I was intrigued by this statement about talents in advertising from a recent initiative launched by the American Advertising Associations ‘Open Advertising’. There is indeed a new definition of advertising talents because the business of advertising is no longer just the narrowly defined meaning. In fact, an emerging trend is happening across the creative industry internationally. Everything is a remix. Nothing can be so clearly defined anymore.

The most dramatic results can happen when ideas are combined. By connecting ideas together, creative leaps can be made, producing some of history’s biggest breakthroughs.

– Kirby Ferguson

Swedish furniture giant IKEA diversifies in urban planning projects ‘Ikea-land’ and most recently have entered in home electronics market with debut product Uppleva. The brand is breaking away from just offering affordable flat-pack furniture to give people an all-round life-enhancing experience.

When Youtube goes “live” by rolling out live streaming platform featuring premium channels, they technically compete with traditional TV channels. They have outgrown their original positioning of ‘broadcast yourself’ essentially focusing on ‘video sharing’.

Social media is not just about getting ‘social’ anymore. When more than 50% of us have now learned about a major breaking news story via platform like twitter, social media has become a credible news-broadcasting platform.

Rock star Lenny Kravitz launched his debut furniture design in collaboration with iconic Italian furniture company Kartell and design personality Philippe Stark. Since establishing his practice Kravitz Design Inc in 2003, Lenny had been involved with multiple large-scale hotel projects, a collaboration with Swarovski. He is now a credible entertainer, artist and designer in one.

In the agency business, companies get multi-dimensional. Creative agencies no longer just satisfy with creating ads. Ad agencies are convinced that the full service preposition is losing its edge. Independent media planning agencies no longer content with the decoupled model and start creating and producing ads.

BBH developed BBH Labs in 1998. They describe themselves as a ‘global innovation unit’, focusing on ‘pioneering new outputs and approaches’. They represent a new generation of creative strategists who do not want to be bounded by conventional solutions, offering clients ‘marketing innovation as a powerful force for good’. Certainly hard for some of the clients to grasp what they actually offer or do, but possibly opening up a whole new agency model.

TBWA branches out product development arm Pilot.is, developing campaign management platform as marketable products. Perhaps it’s in recognition of the importance of implementation in the creative process?

Sid Lee Architecture was launched in 2009 as an extension of creative-services firm Sid Lee. Helmed by architects Jean Pelland and Martin Leblanc, Sid Lee Architecture combines branding with pure architectural know-how so the physical manifestation of a brand’s identity is just as solid as its advertising. Jean and Martin once said in an interview “We realized that we could create richer experiences by bringing in different disciplines. We have discussions now with brand strategists and copywriters, so we can produce a different type of architecture.” In practice, during the ideation processes, SLA will use the communication and branding insights from Sid Lee, then apply those to their designs. In terms of talents they also go for talents with hybrid skills. They hire architects, but those with special skills. Explained Jean and Martin “We won’t hire a digital-media artist, but we’ll hire an architect who can program. We won’t hire an illustrator but bring in someone who likes to draw.” Brand architect is no longer just a description of an integrated process but an emerging new discipline.

Hotshop agency such as Anomaly is unique in how they position themselves. The company develops its own intellectual property that it can license to clients in return for share in revenues. Their aspiration is to be a ‘product developing IP company’, marketing their own portfolio of IP as well as doing that for major brands. As the Nobel-Prize winning physicist Richard Feynman once said “What I cannot create I do not understand”, perhaps the only way to be able to provide your client a compelling marketing solution, is to have a firm understanding of each step of the reasoning involved.

It is not easy to break new ground. It is even scary to take risks at times. People continue questioning about what you do. But chances are, as Paul Arden said, “It’s the wrong way to think. But the right way to win.”