Everyone has their end of year lists and we, while more fun, are no different. We’re calling ours the ‘The No Shit List To End All Lists.’ Long winded perhaps, but you get the idea.
We asked a bunch of big deal advertising shop owners, ECDs and a-plus bloggers to answer a series of questions. Now, we promised them all anonymity (when you see the questions, you’ll understand why), but feel free to guess away at who are participants may be. We thank them all.
If you would like to answer these questions to, send us your responses and we’ll post them.
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Nameless Advertising Honcho #2
1. What was the worst campaign of the year?
“Still has to be CP+B’s Orville Deadenbacher campaign. Freaky, and did nothing to utilize any semblance of marketing, advertising, or creative strategy to convince someone to pick up a bag of Orville’s corn vs. someone elses.”
2. What was your favorite campaign of the year?
“The Mac vs. PC ads are still the best campaign out there. The recent incarnation of the ad in a Frosty/Rudolph-style christmas spot is just fantastic. This campaign works because it’s true, and the message is delivered in way that says, “do we really need to give you any more reasons to switch?” People that have made the switch just nod their heads at these spots, and others see that happening. I will say, though, that CP+B’s “Whopper Freakout” campaign, is running a close 2nd.”
3. Which client is the worst to work (can be one yours, was one of yours or someone else’s)?
“Gotta be Walmart. I can’t imagine what it must be like hearing, “we
need a fake (or a real) blog” every other day.”
4. Which CMO deserves being whacked for his work this year?
“This one might be controversial, but I don’t think Coca-Cola has had a single, cohesive campaign, in a long time. The “coke side of life” is a good campaign, with some fantastic spots, but I don’t think it was nearly taken advantage of enough. To have something as good as this, and not exploit it, is grounds for dismissal in my book.”
5. Which ECD has the biggest ego of the year?
Left unanswered.
6. Which brand should fire their ad agency pronto and why?
“Nissan. Worst managed 2007 campaign, period. Absolutely nothing done
to elevate the brand.”
7. Which advertising agency should consider firing its top level management?
“Draft, but that’s already happening, apparently. McCann, as well.”
8. Which agency is likely to suffer (losses, employees jumping ship, revenue slides) the most next year?
Left unanswered.
9. What shop has done the best work in 2007 (other than your own of course)?
Left unanswered.
10. Which broadcast spot made you want to hurl?
“See #1.”
11. What was your favorite spot (that your shop did not create)?
“Coke’s “GTA”-inspired Coke Side of Life Spot that ran during last season’s Super Bowl. Brilliant.”
12. Who is the most underrated planner around?
Left unanswered.
13. If you had to work for any agency, but your own – which would it be based on their performance in 2007?
Left unanswered.
14. Which agency do you think will have a turn around in 2008?
Left unanswered.
15. If you could steal one talent from another agency based on their work during 2007 (creative director, planner, etc.) who would it be?
“Lars Bastholm, AKQA. The man is fantastically brilliant.”