I am amazed at how stupid adland is becoming.
Yes, I know after a litany of madness I should know better, but they still can do things that makes me look on in amazement.
And despair.
In public, they talk an amazing game – professional, business focused, open to new ideas – and yet when you see the majority of their actions, you realise they are intent on fucking everything up, including their – and the industries – credibility and relevance.
There is a television show in Australia [and I believe it’s in other countries now as well] called ‘The Gruen Transfer’.
It’s basically a show about adland where a smug host and his panelists [featuring someone who I am not a very big fan of at all. Clue: It’s not Russell Howcroft] talk about ad campaigns – either criticising them, analysing them or celebrating them.
Now that bit is OK … the bit that shows how fucked adland is, is the bit where they ask agencies to come up with ideas to address a particular subject matter or issue.
And after watching them, the key out takes appear to be …
1/ Adland has about as much understanding of real life as the Queen.
2/ Pretty much anything can be developed and delivered in about 60 minutes.
3/ They can ‘magic up’ a solution to anything. As long as it’s an ad.
4/ Funny is more important than effective.
Or said another way, in their quest to appear – or encourage – a sense of self importance … or fame … or intelligence … or any other chip-on-the-shoulder attribute commonly found in the industry of the ego … they will publicly piss on all their talk of being commercially minded by showing how they believe the answer to almost any problem – regardless of audience, situation or circumstance – is an ad and that it can be churned out in less time than it takes the Australian cricket team to be beaten by the Poms.
Oh hang on, there’s something else they say to.
Yep, adland will do all this for you, for free.
YES, FUCKING FREE!
[Which is handy, because the way they/we present themselves, no one would actually want to pay for it]
Now I know they say all publicity is good publicity but try telling that to Gary Glitter.
I know adland is in a bit of a state, but it’s not due to lack of awareness, it’s due to lack of relevance and responsibility [at least to business] and if I was a client watching this show, I wouldn’t come away thinking …
“Those adfolks are a clever bunch, I should talk to them because that would make a difference to my company”
… I’d be looking at their approach, attitude and ideas – ideas the ad industry likes to celebrate and pat themselves on the back for – and be asking …
“Why the fuck would I hire that bunch of one dimensional, deluded pricks?”
But hey, who the hell cares about the industries issues and situation when there’s fame and publicity to gain – even if its the sort of fame and publicity that ensures the masses [and the corporate world] think you’re a car salesmen who deserves a good kicking, rather than a slap on the back.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not advocating adland should talk and act like they are bland business people, but for fucks sake, if we want to get back at the boardroom table, a demonstration that we can walk the fine line between corporate need and audience need & desire would help, but then the best way to do that would be to not appear on a show that has been set up to ridicule, rather than inform.
Note to people in adland.
The public – and the corporate world – aren’t laughing with us.