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Why Didn't I Think of That?

Why Didn't I Think of That?

Written by: VML Canada
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"Why didn't I think of That?" is brought to you by the Innovation Team at VML Canada. Join us for a relaxed, round-table chat where we break down the latest in innovation – from the complex world of tech to surprisingly simple, yet brilliant, creative initiatives. We'll cover news, offer deep dives, and share fascinating interviews, all through a distinctly Canadian lens. Whether you're a fellow innovator or just keen to learn about the exciting developments shaping our nation, this podcast is your go-to source for understanding what's new and next in Canada.Copyright 2026 Economics Marketing Marketing & Sales
Episodes
  • Bas Korsten: The Art of the Impossible Idea

    Bas Korsten: The Art of the Impossible Idea
    Jul 22 2026

    Fearless Creativity, T-Rex Handbags, & AI Innovation

    How do you convince a client to make a handbag out of lab-grown T-Rex DNA? And more importantly, how do you even come up with the idea in the first place?

    In this episode of Why Didn't I Think of That?, hosts Rick Brown, Jeremy Lens, and Tim Voet sit down with a true industry visionary: Bas Korsten, Global Chief Creative Officer of Innovation and EMEA CCO at VML. Bas has built a legendary career by turning the impossible into reality. From using AI to paint The Next Rembrandt to creating the viral Mammoth Meatball, his work consistently blurs the lines between technology, biology, and world-class storytelling.

    Now, Bas is making global headlines again with his newest project: the world's first lab-grown T-Rex leather handbag – a project that just took home four Lions at Cannes. Bas takes us inside his creative process to explain the art of the impossible idea, why the future of innovation might just be prehistoric, and how to sell wildly ambitious concepts to the most skeptical clients.

    Later in the episode, the hosts dive into a roundtable discussion about the evolving role of AI in the agency world, exploring the realities of voice cloning and how generative AI is empowering the next generation of creative talent.

    In this episode, we cover:

    • The T-Rex Handbag: The incredible science behind using fossilized T-Rex collagen to grow dinosaur leather in a lab.
    • The AI Sparring Partner: How Bas uses custom AI agents (like VML's "Creative Brain") to push ideas further and inspire better creative work.
    • The Art of the Pitch: Why courage is a team sport, and the exact mindset and prototyping strategies you need to confidently sell massive ideas.
    • Navigating AI Ethics: Thoughtfully approaching the boundaries of AI voice cloning and understanding how agencies can safely integrate this technology.
    • The New Junior Portfolio: How young, digital-native creatives and developers are utilizing AI tools like "vibe coding" to rapidly build fully functional prototypes and elevate their portfolios.

    Whether you are a creative looking to thrive in the AI revolution, an account director selling brave work, or a developer adapting to new tools, this episode is an absolute masterclass in fearless creativity.
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    43 mins
  • Top Innovative Super Bowl Ads of All Time

    Top Innovative Super Bowl Ads of All Time
    Feb 4 2026

    Super Bowl 60 is almost here, but which ads truly changed the game?
    With Super Bowl 60 approaching, the VML Canada team reveals the most innovative commercials ever – and why they worked. This isn't about the funniest spots or biggest celebrities. It's about the campaigns that truly disrupted the advertising game.

    Discover how:
    • A 5-second Reddit ad crashed their servers
    • A bouncing QR code broke Coinbase's app
    • A 1,813-character promo code had viewers ignoring the game
    • A fake TV glitch fooled 100 million people

    But here's the kicker: some of the biggest winners never paid for airtime. Some very smart advertisers "hacked" the Super Bowl, saving millions while generating billions in impressions.

    Commercials Discussed:

    Joe Namath, Beautymist (1970)
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nBl7Q1TPTLs

    Mean Joe Green, Coca-Cola (1979)
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xffOCZYX6F8

    Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, McDonald's (1993)
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1shK-j_u6LI

    Monster.com "When I Grow Up" (1999)
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fY1WoHkNGy4

    E-Trade monkey commercial (2000)
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Muyq2kMDFoA

    Reddit Super Bowl ad (2021)
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_wkvH0qBMP8

    DoorDash commercial (the one with the 1,813-character promo code)
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTLM5o-9hYg

    Tubi ad (2023, the fake TV glitch)
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73p4lL1iq7w

    Coinbase QR code (2022)
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIUD_NE1BDo

    Apple's 1984 commercial
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErwS24cBZPc&list=RDErwS24cBZPc&start_radio=1

    Bud Light "The Wardrobe Malfunction" (2005)
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIJZJw-ZQqI

    Pepsi Polar Bear commercial
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPHI2zNf_ww
    Show More Show Less
    26 mins
  • Exclusive Interview: Rob Guénette

    Exclusive Interview: Rob Guénette
    Jan 23 2026
    Opening quote from Rob Guénette: "We ought to shape it before it shapes us. I think that is the right healthy attitude."Rick Brown: Welcome to "Why Didn't I Think of That?" This is our first episode of 2026, and we have a very special guest with us today. Rob Guénette is here. Rob is the CEO of VML Canada. He's an absolute legend in the advertising business and an incredible storyteller. So stay tuned for this – you're going to love it. And then right after that, we have a panel discussion about gamification with our host Jeremy Lens and Tim Voet.Interview with Rob Guénette: From Brand Management to Agency LeadershipRick: Welcome to the show, Rob. Do you want to maybe start with your background and how you got into advertising?Rob: Sure. So I started my career at Unilever Canada as a client in brand management, and I was there for 14 years. Through that time period, I received the best business education I could ever have gotten. Unilever was amazing in those years. I started in '86 and left in '99, and was able to cross a lot of categories and learned a ton, worked with outstanding people.Through that, though, I learned that I was really gravitating to one aspect of the job more than the others, and that was the advertising piece. I loved working in the communication area. I loved working with agencies. I loved doing work that the public saw, that impacted our brand and all that stuff. And I decided at one point I wanted to do two things: I wanted to work in advertising, so I'd cross the bridge, and I also wanted to be an owner. I wanted to have an equity stake. So those were my two objectives.Rick: That's pretty ambitious, right?Rob: It was. Well, I was at that stage in my life where I was super confident, I was ambitious, and I just wanted to get on with it. And I thought, if it happens, great. If it doesn't happen, you know, I'm happy. I have a good career, I have fun, I work with great people. But I got pretty lucky, and it happened.The VML ConnectionRob: So what happened was, my first introduction to VML was at a dinner held at Peter Stringham's house in New York shortly after we sold. And he invited myself, my wife, Paul and Jane. And at that dinner was a man named John Cook. This was in 2010. And I met John Cook at that dinner and I was so impressed with John. He's amazing. And I was in awe of the VML trajectory.And by the way, a little factoid: VML was born in 1992, same year as Taxi. So Taxi was born in Montreal in 1992, VML was born in Kansas City in 1992. Amazing.So back then, there was a period of time where I would attend meetings in New York that Martin Sorrell chaired, and John Cook would also be attending those meetings. So I got to see John in action. I got to hear about VML. I would do my bit on Taxi, but really we were there because Telus was one of the largest accounts in North America at that time for WPP. It was a big account. It was massive.So through that introduction, I was always an admirer of VML. And of course, VML was on a different track than Taxi. Taxi was a pure creative shop, really, and VML really started in digital and tech, and solving client problems in different ways – not necessarily through TV and outdoor and all that stuff. It was really wired differently, pun intended.The Decision to Merge Taxi into VML CanadaRob: So I always thought – well, first of all, I should say Taxi after the acquisition was a bit of a corporate orphan, right? Two things happened. One, we were attached to the VML system, so I reported to John Cook, and they were great with us. We were integrated, we were on all the global calls. We were part of all of it.But at one point, I guess I had a moment, sort of one of those epiphanies, and I said, you know, VML's growing and the world is changing fast. They seem to be in the right lane. I thought it was time to change our direction with Taxi. And as you know, there was an opportunity that came up. There was a merger between VML and Y&R, and so at that moment in time, I said, you know what? I'd rather retire Taxi while it's still strong, while it's still great, and decided that it's time to put VML Canada on the map. And that was a manifestation of putting Taxi and WT together as Wunderman Thompson.And that was a difficult, but I think necessary decision to really go where the growth was and go where the future is. Because I come at things a little bit more left-brain because of my background and how I grew up in business. And also as a person, I'm just not that nostalgic and I'm just not that emotional.So for me, the way I looked at it, it was important to retain the spirit of Taxi, which lives every day, as you know, at VML Canada – as opposed to just the nomenclature, the naming. And again, I've seen in my – I've been around now 40 years – for me it's about how do we grow, how do we keep all our great people in place? How does everybody get stimulated, learn, and challenged and motivated, right?And I just at that time thought ...
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    36 mins
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