Bopgun Corporate Day 2017

As humans we are highly adaptable creatures, willing to relearn, develop and grow as a race, learning from our failures and celebrating our successes. As an ever growing and changing agency, we like to think that we’re up there in constantly updating and bettering ourselves to ensure we keep up to date with technology, trends and our clients needs. However it can be easy to get so hung up on the here and now that we occasionally forget traditional methods and values. So this past sunny Thursday we decided to test this theory. In the light of the ‘millennials’ generational term that the world and media are constantly buzzing about and that we all saw the start of lent this week in all our calendars, we have decided to give up the millennial generation habits for one day, take a leaf out of Sir Richard Branson’s book, (see the Virgin Group’s exercise here) in participating in a similar exercise to see just how our previous generation’s workplace was like.

Bopgun Corporate Day 2017

We like to think that our company is up there with the Branson’s of this world, offering flexible working hours, social get togethers, casual dress code in keeping our staff happy amongst many other millennial qualities, however it can be easy to get hung up on everything we do have and forget what most of the world’s workplaces are still like. So we decided to do a ‘none millennial’ Thursday exercise or ‘Bopgun Corporate Day’ to see just what differences there are between generations and just how far we’ve come.

Purpose
Experience the previous generation’s workplace and what most of the world is still run like.

Method
The team were emailed the following rules for the Bopgun Corporate Day 2017.

On the Day

We all arrived bright eyed and bushy tailed before 9am, no flexible hours for us today, all suited and booted in smart casual wear. Good team effort on the office wear. It got to about 10am when we were all settled at our desks when the first comments started to surface about the no music policy, it was hard, utter silence in the office. Of course headphone music was an option but it seemed so antisocial when we’re such a sociable and bubbly bunch.

There was a few slip ups shall we say with the titles, especially amongst the more complicated surnames in the team but the formalities flowed into the digital realm via email too, so yet another good effort.

Little did the team know that their behaviour and efforts on the day were being judged in the hope to award them, let’s see how the team got on.

Bopgun Corporate Day Awards 2017

And the winners were presented by our lovely Creative Director Jonathan Taylor:

Award: Most Contribution Throughout The Day
Winner: Sam Atchison
Comments: I’m speechless, for once.

Award: Best Rule Keeper
Winner: Hannah Walker
Comments: I feel honoured and it’s good to have structure and to keep to rules, it makes people understand where they stand.

Award: Best Dressed
Winner: Sam Atchison
Comments: This is so unexpected, I’d like to thank my family and friends for their support in choosing my outfit.

Other awards

And because we love our team and didn’t want to leave anyone out and in the light that this prize comes from the generational era ‘Generation X’ we’re honouring today, each of our team were awarded a Cadbury’s Creme Egg of course. Well done team. Good effort!

How some of the team found the experience..

Jonathan Taylor – Creative Director

The no music policy was a challenge, as music helps me to slow down my thoughts and focus on the creative in more depth with rhythm. And distraction is a good thing via the internet hence our slogan Plan PLAY Perform and helps you to play with ideas as  you never know where your next inspiration will come from. For example, a magazine would give you a completely different inspiration than say internet research.

Hardest rule
No internet and no office music.

David Mathews – Commercial Director

It felt like we were in our own little bubbles and couldn’t communicate. It was an effort to do anything such as even speak to the team due to the restriction of the titles rule, having to remember names and wasn’t as open, we almost siloed ourselves.

Hardest rule
A mixture between Titles, formalities and no office music.

Lloyd James – Web developer

With no studio music we talked amongst ourselves a lot more. I think this had an influence on our productivity!

Hardest rule
No office music.

Hannah Walker – Studio Creative

I found the day dull,  not very stimulating and uninspiring. In the context of our agency wearing work clothes I feel isn’t something that suits us because it restricts us to be creative.

Hardest rule
No office music.

Sam Atchison – Creative Designer

I didn’t mind the dress code so much as I’ve worked at places that have an office wear policy before and have a wardrobe full of it. But the no eating at your desk was hard as I regularly work and graze, I find it more productive so it doesn’t stop you in your work. Although leaving your desk for a moment was nice occasionally, I need to do that more.

Hardest rule
No eating at the desk.

Want to know more about millennials?

There’s a whole media circus around the ‘millennial’ term and many compulsory reasons why we can’t ignore this generation in our work. To find out more about the millennials and how as creatives we can ensure we capture their attention, check out our other blog post that details tips on ‘Why we can’t ignore the millennial audience.’