Creative vs Media - No the argument has not gone away.

It seems the new king of the block ( 'new'  =  'the last 10 years') is media. Traditional or Digital, it doesn't matter.  And it's understandable because  it's all so quantifiable. So predictable. So definitive. "You're talking to these people,  at these times and it will cost this much." and "that demographic will see your ad exactly 4.5 times".  A client will gladly spend millions of dollars when presented with that thinking.  Sure they may tweak the plan at the edges, but more often than not it will get through. Now it's time to remind ourselves of an immutable truth uncovered by Mr Bernbach and his peers some 50 + years ago:  Advertising is the art of business. (Not marketing, advertising). When it is crafted by experts, those interested in their client's success, not their personal success at award shows, there's no more powerful force for business transformation on the face of the planet.  So powerful in fact that when created properly, it can mean less money needs to be spent on media.

Did anyone else hear that pin drop?

Here's a story, it's true and involves the enigmatic Steve Jobs. Before they launched the Apple Macintosh in '84, Mr Jobs and his agency created a spot called '1984'. You must have seen it, it's gone down in advertising folklore and was voted 'best ad ever' by people who know. The point of the story is that the then Apple board, when shown the ad prior to broadcast, demanded that it never be shown, that all copies be burnt and that Steve Jobs question his grip on reality.  But never one to be deterred by old thinking, he managed to get the ad to air. Once. During the Superbowl.

Held as the most effective single showing of any ad, ever, '1984' not only helped redefine creative advertising but also turned the Superbowl into an advertising event more than a football event.

How many times have you seen one bad ad over and over again - wearing you down with its banality - driving you to sticking forks into your eyes?   Time to re-question the industry and decide what we're really doing and how we can do it better,  help our clients spend less, and succeed more.

see 1984 here http://youtu.be/OYecfV3ubP8