For an assessment of the state of creativity and the ad business at the mid-point of 2003, SHOOT posed the following questions to production company executives, agency producers and creatives: At this point, what do you think of the state of advertising, from both a creative and business standpoint? What do you predict for the second half of ’03? What are the creative highlights from the year so far? Here are their answers.
Michael Appel
Owner/executive producer
Joanne Ferraro
Managing director
Coppos Films, bicoastal
From a business standpoint, the very beginning of 2003 looked promising. Then the war began in March, and advertisers held back because no one knew what was going to happen in Iraq. Projects seem to be picking up now with significant media buys scheduled for the fall. So we are just starting to see the boards for campaigns, which will air after Labor Day, and we are hoping that the third and fourth quarters will be better for everyone.
From a creative standpoint, we have not seen a lot of outstanding work in the industry so far this year. Everyone is so fearful because of the soft economy that they are not taking the chances they took in previous years. Also, you have a very small number of directors at the top who are taking all of the work—good or average. There are a large percentage of very good directors who are having a tough time keeping their reels fresh. We have been fortunate to have our directors garnering projects for their reels.
There are some agencies such as Crispin Porter+Bogusky (CP+B), Miami; Fallon, Minneapolis; Goodby, Silverstein & Partners (GS&P), San Francisco; Bartle Bogle Hegarty (BBH), London and New York; and Mother, London, doing some very innovative work. They have good clients who are allowing them to take some risks, due to solid client relationships and developed trust. They are the ones to watch for during the second half of the year.
We do see momentum picking up with the boards we are receiving now, and we are also keeping an eye on the Latin market, which seems to be growing and becoming more viable in terms of budgets and production values. The awards season was dominated this year by the second round of BMW films out of Fallon and produced via bicoastal RSA USA, which of course, was incredibly innovative last year. We look forward to seeing what the next campaign to push everyone to that next level will be.
Matt Bijarchi
Director of broadcast
production
Young & Rubicam,
Chicago
I really like some of [Joe] Pytka’s IBM work out of Ogilvy & Mather, New York, especially the spot titled "Mob" that is airing right now. It seems strategically right on target and is so funny. Like everyone else, I salivate over Volkswagen’s "Squares," directed by Malcolm Venville of bicoastal Anonymous Content, and pretty much all the Ikea work. I am also a big fan of a couple of directing collectives that keep turning out a lot of great work with campaigns out of the U.S. and Europe: Happy, who are repped by bicoastal Smuggler, and Acne, who are with bicoastal transmission@rsa. Acne’s ESPN "Shelfball" spots, produced via RSA USA for Wieden+Kennedy (W+K), New York, resonates with their target audience so effectively … it’s real, funny and uniquely American work. Happy’s "Dog Breath" for Wrigley’s U.K. out of AMV BBDO, London, and produced through Arden Sutherland-Dodd, London, is hilarious, as is most of the stuff on their reel. Guy Shelmerdine and Richard Farmer [who comprise Happy] are so talented and hardworking; it’s no surprise that they’ve produced so much great work so quickly.
Stephen Dickstein
Owner/executive producer
Partizan, bicoastal
It’s a buyer’s market for directors with few notable exceptions. Only the top people see decent work. There are some surprising names doing projects you wouldn’t normally associate them with. The agencies know this, so they are trying to get Spike Jonze of bicoastal/international Morton Jankel Zander (MJZ); Traktor of Partizan; Baker Smith of harvest, Santa Monica; Michel Gondry of Partizan; Sam Bayer of RSA USA; Craig Gillespie of MJZ; or Noam Murro of Biscuit Filmworks, Los Angeles, on every script. This makes for a dogfight in the middle. Meanwhile, agencies are duking it out with clients to sell work and going back to the drawing board even after jobs are all the way down the road and are recommended. More than ever, don’t spend the dough until you see that first payment.
The trend toward execution over unconventional or demanding ideas works against the real-looking comedy that began in the now ancient era of the dot-coms. Look at what leading-edge shops like Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, TBWA/ Chiat/Day, and Wieden+Kennedy are doing: beautiful film, some great effects and simple, clever ideas that fit into their techniques. There is still room for technique and innovation from newer entrants to the market—like rad-ish of bicoastal Go Film, the Snorri Brothers, the Brothers Strause—who direct via bicoastal HSI Productions—and Olivier "Twist" Gondry.
Overall, the business looks pretty similar to last year, although the third quarter will be stronger, and the fourth quarter, we all hope, will be like it was in 2002.
Kerstin Emhoff
Executive producer
HSI Productions, bicoastal
I’m cautiously optimistic right now about the state of advertising. The up-fronts seem very positive and I hear whispers from agency friends that predict a good second half of the year. On the other hand, people working in commercial production are rarely pessimistic about the future of the industry. If that were the case, after the ups and downs of the last couple years, most of us would have all jumped off the ledge by now. At HSI, our response is to educate our team that the world is changing and we need to keep up.
My Magic 8 Ball predicts that we will continue to see the pattern that we have been seeing the last few months. A small number of interesting, creative boards from some very unexpected clients, and a significant amount of what I call "Who Do You Have That Can Do The Job Within This Budget?" jobs. Some of the latter will emerge as gems. Everyone will fight for the big jobs. The smaller jobs will probably launch the careers of some of the new talent that is desperately hanging on. We will continue to see many directors disappear, especially as the music video business continues to diminish. We will pray that certain directors get features.
I feel that people want to do more interesting work right now. I’m seeing junior creatives in a stronger position, and doing really interesting work for unexpected clients. I get a sense of frustration from people who have survived layoffs and battled with the instability of the economy and the demise of the dot-com world.
There are the agencies that set the bar and continue to do great work (i.e. Nike, Volkswagen). It seems that they have a great deal of support from their clients. I also feel that American creatives have a greater awareness of international work these days. But then again, our Old Navy spots never cease to amaze me. As soon as they air, those cargo pants are flying off the shelves. Now that’s advertising.
Steve Humble
Senior VP/director of broadcast
production
The Martin Agency, Richmond, Va.
Advertising from a business and creative standpoint sucks. The worst part is that it has been bad for so long, even great creatives are starting to question themselves. The only good thing that has come through this low creative and business cycle is our commitment to the work. It has never been clearer: The only way out is through great work.
I think it benefits all of us to look at what we are doing and ask ourselves if we are doing everything we can. Am I pushing myself, the creative teams and the production companies enough? My friends at the production companies know it all too well. The board flow is fine, but the scripts coming through are not.
I think we have nowhere to go but up. People are tired of making excuses and I think some breakthrough work is on its way. We just need one campaign from heaven to get the ball rolling, and people will see that great work can be done. The second half of 2003 is going to start our road to recovery.
It seems in the creative and economic pullback that more good spots have gone back to simple storytelling. It’s evident in a spot like Ikea’s "Lamp," out of CP+B, and directed by Spike Jonze of MJZ. It got me to care about this inanimate object. The same great storytelling is present in Hummer’s "Big Race," directed by Scott Hicks of Independent Media, Santa Monica, for Modernista!, Boston. And who could forget the brilliant execution of Honda Accord’s "Cog," out of W+K, London, and directed by Antoine Bardou-Jacquet of Partizan Midi Minuit, Paris.
Deborah Johnson,
VP/executive producer
BBDO New York
With the war over, the economy still struggling, and the wounds from Sept. 11 still healing, the state of our industry, like our country, is fragile.
Gone are the days of the dot-coms and young entrepreneurs who shocked us with their outrageous, attention-grabbing ads that had wildly inventive concepts, yet no relevance to the product or service they were advertising. Instead, clients and agencies are reevaluating how they conduct business and what’s truly important in their advertising. For example, recently (and fortuitously) we have noticed many clients returning to their roots to embrace their longtime brand equities.
In the current economic climate, there is less money to spend. As a result, fewer spots are being produced. This puts more pressure on agencies and producers to deliver the goods. What’s more, with so much at stake, some clients are turning to research for the first time. Concepts are being tested for impact and persuasion before they are made, leaving even less time to actually produce the spots and put them on air.
Yet clients expect more from their agencies. Agencies expect more from their staff. And both lead to greater expectations being placed on production companies and post houses. And if you cannot or do not want to meet these demands, there is someone else who will be happy to.
With less money to spend, less time for production and a lot more pressure on everyone to succeed, it seems many advertisers are playing it safe, and not taking as many creative risks. Putting work from our own agency aside, it was very hard to come up with any creative highlights from the first half of the year, particularly when most of the ads, and the TV programs they appeared in, were so uninventive and unmemorable.
A few spots did stand out, however. Whiskas’ "Buffalo" directed by Noam Murro of Biscuit Filmworks via TBWA/Chiat/Day, Los Angeles, takes a fresh and funny approach to pet food advertising. Dante Ariola’s Virgin Mobil Cellular spot "Thumbs" is a slightly bizarre and creative look at a very cluttered category. And although it uses the tired reality TV genre, Baker Smith’s Ikea spot "Furniture" is charming, truly believable and very funny. Let’s hope these commercials are not the exception, but rather a sign of more creative work to come.
Gene Lofaro
Senior VP/executive producer
BBDO New York
American businesses and advertisers in the second half of 2003 remind me of a serious student just after exams, but before the grades come in. While the specter of something bad has passed, they are not quite ready to feel good because they cannot be certain their worries are over.
We finished the first half of the year with an up-tick in the market, and now we are hoping it will pave the way for a bullish second half.
Creatively, no one has killed the Ditech.com guy or the Aflac duck, I’m sorry to say. But the dry, sardonic writing on the Miller High Life advertising is really a breath of fresh air. More, please. And, as the agency for Visa and Mountain Dew, I believe our work for these clients shows imagination and good execution.
Unfortunately, while there are a lot of beautiful images on the air, nothing else really stands out, makes a statement, or has any staying power or positive recall without being too pompous or too sophomoric, in my opinion.
Watch a newscast any Monday and see what the top three grossing movies do over a weekend. The average is over $50 million. For one weekend. Three movies. Clearly, there is discretionary income to capture, but it seems only Hollywood knows how to do it best.
Many clients seem unsure of their selling message. Do they want to be all things to all people or do they just want to empty their warehouses of their inventory, and good taste be dammed?
Meanwhile, technology is moving so fast that there really isn’t any idea that can’t be executed. Which means that in the end, it still all comes down to good ideas on paper, and the courage to support and execute them.
Richard Marlis
Senior VP/general manager
John Andrews
Senior VP/creative director
Class-Key Chew-Po Commercials, Hollywood
We have never been busier. Board flow has definitely been down, but the percentage of awarded projects has been high.
Our postproduction capabilities have enabled us to produce our projects through completion. This has been extremely beneficial from a creative point of view for our clients while our directors have been able to execute their creative vision. Because of a high rate of return business, we see the second half of the year to be as busy as well.
Creatively, agencies and clients have had the confidence to try new approaches and be quite innovative. Creative is strong while being product-centric. We have had great creative opportunities in CGI, and various 2-D animation and design often combined with live action. Creating a CGI character, Mr. Droppy for Joy, combined in a live-action setting, was a creative standout so far this year. The show open for MTV’s punk’d was another creative highlight. Forthcoming campaigns for Mentos and Land’s End have standout visuals styles.
John Noble
Senior VP/director of broadcast
Element 79 Partners, Chicago
Creatively, I think the standards have been low. Work has been spotty at best. And on the whole, clients are still pushing for more information (overload) and less entertainment, which always leads to shitty work. Strangely enough though, production values are pretty high (given recent budget cuts), but I really miss the clever thinking and the really great ideas—there’s a lot of eye candy out there with no substance. Agencies are pushing the work, but clients seem to still be overly protective and are shying away from doing something daring—Target, Ikea and Volkswagen being some of the exceptions.
From a business standpoint I believe things are loosening up. Lots of production is gearing up for mid-summer and early fall, and that’s always a good sign. The economy feels like it could start kicking into gear real soon as the markets (as of when I write this) appear to be steadily gaining momentum. The second half of 2003 could be the beginning of something very good. There also seems to be a lot of movement and shakeup in agency talent as well. This, too, is a good sign.
Highlights are few and far between, but some of the beer stuff is pretty funny. Budweiser, Miller, and Amstel Light are solid examples. Hummer work can be cool at times, and Target is always trying something cool and different. You gotta love that mentality for a retailer.
Dennis Ryan
Chief creative officer
Element 79 Partners, Chicago
Of course the economy is tough. And yes, the agency business is changing … radically. ‘Drive results now,’ ‘bring us innovation’—these are the new client mantras. And that’s great. Because at their core, they reconfirm that of all the advertising disciplines, creative and production still remain valuable assets that clients rely on from agencies.
At Element 79, we have an in-house poster that reads ‘As of today, the creative department is closed. As of today, the creative agency is open.’ I believe rededicating agencies to their creative product is the only sustainable future for the traditional agency. We can drive immediate results. We should innovate. And the more all departments, all disciplines take that to heart, the more value the agency will bring to our clients. The economy is improving. Slowly. But that doesn’t mean the old ways are coming back.
We are all very proud of our work for Gatorade and other industry heavyweights. I also love the inventive comedy of our debut campaign for our newest client, SuperCuts. But for me, the highlights have come from the work we’ve done for brands within Quaker Foods. Errol Morris of bicoastal/international @radical.media directed a new campaign for Quaker Oatmeal that doesn’t break until this fall. Bringing a talent of that magnitude to this traditional brand, and having the client enthusiastically endorse this bold, new creative direction, is supremely gratifying for the entire team. Similarly, new work for Tropicana Twister brings real comedy to the brand, and it’s energized the system. That’s when creative really proves its power—when it surprises and delights on every brand.
Chuck Sloan
CEO
Plum Productions, Santa Monica
The first three months were, thank Buddha, exceptionally good. The next two months, April and May, were horrific for Plum and everyone else in the business, unless they were crack dealers on the side. I cannot recall a period with a fraction of the angst felt by both agency and production personnel. During the sixth month, June, activity picked up, which for us resulted in a very busy July and August. Unfortunately, we have no way of predicting September on.
I do not think the future will be as bleak as Danny Boyle’s film 28 Days Later, but the business has become financially more demanding in production, without adjusting the creative to fit the mold.
The responsibility of delivering a creative product on budget falls primarily on the director, and to survive, they need to adjust accordingly. In addition, production companies and related suppliers for the most part will be forced to trim waste. Those that survive this attrition in the next year or two will reap the benefits.
Cami Taylor
Owner/executive producer
Crossroads Films, bicoastal and Chicago
Having embraced the new world of advertising, there is no going back. We’ve lost—and will continue to lose—friends and competition both on the advertising and production side. Even so, I’m encouraged. The negative predictions have either come to pass or have not been realized. We now know what the new advertising landscape is, and we are happy to continue to be a participant.
JD Williams
Owner/executive producer
Driver, New York
The year, so far, has been quite good from a business standpoint. There has definitely been an ebb and flow of projects, but, for the most part, it’s been surprisingly busy for us. It seems as though there is still plenty of work going around. However, at the moment, we’re getting a lot of calls from reps, which leads us to believe that it’s slow right now.
Even though business is robust, we’re having to squeeze more from every production dollar. In addition to the U.S. market, we’re increasingly seeking offshore, top-to-bottom production solutions for our clients.
Overall, the creative that we were exposed to was good, not amazing. The creative has not been up to the standards of previous years. I think clients and agencies have felt the pressures of the current state of affairs (the war, the economy, etc.), and have been a bit more conservative. Let’s hope for a busy, less conservative end of the year.
In my book, I believe some of the creative highlights are: the Mini campaign from CP+B; Volkswagen’s "Bubble Boy," out of Arnold Worldwide, Boston, and directed by Mike Mills of bicoastal The Directors Bureau; Nike’s "Angry Chicken," out of W+K, Portland, Ore., and helmed by Traktor of Partizan; Ikea’s "Lamp," directed by Spike Jonze of MJZ, out of CP+B; Got Milk?’s "Birthday," directed by Noam Murro of Biscuit Filmworks, out of GS&P; Hummer’s "Big Race," directed by Scott Hicks of Independent Media, out of Modernista!; MTV Latin America’s "Baby," directed by Diego Kaplan of Wasabi Films, Buenos Aires, and agency La Comunidad, Miami Beach, Fla.; Reebok’s "Terry Tate," of The Arnell Group, New York, and directed by Rawson Thurber, who is now with F.M. Rocks, Santa Monica [the campaign was produced via bicoastal Hypnotic]; Fox Sports’ "The More You Watch" hockey campaign, out of TBWA/Chiat/Day, and directed by Rocky Morton of MJZ; and Johnnie Walker’s "Fish," directed by Daniel Kleinman of Spectre, London, out of BBH, London.
