The advertising agency business has been in one bind or another ever since the dawn of digital. Digital shook the industry to its core, and the reverberations are still being felt from top to bottom. The list of problems is long, but one problem we don't spend enough time discussing is the problem of not knowing who or what we are, any longer. It's a confusion that I find perplexing. May I point you to an …
What ChatGPT “Thinks” About Ageism in Advertising and Media
Discriminating against people due to their age is a pox upon advertising and media houses. It's bad business, and another bad business practice is the last thing that these industries need, right now. Ageism is also a particularly perplexing issue emanating from professional workers who truly ought to know better. Given that everyone who is alive is aging, it's just a matter of time before it's your turn. The …
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Bias Against Aging People, Like All Bias, Is Idiotic and Unproductive
The truly odd thing about ageism is how every single living creature on this planet is aging. We're all aging right now, as we do each and every moment of our lives. Ultimately, this means our bias against aging people is discrimination against the self, and that ageism is a brutal form of self-hatred. As we know, ageism is also bad for business. This new 45-minute documentary film, directed by Scott Haper, …
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Six Early Releases to Whet the Appetite for the Big Game
The Kansas City Chiefs play the Philadelphia Eagles this Sunday in Super Bowl LVII. The program's commercials, which cost $7M for 30 seconds of airtime during the game, already overrunneth. So, let's indulge in a great American pastime and take a look at some early releases ahead of Sunday's game. Door …
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New Film Asks the Right Questions about the Agency Business
The current and future state of the ad agency business is the subject of a new documentary film from Togetherr, Kill your Darlings. The film is narrated by Anouk Jans, a Creative Director from Germany who is looking for answers, positive change, and a brighter future for herself and everyone that loves the business of creativity. Her quest leads her to seek meetings with industry luminaries like Anselmo Ramos, Greg …
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Drift, Wait and Obey—It Worked for Kipling, It Can Work for You
"When your Daemon is in charge, do not try to think consciously. Drift, wait, and obey." -Rudyard Kipling It's Thursday and I'd like to throw it way back to ancient Greece and Rome and look at how ancient wisdom can guide us today. According to Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love, the ancient Greeks and ancient Romans did not believe that creativity came from human beings. They believed that creativity …
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“Owning A Large Portion of the Best Talent” Is Pre-COVID Thinking
Like so many businesses, the agency business is a talent business from top to bottom. Nothing good happens without extraordinary efforts made by dedicated, gifted people working as one. Agency heads used to say the agency's "best assets," a.k.a. the talent, walk out the door and go down the elevator each evening. Of course, these commuters almost always returned in the morning. Today, with our newfound and …
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War in Ukraine Leads Western Firms to Close the Door on Russia
Horrible news and painful images are pouring out of Ukraine every day now, as the European country of more than 40M people struggles to survive and repel Russia's lethal invasion. The images and news from inside Russia are also disturbing as the Kremlin is viciously attacking anti-war protestors, closing media outlets, and tightening its grip before it loses its grip completely. Everyone loses in war. Here's …
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