ACM’s Distraction In Action #5
B Corps, bike adventures, and blockbuster hype reels: five links that are dominating our chat
Your new Distraction In Action email from All Conditions Media is here. Scroll away to get a look at the latest links and talking points from our team chat, so they can successfully distract you from work just as much as they did us…
1. (RE)DISCOVER ACM THROUGH THE MEDIUM OF CINEMA
Take a look at the opening scene from our new hype reel. That notebook sums up how forensic and collaborative we were as a whole team in piecing together this huge visual element of our rebranding. Days of deliberation across our team chat, countless votes that dropped plenty of ‘jobs’ to the cutting room floor (sorry to see you go, “check swell report” and “return Jimmy Chin’s call”), and even a handwriting test to see who had the best scrawlings for the gig: all this, for a tiny element that stays on screen for three seconds. And we’d do it again. Every one of us erupted with pride when we finally launched the finished edit on the ACM social channels this week. Yes, we’ve seen it hundreds of times and still get a buzz from it. Yes, the soundtrack has been anchored inside our ear canals for most of 2023. And no, there’s no other agency in the world that has a clip of its co-director taking a powder shot straight to the chops, or one of its ADs skateboarding through the heart of London. Welcome to ACM. This is us, and this is what we do.
We learned: Our copywriter pulls a face like he’s swallowed a bee when he takes off on a wave (OO:55s).
2. MAKE ALL YOUR FRIENDS WATCH THIS
“He called me in every day to have conversations about my ethnicity and the colour of my skin that made me feel uncomfortable, and made me question my own identity, because he always made me feel different, always made me feel like I was this other thing that didn’t really fit in society.” After The Storm is a cycling movie that is equal parts beautiful and troubling. Diversity champion Aneela McKenna’s story of racial discrimination in the workplace, and the intense entrapment and exclusion that came with it, is juxtaposed intensely against the expansive and wild freedom of the Outer Hebrides that she turns to for therapy on two wheels. It left us feeling, rightly, uncomfortable in a landscape where we feel most comfortable. This exact discomfort is something we need to embrace more of in our communities, if we’re going to see positive change in systems and cultures that are stacked against minority groups. It’s what makes this such an essential watch.
We learned: A lot.
3. BONE UP ON YOUR B CORPS
Today marks the end of B Corp Month 2023, and it’s been a toughy; never before has the hallowed badge of honour, which demonstrates a company’s commitment to social and environmental targets, faced more scrutiny. B Lab UK’s Executive Director, Chris Turner, backs up the point nicely: “This year, some recent coverage has – dramatically – focused on a perceived ‘struggle for the soul’ of the B Corp movement.” He’s talking about coverage such as this from The Financial Times, which does a smart job of exploring what “a force for good” means to early and small-scale B Corp adopters witnessing big corporations enjoy the fruits of certification. And with companies such as Nestlé’s Nespresso (despite their single-use coffee pods) and Rip Curl (despite their use of toxic neoprene) earning accreditation recently, the question of whether B Corp status is a sign of positive change, or a chance for a positive PR story, has a muddy answer. But the fact that individuals are starting to create their own goalposts for what positive brand responsibility looks like, and are holding brands accountable to them? That’s a positive we’ll happily run with today.
We learned: Almost a fifth of all B Corp companies are in the UK.
4. PACK SNACKS
We found calories to burn in far-flung bodily reserves at last year’s Arc’teryx Alpine Academy. By day, we were keeping pace with team athlete Adam Campbell in his calf-crushing trail running clinic. By night, it was the full-body workout of a sunset Gilles Peterson DJ set (backdropped by the Mont Blanc massif) that had us beading at the brow. So our advice for 2023’s event? Stock up on the pocket-sized energy sources (read: fun-sized Snickers). Tickets for the 80+ clinics at this year’s Academy in Chamonix went live on Wednesday, catering to all skill levels across climbing, mountaineering, trail running, trekking, photography, and environmentalism. Add these to the free events - gear testing, upcycling workshops, film premieres, bouldering - taking place in the Alpine Village, and music through the night, and you may even want to consider stepping into unprecedented snack territory this June: Snickers double-sized. Steady on!
We learned: There aren’t many opportunities in life to get a lesson in portaledging. Take them when you can.
5. REVISIT THE BEST ACM EVENT EVER
Monday was a bit of a slow one in the remote office. The comedown from Action Inspired - last week’s ACM media event that we’ve officially called the best ACM event ever - had us all bathing in the afterglow of comments and praise from our clients and contacts alike. One journalist called it “the busiest press day I’ve ever been to” whilst another contact likened our new hype reel (above) to a recent £250k brand campaign of theirs (our film cost quite a few pennies less than that). Quotes like “It made me really think deeply about what it takes to make change” from Black Trail Runners founder Sabrina Pace-Humphreys made the months of planning, plotting, brainstorming, van loading, and scriptwriting absolutely worth it. Check out last week’s newsletter to find out how it all came together, and get a little peek at how we make events that really matter. What a blast.
We learned: That fly fishing in Montana is an absolutely essential life experience. Thanks for the latest obsession, YETI.
CREW TO-DO LIST
Every fortnight, one ACMer reveals the tasks that’ve been getting their head cogs whirring, so we can all make sure they’re working hard enough introduce our super talented crew and showcase what they bring to our creative process. This week it’s the turn of ACM’s Devon-dwelling FKT MVP and connoisseur of negronis, Stu Duggal…
You made it all the way down here? Here’s a gift for your troubles:
END OF THE ROADER’S BONUS NUGGET
This new weed brand from one half of Ben & Jerry’s (sure!) is doing exceptional things with exceptional branding
How was that newsletter for you? Let us know in a comment below
Entertaining as always!