OK there’s a lot of banter about Ogilvy moving house, way over to 46th and 11th from 49nd and 8th. If you live outside Manhattan you probably don’t care so I’ll be brief.
Ad agencies have got to get the hell away from Madison Ave, and for two reasons.
1. The real estate further east is ridiculously expensive and it kills the bottom line, meaning less money for everyone. O&M moved to their current location awhile back for exactly that reason, so kudos to them for saving some cash. Yeah, I said it.
2. The perception that being on Madison Ave. is in some way cool is over. This isn’t to say that 44th and 11th is in any way “hot”, but it is right next to the river and that part of the city is beautiful and yes, there is food nearby despite it not being the prettiest neighborhood. But it’s Hell’s Kitchen, home to some of the best food in the city.
The bottom line: these days, agency employees are probably happy to have their jobs and yes, though it’s a bit of a walk, it’s not a bad thing to look at the up side. That is until winter gets here and it walking becomes physically painful. But that’s like, months away.
More: “Oglivy Is Making A Move”