10,000 Down, “Y” To Go

Apparently, it takes 10,000 hours to become exceptionally gifted at a sport, craft or task. So, what does it mean for AdPulp to reach a 10,000th post milestone — something we’re accomplishing with this post? Does it mean we’re more gifted today then we were yesterday at delivering you a focused, inside look at advertising, media and marketing news?

Maybe it means nothing at all. After all, AdPulp is just a blog — something Shawn, Dan, Wade and myself “do in our pajamas.” Perhaps it means a sale. I pity the poor fool who starts an ad blog today. Instead, why not invest in a brand and in an archive that already has traction? Or maybe getting to the top of this content mountain means it is high time to hang up our ad blogging shoes, for realz.

I’m good with any of these answers, but I’m also a dreamer of dreams. As such, it’s easy to see how we’ve circled the MarCom Sun in one eight-year loop, and how it is now time for rebirth. Rebirth can take this project to new and better places. For instance, what if (from an editorial standpoint) AdPulp is no longer “my blog” or “our blog” but “your blog”? What might that mean exactly? It could mean that my focus moves from writing articles to developing new ad blogging talent, and giving more voices a chance to be heard.

I admit that when it comes to advertising (and politics), I often feel like it’s all been said. I didn’t used to feel this way, but now I do. The funny thing is we need to re-do so much of our human experience. We need to re-read our favorite poems, plays and novels, re-see our favorite films and paintings and re-hear and re-create our favorite musical experiences. We’re creatures of habit and that’s okay. From our perspective here, we need to re-visit and re-hash the most pressing topics of the MarCom day. Why? Because it’s what we do, and when you love what you do, you go the extra mile.

In many ways, that’s what AdPulp is. The extra mile. Since we don’t just put up work in a gallery, or rely on snark for traffic, but actually take time to write thoughtful articles, it’s clear we’re going the extra mile to bring you our totally biased, mostly unfiltered version of the ad news. And we’re asking you to go the extra mile to take in the content.

Someone called us “sub-Adweek shite” in an early review, and while I still think that’s a funny line, it’s never really been who we are. For better or worse, we’re serious about advertising in a way that others are not. That also makes us boring to casual observers in a way that others are not. What are you gonna do?

I’ve asked what can, and what should we do to improve our editorial product over the years. It’s a question that never goes away. Nor should it go away, because this isn’t a journal that we’re keeping to record our precious thoughts. Rather, AdPulp is a platform for a dedicated cadre of like-minded professionals.

Speaking for myself, I’m a believer in advertising. Despite all the dickheads, the tortuous meetings, and bad work out there in the world, advertising is still the profession I’d choose all over again. Because it’s fun to make stuff up for brands and get paid for it. Admit it! And admit that you are idealistic enough, like me, to believe our dreams for a better world can be realized and that oddly enough, advertising has a role in its creation.