A couple of recessions ago I was at art college studying my graphic design and advertising course and as I prepared myself for the big wide world my tutor assured me that despite the economic situation of the past couple of years the future was bright. His argument was that companies don’t stop spending they simply postpone spending. Clients are a little more prudent, projects are put on hold but ultimately the work still needs to be done.

Steve Harrison, former European Creative Director of Ogilvy One Worldwide and Global Creative Director at Wunderman,  goes further and is positively enthusiastic  about downturns. In his book, How To Do Better Creative Work, he writes “Economic downturn? Marvellous. In hard times, clients can’t afford to throw money at a marketing problem and agencies can’t afford to do work that goes unnoticed. Those who never really knew what they were doing get found out.”

Indeed, as my barber Robert, who appears to be the fount of all knowledge, tells me “Recessions sort the wheat from the chaff!”

So back in 1994 I graduated from art college and entered the big wide world with my portfolio under my arm. And as the country was starting to recover from it’s economic woes, my immediate future did seem a little daunting and despite my tutor’s encouraging words, a little uncertain. But soon I started to see some positive signs. Some great work started to appear in the numerous marketing and creative journals I followed and by 1997, when I was now in my 2^nd job, it was as if the pressure that had been building up was suddenly released.  Agencies were producing some really bold and exciting work and more surprisingly they were taking the clients willingly with them.

It was in this year that the RAC re-launched itself with a very, very bold new brand. It shed the very regal crown from its logo and swapped its traditional colours of red, white and blue with fluorescent orange. The then marketing director set up a “virtual agency” comprised of hand picked creatives and planners from a variety of sources to create and implement a fully integrated rebrand and campaign that reached every level of the motoring organisation. This wasn’t evolution, this was revolution!

Also in this year, British Airways launched their redesign that included the highly controversial tail fins that were painted in ethnic logos and abstract world images related to the many routes they flew. This announced that British Airways was no longer just a British airline but a World airline. Although ultimately flawed, in the fact that it allowed Virgin Atlantic to adopt the Union Jack and announce themselves as “Britain’s national flag carrier” it was a bold move nonetheless and one that probably did wonders for it’s image Worldwide. And on the subject of bold and controversial who could forget French Connection’s cheeky acronym FCUK, also launched in 1997. These were exciting times for anyone involved in the industry yet 3 years earlier they were probably wallowing in the tears of self pity.

So what about today as once again the country gradually pulls itself out of recession? The future’s bright, some bold and exciting work is no doubt on its way.