Some things never change: RUSH

No, I’m not talking about the iconic 80s band. I’m talking about those little surprises that pop up more often than you like: RUSH assignments that absolutely must get done yesterday because the existence of the human race – no, the universe! – depends on it.

You know rush jobs well. They appear in your inbox in the late afternoon… on a Friday. And they piss the hell out of you.

For those of you following this blog, you know that many years ago I walked away from the ad biz and am now doing the PR thing. Though I am much happier with my current career path and can complain about virtually nothing, there are some things that never change. Case in point: Said RUSH jobs. Yep, they happen here too.

Here are a few funny things about RUSH jobs:
- The more RUSH the job is, the greater the number of people involved in the approval process, thus slowing things down and rendering the entire RUSH concept moot

- RUSH jobs never pay RUSH fees

- They tell you that if it’s not done by 3:00 p.m., the sun will explode. Yet, there is always time for revisions

- Speaking of revisions, RUSH jobs make people come up with the dumbest comments: “make the logo bigger”; “change ‘socioeconomic’ for ‘economical-social’”; “bullet points end with periods, right?”; “wouldn’t it be better if…”

- Any and all creative resources are too expensive: stock photos, illustrations, scans, etc.
Lawyers, executives, and engineers assume dominant roles in the creative process behind RUSH jobs

So, the next time your AE comes screaming down the hall with a RUSH job that will make or break the agency, simply smile, peek at this list, order some expensive take out (on their penny, of course), and git’er done with the bespoken patience you’re known for.