There’s so much going on here today – sites launching, SOWs due, coffee to drink, people to harass, that I’m not sure where to start. I’m always fascinated by other interactive agencies’ sites. Ours is so boring and corporate I want to throw up every time I see it. But this one for Deadline Advertising is so very nice – love the way they incorporated video. I can see why they have an impressive list of film/tv studios on their client list. Take a look.
Not me, dummy. I’m having a terrible time with that. Apparently, no one needs a snarky bitch like me in their agency. I can be nice, really. Not often, but occasionally. This guy, Errol Schwartz, a senior in the New Media Design program at the Rochester Institute of Technology, will have agencies chomping at the bit to hire him. Check out his portfolio. Very nice everything. Needs a proofreader, but what good creative spells well anyway?
Been pretty good with my resolutions so far. Especially the one which I resolved to never (well..almost never) drunk text. I was getting the feeling my texts were beginning to sound like what I imagine Britney’s do. So one week, no drunk texts. The secret? Leaving my blackberry in my car when I go out. Works like a charm although I have serious withdrawals from it for the first half hour.
This guy obviously did not make the same resolution as me. I used to work with him a few years ago on client side. I was passing by his office 2 weeks ago (my former company is my client, natch), said hello, gave him my card. Late Saturday night I get this Blackberry:
“Just dropping a note to say hello. And we should grab lunch or a bev sometime. Look to see what is outside this place. I is getting a little old. I am in chicago next week so maybe the next week we can work out something. Take care. M”
Nice guy, but I can just see him hunched over his bar stool at Chili’s drunkenly texting me while eating one of those greasy onion thingys. Ewww. I’ll help the guy out though. You know, Chili’s is the new golf course.
On a side note to Chili’s: Maybe you should seriously consider going back to GSD&M. In my opinion, Hill Holiday’s not cutting it just based on the superficial tour I took of your sites. The Honey Chipotle video….not necessary. In fact, scary. You can’t just throw a 30 second commercial into your site and expect that to automatically make it cool and engage customers. But you did – and how’s that working out for you?
I’ve had a handful of interviews lately with different agencies around the country. It’s a lot like dating men. Here’s what I’ve discovered about them:
WTF. Duran Duran hung out at Leo Burnett sometime in the recent past? Why can’t this happen here? The most interesting person that’s been in our shop lately is the lady with one eye from the Chinese takeout joint around the corner. And John Taylor! I’d still do him.
This article in Adweek KILLS me. I love it. I read it three times (although obviously it doesn’t apply to my company). It recaps a recent Forrester report that says digital agencies lack the ability to truly be strategic with their clients and still rely on traditional agencies to take the lead. No shit. One of these agencies in particular probably puts more thought into where they’re taking you to lunch than that interactive campaign they’re pitching to you next week.
Another agency we’re working with on some pathetic e-commerce site calls me fourteen times yesterday – 6 of which were on my Blackberry. This jackass begins every single conversation with, “This is Phil from Los Angeles.” Not “Phil from XXX Agency” or just “Hey, it’s Phil”. Like I give a flying fuck you’re from Los Angeles.
Because if this is what happens to their creative directors when they have to move to another floor (the horror!), who knows how fucked up the rest of the shop is.
(via Adland)
Right. I peed my pants when I looked at this cartoon series by Pete Johnson about traditional and interactive agency relationships. This is so true. I am the douchebag after all.
(via The Toad Stool)
I’m not the only one who has afflictions at the shop. While I’m shoving three Excedrin down my throat, there’s 4 people standing near me debating the merits of their sleep aids (I think I found a new one that’s “all natural” even though I’m typically averse to that concept). Down the hall, our new biz manager has a file cabinet full of antacids and our creatives are more addicted to Rockstar than I am. A colleague at a nearby agency always has a pocket full of little blue pills. And alcohol is a given (I’m quitting right after this last vodka rocks…). Seems we’re all trying to eradicate the feelings we’re paid to elicit in people to buy our clients’ products and services. It’s pedantic and boring, but spend more time observing the person next to you at the agency, and you’ll have the next great idea for your client. Trust me. Is there any more vodka?
Every small interactive shop worth their weight now is being acquired by some behemoth agency network – we were, and friends who work at similar shops say they’re courted weekly by the giants for acquisition. WPP is close to capturing Blast, who I definitely wouldn’t say is boutique, but they’re independent, have an impressive revenue and were ripe for the picking. I’d say in the next two years, all the inventive, small shops will be owned by the big guys and we’ll be seeing a whole lot of sameness on the web. Our agency still tries to retain some of its small, agile goodness, but I see that slowly slipping away. Read the article on Advertising Age about the trend in acquiring digital shops here.
Agency Tart 