(L>R front) Asmaa Methqal, Kristin Grant (back) Jodie Carlisle, Doug Brown, Derek Ford, Michael Tension, Bryan Dwyer, Dave Wallace, Kris Hageland, Andrea Merson, Danny Prew, Matt Andres, Brandon Wells
When advertising people look at potential solutions to marketing challenges, we do so through the lenses of our trade: corporate strategic planning, research and data analysis, branding, marketing strategies, ads, promotions, contests, social media…you get the idea.
But bring an interior designer or a videographer or a multi-media artist into the brainstorming fray and you see the opportunities through remarkably different eyes.
That’s the idea behind The Copeland Collective, a brand new creative community of some of the most talented artists and professionals the city of Victoria has to offer.
The Copeland Collective is a creative problem-solving machine, designed to revolutionize the way we look at how brands and customers interact, and move away from traditional advertising solves.
In addition to Copeland staff, the Collective includes:
- MATT ANDRES – multi-media artist
- KHLOE CAMPBELL – fashion consultant
- DEREK FORD – photographer
- KRISTIN GRANT – bodypainter and mixed media artist
- KRIS HAGELAND – interior designer
- DAVE WALLACE – videographer
- BRANDON WELLS – creative catalyst and entrepreneur
But this is more than just a powerhouse group of creative minds: these are connectors and entrepreneurs with their own communities, and they’re wired into the city, into culture and into the vibe on the street.
With these amazing talents taking our analytical and creative skills to a new level, we think we can do anything the other major Canadian urban centres can – and do it better.
We’ve got projects already in the works and you’ll be hearing a lot more about The Copeland Collective and the players within it as we roll ahead. Stay tuned!
(Photo by Derek Ford, logo by Michael Tension)
We make it all better 
Doug and team, allow me the honour of (apparently) being first to say all the best on your new initiative. “Despise not the day of small beginnings.” That means something very good, but I can’t figure out what it is.
Cheers Bazz. I think if you flip the double negative into a positive, you will end up: Small beginnings are good. Selfishly I am hoping this is something BIG! 😉
Really looking forward to our future projects! With all this creativity and team spirit I can see that we are going to be creating true ART together 🙂 This team is so inspiring and it’s so awesome to have such talent to collaborate with! Thank you Doug and the Copeland team for welcoming us as part of the team!
This is a fantastic idea—very excited for you and the potential of The Copeland Collective. I will definitely be keeping an eye on the group’s creative adventures and exploits. This is exactly the kind of innovation I’d love to be a part of.
> Kristin, we feel lucky to have someone of your talent and energy helping to drive this baby forward. Can’t wait until the next meeting!
> Thanks Jen. We’ve had a chance to get to know each other and work some projects through over the past few months and this team has amazing chemistry, which is what we were really hoping for. Check out Danny’s “Blue Steel” in the back!
Wow…. it’s like a Legion of Design Super Heroes!
Superb pool of talent you got there, and best of luck with your collective.
Cheers
Terrance Lam
LOVE that Terrance. We might have posed on a rooftop with our capes blowing in the wind. Though just not today: we’d all be blown off the roof and into the harbour! Thanks for your good wishes.
I could paint us all to look like super heroes? 🙂
Oh man, I feel a party theme coming on here….
How very progressive of you! Absolutely fantastic and refreshing to hear about.
Congratulations for being so innovative and forward thinking.
Coolio!!
You’ve always been so supportive of Copeland and our initiatives Jane. Thank you so much.
Ok… I’m really excited. It sounds like a wonderful group of very creative people together. But I am very curious as to how it works… or did I miss something?
We get together and brainstorm Margriet. We bring a challenge and work through it using our Dirt, Rocks, Diamonds brainstorming technique. >> https://copelandcommunications.wordpress.com/2009/09/02/vomiting-out-the-garbage/ <<
We will be able to pick and choose from this group depending on the job. An interior designer will no doubt be very useful in helping us understand the flow of a retail space as it impacts the customer's experience. And so on…
Not sure what people are missing as to how it works. It’s basically an extended network that can can bring more to the creative table.
The difference here is that Copeland’s actively sponsoring them. In other agencies they usually only play a third-party background roll as a sub-contractors, and don’t really make it onto the credit list.
Love the idea Doug and hope to see the list grow. Wish I lived there in Victoria so I could be a part of it!
You’ve got the right energy for this group for sure Stephan. Thanks for the insightful comment and the good vibes!
Did Danny show up late to the photo shoot and get no chair? Or did he just want to make a bad boy pose?
Great idea and good luck with the collective to all 🙂
Hey Rhys, I was out eating cheese buns when the spots were chosen. Nah just kidding… it was actually the only place capable of casting that badass double shadow.
Seems like it has great potential for success, and some wildly creative ideas. I just had a look at your ‘dirt, rock, diamond’ approach to brainstorming (don’t know how I missed it). Will you be including the clients on the collective team? Love to discuss this wonderful idea with you… say at TCAAN? Best of luck.
Thanks so much Margriet, love to fill you in at T-CAAN. We invite our clients into our brainstorming sessions, but for reasons of confidentiality they couldn’t be part of the larger Collective offering.
Hear ya loud and clear here in Germany-on-my-way-to-Denmark, Doug! Awesome, kooky, smart, innovative, dangerous, fun, wow. What an interesting ‘mega-filter’ (ew, that sounds so limiting — let’s try again), er, … an interesting set of lenses and multi-faceted (and ever-changing) prisms through which to view, create, think, and produce.
Will be watching and listening with great interest. Fire up, Copeland Collective — congrats.
You got it Reg – they create prisms for us that re-adjusts how we see things. Nicely put. So good of you to pop in to the blog on your way to Denmark. Appreciate the support. Say hi to everyone over there for us!
[ “On the next Copeland Collective” ] (evil voice) “So, Copelands Legion Supers think they can ‘make it all better’ do they.. Well let’s see how the Collective handles itself against the POWER of VOICE OVER LORD! BAH-HAHaHa ha haha.. ha.. um …hmm.. that really didn’t really come across effectively in type .. Blast!…. I’ll Get You Next Time Copeland Collective!! Next Time!!”
“Hey Ma! There’s an eyeball in my lasagna!” Try that.
Love this new inclusive direction Doug! – I can’t wait to see some of he new awe-mazing things to emerge from this multi-talented group. Wider perspective can only equal wider awesomeness.
Amy, thank you. Very encouraging to hear. I think I can speak for every member of the Collective when I say we are all getting more excited about the potential. I think you will find the portfolios associated with this group to be inspirational. Let me know you thoughts!
Very cool idea. YYJ needs more collaboration; the creative community here is so strong. Can’t wait to see what you come up with!
Agree with you on the strength of the creative community here Jordan. In recent years we’ve seen a lot of Island businesses contract off-Island for creative services. We want to change that and keep the work here!
Love it. The creative community here is quite large and I feel like there’s a lack of networking. Whenever you can leverage our huge talent pool like that, we all win.