Well, the ad industry is all in a kerfuffle about fake ads again. Seems to happen every so often, but this one, at this time, seems particularly poignent. For those of you have been living in Azerbaijan, or are perhaps not into the creative comings and goings, here's the story. Seems a TV ad for J. C. Penney won an award at the Cannes Advertising Festival last week. A bronze, but still...
Anyhow, the spot in question (one that I find kind of amusing, but that's not the issue) is about two teens timing themselves getting dressed and undressed. You know what for. Especially when boy visits girl and mom looks on suspiciously. The point is, a: it's a little, you know, provocative for Penney. And b: it wasn't bought by Penney (or, apparently, made by Saatchi.)
Yesterday I weighed in on Kathy Taylor's Blog, adverganza.blogspot.com:
i have to say i thought it was a funny, well-produced spot. the fact that it was a 60 should have been a dead give-away. i don't think fallon even did that back in their glory days of hair salons (not that those weren't real ads!) unfortunately, there's this little wrinkle in the business, as in life -- i hate to quote al hampel but, "it ain't creative unless it sells." we need to sell brilliant creative, not just make it for reels and award shows. that, my friends, is cheating. apple 1984 -- creative and ran. fresh mex -- creative and ran. whopper freak out -- creative (ish) and ran. that's just the rules of the advertising awards shows. filmmaking award shows, different rules. still, a good spec spot, no question. i wish s & s had been able to present it to Penney and that Penney had bought it -- but alas, they didn't. oh well, maybe next time.
Today, according to Agency Spy, there's tell that Saatchi (Hello Tony Granger!) knew about it, and in fact, it was a pattern of like-minded deception. Read the comments on the Agency Spy post, could be sour grapes, but I think not.
Again, fake ads, killed ads, have their place. But not in the shows that are this industry's last best chance to make ourselves mean something again. It's too frickin' easy. And as my first boss used to say, when I was a 'gofer' sweeping the floors at a photography studio during high school vacation, "if it were easy, everyone would be doing it."
Hello!!!!
More Independent than Democrat or Republican, we thought this observation from Taft & Partners deserved a wider audience today. Hopefully they won't mind if we reprint it here.
Leadership Lessons From President Obama
Few of us will ever face the daunting challenges faced by President Barack Obama as he wrestles with America’s ailing economy. But all of us who
lead in these tough times — no matter our political stripe or professional circumstance — can learn a thing or two about leadership from the
President’s much-anticipated address to Congress last night.
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He was upbeat. From the moment the President began, it was clear he was eager to communicate, eager to lead. With smiles, gestures, eye contact and a positive voicetone, he quickly created his alchemy through attitude — a must for any leader.
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He was honest. The President immediately leaned into the problems we face, speaking “frankly and directly to the men and women who sent us here.” Like voters, the people who work for and with you value candor; deliver it right away.
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He was clear. Using short sentences, active verbs and simple word choice, Obama’s message was easy to understand. Napoleon demanded of his messengers, “Be clear, be clear, be clear.” Leaders must demand the same of themselves.
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He offered solutions. The President proposed what he believed were real solutions to real problems, setting them in context and explaining the reasons why. He addressed the question every leader in a crisis must face: “So what are we going to do now?”
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He delivered hope. In the end, the President did what every leader must do: He sounded a chord of hope, citing stories of courage — the banker, the student — and delivering a quintissentially American line that was the best of the night: “We are not quitters!”
Energy. Honesty. Clarity. Hope. These are what people look for in their leaders. While far from perfect, President Obama’s address offers lessons for us all.
Posted by: ken krimstein | February 25, 2009 at 01:48 PM