James Dyson a.k.a. Vacuum Man tells agencies they suck (as blogged in Adrants) and he quotes:
"The agency business just isn't working for me. I don't want to talk to account planners, and account managers and these other assorted suits. I need to talk to the 'creatives' directly, and explain to them what I am trying to achieve. But they won't come to meetings because they are 'creative.'
"And the fact is that they are not creative at all. They are doing the very worst thing you can do, which is to sit staring at a drawing board trying to come up with an idea out of nowhere. You need dialogue to create. Of all the creative jobs I have encountered it is advertising people who make the most song and dance about creativity. And, you know, they are not creative at all. When I think of the real creation that my designers are involved in, and compare it with these 'creatives' who are earning so much more to just sit around the Groucho Club and be generally useless, it makes me vomit. I can't go on supporting an industry like that, I'm afraid."
Come on James...tell us what you REALLY think! My 2c is pretty simple - the root definition of creativity focuses on doing things differently. It is the unique and differentiated approach which is deemed to be creative insofar that it gets and keeps attention and in so doing, engages and captivates.
Case in point...yesterday I visited a most huge and intimidating law firm in the island of Manhattan. With all my preconceptions in tact, I entered their reception area and immediately noticed a sign above the receptionist's name, "Director of First Impressions." In a second, the ice melted and I felt at ease. An instant comfort level was established due to the most unexpected touch.
In the same spirit, I'd like to see an agency exec come out with a scathing indictment of clients/marketers on the subject of them not putting agencies in a position to BE creative. It takes two to tango and if agencies suck then marketers blow!
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