Don't Be A Shitzu

The creative process is really interesting. Neil Finn (from Crowded House) says that, to be creative, he has to retreat to a minimalist setting to clear his mind. From there, he simply persists until an idea, a sound, a riff or some lyrics emerge. He has go-to themes and, along the way, there’s oodles of rubbish or outtakes, but the trick is to notice the gems hiding amongst them. So, for this series of responsible dog ownership videos for Ipswich City Council, WTTF engaged in a similar process (although, if you’ve seen Jason’s desk, you’d know it’s never minimalist). Embedded in the rough creative banter was a little diamond: “don’t be a Shih Tzu”. This play on words helped to move the project from 'lecture', to a space that’s slapstick funny and, as it turns out, engaging. At last count there were 45 000 unique, unsponsored views; an outstanding tally for a community announcement.   
Note: If you’d like to know more, you can watch Neil share his thoughts on creativity: https://medicine.yale.edu/psychiatry/education/grand/2012/0921.aspx.  

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Ipswich City Council

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