How do you make a room full of ad agency people laugh? Lampoon clients.
The Creative Spot tried it, and it worked.
Sharing the complaint that the annual Columbus (Ohio) American Advertising Awards needed some livening up, the principals of the 3-year-old shop offered to create some spoof advertising to break up the string of awards presentations.
The mock TV spots created by Mike Flegle, Mitch Greenwald and Chris Rankin were among the most enthusiastically received ads of the night. Especially popular were a series of pseudo public service spots for The Client Education Fund.
“Don’t talk to me about white space,” says a grouchy client character in one spot. “Those column inches cost me money. Fill ’em with information!”
The only hope for “advertising-illiterate” clients, the spots explain, is long-term help, requiring “a sizable investment.”
–Scott Hume
Finally, Help For Ad Illiteracy
