Creative Orchestra opens doors with pay-for-ideas ethos

by Daniel Farey-Jones, Brand Republic 24-Feb-09, 15:00

LONDON - Chris Arnold, the former creative director of Feel, has launched a business that aims to sell and licence ideas generated by a pool of young creative talent to clients and agencies.

Creative Orchestra is based in Islington and is headed by Arnold and Victoria Gallardo, who between them have held senior creative positions at Saatchi & Saatchi, McCann Erickson, Scholtz & Friends and Laing Henry.

Its aim is to change the way that creatives are rewarded for their work as well as to bring on a new generation of diverse talent.

It will take on briefs across advertising, branding, design, digital and new product development from commercial and public sector clients and agencies but will not take part in pitches or give ideas away for free to commercial organisations, which it says devalues talent.

Rather than billing clients by time it will charge either by selling ideas in response to a brief or licensing its own ideas.

Arnold said: "Clients do licensing deals on music, photography, illustration and models so why not for the idea? Our research shows most clients are happy to adopt this model, 'If it sells my product, why wouldn't I?'"

The founders believe that Creative Orchestra will become one of the most important sources of new creative talent for the marketing industry within three years.

The concept of Creative Orchestra has been praised by Johnny Vulkan, the founder of Anomaly in New York.

Vulkan said: "Ideas like Creative Orchestra are both exciting and vital at a time like this.

"Morally well centred with an emphasis on educating, harnessing and inspiring young talent to develop new types of commercially savvy creative ideas and processes for the future.

"An innovative idea in its own right I think CO will also provide some much needed optimism and stimulus to the industry in general."

Comments

James Ghani - 25/02/2009

Brilliant. Genuine creative progress at work. Mass collaboration initiatives are set certain to be the seat of tomorrows innovation.

Chris Arnold - 25/02/2009

Thanks to everyone for your words and emails of support. As many have asked for the url, here it is: http://www.creativeorchestra.com/ We have been overwhelmed by the amazing quality of young talent out there. We'll soon have 25 of them – very diverse and from many cultures - all working together in our fun creative department in Islington. I think this is one of the first independent creative departments for hire.

Gary Shannon - 25/02/2009

Sounds like a fantastic idea. The value of a great idea is so much more than the number of hours spent coming up with it. Best of luck

Max Harrington - 01/03/2009

When I heard about this I wrote it up on a forum because I so wished I'd done it. Steve Henry and Johnny Vulkan's comments are bang on. I'd be interested to see what the reception of the rest of the advertising industry \(both agencies and clients) is to this. I image the old school will either ignore it or dismiss it \(like anything different). But they won't be able to ignore it long term. This is very right for now \(as SH said). Very appealing to clients in the youth space. Bit surprised Campaign didn't cover it, or have I missed something having been away? I thought Campaign was about covering industry news. Seems word of mouth and blogs are doing a better job. I've commented before on forums \(having worked both client & agency sides) that too many agencies are too heavy on account handling. If this new idea \(clusters of creatives setting up as creative departments) takes off it could signal a new generation of creative departments divorced from agencies. If paired with media agencies this could radically change the industry \(and offer clients better value). I'd be nervous if I was a traditional agency. There's a new generation of clients out there who don't have the golf club mentality.

John W. - 10/03/2009

Hi Chris If I could be Devils advocate for one moment. Doesn't this just reduce creativity to a commodity, to be only used as and when deemed billable? Do the 'talent' get paid on their breaks? Couldn't a fusion of disparate creatives result in work that ends up looking like a dog's dinner irrespective of whoever is conducting? Why the emphasis on young talent? Why not anybody and everybody? What happens to long term client understanding in all this?