Typically it’s creative that gets the glory, but Scot Keith is proving that the account side’s got game, too. ‘Scot brings a sense of passion, energy and vitality to the company,’ says Frank Palmer, who admits to meeting very few people like Keith over his numerous years in the business. ‘He gives 200%. He always has an idea for something. I predict he’ll own his own [agency] one day.’ Before joining DDB in 2002, Keith spent five years at TBWA/Vancouver – starting on the media side, then moving account side – working mainly on Labatt/Interbrew’s Kokanee. At DDB, he was responsible for the agency’s successful Hockey Canada, ‘Relax, It’s Just a Game’ series of ads. Other agency stints included MacLaren McCann Vancouver and McCann-Erickson, and he recently taught advertising at Kwantlen University College in Richmond.
Palmer on Keith:
Delivering the big idea…
‘Scot has made every client that he has had responsibility for ask different questions on their marketing efforts. He doesn’t take what has been requested or asked for as the final request. He always looks for better or different ways to resolve the marketing assignment. In many cases he has created the concepts or ‘big idea’ that has driven a much bigger financial result for the client.’
Hello Oprah!
‘For Hockey Canada, Scot created the need for the ‘Relax, It’s Just a Game’ campaign. He knew that parents were being overly abusive and rude to their children and coaches at minor league and junior league hockey games. He approached the hockey association with his idea of having children criticizing adults for their actions. The finished campaign was one of the most talked about during 2005 and gained millions of dollars in PR support. In fact it even made it onto Oprah.’
How is he an icon in the making?
‘Keith is definitely a hunter and not a farmer.
‘Over all the years that I have been in this industry I have come across maybe at most four people who have demonstrated real ‘take no prisoners’ leadership action. Keith [is one of them. He] creates positive karma with every assignment that he has been challenged with. He looks at every new client opportunity very differently than almost any other account person. Being around him, others get more enthused because of the passion and sheer energy that he brings.’
