Auckland Agency Declares 14-Hour Slack Thread an Award-Worthy Creative Concept
Auckland-based creative agency Totally Normal Ideas has submitted a 97-message Slack thread to the Axis Awards, claiming it qualifies as a 'conceptual campaign on digital platforms'.
The thread, which began as a simple 'Can someone find the deck from last year’s pitch to that sock brand?', allegedly evolved into a 'rich and layered brand exploration'. According to Creative Director Benji Thompsen, the Slack exchange deftly navigated themes of memory, loss, growth, and what it means to be 'on brand in a post-swivel-chair market'.
"The thread had real tension," Thompsen said, gesturing meaningfully at a print-out of the conversation pinned to a corkboard. "There was a twelve-message arc where no one replied to Liv’s question about client tone, which really captured the existential dread of our times. Olivia deserves at least a Silver."
The agency has also entered a follow-up Google Doc titled “IDEAS???” into the Emerging Talent category, citing its raw ambition and complete lack of structure. When pressed on the final campaign delivered to the client, Thompsen clarified it was a stock photo of a dog with socks on, captioned "Stay pawsitive". It is currently running exclusively in the foot health aisle of two Tauranga pharmacies.
The thread, which began as a simple 'Can someone find the deck from last year’s pitch to that sock brand?', allegedly evolved into a 'rich and layered brand exploration'. According to Creative Director Benji Thompsen, the Slack exchange deftly navigated themes of memory, loss, growth, and what it means to be 'on brand in a post-swivel-chair market'.
"The thread had real tension," Thompsen said, gesturing meaningfully at a print-out of the conversation pinned to a corkboard. "There was a twelve-message arc where no one replied to Liv’s question about client tone, which really captured the existential dread of our times. Olivia deserves at least a Silver."
The agency has also entered a follow-up Google Doc titled “IDEAS???” into the Emerging Talent category, citing its raw ambition and complete lack of structure. When pressed on the final campaign delivered to the client, Thompsen clarified it was a stock photo of a dog with socks on, captioned "Stay pawsitive". It is currently running exclusively in the foot health aisle of two Tauranga pharmacies.