You're getting sleepy. Very sleepy.
This past week has been enough to make me think that the words "moribund" and "listless" should precede virtually any article on the ad business these days.
It started last Thursday with the West Michigan Addys. Nothing against the well-intentioned, hard working folks at the West Michigan Ad Club who put this show together, but this thing was a snoozefest. (And this is from a guy who has always been a show whore. Actually cried when my former agency was a One Show finalist and got all goosebumpy when I saw my name in CA.) Our agency just recently opened and we produced just one piece last year. We entered it mainly to show we support our local industry. It won a Gold Addy. Whatever. The thing was that the show just felt like a bunch of people talking over salmon rolls while the ground outside was shifting violently. The broadcast was a joke. An award for a lame video about an agency moving its offices? If we're giving awards for internal agency videos, we are truly lost. The Best of Show — Broadcast award (What's up with all the different Best of Show and Judges' Choice categories? I can say this because I've won Best of Show and Judges' Choice awards in recent years at this event. Shouldn't there just be one damn Best of Show? Period?) went to a perfectly good piece of perfectly crafted film that was perfectly free of a breakthrough idea. Were the interactive categories enough to pull things through? Hell, no. They pretty much sucked, too. Lots of brochureware and whatnot. Anyway, the net result was that I left feeling like I worked in an industry that's really lost its mojo.
Then I read in the The New York Times about Mitsubishi awarding its account to BBDO/LA even though BBDO/Detroit handles Chrysler. Love the competitive fire in the business these days. Oh well, Mitsubishi cars suck. Advertising won't help them.
And finally, they're writing on Ad Pulp that BBDO and DuPont Stainmaster are parting ways. Basically because nobody gives a crap about DuPont Stainmaster advertising and BBDO couldn't figure out how to make any money on the account without getting DuPont to spend more money on advertising that nobody would notice. I just built a new house a year ago, I love advertising and I never gave a single thought to flooring choices based on a commercial or print ad I had seen.
So why am I still in this business? Because I think we're about to embark on a time of truth in communications that will be exciting. More importantly, I'm still in it because it's so tough to figure out right now. And that makes it fun.
Kind of.
It started last Thursday with the West Michigan Addys. Nothing against the well-intentioned, hard working folks at the West Michigan Ad Club who put this show together, but this thing was a snoozefest. (And this is from a guy who has always been a show whore. Actually cried when my former agency was a One Show finalist and got all goosebumpy when I saw my name in CA.) Our agency just recently opened and we produced just one piece last year. We entered it mainly to show we support our local industry. It won a Gold Addy. Whatever. The thing was that the show just felt like a bunch of people talking over salmon rolls while the ground outside was shifting violently. The broadcast was a joke. An award for a lame video about an agency moving its offices? If we're giving awards for internal agency videos, we are truly lost. The Best of Show — Broadcast award (What's up with all the different Best of Show and Judges' Choice categories? I can say this because I've won Best of Show and Judges' Choice awards in recent years at this event. Shouldn't there just be one damn Best of Show? Period?) went to a perfectly good piece of perfectly crafted film that was perfectly free of a breakthrough idea. Were the interactive categories enough to pull things through? Hell, no. They pretty much sucked, too. Lots of brochureware and whatnot. Anyway, the net result was that I left feeling like I worked in an industry that's really lost its mojo.
Then I read in the The New York Times about Mitsubishi awarding its account to BBDO/LA even though BBDO/Detroit handles Chrysler. Love the competitive fire in the business these days. Oh well, Mitsubishi cars suck. Advertising won't help them.
And finally, they're writing on Ad Pulp that BBDO and DuPont Stainmaster are parting ways. Basically because nobody gives a crap about DuPont Stainmaster advertising and BBDO couldn't figure out how to make any money on the account without getting DuPont to spend more money on advertising that nobody would notice. I just built a new house a year ago, I love advertising and I never gave a single thought to flooring choices based on a commercial or print ad I had seen.
So why am I still in this business? Because I think we're about to embark on a time of truth in communications that will be exciting. More importantly, I'm still in it because it's so tough to figure out right now. And that makes it fun.
Kind of.
posted by Dean Gemmell at 7:00 PM
6 Comments:
Granted the show sucked. It did. But by saying the interactive work sucked is weak. Shows you didn't actually look at them and are basing your comments on a screen shot.
A big reason for this blog is to spark debate. If controversy helps that happen, great.
I may have been too quick to brand the interactive work and I'll have a closer look if I can find it. Of course, since this blog is full of my subjective opinions, there will be always be plenty of fodder for people who want to disagree.
Let me know who you are so we can continue the discussion in a constructive way.
Perhaps the words "hateful" and "insecure" should proceed any words written by you. Period.
I'm not going to get into nastiness here. See my earlier comment for my feelings on honest debate and subjective opinion. I am at least secure enough to leave all the comments on this blog and attach my name to my opinions.
It's a shame you have to rip on other people to make yourself feel better about yourself. If you actually commented on the work using constructive criticism, your blog might be of value, but simply saying everything 'sucks' just shows how juvenile and petty you are. It also shows you have no qualm making obnoxious insulting comments about the work of others. You clearly have little regard for yourself, because you have little regard for others.
I bet this post helped lose some readers. Oh well! I couldn't agree with you more however. We are in a sad state regarding creative. And it's only going to become more challenging. Award shows do very little to solve the problem. How do you market to someone who is tired of being marketed to?
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