About me « Bring the love back

About me

My name is Geert Desager and I’m originally from Brussels, lived in Cape Town, Paris and now in Singapore, I studied applied linguistics, did a Master in E-business at the university of Brussels and an MBA at the University of Liverpool. Currently working as Trade Marketing Manager South East Asia for Microsoft.

92 Comments Add your own

1. Tim Brunelle | May 17, 2007 at 3:15 am

Thank you for creating this film. Thank you. It’s brilliant.
2. fredrik sarnblad | May 17, 2007 at 7:05 am

This is honestly brilliant. Thanks!
3. Geert | May 17, 2007 at 7:10 am

glad you like it guys!
4. vangeest | May 17, 2007 at 9:17 am

Nice. Good work !
5. Christophe | May 17, 2007 at 10:05 am

Great job, fellow filmmaker
6. Alex | May 17, 2007 at 10:20 am

What a great movie !!
7. Paul Greatbatch | May 17, 2007 at 1:12 pm

The film is great. A wonderful overall comment on advertising.

I just wish you weren’t at Microsoft.
8. geert | May 17, 2007 at 1:18 pm

thanks for those kind words. in a way it’s thanks to Microsoft that i can do projects like these
9. Igor | May 17, 2007 at 2:23 pm

If you need a job in Amsterdam just hollow

Say HI to Jeroen V for me..

Cheers

Igor
10. Bill Hanekamp | May 17, 2007 at 2:32 pm

Wow. Perfectly written and produced. Nice work. The next generation of marketing professionals is looking for a voice. You may be it. I hope you don’t mind me sending everyone I know to this site. Damn that was good.
11. Ben Digman | May 17, 2007 at 2:40 pm

Fantastic! Hopefully someone is listening.
12. robin christopher | May 17, 2007 at 5:31 pm

awesome!
13. Katrineholm Review | May 17, 2007 at 5:55 pm

Video A (particularly with regard to continuity on the part of the man in the video). The fact that you work for Microsoft: I for “Incomplete.”. Go OpenSource!
14. Lewis Green | May 17, 2007 at 6:53 pm

Geert,

I just posted this comment at CK’s blog and wanted to share it with you.

Do I like the ad? Yes. Do I get a message? Yes. Businesses should listen to their customers. And authenticity is key. Okay.

I know lots of Ad executives and I don’t think many of them will relate to the advertising character. The guy is such a dork (and way too much of a stereotype mostly thought of as New York advertising guy as seen on TV) that most advertising executives will not resonate with the male character and accept that they are anything like him. The authenticity of his character is missing. My emotional response is that I would never hire or employ anyone like this guy, let alone think the way he does. And, at the end of the day, advertising is all about emotional responses.

Wouldn’t you agree that we need to create characters wherein the audience can see themselves and accept that maybe they are like those characters. As a male, I resonate with the consumer. She is authentic, believable (and ballsy enough for me, CK). As a Marketer, I can’t begin to imagine that I would behave anything like the advertiser character in the video. Therefore, I’m ignoring him and his part of the message. That can’t be good.

Finally, releasing an advertising campaign without real changes behind it is a problem. CK nailed it.

Really great creative. Will the message stick? I don’t think so. Not with the executives I know. It is obvious that there is exceptional talent behind the creative. But I think some work needs to be done on reshaping the content to better reflect the audience’s belief systems and their emotional responses to seeing themselves.

P.S. After reading the About This Blog at Geert’s place, I made an assumption that the target audience is advertising and Marketing executives. Am I wrong?
15. Lissandro | May 17, 2007 at 6:53 pm

Geert, may I download this video? How? Tks, Lissandro from Brazil
16. Geert | May 17, 2007 at 8:05 pm

Lissandro, I’ll put the file up as soon as possible
17. Geert | May 17, 2007 at 8:07 pm

Lewis, good points and indeed the target is correct. We need to start somewhere and if this works we’ll have to move forward and then we can take up most of your comments.
18. Lewis Green | May 17, 2007 at 8:16 pm

Thanks Geert. I really want to help, as I come from the same frame of mind as CK that we should reach out to assist each other whenever we can.
19. Philip Maes | May 17, 2007 at 8:55 pm

I simply loved it. Brilliantly written, great acting, point taken.
In many ways it reminds me of the goals we have with the Advertising Academy. Check it out Dutch speaking account people and advertisers: reclameacademie.be
20. Ange | May 18, 2007 at 6:40 am

Ain’t that the truth….absolute gold.
21. bik | May 18, 2007 at 1:02 pm

as everyone said this is great but when every other lover/advertiser is screaming what option does a genuine but soft spoken guy guy have but to walk out of the room or hope like hell that someone will notice. hope you get it. Great work though
22. philip de wulf | May 18, 2007 at 2:14 pm

hé geert,

fantastisch filmke. says it all. but now let’s take it to the next level. Listening is good. But it’s a start. To woo you need to put in something of yourself. The love yeh but also… personality,substance,care… or to put it in the words of Godfried Bomans whom you should know…. zeepbellen blazen. Dreams.
Make them dream, make them laugh….
And of course ultimately you need to dance…
looking forward to your next movie…
23. Geert | May 18, 2007 at 2:31 pm

Hi Philip, loved your comment! I hope I can go further with this and make them dream, laugh and ultimately dance
24. Andrea Hoare Madrid | May 18, 2007 at 9:29 pm

Hi! I teach communications based in digital platform at the Universidad Central de Venezuela, the biggest University in the country. I start all my courses with the cluetrain manifesto: the markets are conversations… I saw your video and I think is an amazing tool to illustrate this new world of marketing. Unfortunately, most of the students don’t speak English. Perhaps you have an Spanish subtitled version, or you can make it!!! Please help us.
25. Treehaus | May 19, 2007 at 1:14 am

Hallo Trade Marketing Manager,
This film is the epitomy of non-dialogue.
Please wake up before you start believing in dross like this.
Thanks.
Tree
PS - why do all the comments here kiss so much a*#? You don’t have any real friends who are critícal of what you’re doing here, do you? Has the eBay award system turned us all into affirmation junkies? Destroy your inner i-pod, unplug your earphones and sing me a story I can believe in.
26. Odysseas Ntotsikas | May 20, 2007 at 7:40 am

Hi Geert,

My name is Odysseas Ntotsikas. I am the MD for MDAS’ Sales House in Greece / Romania / Cyprus. Congrats for the good work and for bringing into life this otherwise multidimensional issue.

Questions:
Can we use the poster / video for promoting MDAS in our region? Can we have the material send to us directly?

Thanks in advance,

Odysseas,
27. mramused | May 20, 2007 at 10:19 pm

… and it took MS only more than eight years to get it … http://www.cluetrain.com/
28. Francisco | May 21, 2007 at 8:09 pm

Geert, really funny. Great video, great dialogue! The actors, also, are really good. I realy tought that the woman would be convinced by the guy, but the end is perfect. I hope we write something, some day, together. Um abraco from Brazil/US. Francisco.
29. Néstor | May 22, 2007 at 2:49 am

excelent movie!
30. Geert | May 22, 2007 at 11:34 am

Hi Francisco, who knows… we could write the follow up series together maybe and instead of the location being in a restaurant in LA it could be in a nice place in Brazil!
31. Geert | May 22, 2007 at 11:35 am

Hi mramused… the cluetrain manifesto is one of my favorite books as well… but I only started working for Microsoft 10 months ago!
32. nalts | May 22, 2007 at 6:18 pm

Very compelling video. Just blogged about it. Why can’t you list your real name?
33. Geert | May 22, 2007 at 7:32 pm

Hi Nalts, I am using my real name: Geert Desager and my own company email adres?
34. nalts | May 23, 2007 at 10:15 pm

Oh- you sure are. So you’re real. Not a brand created by a big agency? Okay- I’m ready when you are on a viral vid, sir. See my recent “product placement” video at youtube dot com slash nalts… he said with a shameless self promotion.
35. Geert | May 24, 2007 at 10:58 am

Hi nalts, I have checked your youtube channel, impressive.
36. Stuart | May 24, 2007 at 12:09 pm

This really says it all - brilliant!
37. K. M. S. | May 24, 2007 at 7:59 pm

Fantastic idea. It’s about time someone countered the agencies. Thanks for the inspiration. Definitely a series, and maybe the consumer could progress over the series to become VICTORIOUS!
38. Andreas W | May 26, 2007 at 12:17 pm

“Whilst Geert Desager is employed by Microsoft, and this blog includes information about Microsoft, the information available on this blog is not representative of Microsoft’s views or opinions.” - they just don’t get it…amazingly stupid…
39. Joanna Pena-Bickley | May 26, 2007 at 12:57 pm

Thank you for creating this film.

It is great creative because it is the truth wrapped up in the parody of our everyday lives as digital evangelists.
40. TB | May 27, 2007 at 1:31 am

love the work. really clever execution of what is in reality is quite an old idea now. But it’s still very cool. I think the challenge for most marketers is that they are still looking for formulas — whether it is offline or online. there is no holy grail online just as there is no holy grail offline. anybody who thinks that there is is kidding themselves…
41. Hari | May 29, 2007 at 3:07 am

Hi Geert,

Congratulations on a fantastic piece. And thank god you’re working in Microsoft, there’s no better way to change than from the inside.

I have two questions:

1. Can I post this video on my blog?
2. Who is the target audience for this video as of this moment, I saw a copy that ended with the URL for this blog, now it seems to me that if I wanted clients or others to see this, ideally the URL should be some site where the conversation is taken further with how to change this situation brilliantly portrayed in the film.
42. geertd | May 29, 2007 at 12:34 pm

Hi Hari, yes you can post it. The target is advertisers, media and agencies!
43. Chris | May 30, 2007 at 3:42 pm

Hi Geert, - great piece, must have had a quality production staff and director… Chris
44. Greg Krauska | June 1, 2007 at 4:40 pm

Brilliant work! This video is rich in lessons to be learned. What next? (When you leave them hungry for more, you are doing great stuff!)
45. chris j | June 2, 2007 at 2:07 am

who directed the ‘break up?’
46. geertd | June 2, 2007 at 9:05 am

Hi Chris, the movie was directed by Ben Zlotucha, the production company was http://www.caviar.be and te script was writte by Stef Selleslachts from http://www.openhere.be. Hope this helps.
47. Laura | June 2, 2007 at 10:41 pm

Just discovered your vid on a new website here (DOmedia.com). Loved it and the message. As a marketing manager for a large CPG & home services company, I run across way too many advertising professionals who claim to know the audience because we have basic demographic/psychographic data and who promote “open dialogs” that simply provide a way for us to push information we think is important out to the target audience, only to be genuinely surprised when the consumer isn’t all that interested.

The consumer has changed. As marketing/advertising professionals, it’s time we changed as well…..not just our tactics, but our attitudes as well.

And for the record, I’d love to see a sequel!

Best of luck.
48. marc hootelé | June 14, 2007 at 8:47 am

Like I already told you when I read the purpose of “Bringing the love back” before seeing the movie : So true & we want some more !
49. Puru Gupta | June 19, 2007 at 2:53 am

Thanks for the wonderful campaign Geert. I have given my perspective on the same at http://readbetweentheps.blogspot.com/2007/06/advertiser-and-consumer-breaking-up.html.

Am looking forward to the next campaign in the series!

Thanks Again
Regards
Puru
50. Eugen Schmidt | June 24, 2007 at 3:44 pm

great film. i love it. will be online on my blog tomorrow.
regards and bringing the love back from vienna/austria.
eugen
51. spark3 | July 4, 2007 at 8:34 pm

absolutely fabulous….and i work on the women’s business so is even more apt…would love to share….

mish
52. Francine | July 18, 2007 at 8:22 pm

cant hear the video and would love to. Do you make films for other people’s websites? How can I hear the sound please.
Regards Francine
53. alex | July 20, 2007 at 11:14 am

Great work Geert. I would love to use it in the trainings I give on communication strategy. Can I download it in one way or the other?
54. b | July 22, 2007 at 1:11 am

Representin my peeps, the direct response community. My reaction is a bit different. I think the advertiser is much more insecure than this portrayal. They most often aren’t as cocksure as this dude. And the consumer is, at least for 3.4 seconds or so, predisposed to listen. She was more skeptical up front than is often the case, or she wouldn’t be tuned into the medium.

Unfortunately, the agency is more often the know-it-all, selling campaigns based on coolness of The Big Idea vs. consumer insight. Not something as cliche as little devil on his shoulder…maybe a fly on the wall (hehe)..
55. Reinolt | July 26, 2007 at 12:01 pm

Geert,

Very claryfying indeed! Helps when you’re in a discussion and trying to exemplify the benefits of a push versus a pull strategy. THE customer does not exist, the individual customer (in all his/her mood switches) does!

Still have one mind boggler: would changing the sexes (female advertiser/ male customer) have brougth the same effect?

Thanx - reinolt duerings
56. Peyton | July 31, 2007 at 10:58 pm

Hi Geert,

LOL! Would you mind if I used your video in a presentation I’m doing at my company’s annual summit in September regarding the “The Power Shift” occurring from the big networks, agencies, advertisers, etc. to the consumer?

Let me know if you need additional information -
kp
57. eindra | August 1, 2007 at 11:52 pm

hi geert, congratulations on the video.
let’s leave executional details aside (every production has something to improve).
we all agree that consumers are the ones who have the power and many times advertisers (and also marketing people) underestimate them. so congratulations on finding an original and compelling way to talk to professionals and help them open their minds on this.
by the way, i am specially glad that you’ve chosen a woman to represent them. i don’t think this was just a coincidence!
i live in argentina. i worked for the last 5 years at JWT as account director for unilever but decided to quit a few months ago to take some “free time”.
if i can be of help for translation to spanish let me know.
good luck on the follow-up!
andra
58. TJ McCue | August 14, 2007 at 7:18 pm

Hi Geert,
Just wanted to let you know i loved the video. Sent it to a bunch of ad execs, and to Bob Garfield at Advertising Age (which he posted it in his blog — large readership!). Keep the great content coming. I’m trying to figure out a way to put it on my new blog on sales management because it has relevance in so many areas with my clients who deal with consumers. Not so much with my b2b clients.
Thanks again,
TJ McCue
59. Bart Foreman | August 18, 2007 at 8:05 pm

Hello Geert:

ABFAB. You really hit the nail squarely. When not doing my day job, I am Chair of the DMA’s CRM Council and we are doing a panel discussion at the annual conference called CRM-Is It Still relevant?

One of the speakers is from Microsoft. I would love to use your video as my introduction to the workshop/discussion.

I have asked each panelist to discuss whether CRM is relevant. Then I will challenge them to prove it. Your video will be the spark.

All the best.
60. raider | August 22, 2007 at 8:07 am

geert — well, needless to say, i’ve been following the blog and campaign since may and i couldn’t be happier with the way it turned out. so glad it’s been a smashing success for you guys. would absolutely LOVE to do it again. sequel? cartoon? radio show? i’m game…
61. Victoria Yebne | August 24, 2007 at 8:09 pm

Hey! I saw the film in a Conference last week at my University.

Greetings from Buenos Aires, Argentina!
62. Dave Faulkner | September 8, 2007 at 8:47 pm

Geert,

This is great. Did you know you were getting rave reviews on Christian blogs that see a parallel with the way church leaders treat church members? (I write as a church leader.)
63. Rafael Rossi | September 10, 2007 at 9:39 pm

Hi, I work in a big Real Estate developer in Brazil. I am participating in a marketing conference in Brazil next month, and would really like to use your video during my speech. Is this possible? If so, where could I download it? Thanks, Rafael
64. Charles | September 21, 2007 at 9:31 pm

Geert,

Great production. One of our clients saw the “Bring Back the Love” movie and wants to know about licensing it. Would Microsoft consider licensing the video and or the script for production?

Charles
65. Jarrett | September 24, 2007 at 8:48 pm

Geert,

The movie is great. As a young mind in the marketing space, I am inspired. A job well done.

I work for a digital agency in Philadelphia and we are trying to drive the same relevance and two communications messaging in a majority of our activities.

I wanted to get your permission to use the video in a presentation; I am building if you don’t mind.

Thanks,
Jarrett
66. Karin Roberts | October 10, 2007 at 8:18 pm

I almost got a tear in my eye, Great&Brave…but now is where the hard work starts..
67. Frija Leunens | October 24, 2007 at 1:42 pm

well done
I saw it some months ago and it lingers on

now I will download your film and use it myself as an illustration for one of my internal presentations as it gives certain dynamics
68. Jen | November 15, 2007 at 10:48 pm

Would you consider usage rights to the BREAKUP video for use in a PowerPoint presentation? We would cite the work appropriately.

Thanks for the consideration.
69. Nadine | November 21, 2007 at 1:58 pm

Hi Geert,
as many others, I would be interested in the script. Is it possible for you to put it on your blog? Or maybe email it to me?
Thank you!
70. John | November 24, 2007 at 5:44 am

I fly upon this banner by a random curiosity, read the images, and find myself wondering: Did one person write every comment here? Have directed websites become so scripted that all views are purple? This site is so ubiquitous that it scares me. What is “The Movie”

?
71. edy | January 8, 2008 at 2:14 pm

Can’t believe such an intellient person, that wrote this film, works for MICROSOFT™ ??????????????
Listen.. GET OF OF THERE!!!!
72. Sabine | January 9, 2008 at 3:03 pm

Geert,

Good confronting film which I would love to use to kick off a workshop on the changing world of consumer & their media (needs & usage). Can it be downloaded somewhere? Futhermore, like the two fold approach you take (from break up to bring back the love). Needless to say that I am curious to find out more on the next step - bringing back the love.
73. Balaji | January 23, 2008 at 9:23 am

Hi Geert,

Great film. Extremely relevant and entertaining. It seems like it’s all about engagement these days rather than broadcasting a message. Give them content to play with or they’ll find their own. Great job Geert!
Cheers,
Balaji
74. nicoletta | February 5, 2008 at 5:03 pm

are you real or you are an invention? Let’s say the idea of a creative somewhere in the planet.
75. charles | February 9, 2008 at 9:57 pm

I thought this was a great but i would hope that the woman would take off her t-shirt (consumer) and return it to the dork before leaving. And the final frame should show adbusters web site.
76. Temitope Olarewaju | February 10, 2008 at 4:24 am

What a nice Stuff ! It actually speaks volume.
77. 100Log » The Break &hellip | March 3, 2008 at 8:14 am

[...] pubblicizzare la sua piattaforma di advertising per i contenuti digitali. Nato da un’idea di Geert Desager, Marketing Manager alla Microsoft, il video rappresenta una provocazione in linea con le idee del [...]
78. Manish Vij | March 11, 2008 at 4:54 am

Greet Hi - Amazing work on the film. I am Co-Founder of Microsofts online media agency in India, Quasar Media, and would love to connect with you on email and when I am in Singapore at Ad-Tech event on June 27th. Let me know your availability.

Cheers
79. Blogue marketing interact&hellip | March 11, 2008 at 8:33 pm

[...] tout simplement fait pleurer de rire avec cette vidéo “Bring the love back” de Geert Desager, un [...]
80. » Bring the Love Ba&hellip | March 12, 2008 at 11:27 am

[...] people talk about this changing nature of marketing communication, this extremely funny video by Geert Desager ( Trade Marketing Manager South East Asia for Microsoft.) demonstrates how wrong old style advertising can seem! Show me the Love: Play Now | [...]
81. Axel | March 14, 2008 at 7:39 pm

Hi Geert,
I love your “The Break Up” We are creating a campaign called “Cease Advertising” and we help companies stop advertising and instead actively engage and network with their market.

Is it possible to get your video clip as mov file to embed in a trainings PPT?

Thanks much

Axel
82. Axel | March 14, 2008 at 7:40 pm

May be you can send me your email address, I’d like to introduce you to our partner in Singapore,

Thanks
Axel
83. dina | March 18, 2008 at 11:36 am

ciao!
you adv is great - it impressed me a lot
…yes …I feel like I falled in love with marketing again..!!
It was my first love, at university, in 1993, and my involvement went forward till 2002…but then I got tyred of the promises.. and I passed to work for technology…and now for customer centric sales: but how difficult it is to find the customers that really need me…Maybe, this is a solution!!!
84. Konsument till annonsör:&hellip | March 24, 2008 at 8:47 pm

[...] mycket Microsoft egentligen har koll på här. Det verkar som om det är i princip en mans arbete - Geert Desager som sitter i Belgien och jobbar som Trade Marketing Manager. Jag blev fascinerad över storyn han [...]
85. Tim Junck | April 10, 2008 at 8:26 am

Hey Geert,

Wow - wonderful. A 45-year veteran one-on-one marketing friend said your little video would help me out. I see his point. But I wonder which of us is seeing it the “right” way.

I believe he’s interested in having me talk to my prospects. I see the video encouraging me to create dialog - to listen to my customer, and respond to them.

One comment above tells me you had a product launch - something that helped solve this problem sometime in August or September of last year. What was that? Was it for the little guy as well as the big corporation? Or do you need to be able to fund that 200′ billboard in New York City to use your solution?

Thanks!
Tim Junck
The Geeky Marketer

P.S. You might want to check the comments above. No discussion of your topic - but they are using your blog to get visitors for gambling and paycheck loans…..

P.P.S. Do you get up to Kuala Lumpur? Do you have solutions for the small business marketing online?
86. geertd | April 10, 2008 at 9:36 am

Hi Tim,
the idea of launching the movie was to work on our positioning as a provider of digital advertising solutions. Our biggest objective is still explaining to people why they have to invest in online marketing, in many countries Ad expenditure is around 2 to 5%. So by claiming the problem that he advertiser is loosing the connection with his customer we started the conversation. We just finished the 2nd movie and I’ll let you know more in time.

Thanks for the tip on the comments…hadn’t seen them
and yes I will be in KL on the 22nd of April…but agenda completely packed, sorry…let me know your needs and we can follow up offline

Cheers

Geert
87. Luiz Silveira | April 11, 2008 at 11:18 pm

Hi Geert! Im from Brazil and the teacher just showed us your video to explain about the new consumer. Nice one! Cheerss!
88. Leonardo Coutiño | April 26, 2008 at 3:04 am

Hi, I liked your video, I´m glad to hear that you have received some awards, I think you deserves them because you were able to put in one video what marketing shouldn´t do and how it has to evolve, (and also a funny video); well, I´m from Mexico city and I´m in the first year of university, I´m studying business in ITESM (Tecnológico de Monterrey), I´m new in all of this stuff (e-business, e-marketing, viral videos, innovation, web 2.0, IT) and also some of my teachers or maybe the coursers of the career are not very well actualized, but I´m learning on my own, and I was wondering if you could teach me some internet pages where I can learn more and faster, or if you could recommend me some books I´ll be very very very thankful, if you could help me with that.
Whenever you would like to come to Mexico I´ll be glad to be your tourist guide, really.
89. Consumer Vs Advertiser &#&hellip | April 27, 2008 at 9:06 pm

[...] este o initiativa interesanta a acestui domn, proiect a carui scop este de a atrage atentia asupra modului in care publicitatea comunica cu [...]
90. Gina | May 29, 2008 at 5:31 am

Hi Geert!

Love the movie and have shared it with my blog audience.

What’s the best way to get a heads up when you post the sequel?

Cheers
Gina.
91. Jessica | June 18, 2008 at 4:13 pm

Hello Geert,

I was wondering if I could put your commercial on our website and use it in our forthcoming podcasts? It sends such a powerful and impactful message that we would just love to share it with our audience.

Thanks
92. I can’t get noo - i&hellip | June 23, 2008 at 5:40 pm

[...] Geert, I just do not get it. You gave is a wonderful video (Bring the love back) that videolized the [...]

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Bring the love back

About me

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