Adam + Eve's journey

So A+E have just been bought by Omnicom for £60 million and merged with DDB. I'm not a businessman, but I assume that's a result they're pretty happy with. Not to mention the outstanding creative work and crowded trophy cabinet they've assembled in such a short time.

But what were people saying when they started out?

I chanced upon this blog from 2008, mentioning that the then youthful agency were looking for placement teams. There was quite a response in the comments section - here are some of the highlights...

"A&E, clues in the name."
"I'd be very wary about taking a job at Adam and Eve. They're undoubtedly going to be the new (less creative) CHI"
"Look at the work to come out of rainey's during ben dave and james tenure. utter pile of crap. doubt A&E will be any different."
"All these up-and-coming startups make me laugh"
"Do not, whatever you do, go work for Ben Priest. He can't be trusted, nor can his creative judgement."
"But without a CD or planning director with the gravitas and talent to serve as a counterbalance, A&E will only ever be a first-rate account shop."

To be fair, the blog in general seems to be a bit of a bridge for embittered creatives and wannabe creatives to lurk under, but it's interesting nonetheless.

What I take from it is not to automatically trust the received wisdom on any particular agency. Sure, I'd love to work for a great agency. But I'd equally like to help one that isn't currently making many waves to achieve greatness.

For instance, my team has attracted some interest from an agency with a strong DM background, which is neither my strongest suit nor my greatest interest. But I understand that they are hoping to become a more integrated shop - so perhaps there's an opportunity there to help blaze that trail.

After all, who would you rather be: a White House intern ferrying around coffee and documents, or the guy who interned for Obama back in Illinois and now works in an office 2 doors from the oval one?

No puns? Fuck off.

There's nothing wrong with a pun if you (a) make it funny, and (b) make it relevant to the campaign - or in this case, the topical event in question.

So all hail "Ma'amite" - a genius piece of opportunism by DDB.

It's worth noting the attention to detail too. There are the corgis who love it or hate it. The copy (including another pun in "toasting"). The Union Jack. The crown made from a toast rack.

Love it.

Virgin Media BBH launch

Well, not really much of a launch. Certainly, considering what a massive acquisition the client was, and the way they pinched it from under the nose of DDB, it was released with relatively little fanfare - certainly compared to the Guardian launch.

Perhaps it's because it's an advert made for purpose rather than to win awards and plaudits. And in fact it's so similar to the Mark Warren adverts produced by the previous agency, you'd barely be aware that the whole change had been made. It's another famous face and another product demo.

Apparently the DDB advert had the TiVo boxes flying off the shelves, so why change a winning formula? But you have to wonder what it does for BBH's reputation - and the extent to which the client is calling the shots in this relationship.

Why?

Virgin Media Success Kid

Funny, how things turn out. In 2007, a lady called Laney Griner took a photo of her baby son playing on a beach. It was one of those amusing photos that 10 years ago would certainly have remained in her drawer - or at least on her computer.

But the internet has moved on, and like many others, she found that once you put something out there, it doesn't really belong to you anymore. And somehow her snap had become a recurring internet meme known as "Success Kid", like this:

 

I suppose one might find this annoying, although Ms Griner appears to be relaxed about the attention - as her son is now 4, it's not like he's going to get recognised.

But she also got her just reward in the end, as Virgin Media have now paid to use her image on their latest outdoor campaign.

I'm not actually sure if this was done before or after the great DDB-BBH handover, but whichever, it shows the value of being immersed in culture of any sort. Anyone who's in on the joke will love it and remember it, and if you're not, it's an amusing photo all by itself.

The boy is not called Tim, though.

Same idea, two treatments

Just saw 2 ads in as many ad breaks with basically the same concept - that the client's standard service is so good, the customer will assume they are being given special treatment. Not a hugely original idea, but it makes a valid selling point, so let's see how they compare.

First up is Staples, with a script that has "first draft" and "will this do" and "I really haven't made any progress since I left college, have I?" written all over it. Clunky exposition and a total absence of wit are the chief ingredients. This ad *might* have been produced by McCann Erickson, but I can't be sure. Once again, the duds seem to find their way onto the internet as poor orphans, unwanted and unloved.

Meanwhile, DDB London produced this spot for Kwik Fit, and stands up reasonably well to the client's imposing heritage in the ad world. The take on the concept is believable and the voice over explains the story in a way that is far less contrived than the tortured dialogue and Staples. The acting and editing, too, are a class above.

Why I'm not that fussed about BBH's Guardian ad

It's the talk of the town right now. There's no doubt that it's beautifully made with a lot of wit and great attention to detail. But it's left me feeling a little cold, for various reasons.

Firstly, there's always the sense that BBH ads will always be greeted with great fanfare, regardless of the quality. It's almost as though there's an expectation that they'll be great, because of their big successes, and we all gather round our TVs like it's Princess Diana's funeral all over again. I know this because I wrote favourably about their BA ad when it came out, but now I think of it as overblown and self-satisfied.

There's also the additional worry that some elements look rather reminiscent of BBH's campaign for Google Chrome, and Ringwan Ledwidge almost seems like a default choice of director now. It's just getting a little bit "BBH house style".

The second objection is that it doesn't just carry the simple emotional weight of The Guardian's iconic "different points of view" ad. We have an instant emotional response to the image of a skinhead running at you, and to the twist that he's actually helping you out - which you will never get out of a slightly contrived take on a fairytale. In fact I'm struggling to remember what the "twist" in the BBH ad actually was.

The BBH ad takes 4 times as long to get across a message less effectively. And if you look at the Guardian page introducing the advert, it's clear they were looking to promote the idea of "open journalism" - whereas this advert mostly shows the news being reported in the normal way, and other people commenting on it - just as top-down a system as it ever was.

The "different point of view" ad was made by DDB in 1986. I just don't think we'll be talking about the 3 Little Pigs ad in 2038. And that's because this ad targets your brain where the skinhead ad gets you in the heart and in the gut.

DDB and sympathy

I feel a little sorry for DDB losing the Virgin Media account. According to those in the know, their adverts with Marc Warren - basically product demos with a little flair and quality - had TiVo boxes flying off the shelves. But new Marketing Managers mean new agencies, and so the work went over sharpish to BBH. I'm sure they'll produce more imaginative work. But will it sell more boxes?

In the meantime, here is the last ad out of DDB.

I feel less sympathy for them now.