The Big Bang is a creative internship scheme founded and run by the recruitment firm Daniel Marks in collaboration with The Dots. The Big Bang is where Creativity begins and aims to give young creative talent a paid opportunity to let their talent shine.
Last year the Brief was to “Create a Brand and Advertise an IFO - an Identified Flying Object!”. With some incredible work submitted, we’ve selected a series of interviews with not only the ultimate employers but the Big Bang ‘Rising Stars’ who through the scheme went into paid work at some of London’s leading brands and creative agencies.
One of our Big Bang 2016 finalists was Digital Advertising and Design student, Michael Bailey, who secured a creative placement at HSE Cake. Here he shares his winning project and his experience of agency life at Cake. Cake's Creative Director Lizzy Pollott also shares what makes a great intern and Big Bang application.
MICHAEL
What was the inspiration for your creation?
The main inspiration for my creation was based around the theme of being a 'big kid'. As the product was a child's toy I wanted to take a different approach to the brief, so instead of presenting the product in a predictable way, I wanted to try and turn the concept on its head. In the film The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty, Ben Stiller - who plays Walter Mitty - enters dream-like states, where he recreates scenes in his mind, and this is what I used as inspiration for my piece.
Tell us about your internship, what did you get up to/ learn?
My internship at HSE Cake was amazing! I was originally there for 6 weeks but ended up staying there for over 4 months. I worked on some really great projects working with clients such as BBC and Nationwide. I spent my time there mainly editing content for pitches and then moved on to editing actual social videos for clients. The main thing I took from the internship was learning about working in that environment as it's easy to hear and read about working in an agency but to actually work and be part of one was amazing - from being part of brainstorms to learning how work is produced was all such valuable experience.
What did you enjoy most?
What I enjoyed most was working with creative professionals - getting to understand what everyone does and the experience that got them there was really enjoyable. On top of that, the unknown of going in every day and discovering what project I would be working on was great. Obviously some projects were spread over various days but most of them had quite fast turnarounds so that meant each day was a different project.
Was it what you expected? How so?
I had no idea what to expect, but it was even more than anything that I could have imagined. Being able to say I was involved in creating work for a client as big as the BBC is something that I never even thought would happen during an internship. I think building that value of trust and relationship with HSE Cake is what made my time there so good.
What have you been up to since?
Since the internship I have been back to HSE Cake numerous times working for them as a freelancer on various projects which has been amazing relationship to maintain. The internship made me learn so much about myself and how to present my work to clients and agencies. Plus, enpowered me to build my confidence up, to the point where I can get in contact with other agencies. Since then I've also pitched my creative work to clients such as Mozilla, creating them a space at the recent Mozfest 2017 in London where, as part of group, our idea was chosen to be produced.
What advice would you give anyone thinking of applying for the next Big Bang?
Without a doubt, go for it! It's so hard for young creatives to get their work recognised by the industry and Big Bang offers that stepping stone to get your work noticed! Also, think BIG - don't restrict yourself.
LIZZY
What was it that stood out about Michael’s application?
I loved the fun and fresh way he approached the creative task - it really stood out for me. Equally, I could tell from his application that he was an all-rounder with lots of useful creative skills.
How was the internship from the agency's point of view? What tasks did you have Michael doing?
Michael fitted in straight away, getting thrown into the deep end helping produce video content for both internal use and clients. Nothing daunted him which really impressed me. He was a fantastic addition to the team.
What made you get involved in the Big Bang scheme?
I feel like I want to help give people starting out in our industry the experience I had - being surrounded by people willing to teach and nurture you, whilst getting to learn on the job. I really like the ethos of the scheme, embracing potential talent from anywhere and the diversity in applications it receives as a result.
Would you recommend others to get involved in this in future?
Absolutely! We continued to work with Michael after the internship ended and he was a brilliant addition to our creative team.
Any top tips for future applicants?
Be succinct in your application and take care over the presentation of your ideas. The judges have to look through so many applications that if yours is overly hard or long to read it makes it really tricky to give it a high mark. Also, don't be afraid to be yourself and show your personality (which is probably good advice for life in general actually...)
For more information on the Big Bang Creative Internship Scheme and to find details for the next and upcoming collaboration, please visit www.danielmarks.com
