derek walker @dereklwalker Twitter profile

Last Seen Profiles

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@GrangePE

derek walker

@dereklwalker

2 months

An agency I was working at announced in a company-wide meeting that they were going to lay off 70 employees. They went over the reasons why this was needed. The CEO asked if their were any questions. My hand shot up. (Read your policy manual. Learn basic tenets of business)

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derek walker

@dereklwalker

2 months

After the meeting, the head of HR said to me. "Now I have to inform leadership that they can't lay you off without it looking like retaliation. Nice move." "What? All I did was ask questions and give suggestions," I said. We chuckled. It took almost 2 years for them to get me.

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derek walker

@dereklwalker

2 months

Working for others isn't a fair process. There are rules but they're only rules when people adhere to them. Knowing policy and how business works can only make you a better professional. And give you a small measure of protection. Learn to document everything, keep records.

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derek walker

@dereklwalker

2 months

If it isn't in writing or on a recording, it doesn't exist and it didn't happen. When you realize that things ain't right at work, make sure you have records. Things said in person need to be put into emails or texts or messages. Screenshot and save everything to your storage.

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derek walker

@dereklwalker

2 months

Me: "You said we had not reached profit goals, and that is the reason for the layoffs." Him: "Yes." Me: "So, we are not losing money?" Him: "No." Me: "We are laying folks off not because we didn't make profit. We're laying people off because we didn't make enough profit."

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derek walker

@dereklwalker

2 months

The room collectively gasped as employees realized that we were laying folks off not because we were not making profit but because we weren't making "enough" profit. I peppered the leadership team with questions and suggestions around alternatives to laying people off.

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derek walker

@dereklwalker

2 months

"Before I ask my question, I want to make sure I'm clear that our 'open door' policy means that as long as I respectful I can't be punished for my questions," I asked. The head of HR shot me a glance, our eyes locked and I smiled. Before HR interject, the CEO replied, "yes."

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derek walker

@dereklwalker

2 months

@KieranO I am so glad you asked this. Respect is earned. I liked management for the most part until they revealed themselves. They started to talk down to employees, they lied to both clients and employees. They were not like this when the shop was smaller. They changed with success.

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derek walker

@dereklwalker

2 months

@prod_w_attitude I wish I could say that I learned this without being burned too but I can't. That moment when you realize there is no proof, and it is your word against theirs, and you are screwed. That moment sucks.

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derek walker

@dereklwalker

2 months

@MattyB I did not say they were wrong for acting to increase profit. They presented their actions as if the agency was not making enough revenue - on purpose. That is misleading. This post was about knowing how to protect yourself as an employee. I spoke up and survived, sort of.

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derek walker

@dereklwalker

3 years

Finally, the truth.

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derek walker

@dereklwalker

4 years

Can we all agree that if advertising is going to keep these insane deadlines and turn-around times, then we must reduce the amount of meetings and time in meeting that we have. It pulls people away from doing the actual work.

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derek walker

@dereklwalker

4 years

Advertising creatives "working" does not look like "work." Let that marinate for a bit. When creatives come together to work, they may talk about anything or nothing or everything in-between. The path to developing a creative idea is not linear, it wanders around a bit.

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derek walker

@dereklwalker

3 years

Dear advertising people (clients too), there are no cool accounts, products, and/or services to work on. Stop thinking it's the assignment that makes for cool and creative advertising. No. It's the advertising that makes them interesting, cool and desirable. That's the job.

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derek walker

@dereklwalker

4 years

I love my ex-wife. When I was sick with Covid, and trying to keep the business going, which only made me sicker, this was her advice: “Let it all burn. You can rebuild whatever you lose, but you don’t get a second life. Take care of you first. Your sons need you.”

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derek walker

@dereklwalker

2 years

Hello everyone, The surgery went well! I am now minus one cancerous prostate. I will be up and walking in a few minutes, and then hopefully on my way home. Thank you all for everything. I want to list names but there are so many of you who have made me feel so loved! Thank you!

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derek walker

@dereklwalker

2 years

No freelancer or contractor should have to wait 30 days or more to be paid. Not. A. One.

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derek walker

@dereklwalker

4 years

I still battling this Covid thing but I wanted to thank everyone for the thoughts. I'm not used to being this sick. I've been offline 7 days. I wanted to stop by and say, "thank you." I mean it from the bottom of my heart - thank you! See you in a few days.

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derek walker

@dereklwalker

2 years

I was going to save this for tomorrow morning so my smart advertising loving friends overseas were awake to comment but I can't wait. I was in the mall when nature called - these over the urinals. This team did not view ads in the men's restroom as a throwaway job.

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derek walker

@dereklwalker

4 years

Agencies produce so much bad advertising because there are so many bad client/agency relationships. Clients don't trust the ideas generated by the agencies enough to leave them alone. A "great" idea becomes an"okay" idea as it goes through the approval process.

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derek walker

@dereklwalker

2 years

"Where did you get this from?!" the marketing director asked, "It's not in the brief. We can't say that!" "I got it from your CEO. He said it in the meeting. I wrote it down exactly. I thought it was cool," I say. The room turns to the CEO. He nods. Copy approved as is.

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derek walker

@dereklwalker

4 years

I'm not angry. I'm tired. I'm afraid. As the dad of 2 Black young men (ages 25 & 27), I'm afraid. And I've been afraid for them since the days they were born. And that I've had to be afraid for them this long, doesn't sit well with my soul.

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derek walker

@dereklwalker

2 months

It is done.

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derek walker

@dereklwalker

4 years

I've been battling the virus the last few days. This has been hard. I'm going off-line to focus on recovering. Be safe

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derek walker

@dereklwalker

10 months

This copywriter's confession: I have no idea how I come up with copy or headlines. This is especially true for concepts also. Either I can do it or not. I don't think about how I do it, I simply do it. I marvel at those who can tell you how they do it because I'm pure chaos.

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derek walker

@dereklwalker

3 years

You don't have to be smart to do great marketing and advertising, not in the traditional sense of grades and degrees. You do have to be inquisitive and perceptive about human beings.

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derek walker

@dereklwalker

2 years

Burger King is struggling despite having some of the most talk about work, NOT because they had some of the most talked about ads. No ads can fix: Poor customer service Inconsistent food quality Dirty or old looking stores Lack of staffing There's a famous quote about this.

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derek walker

@dereklwalker

2 months

@drewharkins Hey, I surprised me.😂 I figured people running an agency that was 'printing money' could see what I was about to do, but nope.

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derek walker

@dereklwalker

5 years

I'm actually crying in front of Starbucks on the phone with a Black creative who got his first full time advertising job in 5 years. "I've been janitoring at Frito Lay for 2 years and unloading trucks at Home Depot for 4 years at the same time... God is good." A great Friday!

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derek walker

@dereklwalker

2 years

I miss the advertising industry that was home to non-conformists and unprofessional folk.

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derek walker

@dereklwalker

1 year

@cbr_OLU I am not sure if it is an indictment, when this is picture I grew up with knowing him. It is all about what history book you studied from.

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derek walker

@dereklwalker

1 month

Every creative should attend and participate in a: • Photo shoot • Radio production • TV/video production • Press check of some kind • Casting session Trust me. Even if you only attend and do it once, it will make you a better professional. I'm sure I missed something.

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derek walker

@dereklwalker

17 days

We so disrespect writing copy, that we insist that copywriters write it in real-time with people having the ability to comment, change and critique as it is written. It's like expecting a cake but changing the recipe as a person mixes the batter. The level of disrespect.

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derek walker

@dereklwalker

8 months

Advertising saved my dad's life. This is not hyperbole. It was a Friday evening around 6pm. I was home visiting my dad. We were talking when he started to slur his words and his memory was messed up. I asked my dad to say is A-B-C's, and he couldn't. My dad was stroking.

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derek walker

@dereklwalker

4 years

The videos peaceful protests and the police responding violently are starting to wear many people down. The weight of all this anger and hate directed at people trying to tell the world how hurt they are is so depressing. Now, you understand a portion of being Black.

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derek walker

@dereklwalker

4 years

Psst. Here's a secret. Don't tell anyone. Promise? Cool. Advertising is simple. We in advertising mucked it up to justify our compensation and our existence. No presentation needs 30+ slides - ever. The idea should be strong enough to sell itself, if not - start over.

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derek walker

@dereklwalker

4 years

I opened an advertising agency because my career trajectory was always out the door, not up the ladder. No matter how good my work, the awards won or accolades given by clients, I knew I was not going to be allowed to rise. And I was told this directly.

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derek walker

@dereklwalker

5 years

I've been the "Black person in the room." My speaking up has gotten me removed from the account and even let go. It can't be our job to save White brands, agencies and workers from themselves. This is an unfair burden. It kills careers. And the price on the soul is too high.

Heide Gardner

@heide_gardner

5 years

When you are the “one” in the room who can keep brands safe: “It remains your responsibility to both suffer the racism and find the power to speak out against that racism, all while not alienating making even your most well-meaning White cowokers uneasy.”

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derek walker

@dereklwalker

4 years

Has an advertising CEO stepped up to the microphone yet, and said anything meaningful and honest about changing their advertising agency for the better? I think I missed that moment. Maybe they sent out an inspiring email or posted an internal video to show their support?

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derek walker

@dereklwalker

4 years

Why am I going to keep posting about diversity and inclusion in advertising while all of this is going on? Because it is connected. How we see each other is more than on the news, it is how we see each other in person that matters, and work is where this happens.

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derek walker

@dereklwalker

2 years

There's absolutely no sweeter feeling than to sit on the hiring committee when your former creative director who treated you like crap, "borrowed" your ideas as his own, and laid you off to make room for his buddy, walks in for an interview after being fired for not performing.

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derek walker

@dereklwalker

2 years

Advertising people working through the holidays is not a good look. I don't care if it is new business on a huge account, or that other industries are working. It is a horrible trend. Our work are mental work, meaning we don't clock out or log off. Our people need the break.

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derek walker

@dereklwalker

1 year

Never trust an advertising creative who loves to brainstorm. They're account executives in disguise, waiting to reveal their true form. Beware!

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derek walker

@dereklwalker

4 months

Can we admit that "client approval" doesn't mean the work is strong or that the best idea won.

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derek walker

@dereklwalker

4 years

There's a huge difference in feeling welcome vs being tolerated. As a Black man, there are few places where I am welcome. Mostly I'm tolerated. I've always felt tolerated in advertising, never welcomed. This is the fight diversity & inclusion - everyone should feel they belong

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derek walker

@dereklwalker

4 years

derek's virus update: I am better. The virus is not done with me but I am getting better. No energy, but it will come. Can I be honest for a second? There were 2 or 3 days where I thought this thing was going to kill me. I was that sick. I'm so happy to have been wrong.

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derek walker

@dereklwalker

3 years

Strange agency story: I once got laid off from an agency. That isn't the strange part. They forgot who I am. Instead of laying me off first, they let me sit with a live computer all day. My ECD thought it was a final "f-you" to me. "Silly rabbit, tricks are for kids."

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derek walker

@dereklwalker

5 years

"I think I am going to pass on that agency you recommended to me," a young creative told me. "Why?" I asked. "I went to their people page on their website, and they had 3 dogs' pictured but no Black people," he replied. I had no reply.

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derek walker

@dereklwalker

2 years

Just bouncing on here to say, “howdy.” And that I am doing well, recovery requires time and rest. I can’t wait to be back on here but I promised that I would put healing first. Miss y’all!

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derek walker

@dereklwalker

4 years

Dear advertising organizations and award shows, absolutely NO awards or honors for diversity & inclusion should be given this year or in the near future to an agency or holding company until the numbers represent some real change and growth. None.

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derek walker

@dereklwalker

2 years

Y'all have no idea how trying it is to deal with hate. I waffled most of today about posting this because it was the second incident in a single day. But to not would lets White people off easy about the crap some of your "cousins" do. My dinner experience:

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derek walker

@dereklwalker

3 years

I don't handle accolades well, but I want to sincerely thank @Adweek and @griner for including me on the list.

Adweek's Creative 100: The Most Inspiring Talents of 2021

Honoring today's top innovators in content, agencies, artistry and more.

www.adweek.com

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derek walker

@dereklwalker

4 years

This is the line to vote in Northeast Columbia, SC. I got in line at 8:00am, to be this far back. They open at 8:30am. Some of these folks have been here since 7:00am

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derek walker

@dereklwalker

6 months

Grammar rules are not copywriting rules. Copywriting is a street fight - there's no ref or bell. Write accordingly.

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derek walker

@dereklwalker

3 years

No one knows the exact amount of time advertising professionals work on any given project. Remember, thinking about the project is "working," and no human can track every second that they think about anything. Yeah, I said it in absolutes.

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derek walker

@dereklwalker

4 years

Advertising creatives don't need to be controlled or even monitored. They need to freed from the background noise that impedes doing their jobs. Make it easier for them to work, reduce the intrusions, remove hurdles, and let them work. Trust them the way you want to be trusted.

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derek walker

@dereklwalker

2 years

"You do know that you have cancer," my doctor said flatly. That word hits hard. "I do now. Thank you for the bedside manner," I shot back. So, yeah, I've got prostate cancer. It is "intermittent," their word not mine. Surgery Monday. Hopefully, no cancer after that.😂

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derek walker

@dereklwalker

3 years

If you are cool with asking Black people to work/speak for free, understand how that feels to a group of people who have a history of being forced to work for free. I do not see it as an honor that you thought so much of me that you asked me for free work. I do not.

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derek walker

@dereklwalker

2 years

“Great advertising can make a bad product fail faster; it gets more people to know it’s bad” - Bill Bernbach Listen, advertising is not all powerful. It is funny how people love to criticize award winning ads for not saving businesses while ignoring how bad the client is.

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derek walker

@dereklwalker

3 years

You have been lied to. If you've worked in advertising for more than 10 years, you are not easily replaced. Stop living like that lie. Recognize what you're capable of, what you know. Then you'll see that one does not age out of advertising - you age out of working for idiots.

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derek walker

@dereklwalker

2 years

This is the face of a man after sitting next to a Trump supporter who was audibly upset that he was sitting next to me for a 5 hour flight. I was not entertained myself. I may have accidentally fallen asleep on him a couple of times. Some days the universe tests your mettle.

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derek walker

@dereklwalker

2 months

@TeddyRockSteady Oh yeah. Nothing was going to stop them from laying people off. This was the beginning of the end of the agency.

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derek walker

@dereklwalker

4 years

Be careful, please. Some people are showing signs of stress from the situation we are in. I'm not one of those positive cheerleaders types, but these are hard times, and I'm going to temper how I engage folks. Some of us are struggling mentally. Be careful how you engage people.

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derek walker

@dereklwalker

2 years

Anyone know a rich person with a few extra millions lying around? Let's assemble a crack squad of adv./mktg folks, and travel around the country in a bus, stopping in smaller markets and doing our thing for small/med businesses who couldn't normally afford us. Yeah, I'm bored.

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derek walker

@dereklwalker

5 months

Editing is a creative skill. Just because you can buy/rent the program doesn't make you an editor.

Joakim Jansson

@joakimjansson

5 months

The editing on this video by Donato Sansone 👌

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derek walker

@dereklwalker

4 years

Having COVID 19 has taught me that thinking is work, being creative requires energy. This is the first time in my entire career that I've been this sick, and it has taught me that although we don't do physical labor, there is a physical drain to what we do. Wear a mask.

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derek walker

@dereklwalker

4 years

We all want curious people until they start to ask, "why?" Why's the brief so long? Why are we saying this? Why are we doing this? Why are we having this meeting? Why such a quick turn-around? Why is the budget so small? Why have we already determined the media?

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derek walker

@dereklwalker

4 years

Well, how about that! @adage has finally updated their policy to use the capital "B" when talking about Black and Brown people. This may seem like a little thing, but Black writers have been struggling with since I blogged for them back in 2009.

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derek walker

@dereklwalker

4 years

A friend suggested I post a link to this piece I wrote for @TheDrum . I forgot I wrote it, and was amazed The Drum ran it. Pardon the language but it has to be used in this case.

Derek Walker: advertising has no stomach for a fair fight

I’m about to butcher this joke. I apologize to comedy for what I’m about to do. I’m not a comedian. I wish I could remember the name of the comedy team that did this but I can’t. Still, I want to...

www.thedrum.com

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derek walker

@dereklwalker

7 months

We don’t “work” 8 hours, we are “at work” for 8 hours. Any advertising professional who reports working a solid 8 hours in a day is either lying or doing it wrong. It is only natural for the kind to wander or for there to be periods of doing nothing. That’s part of the process.

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derek walker

@dereklwalker

4 years

If advertising is populated with such a high number of "good people," who don't carry biases and prejudices, then how did we end up with such horrible diversity numbers?

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derek walker

@dereklwalker

4 months

Shorter copy is only better if it is better written. Long copy is only a task to read when written poorly. Copywriters, real copywriters write to make things interesting and engaging, not longer or shorter. Word counts only matter to readers when the words written are boring.

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derek walker

@dereklwalker

3 years

I have a problem with this whole, "don't bring up a problem or a negative unless you have a solution" crap. So, if we're in a boat at sea, and I see a leak, I shouldn't say anything until I have a fix? Point out an issue, we can work together to find a fix instead of drowning

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derek walker

@dereklwalker

4 years

Do me a favor folks, wear the freaking masks. A family member was hanging with some friends, caught this, gave it to my 83 year old Father and me. This did not have to happen. Wear the masks!

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derek walker

@dereklwalker

2 years

Never in the history of mankind has anyone after a presentation said, “you know what, that presentation could’ve used more slides.” Never. No one. Ever. Many have prayed, even atheists, “dear God, please make the slides stop! Why won’t they stop?!”

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derek walker

@dereklwalker

3 years

Brainstorming is not creative concepting.

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derek walker

@dereklwalker

4 years

Yo advertising, are we too tired yet? Has the moment passed, and we can focus on "other things and issues now?" I may feel like crap, and be coughing up a lung, but I had to ask. I hope when I get better, that I am not coming back to the same advertising industry.

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derek walker

@dereklwalker

2 years

Dear copywriters, the hardest part of the job is knowing what to exclude, not what to include. Any fool can throw more words on a page. A copywriter gets moderation of words. The reader doesn't care how impressive your vocabulary is.

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derek walker

@dereklwalker

5 years

I'm hard on advertising as an industry but that's different from hating advertising. We have people working in the industry who display a hard hatred for advertising. I wonder why they work in advertising. There's a difference between wanting it improved and wanting it dead.

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derek walker

@dereklwalker

9 months

Stop punishing people who are good at their jobs. Stop billing by the hour. Hell, stop tracking them too. (I know that will cause heads to explode. Good.) People good at their job are faster than those who aren’t. By basing pay on hours, we are rewarding people for being slow.

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derek walker

@dereklwalker

3 years

Very seldom is political advertising this good. Heck, very seldom is any advertising this good.

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derek walker

@dereklwalker

4 years

I'm tired of "good people." When my creative director was making my life a living hell - the good people looked on, and not once did they speak up, but they were "good people."

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derek walker

@dereklwalker

3 years

I admire the restraint and control law enforcement in DC is using right now. I never knew they could respond to violence protestors like this. Never scoff at the term white privilege ever again. Remember how law enforcement responded to peaceful BLM marches of last summer.

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derek walker

@dereklwalker

1 year

Celebrities are not a strategy or concept.

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derek walker

@dereklwalker

3 years

The lie: "If only more Black people knew about advertising." The truth: I found all this wonderful talent in South Carolina, "South Freaking Carolina" to make a decent set of spots. We aren't hard to find if you are willing to see us. The advertising industry is tired of DE&I.

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derek walker

@dereklwalker

3 years

I will never work for another advertising agency or holding company ever. I can't go back. And there's a freedom in that, to say my piece, to speak on things that can ruin careers. I'm not fearless. I know my time has passed. I'm closer to the end than the beginning, so I speak.

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derek walker

@dereklwalker

4 years

Hertz is filing for bankruptcy while suing Accenture for $32 million for a website design that Hertz claims doesn't work, and we agency folks spend our time basing agency practices while barely saying a word about this. This suit has been going on for a year!

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derek walker

@dereklwalker

3 years

Trust the copywriter with the words. Trust the art director with the look and feel. If you have to tell the copywriter what to say, and the art director how it should look - why do you need them? Their jobs are to be more than a set of hands executing your vision. Pull up.

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derek walker

@dereklwalker

2 years

#superbowlads I really want to say an ad is great but the ads won't let me. There is a lot of middle of the road for this to be the Super Bowl. We've forgotten the power of a strong concept, and gone celebrity crazy.

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derek walker

@dereklwalker

4 years

Advertising's goal should always be to get noticed first. Nothing else matters if no one is paying attention. Creative is about breaking through the clutter and stopping a person. Then you can make your argument, but if no one is listening, you're talking to yourself.

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derek walker

@dereklwalker

2 years

Here's one Oglivy sayings most advertising chose to ignore. Agencies and holding companies do as much as they can to be dream client employees. And that is the problem.

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derek walker

@dereklwalker

2 months

@AndrewMeneguz Just because you can only be brave on a keyboard doesn’t mean everyone else lacks a spine. I don’t do quiet. I know it’s cool to play the jaded asshole who throws shade at everyone to look smarter than them while hiding your insecurities, but aren’t you tired of pretending?

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derek walker

@dereklwalker

4 years

There are so many R&B songs playing on these holiday commercials you would think agencies actually had Black people working on the accounts.

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derek walker

@dereklwalker

3 months

Anyone who claims that they have a process for the creative process is lying.

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derek walker

@dereklwalker

4 years

A friend reached out to me to see if I would be interested in throwing my hat in the ring for @Ogilvy new global CEO position. I declined. I'm not big agency CEO material, the whole having a spine thing and all. Then I got to thinking - I would be interested in a spot on a board.

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derek walker

@dereklwalker

3 years

I am honestly confused. We say a great creative idea is ageless, but we insist on only seeing recent work as proof of creativity. A great idea 10 years ago should still be proof of potential.

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derek walker

@dereklwalker

2 years

Beloved creatives, Learn to be strategic in your position. No, I am not saying be a strategist, that's someone else's job (I'll talk some other time). I mean be strategic in how you present the work, anticipate the objections and deal with them in the presentation. Be prepared.

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derek walker

@dereklwalker

5 years

Jesus take the wheel and yank it! I’m sitting here at a business summit listening to 4 white women talk about diversity/inclusion and not mention race at all. If I speak during the Q&A, Imma need y’all to raise bail money.

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derek walker

@dereklwalker

3 months

3 more treatment days (Fri, Mon, and Tues.), and I am going to ring the shit out of this bell! My numbers are as close to zero as possible. Since my treatment was “preventative,” I thought I wasn’t able to ring the bell but the staff said I put in the work.

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derek walker

@dereklwalker

10 months

Agencies are missing out of some real creativity not hiring Black people. The threads of the Montgomery dock fight are filled with pure gems.

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