The Digital Conversation

Welcome to part two of digital conversation series!

David Bryant is currently the ECD of Interactive over at StrawberryFrog, but he's also spent time as the EVP, Executive Creative Director at DraftFCB; VP, Creative Director at Digitas (London and New York), Tribal DDB, Modem and Bartle Bogle Hegarty (just for good measure).

He once said in Creativity Magazine that: "The only downside of the interactive medium is us - the people. We're not being clever enough. I love the creativity of online. Its potential has been hardly tapped."

Now, who doesn't love the hell out of that? Since David spent years in both the UK and US machines, we thought it'd be fun to ask him about the creative difference that may be present. Other than reading the Scamp blog and having a crush on Jack Davenport, we don't know so much about what lies across the pond. David fills us in on the inhibition of the US and how the web has become a "super-socialite."

Are there any differences in the "creative culture" when it comes to the U.S. vs the U.K.?

"No difference really. The real cultural difference is between good and bad creative. Good creative shops are similar all over the globe. But bad creative places are infinitely variable in form.

The real difference is that in the UK is that you work long hours then drink heavily. In the US, you work long hours, then work more long hours. Neither are particularly good for creativity.

If you look at the most great creative shops, they do great creative work for any brief - banner campaigns, anything. Lean Mean Fighting Machine are a great example of this. The guys there could take a Google search term campaign for a staple supply shop and win an Oscar for best director. Or Your Majesty in NY - who I worked with on a recent Starbucks site. It's about perfectionism and standards no matter how small the job."

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Welcome to part one of our digital conversation series!

Tim Nolan has been on the interactive side of this business, since 1996. He was a founding partner of global nightlife community Clubplanet.com (all you ravers get your hands up!) and has since, worked at Digitas, Big Spaceship, Deep Focus, Firstborn, etc. Sheesh. Nolan is currently the Senior Content Director at Freedom & Partners.

Nolan and his current company are pushing a new modus operandi when comes to content that has interactive shops acting more like production companies (producing content) rather than quick fix artists.

You've been an evangelist for a new digital production agency model. Why? What's wrong with the old one?

Get the answer to that question after the jump...

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