The Phenomenon called Ferg

Last night the Battle swung by Dallas for its second round. The 2004 show was one of the highlights of the tour and I will never forget the heated, passionate debates that ensued long after the battle concluded in the Mansion Bar. There is a ton of enthusiasm and passion in the Dallas market and it was a pleasure to come back and see so many friends from the likes of Click Here, TM Advertising, Southwest Airlines, Tribal and the list goes on...

And then there was a Ferg. Put it this way, you had to be here. He's one in a million all right and pulled no punches as he spoke from deep within his heart on creativity, interactive and pretty much whatever else came to his mind.

Ferg's opinion is that the new definition of creativity = the old definition of creativity, and by that he means, it's all about the idea. Some of his pointers included:

• Ideas first, technology second: "nobody cares that you're using Flash 7...I don't care about any of that crap. Technology is not the idea, the idea is the idea."
• Get interactive involved early. This is a big concession and a hugh shift forward. "For the longest time interactive traveled coach." And addressing James Hering, the MC for the night and SVP, Integrated Marketing at TM, "Interactive is important. I get it...I get it. Now leave me alone!"
• Reimagine the creative team: "Make traditional creatives and interactive creatives work together. Throw in a flash wizard or a media person into the mix and see what happens."
• Let consumers interpret your idea: "It should be painfully obvious by now that we don't have a lock on the idea business

Only 1 to go...the Big Apple: NYC on Wednesday evening. No excuses New York. No, "I never knew about it" - join the battle today! It's growing in passion and momentum as we speak and you can be a part of it too. Register today at www.battlefortheheart.com