David Quinn
Challenger Brands, Standout Stories and Theatre with David Quinn Ep 270 - The Global Discussion
David Quinn brings a mix of theatre, advertising insight, and cultural curiosity that feels both refreshing and grounded on this episode of The Global Discussion. As founder and Business Director of Bloom, the Dublin-based creative and strategic agency, David has spent decades helping challenger brands punch above their weight. His work with Brady Family Ham is the example most people know, but the thinking behind it is what really sets the tone for his approach.
David traced the path that led him from the underground theatre scene in Galway to becoming a respected voice in Irish advertising. The journey is anything but linear, and that is what makes it compelling.
From Found Space Theatre to Fringe First Success
Before Bloom existed, there was Punchbag Theatre. David helped create it with friends during a vibrant period in Galway when a do-it-yourself energy inspired people to turn derelict spaces into places for art. Their venue was a converted garage, complete with an old mechanic's pit that became part of the staging.
The company became known for staging new writing and work that challenged audiences. Their most famous production, "Eclipsed", exposed the realities of the Magdalene Laundries at a time when few in Ireland were willing to talk about them. The response was national, helped along by early coverage on the Gerry Ryan Show and the shock of its subject matter.
Punchbag toured internationally, won an Edinburgh Fringe First, and launched the career of several now familiar names, including comedian and actor Tommy Tiernan, who trained with the company in his early days.
The theatre work was passionate, disruptive, and culturally significant, but it was not a sustainable business. When property pressures of the Celtic Tiger arrived, and their venue was sold, David moved to Dublin in search of something more stable.
Building Bloom on Big Ideas and Distinctiveness
Advertising offered a bridge between creativity and commercial reality. After working at Bell Advertising, David and his colleague Damien Penco struck out on their own. They became an agency by necessity when a potential client rejected them on the grounds that they were not one.
Naming the new company turned into a moment of serendipity. It was Bloomsday. Leopold Bloom, the central character in Ulysses, worked in advertising. The name stuck.
Over the last two decades, Bloom has earned a reputation for helping challenger brands differentiate themselves in crowded markets. David explained this with a simple but striking observation. Most sectors communicate in the same visual and tonal language. Hotels show massages and wine glasses, car brands show cars on roads, and banks show couples on couches. When every competitor imitates the category leader, they end up reinforcing that leader rather than standing out.
Bloom's philosophy is to promote the brand, not the category. The Brady Family Ham campaign was designed so that no one could ever confuse it with a Denny's advert. This focus on distinctiveness, tone, and clarity remains central to the agency's work.
Where Theatre and Advertising Meet
David sees a direct link between the energy of his early theatre years and the work he does now. Both rely on big ideas that resonate. Both involve ephemeral output. A show runs, then disappears into memory. A campaign lives for a period, then makes room for the next.
He also connects the act of pitching to the performance instinct. Standing in a room, presenting an idea, watching a client react, or feeling the silence when something does not land. It is intensely theatrical, and for David, it is part of the craft.
A Modest Proposal for Modern Ireland
David's latest theatrical project, "A Modest Proposal", brings Jonathan Swift's satirical spirit into contemporary Ireland. Swift's original 1729 pamphlet suggested, with chilling rationality, that the poor might sell their children to the wealthy as food. It was satire designed to spark outrage at the conditions of the time.
David uses a similar device to explore the current homelessness and child poverty crisis. The play imagines a government unit hiring a strategy agency to tackle the problem, presenting a modernised Swiftian solution with the language and tools of contemporary branding.
The numbers in the play are real, and David has updated them year after year as homelessness figures grow. The contrast between Ireland's rising wealth and its rising number of homeless children fuels the play's urgency. Audiences respond with shock, laughter, discomfort, and reflection, often all in one sitting.
A post-show public conversation in Galway with Tommy Tiernan became a standout moment. It mixed friendship, confession, and spontaneity in a way only Tommy can steer, and it sparked renewed attention for the project.
Navigating the Future of Irish Advertising
As a board member of IAPI, David is helping shape the next chapter for the Irish advertising industry. He believes the sector needs stronger representation at the government level, akin to the influence of the film and tourism industries.
The goal is clear. Elevate Ireland's commercial creativity, ensure agencies have a voice when legislation affects their work, and build a reputation internationally that reflects the quality already present across the sector. With a new CEO and a more ambitious strategic direction, IAPI is preparing for a stronger, more vocal role in the years ahead.
Thoughts on AI and the Changing Media Landscape
AI looms large in every conversation about the future of creativity, but David views it with measured perspective. He has seen similar waves of disruption before. The arrival of the Apple Mac, the rise of social media, and the panic that each new medium would replace the old. Yet outdoor posters, radio, print, and television are still with us. What changes are in the workflow and the tools? What remains is the need for strong ideas.
Advice for Young Creatives
David's advice is simple and rooted in experience. If creativity is an itch, you have to scratch it. Learn the craft. Study the great work that came before. Understand why particular campaigns endure. And test every idea by stripping it down to its simplest form. One image, a handful of words, a logo. If it works on an outdoor poster, it works anywhere.
About The Global Discussion
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