Commentary

AgencySpy Commenters Reveal Why the Ad Industry in So Much Trouble

If for no other reason than a few minutes of pure entertainment in the form of devious schadenfreude, head over to this post at AgencySpy. Forget that it's about the fact that -- OMG! -- Goodby Silverstein & Partners has a new reception area and skip to the comments. After reading just a few, you will quickly realize why the ad industry is in so much trouble. Seemingly, it's filled with a bunch of idiotic wackos who think sales are irrelevant and it's all about entertaining, engaging and creating a conversation. To be clear, entertainment, engagement and opening dialog are certainly imoportant. But not when they overshadow the fact that the only thing -- THE ONLY THING -- advertising is supposed to do is to move product for a brand. Somewhere along the line, we seem to have forgotten that tiny detail.

---

In what makes The Barbarian Group's pissing match with Crispin Porter + Bogusky over who really created Subservient Chicken look like a gentlemanly disagreement, Ackermania Creative and The Harmon Brothers are having a spat over at AgencySpy. At issue is who really created a video for VidAngel, some kind of rating/censorship service for streaming media. Initially, Ackermania was credited with creating the work. Then The Harmon Brothers raised their hand and said, "Wait a minute!" causing AgencySpy to "correct" the credits. Then Ackermania said, "No hold on just a minute, we came up with that concept!" causing AgencySpy, again, to change credits. Now, it seems, the two are going to court over the issue. Harmon says Ackermania came up with the general concept but didn't do anything else. Ackermania says that's the whole point. They came up with the concept and that there would be no work at all had they not done so. Piss away, children.

---

A former Art Director at Dallas-based Moroch Partners, Kevin Byrd, has sued the company for allegedly allowing discrimination against his religious beliefs. The suit stems from Byrd's co-workers creating a satirical website which portrays Jesus in "offensive, blasphemous and secular situations." Byrd, who has worked for the agency for more than ten years also claims the agency of age discrimination and for firing him because of expensive drugs he needed which raised the cost of the agency's health insurance premiums.

---

Big high fives are in order for oddly-named San Francisco agency MUH-TAY-ZIKIHOF-FER which just won top honors at Ad Age's sixth annual Small Agency Awards held in Austin. The agency took home Small Agency of the Year for 2014. The 35 person shop is best known for its work on Netflix, HP, Gallo and Golden State Warriors. Taking home the Silver was Austin-based Proof Advertising

advertisement

advertisement

.
Next story loading loading..