Jun 10, 2008

BIG BRAND ≠ BIG IDEAS


Seeing that it’s intern season, I’d like to come clean about one of the biggest fallacies in the ad business: For some reason it has been accepted that a big-name account is paramount to mind-blowing creativity. THIS IS NOT TRUE!

Working on the Coca-Cola account doesn’t automatically mean that you’ll be crafting live-changing copy and/or museum worthy layouts. In fact, you’ll probably be forced to do the complete opposite and be as conservative and safe as possible. But there’s no reason to get frustrated. The good news is that you’ll be working on an internationally recognized brand that impacts millions, if not billions, of lives everyday.

I bring this up because I am so sick and tired of snotty creative newbies who expect me to pop a boner every time they boast about how they work on BIG accounts like Honda, Pepsi, Microsoft, Sears, etc. Even if these people only proofread or just prepare final layouts, they brag about it like they fucking run the company. Trust me; for the most part these accounts are all sizzle and no steak.

The big clients are known for being big, not for being creative powerhouses. Of course, I use a wide brush here and there are many exceptions to this rule, but it’s better to be clear about now than be all pissed off when JC Penny orders you to include a photo of a nuclear family in their new campaign. The “genius” of these major global brands lies in creating global messages that work, not just creative cool stuff.

However, I must give credit where credit is due. Account Executives really shine when they can handle these big ass monoliths. It’s no small feat handling an account with operations in over 150 countries and keeping everything straight in the internal corporate jungle these companies are known for. That impresses me. You proofreading the rules for Pepsi’s Summer Giveaway does not.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

HAHAH you're an intern, no wonder your grammar is awful and insite obvious...

Joker said...

Yur speeling eez az pour az yur reedink cumpreehanshion.

No one who posts on this site is an intern. If you're referring to the posts of diaries of an intern, it's fictitious post though based on what I lived when I was an intern and what I've heard from current and previous interns.

Need of further clarification merely confirms my suspicion that your parents are cousins who were playing hide the tadpole.

Eugen Suman said...

let's all laugh and point.


now that that's settled, yea, I couldn't agree more. Also, think of the satisfaction you get when you finally manage to do things your way when dealing with a huge client. It's not often but it's also not impossible. I live and can tell the story :)

(And yea, when I first heard what account I was to work on, I was thrilled. The thrill lasted about a month, then things actually changed ;) )

adhack said...

Smaller accounts are usually more willing to take a chance on interesting creative. They have to compensate for their small media presence by running ads that grab people's attentions.

Big Brands rely on their huge media buys to get there message across. So they tend to go with conservative advertising.

Besides, smaller accounts are more fun.

Me said...

Another thing... Big brands usually carry the almighty brand book. You cannot paint outside the lines... even when the creativity or even wording doesn't click with the audience.

There. I left my insite. Um. Insight.

Anonymous said...

I'm ignoring the village idiot, that somehow figured out how to "dial in" to the inTerNet.

I agree with adhack - the smaller accounts are more fun. You get more control over the whole brand. Whereas big accounts have ton of agencies involved and some of them will produce the shittiest creative, which ruins the great stuff YOU were working on for the same account.

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