Watch Out Bitches! Spot Runner emerged about two years ago with the intent of changing advertising (television, anyway) by offering ads at a reduced rate.
By giving clients a list of spots to choose from, via spotrunner dot com, the agency can afford to bypass huge billings. It also allows clients that would normally turn to small shops see what they’re investing in before signing on the dotted line. The Web site explains it all, obvi.
This may not be so good for small agencies, and would undoubtedly add to the homogenization that we all complain about so much. But if no work is truly new, is Spot Runner really so bad?
Noel Cottrell, Grey’s ECD for ETrade, ran a shop much like Spot Runner, in South Africa, just before he moved stateside. Named Joe Public, the shop was rumored to be moving here too. But somewhere along the lines, that ended and Cottrell landed at Grey.
Spot Runner, which is partially backed by Interpublic, btw, is focused on television. No word if an expansion in to New Media is planned. But some of you may know betta, so lemme know.