2014 in Review with... Orlando Wood

Biscuit Filmworks London's MD, Orlando Wood, believes that agencies are fighting the good fight, which is beneficial to all, and reveals why Honda keeps him awake at night.

How would you describe 2014 for the industry, creatively speaking?

I think we’re starting to feel the benefit of the economic turn around. Agencies are being bolder with their clients and getting back into the groove of what they do.

Agencies fighting for good work is the single most crucial element that ends up mattering to a final product. Agencies are also having more success fighting for craft in their productions, which helps us all.

One thing has always been true, if you focus on telling a story and you craft that story well, you will get noticed. Agencies are getting better at proving that to their clients.

And what about your own creative performance in the last 12 months?

I’m so proud of everything we do. I love our directors and am constantly impressed by the ideas they bring to each script. There are some things we’ve done that I watch just to cheer myself up. I suppose you can say I like laughing at our own jokes.

What do you think your own best personal achievement has been in the past year?

I find it difficult to point to any achievement I’ve had in the past year and call it a personal achievement. Every great thing that happens now is the result of the hard work of the terrific people I’m lucky to be surrounded by.

I love showing up to work every day and that’s due to them.

What are you most excited about for 2015, workwise or other?

We’ve moved into our new building in East London and it’s already changed the way we work. Our processes are smoother, we have space to work things out, and we’re no longer sitting on each other’s laps.

Walking into Biscuit LA always made me proud to be part of the team. Now, I think we can say the same of Biscuit UK.

And what are your predictions for the industry in general in 2015?

I sense even more bravery around the corner. Audiences respond to audacity and appreciate it when brands push a boundary or two. If you’re going to bother doing anything other than throwing a logo up for 60 seconds, you may as well push a boundary somewhere and make people feel something.

Which campaign or piece of work will you remember from this year?

Honda The Other Side. Dear God, that bloody Honda spot. It’s brilliant… The fact that we didn’t do it keeps me up at nights.

As for our work, I have to say Boots. Our Christmas ad for Boots [below] has left me in tears more times than I care to admit.

I’m someone who has to be pulled into Christmas kicking and screaming… it’s not my favourite holiday. But that ad... every time.

What are your thoughts on the bulk of Christmas work that has been released?

I think the Boots spot is an example of a very heartening trend. Christmas ads are becoming more than just a cheeky joke with a celebrity or two. Christmas ads followed that formula for years. We can thank John Lewis (and Blink) for treading a path towards more emotive and cinematic fare during the holiday season.

Obviously that trend is a great thing for audiences, but it’s also a great thing for our industry. We have some of the best filmic storytellers in the world and I love that they’re now getting a whole season to flex their creative muscles.

In the USA, the Super Bowl represents an opportunity for advertisers to entertain people. Many people tune in just for the ads. The industry in the UK needs a “Super Bowl” where the country as a whole tunes into what advertisers do and, for just a moment, care about the advertising. In order to do that, brands and agencies have to focus on whether the ad gives the consumer something, rather than asking whether the consumer will give the brand something.

What’s your new year’s resolution, workwise or other?

Try Harder. Always try harder.

And if you had a piece of advice for the creative industry to learn from this year and take into next, what would you say?

Be audacious and applaud each other for trying. Great work happens when we challenge and support each other. I’m exceedingly proud of Biscuit and all that we do, but I’m equally proud of our industry and our community. I’m not kidding about that Honda ad keeping me up nights… I work harder as a result of the good work of my peers.

The Americans are very good at being cheerleaders for themselves and others. Boldness is respected. Besides stealing the Super Bowl, let’s steal that mentality, too.