• by Sean Hargrave , Staff Writer, February 5, 2016

There is a lot written and spoken about creatives needing to be more innovative and imaginative, but is it just me wondering whether they actually need to develop more of a spine? Or probably more accurately, be better supporting once they've dug their heels in? Could the answer be sometimes acknowledging that although the pen may be mightier than the sword, it doesn't hurt to stand your ground every now and then?

The question is brought into sharp focus today by 101 resigning Kettle Chips. Leaving a client is not all that new, but being very open about why you have parted ways is fairly unusual. Saying you have left a client because good agencies walk away when the commitment to do good work dies is pretty revolutionary, though, isn't it? I can't remember another creative agency basically slating a client publicly like this before, snatching their pencil case and making off for the hills to devise better campaigns for brands they deem more worthy.

Of course, an independent agency such as 101 that is founded by creative people will always be better placed to be bold like this than a large agency held by a mega holding company that -- dare I say -- might be inclined to tell staff to pinch their noses and carry on working despite the stink of the passionless, boring work they are being asked to do.

So to my mind, you can go to every conference and listen to every guru about how important it is for creative to be more ingenious around their use of data or more bold in pushing back boundaries, but until someone is prepared to walk away and publicly say why, you're just theorising from a lectern.

I was talking with a 101 founder just the other day and we got on to the subject of creativity. Phil Rumbol is probably best known as the marketer who stood by the idea of a drumming gorilla for a Cadbury campaign. Instead of letting the idea die, like he was told to, he kept drumming on about it (excuse the pun), until it was made and became an instant iconic hit. His belief is that this devotion to great, groundbreaking concepts is more important than ever if digital marketing is going to save itself from being more about ad tech than ideas.

So I was surprised to see an agency part ways so publicly with Kettle Crisps, but when I read it was 101, it made a bit more sense. I write some corporate video scripts from time to time, and when a certain director is involved you know two things will happen. He will be a right royal pain and dig his heels in about everything, refusing to do anything that isn't amazing and beautiful. It will send everyone involved into despair -- and then the final video the client was too scared to commission will be received by the brand's leaders with a "wow" before it goes on to win an award.

There are enough people telling creatives how they should be more creative, and ironically these are usually the very same executives who come to them for creative advice rather than the other way around. So there's little point telling talented people how they can be even better at what they do, other than to say, just sometimes it's worth growing a spine and digging your heels in. It's uncomfortable, but there is a mantra I was taught early on in my career -- if I'm employed as your "yes" man, that makes one of us redundant.