2017 in Review: Dustin Callif

In general, do you think 2017 has been a good year for creative advertising?

Yes and No. This year saw the rise of experiential, which I love because it allows people to actively participate in brand experiences. We also started to see early experimentation with Augmented Reality and Artificial Intelligence, which is always both fun and interesting to see the creative output during the early outset of leveraging new technologies.  

From a bigger picture, do I think we’ll look back on this year as a monumental year in creative advertising? Unfortunately, I don’t think so. 

What piece or pieces of work have impressed you most over the last year?

Experiential has been on the rise over the last few years. This is proof that advertisers are understanding how to leverage its power.  The biggest and most well-publicized campaign in the ad industry was the Fearless Girl Statue.  It was so simple, but yet so strong. I love that it became a part of culture and people were organically taking photos with it, as if it was the Statue of Liberty.  

Looking beyond our advertising bubble are the “Instagrammable” experiences that have been sold out for months in NYC, LA and SF.  Experiences such as Museum of Ice Cream and Color Factory have taken the popular behavior of snapping Instagram photos and turning them into physical events that happen to have brands strategically integrated into them. I love that artists have found a way to take a popular behavior and turn it into an event (and make a lot of money while doing it). 

What have been the biggest talking points of 2017 in the production arena?

1. Agency In-house production

2. Slow year for bigger budget advertising and rise of non-union: This is obviously a topic of concern for the industry, as it is causing us to rethink the way we do things, create and work together. 

3. The rise of experiential

In-house production, both within agencies and clients, continues to be at the forefront of production minds; how has that situation evolved in last 12 months and should ‘traditional’ production outfits still be concerned?

The bigger concern for the larger union production companies are the shrinking budgets and the rise of non-union content companies. This is what should be concerning everyone in the industry. A major shift has happened, and agencies, production companies and unions need to re-think how we’re operating.   

On the flipside, the larger issue for agencies is that brands are building out their in-house agencies, while looking for a different type of relationship that is nimble, cuts out the fat, and allows them to work directly with the makers. 

Is the term ‘traditional’ now just a euphemism for ‘old fashioned’; do production companies – whether old or new – now need to be more than a company that makes great advertising films?  

Advertising is always about what is next, but CMO’s need to show that advertising produces results (and I’m not talking about a Cannes Lion). Until innovation projects can show tangible business results, traditional advertising will continue to be the bread and butter for CMO’s. 2017 showed us more than ever that most brands are re-evaluating their agency relationships and how they spend money. The underlying reason is they want to see more bang for their buck; this includes producing ads that are impactful to their business, as well as having built-in press and the ability to share. 

The barrier of entry to becoming a director is very low, but the competition is very high; how has that affected bringing in new talent to the industry? 

This is a great time to be a director. There is more content being made than ever before. You need to be willing to be patient and work on non-union content to hone your craft. The hardest part is how you transition from non-union to larger union shoots and bigger budgeted projects. If you have the talent and persistence, it will come through. 

Virtual reality, despite the hype and money invested, has still not really broken through to the mainstream; why do you think that is and will next year be any different?  

It’s purely about distribution. VR headset makers have made it hard. It should be made easy and not super expensive for people. Do this, and the rise of VR will happen. 

What do you think the biggest talking points of 2018 might be? 

Augmented Reality. How we can use it both to further creativity and for business utility?  As part of this, many brands will be learning that it still requires a standalone app to power these experiences. There will be a lot of education, and I truly hope the major players (Apple, Google and Facebook) can help provide creators like us  with larger distribution platforms that do not require standalone brand apps, which do not work.

What do you think the production sector’s New Year’s resolution should be?

To show that we can make great creative that delivers tangible business results, and that we’re truly partners with both agencies and brands.

What will be your own New Year’s resolution, work-related or otherwise?  

Work related: Elevate our work to higher levels. 

Personal: Keep in mind there is always work to do but your kids only are these ages once.