It was so exciting …
It was all set to be a pivotal moment in my career …
We had been asked to make a massive difference to a massive brand …
Not because of price or availability …
But because of the way we thought and did things …
They said they were open …
They said they wanted change …
They said they wanted to be challenged, scared and led to a brave new World …
They said they were committed …
They were wrong.
It started off well … really, really well … with loads of meetings, conversations and exploring.
Along the way, we discovered a whole host of new experts, insights and opportunities and whilst some of these were rather confronting, the client continually encouraged us to help them get past them… and get past them, we did.
Of course they were apprehensive, this was about changing something that was incredibly successful over a long, long period of time – however by validating everything we said … step-by-step, insight-by-insight … we were able to give them the confidence that our strategy was the right one to liberate their brand for many years in the future.
It was about this time that things went a bit mental.
Despite ‘buy-in’ at every stage, at every level, we suddenly started hearing strange comments about what we were doing.
Comments that started to dictate and mandate certain elements of the idea.
Elements that were entrenched in the negative attributes of the brand … attributes that needed to change if we were to be able to create the fate they desired.
In seemingly the blink of an eye, things went from gold to shit.
Everything started to be questioned … the thinking … the insights … the experts … the validation …
And even when they accepted everything was right, they acted like everything couldn’t be more wrong.
My favourite bit was when they announced that rather than wanting dramatic change, they actually just wanted their current campaign to be tightened up – even though at the initial briefing [and subsequent meetings] they said on a scale of 1-10 for pragmatism, they demanded a minimum of an ‘8’.
From being a meeting of minds, it was suddenly a game of chess – and while I can’t go into the specifics why, the reality is we were pawns in a much bigger, much dirtier game.
Unfortunately I can’t go into who I am talking about [and if you know, I’d prefer it if you kept it to yourself – especially if you’re one of the people I showed the strategy stealomatic to] because we’re still battling to save the idea and I don’t want to fuck it up with some ‘loose lips’ … however what upsets me most is that our relationship – a relationship that used to energise each and everyone of us – has become one of reluctant involvement.
Now when we have a meeting, you can feel the energy and enthusiasm literally seeping away. Not just from us – but from them too.
It’s like you can feel your impending death and there’s nothing you can do to stop it.
It’s watching a marriage slowly destruct … a team losing their common belief … a passion being crushed infront of your eyes.
Yes … yes … that’s all very dramatic – but that’s exactly how it feels – not just for me, but for a bunch of really talented, young guys who have given their absolute all to be part of something they can be proud of.
There is almost nothing more depressing than knowing everything you do will be called wrong, especially when …
1 They can’t / won’t explain why
2 It’s bang on the strategy they signed off on
I’m not saying we’re blameless, we’ve made a few mistakes – but all of them have been in accordance to what they always said they wanted – so I hope things can change back as quickly as they went bad, even though if I am being honest, I’m not very confident of that happening.
Apart from the fact that ‘fear of change’ has risen its ugly head … we’re involved [by association] in a game which we really can’t win and the sad thing is everyone will probably lose out.
1 We lose the chance to produce an idea that I truly believe is great.
2 The client misses out on an idea that can achieve their short and longterm brand and sales aspirations.
3 The consumer continues to get treated as an imbecile.
4 The ad industry continues its slow decline into mediocrity.
This is not an isolated incident – I remember Russell saying he had a similar situation when WK had the Microsoft account – and to be honest, cynic went through a similar thing when they first won Coke – however while ups and downs are the norm in adland [which is part of what makes it such an exciting – as well as frustating – industry to work in] I hope to God we can get the energy flowing inwards again because the thought of losing this idea makes me truly depressed.
Don’t think I say that just because it will allow great communication – I say it because it’ll also answer our clients short and long term business aspirations – and at a time where adland is being challenged to justify its value to industry, I find it somewhat ironic we’re now being pushed to make campaign that’s almost identical to the one that has seen a decade long sales decline.
It’s a daft industry but it still makes me burst with excitement. What an idiot I am!