he would never go back
  • The importance of timing for Founders handing over to the next generation
  • Dealing with bullies, bribary and negotiating an exit from McCann with a boat & DB9 as consolation
  • Which celebrities are still speaking to Rupert after he left ITV
  • Why social media is driven by click bait and negative headlines
  • Why you should give up the news, except perhaps local news
  • The Pros and Cons of a British free press
  • How to get a non-exec role


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Scott Galloway on the end of the brand era, monetising rage and how to create wealth

Scott Galloway on the end of the brand era, monetising rage and how to create wealth

Scott Galloway is Professor of Marketing at NYU Stern School of Business and host of the Prof G and Pivot podcasts. In this episode Prof G lives up to the billing as the most uncensored guest on the podcast ever. We cover lots of ground, including his secret to success with Prof G media, what the #1 skill for all marketers should be, why brand is dead and how to build wealth. We recorded this episode as Scott releases his new book The Algebra of Wealth: A Simple Formula For Success, buy on Amazon UK, or US.LinksJon's LinkedInJon's TwitterWatch the Uncensored CMO on YouTubeTimestamps00:00:00 - Intro00:00:57 - 25 year overnight success00:01:28 - Scott’s biggest failures00:07:38 - How Scott scaled himself00:13:24 - Daniel Kahneman’s impact on Scott00:20:26 - How social media has a negative impact on the world00:28:45 - Scott Galloway on being late00:31:14 - The most important skill for a marketer00:33:32 - The Era of Brand is Dead00:40:19 - Scott’s new book opening Aurelius quote00:42:53 - The power of compound interest00:43:53 - Scott’s advice to young people00:48:33 - Growing your network grows wealth00:56:33 - What does the agency of the future look like?01:03:33 - How to get social media right01:04:50 - Why big firms should stop certification based hiring

1 Maj 20241h 11min

From bust to Boom! How Red Bull, ITV and Lloyds supercharge their people for serious growth - Scott Morrison

From bust to Boom! How Red Bull, ITV and Lloyds supercharge their people for serious growth - Scott Morrison

Today we're talking about more Boom! and less bust with Scott Morrison, the inspirational, energizing coach that teaches marketing teams how to be more successful, how to turn around business, how to win pitches and more.Timestamps00:00 - Intro00:47 - Where did the name Boom come from01:31 - Scott’s background at Saatchi&Saatchi04:57 - What is Nike’s secret sauce09:48 - Scott’s career failures13:27 - Working on the Diesel brand17:37 - How to go from bust to Boom!40:11 - How to pitch to CMOs

24 Apr 202449min

A CMO Masterclass - how John Lewis redefined emotional advertising - Craig Inglis

A CMO Masterclass - how John Lewis redefined emotional advertising - Craig Inglis

Today we're talking about what makes a great CMO. One of the CMOs that I've admired throughout his career is Craig Inglis, who famously was a CMO for John Lewis for many years, making those ads that you saw at Christmas and really defining the genre of Christmas advertising.Timestamps00:00:00 - Intro00:00:50 - Craig’s marketing background00:02:25 - Craig’s biggest marketing failures00:09:34 - How to have a long tenure as a CMO00:13:24 - How to be a great CMO00:23:53 - Guessing the most emotional John Lewis ads00:28:50 - How to move from rational to emotional strategy in retail00:31:17 - How to sell in creative ideas to rational CEOs and CFOs00:36:00 - The business impact of Monty the Penguin for John Lewis00:38:50 - How John Lewis ads does long and short00:41:00 - Focusing on customer experience00:51:48 - From large consumer brands to B2B00:55:11 - Being the chair of the Marketing Society01:00:34 - Working for The Entertainer

17 Apr 20241h 2min

Should’ve gone to Specsavers, how a simple brand idea created a winning vision for the company - Peter Wright & Nicola Wardell

Should’ve gone to Specsavers, how a simple brand idea created a winning vision for the company - Peter Wright & Nicola Wardell

One of my favourite campaigns of all time is "Should've Gone to Specsavers" an idea that has completely transformed the Specsavers business. I speak to their CMO, Peter Wright and the MD of their in house creative team, Nicola Wardell, about how they've taken the idea and produced some of the best advertising on the System1 database.Watch the episode on YouTube.Timestamps:00:00 - Intro00:59 - How Peter and Nicola ended up on Guernsey03:02 - The Specsavers story04:37 - The secret to Specsavers’ success09:04 - Family owned vs corporate business10:38 - How the “should’ve gone to Specsavers” line was created14:17 - The world’s longest running straplines16:17 - The serious case for humour - Tower Block ad20:18 - Specsavers Vet Ad21:14 - A cross channel idea24:29 - Why Specsavers do all creative in house25:52 - How to attract talent to Guernsey29:23 - Being the client and the agency33:56 - Advice for creating an in-house team34:37 - Wear in vs wear out at Specsavers43:08 - Creating the culture at Specsavers50:14 - Launching the audiology business53:38 - How technology will shape the future of the business56:07 - Peter and Nicola’s proudest work

10 Apr 202457min

How Guinness became Britain's favourite pint - Stephen O'Kelly, Global Brand Director

How Guinness became Britain's favourite pint - Stephen O'Kelly, Global Brand Director

How does someone create advertising for a brand that is over 150 years old? That is exactly what Stephen O'Kelly has been tasked with as Global Brand Director at Guinness, one of the most iconic brands in the world. Recorded from the Connoisseur bar at the Guinness Storehouse in Dublin, this episode of Uncensored CMO is special. Not just because of how much history is involved in the brand, but the fact that Stephen is a fourth generation employee, carrying on the legacy of his family.

3 Apr 202448min

Copy that works, a copywriting masterclass with Vikki Ross

Copy that works, a copywriting masterclass with Vikki Ross

Vikki Ross is a copywriting expert. Having worked for some major brand in the past two decades, she knows a thing or two about branding and tone of voice. This episode is a copywriting masterclass. We start by delving into the principles of great copy, before looking at it in action with our very own Copy Safari (where we go out into the world to find real ads), and then round off by asking the big question; is AI going to replace copywriters?LinksEats, Shoots and Leaves bookElements of F*cking Style bookBland BookVikki's TwitterVikki's LinkedInTimestamps00:00:00 - Intro00:00:59 - How Vicki got into copywriting00:03:53 - Advice for people wanting to get into copywriting00:07:34 - Why are car ads so bad?00:09:39 - Is copywriting intimidating?00:11:26 - Why copywriters need a good brief00:14:50 - When copy goes wrong00:18:17 - The principles of great copy00:23:03 - This sentence has five words00:25:49 - Power of a six word story00:26:47 - #CopySafari00:30:13 - Prime - It’s Right Here00:31:58 - Nurofen and Nuromol00:35:28 - Why marketers should work with lawyers00:38:39 - Uber Eats - Just a tap away00:41:19 - Subway - Saver Subs00:43:00 - Lebara Mobile - Blady Blah00:44:27 - Sacla - Spaghetti You Won’t Forgetti00:45:56 - Monday.com - Meet your power suite00:47:32 - TFL - See it, say it, sorted00:49:42 - Greatest copywriting examples of of recent times00:52:00 - Vikki’s favourite campaigns she’s worked on00:55:05 - Will AI take copywriter’s jobs?01:03:28 - Advice for clients on copy

27 Mars 20241h 6min

Ritson on Advertising Effectiveness with special guest Guilherme Ferreira VP Global Marketing Cadbury

Ritson on Advertising Effectiveness with special guest Guilherme Ferreira VP Global Marketing Cadbury

We're doing things a little bit differently this week. I've just recorded a webinar with Mark Ritson on advertising effectiveness with a very special guest, the VP for global marketing, Gui Ferreira from Mondelez. They are responsible for some of the epic Cadbury work that has scored right at the top of the System1 charts. We discussed what makes their advertising so good, what are the principles of advertising effectiveness and what can we learn?Watch the ads referenced in this podcast:Cadbury GarageOreo TwistTimestamps:00:00 Intro03:23 Why creativity matters04:31 Investing in creativity08:00 Being forced into short term tactics10:46 How to write a better brief14:45 Distinctive assets (Oreo Ad)20:10 Cadbury Garage Ad22:07 Orlando Chart23:21 Cadbury Generosity27:24 How Cadbury approaches creative development29:22 Data vs creative judgement32:53 How to measure creative40:15 Q&A

20 Mars 202448min

How Liquid Death founder, Mike Cessario, created a billion dollar water brand

How Liquid Death founder, Mike Cessario, created a billion dollar water brand

Today I'm joined by Mike Cessario, the founder and CEO of Liquid Death, a water brand worth $1.4b. With the use of creative brand marketing and punk aesthetic, Mike was able to break into the biggest beverage category in the US and disrupt market dominated by huge brands such as Coke and Pepsi. This is a truly inspirational story on how you can defy the odds, break convention, disrupt a category and do it all on a shoestring budget. If you're a challenger brand, this is a must listen.Timestamps00:00:00 - Intro00:01:10 - Mike’s background00:06:24 - Mike’s brandy startup00:10:33 - Navigating regulation00:12:46 - The benefits of being an outsider distrupting an industry00:14:57 - Coming up with the idea for Liquid Death00:19:30 - How to create an innovative brand00:23:48 - Selling the Liquid Death concept00:27:08 - Raising money for Liquid Death00:29:50 - Launching on Amazon00:30:52 - Generating demand in the early days00:31:46 - Figuring out distribution networks for the drinks industry00:35:45 - Why limited budgets helped Liquid Death grow00:44:11 - Why D2C was pivotal for Liquid Death00:46:12 - Liquid Death’s unique Super Bowl campaign00:49:54 - The power of the Liquid Death merch00:53:00 - Innovation for the future of Liquid Death00:54:15 - Scaling and exit00:56:02 - Having famous investors00:57:29 - Maintaining the challenger spirit01:01:58 - Mike’s advice to aspiring founders

13 Mars 20241h 4min

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