Brett McKenzie
Creative Manager
Giant Hydra
“So yeah, Giant Hydra… tell me about it again.”
I’m chatting with a creative director from a well-known New York agency, but it’s not the first time I’ve had this conversation. In fact it’s not the first time I’ve had this conversation with this very same creative director.
We’ve been emailing and talking to each other for the past few months about how Giant Hydra works and exactly how it could be integrated into what his agency is doing. Clearly there is something about the concept that intrigues him. Maybe it’s the thought of putting together an international team of creatives within hours, maybe it’s the idea of being able to pop in at any minute of the day and see progress, or maybe he’s only thinking dollars and cents and sees that Giant Hydra is less expensive than calling in a freelance team. He’s been pretty coy so far about what keeps drawing him to the site.
He has also been quiet about why he hasn’t taken the next step and giving Giant Hydra a try. It seems kind of like a kid peering over the edge of that diving board at the city swimming pool. He wants to jump, hoping to pull off some great dive but knowing full well that a cannonball is more fun. He might get a little water up the nose, but the exhilaration of it all will likely trump that panicky sensation And unlike the movies and after-school specials, there’s no group of older boys behind him, chastising him for holding up the line. He can turn around and go back down the ladder at any time, yet still he lingers on the board…
The CD I’m referring to is probably giving a sheepish chuckle while reading this, and he might ask a lot of questions, but he’s not the only agency executive who has approached us, eager to learn more about Giant Hydra. In almost every agency we’ve been invited to, and in our travels across North America, South America and Europe, CDs have wanted to know how they could tap into Giant Hydra’s talent pool. They are pleasantly surprised to learn how easy and affordable it is… and then they go quiet. They climb off of the diving board. Curiosity is pushed to the side and is supplanted by something else. It could be that they are so used to doing things a certain way that when something new comes along, it’s more of an oddity than an opportunity. It could be the feeling that bringing in HydraHeads suggests a lack of faith in their staff’s abilities, or the dread of admitting that they need a helping hand. Whatever the reason, they find themselves on the deck, trailing their toes in the water, continuing business as usual.
And then one of their buddies goes sailing off the high board, knees clutched to chest, yelling “Geronimo!”
“…whenever a creative director takes the plunge and gives Giant Hydra a go, we immediately receive emails and phone calls from other CDs who were curious about it before…”
See, Giant Hydra has been kept busy on collaborations with famous multinationals such as Ogilvy and TBWA, as well as smaller independent shops. The HydraHeads have been tapped to work alongside agencies on major pitches, and have helped shape the vision of brands in categories as disparate as nursing homes and beer. Over a few days they worked together to create nearly a hundred executions for a women’s fashion retail brand, and a few weeks later created over 150 executions for a popular casino. The HydraHeads have created over 160 seeds designed to rebrand a mobile phone company, and over the course of a week developed strategies and creative for a mixed martial arts brand whose audience might not be as obvious as you’d think. But no matter the agency, no matter the project, the aftermath is the same; whenever a creative director takes the plunge and gives Giant Hydra a go, we immediately receive emails and phone calls from other CDs who were curious about it before, especially ones who know that first CD personally. “How does this work again?” “Can I use it on a pitch?” “How do I pick who’s on my team?” “How much did you say it cost?” The queries, the interest, the excitement all go up, and before you know it, there’s action around the diving board again.
Let’s face it, Giant Hydra, the concept of mass collaboration beyond an agency’s walls, is still something quite new. And like anything new, there are healthy amounts of both interest and trepidation. But eventually, the best thing to do to get the full Giant Hydra experience is to follow your peers: plug your nose, close your eyes and jump.
Come on in, the water’s fine.
