From whispers in agency corridors and pitch-room chatter to what’s buzzing on clients’ side, we’ve got the overheard and untold stories of the advertising industry and its people.
The rescue chief
A network group recently appointed a chief executive to not only to fix its creative gaps but also to retain the confidence of a few key clients. An insider tells us this chief, in his previous stints, has worked on some of the big ad campaigns of these key clients. The chatter is that while the company is adding new creative power, projects are slowly slipping away from them. Looks like they found a captain of the ship who will navigate the business to the right shore.
Get a kick out of it
Recently, at an ad shoot, a senior creative director of an independent advertising network was taken aback when a producer openly asked him about his ‘personal fee’. This senior creative director politely refused to indulge in any such activities. However, he was curious to know why the producer made him an offer right under the nose of the client. These days, it seems, kickbacks are locked in when the ad hits the production floor. In some cases, with the involvement of the client. It gives creative folks ample time to figure out the various hidden elements in the budget that can be diverted into their personal accounts. Our ad moles also hint that some creative directors come back to production houses after the campaign is on air just to see if there is leftover money that can be transferred into their savings accounts. After all, a penny saved is a penny earned.
Pitching for awards
These days a celebrated creative agency of a network is only pitching for accounts that can help them up their award game. The chief of this agency is micromanaging all the work that’s going out to the clients. There are brainstorming sessions scheduled to see if they can pitch potential award-winning ideas to their existing accounts too. This year the agency was low-key in the awards circuit but looks like they want to redeem their lost points next season.
And the award goes to…
Not too long ago, a CMO of a tech company was miffed after he found out that his brand won a trophy at an industry award, through a WhatsApp forward. He questioned his creative agency. Apparently, the agency sent in the entry without the client’s knowledge and approval. Episodes like these have happened in the past. However, the twist in the tale is that the creative shop is refusing to return the award because they burnt the midnight oil to make the campaign and case reel for the award season. Certainly, this agency deserves a bravery award at the very least.
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