Guest Critic

As you all doubtlessly know, advertising and marketing people are far down the ladder on the list of respected jobs in this country, hovering somewhere around lawyers and insurance salesmen. Most of us are sincerely trying to sell our brands and tell their stories, yet there’s a perception that we’re just trying to “sell” using un- or half-truths. In fact, I’ve yet to meet a real slavering, unethical huckster in this business. OK, I can think of a couple, but I’m not naming names.

One of the ways I judge work is to ask, “Is this true?” Are we getting at a compelling truth, or are we making it up? Is this literally, metaphorically and/or emotionally true? Instead of providing an aesthetic review of this month’s spots, I thought we’d do a little truth check.

In a spot for XM Satellite Radio, we see people in their cars getting barraged by characters...