Filed under: Comment
Photo: Rhettphone
So out in Asia, there’s an advertising magazine called Campaign Brief.
It’s highly regarded – especially amongst creatives – because it publishes an annual chart rating all the creatives in the region.
Of course the system is highly flawed [I once was in the top 300 or something, hahaha] but no one really minds as most in adland love to be praised – even if it’s thanks to work that never really got produced except for the odd award shows.
Anyway, this years most awarded creative is a guy called Roger Makak who works at Saatchi’s.
Roger has earnt his title because he’s been involved in almost every award winning ad Saatchi’s have produced over the past few years – except there’s a slight little problem – Roger’s a monkey.
No I am not being racist – and I should say ALLEGED monkey – however the rumour is this Roger Makak is actually a figment of Saatchi’s imagination, designed to either [1] take the blatant piss and/or [2] help improve Saatchi’s overall regional agency ranking.
Now if this is infact true, then I do have to admit it’s very funny – however if I was the head of Campaign Brief, I’d be extremely pissed off because what Saatchi’s may have done is call into question the whole of the magazines credibility – and not just for this year, but for every year they’ve acknowledged Roger as a top creative.
Whoops!
Again I have to point out this is only ‘alleged’ – it could easily be all bollocks – however something tells me there might be more to this than meets the eye, afterall it has happened in other industries before!
Photo: 2757
Oh, and the reason why I say Roger is a monkey is because the one published photo of the [alleged] guy features him with a monkey upon his shoulder.
Given the mindset of creatives, I wouldn’t be surprised if this was all some in-joke – letting people assume Roger was the human when in reality Saatchi’s meant the monkey was the talented one – which sort of ties into how many agencies view and treat their creative teams!
I tell you, it this is true I don’t think Saatchi’s should expect any positive write-ups in Campaign Brief for the next oooooooh 100 years.
Still, it’s been more effective for them than LoveMarks hasn’t it!
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sia, tbwa, coca cola, saatchis (lovemarks) and now campaign brief.
impressive list of enemies you have there campbell, only governments can achieve more.
im now walking around in a flak jacket and denying all knowledge of you. who the fuck is rob campbell? is this his blog? how the fuck did i end up here? ill never come back, the guy is satan.
Comment by andy@cynic March 18, 2008 @ 7:41 amYou mean this isn’t the site of Robert Campbell the expert on objectivist psychology? http://hubcap.clemson.edu/~campber/index.html How did I end up here?
Comment by John March 18, 2008 @ 7:54 amthen theres australia, singapore, america and your mum.
Comment by andy@cynic March 18, 2008 @ 7:59 amMe
Comment by Billy Whizz March 18, 2008 @ 8:01 amWhile everyone else is abandoning you Robert, I will loyaly stand by your side.
Comment by Jemma King March 18, 2008 @ 8:18 amJemma x
Well you find out who your friends are at times like this don’t you?
And hell, I am only saying this is an ‘alleged’ situation – Roger could exist and be the greatest creative who has never been headhunted by an industry obsessed with hiring ‘award winning talent’.
It’s still not as contentious as my “Jerry Maguire” email from years back where I called my old CEO [who I was working with at the time] all manner of terrible things including thief and philanderer.
Of course the fact he was all these things meant I got away with it because if my Dad taught me one thing, it was get proof before you get vocal, haha!
Jemma – I thank you for your loyalty, infact if it wasn’t pay review time, I’d almost be touched and Andy, you’ve missed someone else who I’ve pissed off – my wife – a proud Aussie [ignoring her 50% Canadian genes] who somehow loses all sense of humour when I am a naughty little tinker about her homeland.
Good job I’m travelling or I’m either going to be hunted down or made to sleep on the couch!
Comment by Rob March 18, 2008 @ 8:32 ami like jill
Comment by andy@cynic March 18, 2008 @ 8:34 amThe feelings not mutual 🙂
Comment by Rob March 18, 2008 @ 8:40 amthats big talk from a dead man
Comment by andy@cynic March 18, 2008 @ 8:46 amDead man? Nope – I took Salman Rushdie’s advice which is now why I look like this …
http://flickr.com/photos/71077979@N00/191818332/
… and no, I won’t shag you!
Comment by Rob March 18, 2008 @ 10:57 amRob, if you die… can I have your guitar?
Comment by Age March 18, 2008 @ 11:07 am😉
Only if you become Melbourne’s Naked Singing Cowboy at Federation Square.
My ukelee should be suffice to avoid embarassment.
🙂
Comment by Rob March 18, 2008 @ 11:52 amare you suggesting that Roger Matak is the advertising version of Alan Smithee?
and you’d think australia was some kind of global super power, the way you fucking go on about it. surely it’s argentina’s turn. or finland. or lithuania for that matter…
Comment by lauren March 18, 2008 @ 1:36 pm🙂
I’ve just been told my Australian Residency has to be ‘reviewed’ – what do you think that’s going to do to my ‘mood’ 🙂
Comment by Robert March 18, 2008 @ 2:04 pmon behalf of “The Kaiser”, “The Lord God Almighty”, “The Dead Artist”, “Charles Stab” and of course “Sacrum”, I would just like to congratulate Saatchi’s on fucking up the rankings. Alledgedly.
Morning.
Comment by Marcus March 18, 2008 @ 2:59 pmThis demonstrates the true power of “Love Marks” because through our proprietary integrated planning and creation process, we’ve (allegedly) been able to make awards something people love, something no other organisation apart from the Oscars, Baftas, Brits, Nickelodeon, MTV, TV Week, Effies and Emmies have been able to do.
So a big “yay” for me and my Lovemarks smoke and mirrors.
Comment by Kevin Roberts March 18, 2008 @ 3:10 pmKevin, you are such a tosser. Alledgedly.
Comment by Marcus March 18, 2008 @ 3:14 pmA tosser you love Marcus?
Comment by Kevin Roberts March 18, 2008 @ 3:20 pmI think you’ll find I’m a fighter Kevin.
Comment by Marcus March 18, 2008 @ 3:24 pmResistance is useless Marcus.
Comment by Kevin Roberts March 18, 2008 @ 3:26 pmGive in to my love. Mark.
Resistance is actually quite useful Kevin, and in your case not futile at all.
Cock.
Comment by Marcus March 18, 2008 @ 3:28 pmI’ve got love marks on my cock, how insightful you are.
Comment by Kevin Roberts March 18, 2008 @ 3:37 pm‘reviewed’?? by whom? wha???
Comment by lauren March 18, 2008 @ 3:48 pmHello Kevin … should you really be on here?
I mean you’re welcome and all, but your network is nowhere near at the level it once was and with the rumours being that Toyota are a bit fed up of what you’re doing, maybe you’d be better off spending time on them, than here.
Still, really appreciate you popping over … 🙂
Comment by Rob March 18, 2008 @ 3:51 pmYes Lauren – fucking reviewed!!!
Thank god I speak English, have white skin, know who Midnight Oil are and have worked on VB or my chances of renewal could be very slim 🙂
Comment by Rob March 18, 2008 @ 3:53 pmMaybe DIMMA are feeling unappreciated and if you don’t pick up the lovin’, you’re dumped. May I suggest flowers? Nothing says I love you more than a bunch of sex organs wrapped in paper 🙂
But seriously, holy crap!! Does that mean Jill is about to be turfed out as well? Anything I can do? I’m good at marching into bureaucracies and telling them to pull their fucking head in 🙂
Comment by lauren March 18, 2008 @ 4:07 pmWe’ll be fine – well Jill will, she’s an Aussie – and if I do get kicked out then she gets all the goods so it’s a win win for her, hahaha!
But thanks for your Militant support – lets raincheck for when I want to use that eh! 🙂
Comment by Rob March 18, 2008 @ 4:10 pmRob,
there is always Montenegro..quite lovely this time of year…full of new money russians and other balkan types dressed in black..( reading your Bali post, I assume that’s the way u like you home away from home)
It’s a bit like Bali..but more violent
In fact that’s our pay off..
Comment by niko March 18, 2008 @ 5:03 pmi like you niko and ill love you for fucking ever if you get “mr trouble” to move to montenegro
Comment by andy@cynic March 18, 2008 @ 5:30 pmI can see Rob turning up in his “Serbia Rules” t-shirt…
I have to say, as much as it is a bit of a twist by Saatchi’s to do such a thing; if it can get through that obviously into the magazine then why not?
Comment by Rob Mortimer March 18, 2008 @ 5:39 pmwhy not? because it makes a mockery of every fucking award saatchis has won from that mag. then its not affected the cred of the oscars has it and thats the most fucking flawed system known to man
Comment by andy@cynic March 18, 2008 @ 5:54 pmAndy,
I just heard that Rob liked to take long vacations so I suggested Montenegro….
Perhaps people will start to guess, wonder. Then they will start to know, but they don’t want to know. They hope, maybe he’ll turn up. Who knows how these wild rumours get started anyways…
Me? I was at a party with 11 people who can vouch for me…
Mr Mortimer…I better see you in a “Serbia Rules” t-shirt very soon..because:
there is always room for one more in Montenegro
that’s the pay off they killed, because it did not hit the nail in the head….
nail on the head, Mr M….
hahah
Comment by niko March 18, 2008 @ 6:02 pmtheres obviously fucking great drugs where you are niko, im on my way.
Comment by andy@cynic March 18, 2008 @ 6:07 pmAye, Rob isn’t the only one going on a trip it seems 😉
Comment by Rob Mortimer March 18, 2008 @ 6:09 pmU never been to Holland Andy? Somehow I don’t believe that…
I am off the see about a thing with a guy at the place
Comment by niko March 18, 2008 @ 6:12 pmholland? fucking holland? where they give out vibrators to horny housewives or some bollocks i remember campbell writing about. i thought you were in some fucking iron curtain land but holland still makes sense 🙂
Comment by andy@cynic March 18, 2008 @ 6:13 pmMy peoples are everywhere
But if you are worried about quality Andy…
Someone from the motherland can be flown in..
Infact with the dollar the way he is, that might even be the better option…
Smart negotiating…crafty indeed…I see you have dealt with Slava and the likes before…
Comment by niko March 18, 2008 @ 6:21 pmyou just might be the scariest fucker ive ever met niko. thats about the highest compliment i can give.
Comment by andy@cynic March 18, 2008 @ 6:28 pmbest to end (on a) high then…
Comment by niko March 18, 2008 @ 6:31 pmHas this been proved yet?
As you love to say Robert, it’s evil genius 🙂
Comment by Pete March 19, 2008 @ 8:33 amThe co-publisher of Campaign Brief has just responsed about this over on our PLF site –
http://planningliberationfront.wordpress.com/2008/03/26/adlands-shame-or-adlands-humour/#comment-2258
– because all the creatives were at the Adfest awards in Thailand we guess quite a few words were said between the Saatchi regional CD and the rest of the ad community.
We’re more excited about Monday than we are at Christmas time.
Comment by The P.L.F. March 29, 2008 @ 6:13 pmIf Saatchi’s can get out of this with their reputation intact then they deserve an another award 🙂
Comment by Pete March 31, 2008 @ 7:53 amI sense a bad Monday morning for Saatchi’s CD, ha!
Thanks Ivan for the link.
Comment by Rob March 31, 2008 @ 8:15 am