Standing On the shoulders of absolutely fucking nobody
Advertising’s been going for a long time, so long in fact that it’s often called the world’s second-oldest profession.
But even if we discount the early years of BBDO Pompeii and DDB Londinium, there’s now been a good half-century since Bernbach’s creative revolution kicked in. Since then, we’ve been able to see how the greats have scaled incredible heights: from John Webster to Juan Cabral, Tim Delaney to Tom Carty, David Abbott to Dave Trott, the list of people who have shown us the way forward and tickled the public’s balls is long and distinguished.
So why is it that we’re not getting any better at it? When Webster was telling the country to Watch Out There’s a Humphrey About, or Follow The Bear he didn’t have nearly as many previous greats to learn from and progress; he was just feeling his way in the dusk. But now that we’ve seen the kind of things that can work and the ways to success you’d think we’d all be creating even better stuff than he did.
And are we?
Are we fuck.
I do understand that no one has bettered Hendrix or quite reached the peaks of Citizen Kane, but this is advertising. Hundreds of briefs get answered every day with the benefit of the knowledge of what has gone before, but the overwhelming mountain of dismal dross out there would seem to suggest that either the lessons never get learned or they are not actually learnable (or we’re all a bit thick).
I suppose it’s the unending quest for the new that leads us to discard the old with an indecent lack of respect. Perhaps the baby has been thrown out with the bathwater – warm charm being rejected at the same time as the odd overused filmic technique.
But whatever the reason, I get the distinct impression that very few people in the industry are sufficiently aware of what’s gone before to be able to have a crack at surpassing it.
Instead, we just start from scratch over and over again, leaving the greats of the past further and further behind.
What a stupid bunch of cunts we are, eh? (Smiley face made of punctuation).
Go where the money is and stop worrying about it. That’s what I reckon! It’s not going to get any better so chase the cash whilst you can.
I got kind of depressed when I saw the latest VW Passat ad, the one with the light bulbs or whatever they were. Clearly the people who approved that one had no respect for the history of their brand’s advertising and the fact that they were trampling all over it probably never occurred to them.
That we care about what we do is probably ludicrous to the people who don’t.
@Damo: I had to rewind my Sky+ when I saw that spot as I couldn’t believe it was for VW. A turgid list of features surrounding a CGI car. I wonder if it was made for the US market, like BMW’s “joy” pile of toss?
I think we live in an era of confusion where many people (and in this case I guess I mean clients) don’t know the difference between ‘different’ (or ‘new’) and ‘better’.
When an agency like Leo Burnett’s can declare that they’re not about selling things, we’re all in danger of losing the plot.
But couldn’t you say the same about any industry?
Are cars looking nicer than they were 40 years ago?
Are cakes tasting nicer?
Are clothes even more fashionable?
And movies? The kings speech – I haven’t seen it yet, but something tells me I know the procedure of the story and it’s inevitable Oscar glory.
“that we care about what we do is probably ludicrous to the people who don’t”
great quote there damo. going to nick it.
people have changed. clients have changed.
i think it’s a little short sighted to think webster hasn’t been bested.
in fact, remember 10-15 years ago when he was considered old fashioned and out of it by our industry?
it’s only in retrospect we see with fondness and forget our opinions.
to quote bernbach…
I think Webster has been bested but I’m a little confused that the general standard hasn’t gone up.
And buy curious: you couldn’t say it about medicine or engineering or possibly law to name a few.
I’ve been thinking about this a bit more since I wrote the post. You have a point: does anyone paint better than Michelangelo? Compose better music than Mozart did? Maybe there’s a difference in the creative industries, but why?
I think because medicine and engineering and law etc…. Can improve our lives.
I’m not saying art doesn’t, but on a more philosophical level.
And advertising just isn’t important enough. Despite our best efforts to prove the opposite.
(I love advertising by the way)
Over stylised dross pandering to the reality tv show drones. QED.
Some of these points might be apt, as to why advertising is not getting better.
a) increased competition – over supply of agencies in the UK
b) procurement dictating profits
c) clients being risk averse
d) agencies being risk averse
e) creatives being paid poorly
f) creatives don’t know what a good ad is
g) clients don’t know what a good ad is
h) we live in uninspiring times
i) all creatives come from the same mould
j) decoupling of production from creative makes it hard for an agency to make profits
k) slowing down of growth in UK economy lessens the effects of advertising
l)agencies don’t have enough time to work on an idea
m)mmm Mattesons
http://adland.tv/commercials/mattesons-mmm-1981-30-uk
n) analysis paralysis
o) agencies forgot the purpose of a good ad – a bit like f) maybe
p) advertising still lacks metrics
I think most of the above are excuses for poor advertising, although not entirely irrelevant. As they can either be overcome or can be said of other eras too. I think h) effects lots of creative based industries more so than science based ones.
Don’t have the answer, so here are a couple of leads :
Maybe clients were all ball equiped back then ? Maybe the products were smarter back then ? Maybe it was before pre,post,qual&quant research ? Maybe we just gave up in front of the collection of great ideas we were fed with ?
If starting from scratch doesn’t lead you anywhere, grabbing an acoustic guitar for the first time while thinking about John Lennon doesn’t help either.
Webster has been bested, but probably not on a consistent basis by an individual (or a team) over time. Perhaps this might have something to do with the maturing of the industry – and the associated de-mystification of the creative and production processes?
In 2011 advertising is an industry where everyone is encouraged to have, and to voice, an opinion. Because we all know how it works, right? Because there’s enough information that’s been gathered over time, research conducted and case studies documented that allows everyone in the agency and any client (however junior) to pitch in with their (valid) point of view in an increasingly democratised industry.
I wonder how many of Webster’s ideas from then were subjected to the tortuous approval procedure that is in place now. And how many would have withstood a process which is almost guaranteed to make the idea weaker not stronger.
I’m not making an excuse for lowering the creative bar. But rather than try an understand how and why the best of the old ads work (which is bloody hard anyway) it might be useful to understand the environment that allowed those ideas to be made in the first place.
I would suggest that some of the names on your list Ben were (are?) held in a degree of awe – by both the companies where they worked and by the clients who bought their ads. How many creatives enjoy that position today I wonder?
interesting that you compared music with advertising.
Once in a blue moon we get great musicians, great bands, great albums.
But 99% of the time we get bombarded with the likes of biebers and “like a G6”.
They are crap. But people still buy them. Some even dance to them.
And labels don’t care as much as long as they are raking in the cash.
Just like advertising.
@Mister Gash: none, but I think many CDs are also working with less awe/respect. If everyone’s opinion is equally valid it must really chop some of the bosses off at the knees.
Agreed. I happen to think that advertising works best when everyone’s opinion isn’t equally valid. As Russell Crowe says of acting: “You gotta learn some stuff before you open your gob”.
I think the Gatorate Replay is an better in every way than ‘Follow the Bear’
It’s more creative. It’s more capitvating. It’s more important.
It’s not an ad. It’s an idea.
Also, great creativity is usually born out of some great social upheaval.
The world is too comfortable to be creative.
Ahh the magic of nostalgia. Like a good friend’s father once said, “They don’t make ’em like they used to, and they never did.”
Ah, you’ve noticed it too. It’s everywhere:
http://thedabbler.co.uk/2010/10/the-futures-not-what-it-was/
OK, it’s not quite the same thing. But technology and culture went through something of a heroic period in the recent past – and it feels as if it’s tailing off.
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