I don’t subscribe to any magazines, but whenever I’m near one (no matter the publication), I flip through. I generally do it to keep an eye on advertising trends. One thing’s for certain, there’s a lot of craptasic advertising out there. And here’s why.
Though there are many paths to bad advertising, I’m gonna focus on just one. It doesn’t represent anything I’m going through now, nor does it represent anything I may have gone through in the past. That said, here’s the lifecycle of a typical ad.
1. Client calls their account manager (AM) at the ad agency and says, “I want to run an ad.” After taking copious notes, the AM puts together a creative brief to convey that information to the copywriters and designers (creatives). After cutting and pasting the last ad’s brief, the AM adds one or two new details. Those details may or may not be ones the client shared. In fact, they may be ones the AM felt the client should’ve said.
2. The creatives sit down and get to work. Then they spend a good bit of time having to reinterpret the AM’s reinterpretation of what the client said.
3. A great idea is born. Alert the award shows; this one’s gonna be a doozy. Simple idea, delicious headline. Throw a logo at the bottom and we’re done.
4. A great idea is battered. Then the writer remembers the creative brief had a bunch of “mandatories.” Six or eight or more things that absolutely MUST be in this ad.
5. A great idea is wounded. The creatives present the not-quite-right ad to the associate creative directors (ACDs). They put their stamp on it. “See, isn’t that better?” No.
6. A great idea is bludgeoned. The creatives present the nowhere-near-right ad to the creative director (CD). The CD hates the ad and insists that the ACDs’ suggestions get removed along with a bunch of the mandatories.
7. A great idea is bloated. The creatives present the nothing-like-it-was-supposed-to-be ad to the AM. “Yeah, the client won’t buy this. Put the mandatories back in. Oh, and the client just called. He also wants to include a message that the brand is celebrating its 35th anniversary.”
8. A great idea is potatoheaded. The AM presents to the client (because at this agency, the creatives don’t ever make contact with the client). The client likes the ad, but also likes the other ad. “We can’t afford to run them both, so let’s just combine them into one super ad.”
9. A great idea is dead. The potatoheaded monstrosity of an ad runs in a magazine. Nobody likes it. It doesn’t sell a single burger. Inexplicably, the AM gets a promotion while the creatives get fired. The account goes up for review. The new agency pitches all these cool ads. The client says, “These are so simple and so great. You’re hired. I just need you to add a few things.”