My Creative Life

00s Internet, Oz Architecture and Spotify Wrapped: An Ogilvy ECD's Inspirations

Angus George, ECD of Ogilvy UK, shares three of the things that keep his imagination fired and creative juice flowing

By Creative Salon

07 July 2025

The Internet of My Early 20s

Ah, the golden age of the internet. I'm talking about a time of unfettered creativity, questionable design choices, and viral sensations that we spent way too much time obsessing over. It was an era when the internet was powerful and accessible enough for people to just make stuff because, well, it was fun. There was no pressure to monetise, no desperate scramble for first-party data – it was for the pure, unadulterated joy of it.

Let's take a trip down memory lane, shall we? Remember the nonsensical allure of BeeDogs, "the premier online repository for pictures of dogs in bee costumes"? Or the hypnotic charm of "badger, badger, badger," a Flash animation that perfectly captured the internet's absurdist sense of humour? And who could forget the early, thrilling (and often terrifying) days of Chatroulette?

These might seem like forgotten relics, but they represent a specific type of internet humour that thrived at the time: random, nonsensical, and often gloriously low-budget. It's a reminder of the power of absurdity and the internet's unique ability to transform even the strangest ideas into viral sensations.

The Sydney Opera House

Ever since I was a kid growing up in Sydney, this building has amazed me. It's a symbol of unbound creative ambition in a place where such ambition is, sadly, often undervalued.

The design was originally rejected due to a perceived lack of detail, but it was ultimately saved by mid-century design icon Eero Saarinen. He saw the originality and vision, the audacity to push the limits of what was possible with the engineering of the day. He saw an idea that remains as fresh and awe-inspiring as the day it was conceived. During construction it faced untold criticism as a waste of money and totally impractical for its purpose. But to me, it remains a lesson in seeing an idea through, despite the challenges it might face.

The architecture and its significance are beautifully captured in the Cannes-winning film 'Play It Safe' from The Monkey's, written by Tim Minchin and directed by Kim Gehrig. It's a testament to the power of a single, bold idea.

Spotify Wrapped

As an industry, we ask ourselves the same question every year: who won Christmas? John Lewis? Kevin the Carrot? But what we often fail to recognise are the ideas that are making a genuine impact on actual people. Enter Spotify Wrapped.

As someone who spends a majority of their creative time building one-to-one experiences, I'm consistently impressed by the way Spotify continues to evolve Wrapped year after year. They find fresh ways to engage users and bring new dimensions to it, whether it's through better personalized videos or by featuring artists thanking their top fans. And let's not forget the advertising campaign – it's an absolute delight.

Since its debut over a decade ago, Spotify Wrapped has become a cultural marker for the year that's been, as embedded in our Christmas rituals as Mariah Carey. Not bad for what is, at its core, just a data report. It's a reminder that even the most seemingly mundane data can be transformed into something meaningful and engaging with the right creative vision.