Respect in Short Supply, Garfinkel Tells 4A's

NEW YORK Lee Garfinkel blasted the ad industry for being perilously close to losing what little dignity and respect it has left during his closing remarks at the American Association of Advertising Agencies’ new-business summit on Tuesday.

One of the problems facing creatives is that clients tend to look at agencies as temporary suppliers instead of long-term partners, said Garfinkel, chairman and chief creative officer of Omnicom’s DDB in New York. He recalled a recent comment made to him by a prospective client during a pitch: “Even if you get this account, you’ll probably lose it in a year.”

Garfinkel,