Every time I go to the Cannes Lions Festival I try to find a message, a meaning, something.
Remember when Dove Real Beauty ad won everything?
Many other good actions were awarded that year. Like a billboard with solar cells to generate energy for a village. And I thought, hey, advertising can do something good to the people
Silly me. One year later, the Empire Struck Back.
The main awarded works were for junk food and videogames.
So, what 2011 was about?
1. A new world order.
Some Grand Prizes went to countries like China, South Korea …

So what were you doing last week? Dancing topless on a 200-foot yacht off the South of France? Rubbing elbows with some ECDs from South America? Bumping uglies with a random AD from Amsterdam?
Sounds awesome. Hope you took pictures.
Me? I was in the office, cranking out work like a mofo. Selling shit. Saving projects. You know, a typical week in advertising.
Now, I’ve come down on award shows before, and this post isn’t really about that. I actually think Cannes, out of all the shows, seems to honor some of our …

Sometimes we forget that we are all in the dopamine business.
More than anything else, our job as marketers is to create a brand experience that fires off synapse explosions in the target consumer’s lower frontal lobe, triggering the secretion of dopamine. It sounds harder to do than it actually is. We experience these reactions every day, whenever we taste something weird or delicious, listen to Kanye, or search the web for photos of grown men wearing baby bonnets.
These are the very reactions that make people do the things they do. …

Randy Sandy was a professional boxer back in the 50s. His career record was a very symmetrical 24-24-2.
If he worked in advertising, he’d be considered an expert.
Why?
Because we value experience over expertise. We value consistency over curiosity.
Just keep doing what you’re doing, don’t rock the boat and don’t stick your neck out. You will be rewarded with bonuses, promotions and features in Adweek and AdAge.
We have created a culture where failure is the worst thing that can happen. This is just flat out stupid.
Failure is a necessary by-product of innovation. …

Everybody wants to win awards.
They are the holy grail of our industry. The ticket to the big time. The career accelerator.
They are also a sham.
Ever notice how it is the same people, the same agencies, the same style of work that wins year in and year out?
There’s a perfectly good reason for this.
It’s the same people, doing the same damn work, from the same damn agencies that judge the elite competitions year after year after year.
It’s a bit a of a circle jerk, no?
I’m not saying a lot of the …

If you’re a creative, you probably hate account people. If you’re a producer, you probably think creatives are needy prima donnas. If you’re an account executive, you probably think everyone’s out to get you. And if you’re a planner, you probably wonder just what exactly it is you do all day. Oh, wait, that’s what everyone else wonders.
You get the idea.
In agencies around the world, this dynamic is pretty much the same. And while it can be good for a few laughs at times, it is not particularly productive.
Fact is, …

Ever wonder if we’re adding any value?
I mean, real, concrete, take it straight to the bank value.
I do.
Not because I think our jobs are unimportant. I just truly don’t understand how we calculate how much the stuff we do is actually worth to our clients.
And from the looks of it, they are not too sure either.
Which is why they expect more and more work at lower and lower costs. They don’t see the link between higher production values and their bottom line.
“Shoot me some spots with a handheld and a …

Some of you may know that I write a social/political blog in addition to contributing to this one.
And I typically keep them very separate. But I wonder if that is wise?
Our industry is filled with curious, creative people with a passion for social and cultural issues. Is there a way for us to tap into that passion to create something more than a great TV spot or a sick banner ad?
In a country where money controls virtually everything, why not work with those who actually control the money—our clients—to bring …

Next time you’re in a presentation and someone says “Our research has shown….”
Look around the room. Notice the eyes glazing over or the people checking their phones or the ones who just leave. Someone is about to bore the crap out of you with useless facts and statistics meant only to comfort the low man on the totem pole.

Research is useless once you’ve realized that all people are all pretty much the same.
To quote Whitesnake, “We may be human, but we’re still animals.”
Below are the most conclusive findings about mainstream …

Before you rally a mob to beat down the account manager for agreeing to a ridiculous deadline, take a minute and read this. If you feel they meet the criteria of a great account manager then please show restraint. If you don’t believe they meet it…well…as you were.
Good account managers (AM) are responsible for maintaining healthy client relationships: financially, legally, and procedurally. They get ahead of issues, align perceptions, identify idea killers and develop more business (read: revenue). All this while making sure the agency-side team has what they need …