Commonwealth Bank now commonly hated in ad biz.

"As far as I am concerned we made this ad for two audiences: our staff and our customers. We didn't make it for the Australian ad industry."

So said The Commonwealth's Mark Buckman to Business Day regarding the recent hubub over their 60 second ad which launched on Australia Day on Channel Nine during the Cricket and Channel Seven during the Tennis. Adgrunts down under have been quite vocal in hating it, apparently Michael Lynch of Campaign Brief didn't sugar the words when he said of the 'Determined to be different' campaign that the ads were lazy and old hat. "And they went all the way to America to get that."
Commonwealth Bank - "Anthem" - (2008) :60 (Australia)

News.com.au quotes "Another advertising insider":

"CBA were pretty open about their intentions. They pissed a lot of people off when they said an Australian agency couldn't handle the CBA brand account," he said.

"As far as the industry is concerned, we see it as being self-absorbed. They are talking to themselves. It doesn't have anything to do with the consumers. It is not making themselves stand out as a bank.

"As far as the industry is concerned it is one of the worst things we've ever seen a bank do. It is tripe and self indulgent.

So what do y'all think of Goodby's efforts? Is it a case of lost in translation or "holy shit, that's navel-gazing"?