Advertising, ad campaigns, ad agencies, and the people that make it happen

Further proof that in the world of advertising, far too often bullshit wins out over common sense, was provided by today’s news that Saatchi & Saatchi has just picked up the $430 million J.C.Penney account. Apparently this came about because Penney CEO heard Kevin Roberts, CEO of Saatchi speak at yet another conference on his pseudo/science  "Lovemarks," baloney. Roberts, a former Procter & Gamble executive, (no surprise there) argues that the notion of branding has been worn down by formulaic, clutter-creating, boring marketing. (which he used to be responsible for at P&G) He claims it’s all about deep emotional bonds with companies and products. It’s all in his book with a blazing red cover and as AdAge puts it… “A triumph of schizophrenic graphic design, sporting dozens of fonts and point sizes, and studded with quotes on love from everyone from Voltaire to Walt Disney to Homer Simpson. Imagine a book on branding written by a P&Ger who switched his or her market-mix models for a case-load of ecstasy.” The saddest part of all is that Penney has gone on record as saying about DDB, who they just fired, "We've been very happy about DDB, this wasn't about being dissatisfied with DDB. The work is self-evident. We just felt we needed a new voice in the marketplace." How pathetic is that? Can you think of any other business activity that would be conducted in such a cavalier fashion?

It's an ego trip. It's rubbish!