Here we go again.

If you have seen KingFrank.com you might have had a sense of Deju Vu.. Another media-virus internet site? Oh yes, but it gets even better than that.....

Earlier you might have read the articles about the rubberburner.com, borntodestroy.com and supergreg.com created by Paul and Linus at Fallon (US) for their client BuddyLee.

The Actors strike in the USA has halted productions, left actors carrying boards instead of reading them before a job, forced talent agencies to close down, and even tragically caused a death as 38-year-old actor William Ray Embry died after collapsing on a picket line in Hollywood whilst protesting against a non-union shoot for a Sony PlayStation commercial. Where is all this going and will it ever end?

This is the simplistic theory of an industry that lives and thrives on simplification (of products, of brands): if your agency is small you are creative, your ideas sparkle like diamonds, you are so hot it hurts.

If your agency is gargantuan, you are a slovenly dinosaur, Godzilla Incorporated, a coldbed of creativity, so entangled in red tape that it would make any bondage fan faint with arousal.

The U.S. mint recently launched a national ad campaign to announce the production of the Golden Dollar coin. Featuring a modernized George Washington as the spokesperson, the U.S. mint's ad campaign relies on the good looks of the founding father to promote the new addition to the nation's money supply.

Sometime last week the Currylink started making it's rounds. It was a link to rubberburner.com that made a few people laugh and pass it on. When I saw the Swedish idiom in literal translation "do you think I am out bicycling" I got curious and did a Whois lookup to find out who made this.

In the middle of June ad people gather in Cannes from all over the planet. They go to see ads from all over the world, poster, print, TV and new media, all day every day of the week. They go to party all night every night of the week. They go to spend heavily from their expense accounts while networking.

Apparently, there's soon a general election in the U.K., but the TBWA-breakaway that we spoke about here earlier are far too busy setting up their own agency.

ADLAND EXCLUSIVE ADRANT: Hardee's Tries on Gorgeous New Set of Cliff Freeman Ruby Slippers. Clicks Heels Two Times. Shoots Self in Foot.
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Once again, the corporate chowderheads at Hardee's prove themselves a few fries short of a Happy Meal. Refusing to believe that you can't please all of the people all of the time, did these nincompoops really go so far as take Cliff Freeman and Partners' spiffy first spot for their new campaign and leech out its most important flavor?

This much we do know: We have the original spot as it ran for two weeks, and also its bastardized version with a completely reedited ending. We also have much speculation...

It should go without saying that if you want to enjoy a savory roast beef entré, you don't follow this recipe:

You have worked in the same agency for 8 years. You remember the good old days, when clients actually bought your work. You occasionally get to produce a campaign of in-store shelf wobblers for dishwasher detergent. You have work in your book for a beer campaign from 4 and a half years ago that won you a pewter tankard award from Brewer's Monthly magazine. You sweat cynicism. You wear permanent 'shit happens' sucked-in lips. Your eyes are glazed over due to excessive confidence-crises.

CLICK, CLICK, YOU'RE DEAD.

By Chris Worth, October 1998

a sequel to this can be found at chris' red pump

Why advertising agencies are doomed . . .and why their brands need not be

Version 1.0 This essay may be freely distributed if you quote the source

Our advertising agencies are dead. Gone. Finished.

Pardon me while I adrant.

by moi, a cynical pounder, who still hasn't found the ideal job.

To show your book around is painful, frustrating,and time consuming, what should one do? We've all been there. We've all seen the two-faced ad men talk bullshit straight to our faces. We've all pounded the pavement with our books, wasting far too much time talking to the wrong people and getting the wrong replies.

Pardon me while I adrant, like I do.

The A B C's of advertising rules.

A)