Damon Stapleton is Co-Founder and CCO of The Monkeys – now Droga5 Aotearoa – and author of Keep Shooting Until You See The F…ers Smoke. He talks about the difference between writing a book and an ad.
What’s the story behind your book title Keep Shooting Until You See The F…ers Smoke and what inspired you to write it?
If you want to know why the book has a weird title, you can blame my grandfather. But you will have to read the book to find out why.
However, the idea for this book was born when I was promoted to Executive Creative Director at the tender age of 30. The promotion was a couple of years too early. I didn’t really know what I was doing. It was a very famous agency with an incredible creative pedigree, and it was a very large agency that was going through a very tough time.
Clients were not happy, and staff were leaving in droves. I was suddenly given the Sheriff’s badge, and I was thrown into all sorts of gunslinger situations that were somewhere between scary and terrifying. I remember thinking at the time was I really needed a mentor or some advice or inspiration.
I guess this book and damonsbrain.com is something I wrote for myself to remedy the situation. The great thing I realised by doing it was I discovered most creatives feel the same way.
How would you describe the creative process of writing a book versus creating an ad?
I think the main difference is that an ad often solves a specific problem in time using creativity. Deadlines and pressure make this difficult in its own way. A book is different. It’s more complex in the sense that you are either solving a series of problems or creating a narrative or many narratives where creativity has to be the glue that pulls all the specific strands together to create something singular.
What has been your favourite part of writing your book and why?
I think being able to spend time with ideas as opposed to just moving onto the next one. And watching my wife, Minky, visually bringing the book to life was special.
Quickfire 5
Favourite musical artist of all time?
I have thought about this for 10 minutes. This is impossible. Too much music I love.
Winter or summer?
I do love something about winter. Weird, but there you go.
Last thing you searched on Google?
There was a band called Charles and Eddie that had a massive hit in the 90s called Would I Lie to You. Then they disappeared. I Googled them to find out what happened to them.
Most memorable meal you have ever had?
I have had a few. But last year, the whole family went on holiday to New York. On our last night there we went and had dinner at The Chelsea Hotel at a restaurant called El Quijote. The food was great but to hang out in a room where so many famous musicians and poets (Jim Morrison, Bob Dylan, Janis Joplin, Jack Kerouac, Stanley Kubrick…) used to live and work and eat was pretty cool.
Three words to describe how you are feeling right now.
Keep it interesting.
This was first published in the 2024 September-October 2024 NZ Marketing Magazine issue. Subscribe here.
