One of the things that drew me to advertising in the first place was the ridiculously naïve idea that the business was a meritocracy. “The work is all that matters,” was the mantra I gleefully chimed in the mid 1990s. I picked it up from some true believers and even with all the turmoil my career has seen, I have clung to it mightily. But I’m confident I’ll get over it someday.
Adweek: Volkswagen’s sweeping shift last week of its estimated $400 million North American creative account to Crispin Porter + Bogusky without a review illustrates what some say is the smartest, most efficient way to hire an agency. And it reinforces once again the notion that advertising, rather than being “all about the work,” as some say, is first and foremost a relationship-driven business.