• by Richard Whitman , Columnist, November 23, 2014

Hmm. McKinney Chief Creative Officer Jonathon Cude said: "Only two things matter: The work and the people who do it. It's that simple and it's that hard." But Publicis Worldwide CEO Arthur Sadoun says: “The only thing that really matters today for us is to understand how technology is impacting the business model of our clients and most of all, how it is impacting the consumer journey.” While Cude's outlook is a bit simplistic, Sadoun's is filled with the kind of pointless fluff that is indicative of the ad industry's inability to accomplish the basics of marketing: create excitement and desire for a product that makes a person gravitate toward the cash register. Can we get back to that?

Well, here's an interesting idea. Saatchi & Saatchi China, beginning with Hong Kong, has instituted a policy whereby employees must leave the office by 6:45 p.m., at which time the lights and air conditioning are shut off. The effort is a move to increase productivity seemingly by ensuring employees get enough down time so they can be rested enough to tackle work without passing out. The policy will be put into motion just two days each month at first to see how it goes. Oh, and they're doing it to save electricity too. In what comes off as no less that in a giant slap in the face, a press release read: “Hong Kong agency people are among the worst when it comes to waste. As if being environmentally unfriendly wasn’t bad enough, they are also prone to burning the midnight oil in the office.”

Hey, Miller Lite reinvented itself. Now it's Corona Light's turn. The Constellation Brands-owned beer brand is looking for a new ad agency after having parted ways with Goodby Silverstein & Partners, which had handled the brand since 2011. It seems the brand has plans to up spending, so if you're into the whole tastes great, less filling category of marketing, this account might just be the one you've been searching for. Of the split, a Goodby statement read: "We enjoyed working with Constellation Brands over the past three years. Both parties agree that it's time for a change, and we wish them nothing but success in the years ahead."

So Vice Media dumped a creative director that everyone seemed to like. Creative Director Annette Lamothe-Ramos was shown the door late last week, but the move is a bit of a head-scratcher. One source told  the New York Post, “Annette was well-liked and respected by virtually everybody who had the privilege to work with her. One of the best people at Vice. So it was a shock for that reason. But it also sent a message that nobody’s job is safe." Vice Media, which has grown to prominence in recent years, was birthed in Montreal 20 years ago as a magazine and has grown into a large, Brooklyn-based digital news company that also creates advertising for several brands. 

advertisement

advertisement