In an interview this week on a different topic, R/GA CEO Bob Greenberg was too polite to take any potshots at Modernista!’s new Web site. But given the opportunity to say nice things about it, he was equally silent. Hmm. Anyway, R/GA is taking the wraps off its own major site redesign, its first in nearly five years. The look is clean, and the navigation pretty intuitive. It’s all Flash, though, meaning if you use the back button, you get taken off the site. The biggest switch is the heavy use of video. The front page features thumbnails of case studies of major R/GA campaigns, such as Nike+, Verizon Action Hero and NikeiD Studio, along with its reel and video tours of its emerging media practice and digital studio. More video is on the way, Greenberg promises, even to supplement the “About us” section. “What we’re saying is the future of the commercial is going to be a demo, not a TV spot,” he says. Be sure to check out the “Leadership” section for some artsy black-and-white shots of Bob, top creative Nick Law and other R/GA bigwigs. All in all, it’s what you’d expect from R/GA: a sleek, well-done site. But does it lack the “wow factor” of Modernista!’s new site? Maybe showing off Web 2.0 cred isn’t what an agency site should be about. Which do you prefer? UPDATE: Not to be outdone, Grey this morning sent over word (via PDF, never a good sign) that it has given a makeover to Grey.com. Does it measure up? Grey says it perfectly exemplifies its “new dynamism and creative energy.”

—Posted by Brian Morrissey