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It looks like everyone is going to have to start thinking outside their narrow confines if they are going to be successful in 2009. The same old thinking in silos is just no longer going to cut it. It's not what clients want and it's not what's going to keep your agency profitable.

The NYT ran a story yesterday about LG working creatively with Conde Nast to develop print advertising. While creative honchos may snub their noses and say the work sucks, they are missing the point.

Its partnership with Conde Nast makes a lot of sense; the magazine publisher has celebrity PR agents knocking on its doors 24/7, trying to get stories. There's no way the magazine can meet all these requests, but it can siphon off the good ones to its creative department and find ways to help these celebs partner with brands. It's a great use of resources and access.

Then there's the recently breaking story about the Michelle Obama fashion blog, Mrs O. Various critics seem to be up in arms that it's the work of an ad agency, in fact, a subsidiary of BBH. Who cares? If the content is good and people want to read it, does it matter who is behind it?

In 2009 and beyond, it's not about borders and boundaries, but good ideas that can appear anywhere and be created by anyone. The trouble is much of our business still lives in the past, a past that's defined by old rules and old paradigms of creativity.

It's clear that in the coming 18-24 months, those with inability to grasp the new model and seize the myriad of opportunities that now exist, will simply be left behind.


Posted by Ed Cotton Back in July, I wrote about the green initiative that French communication group Havas was launching. My prediction was that other agencies would leap on board to try and seize some kind of competitive advantage.

The first to bite in the US, interestingly, is Grey, who announced a big initiative a couple of days back.



What’s surprising about Grey’s move is the attempt to try and become the agency world’s Pied Piper of the green cause by inviting other agencies to work and learn together through Grey.

While it’s good to see Grey leading the green charge, I doubt others will be happy for Grey to take credit for helping them out.

I now expect the green statements to come flying out of most shops before the holidays and for RFPs to ask prospective agencies about their green policies.

Via Adland







Posted by Ed Cotton "Design is so popular today mostly because business sees design as connecting it to the consumer populace in a deep, fundamental and honest way. An honest way. If you are in the myth-making business, you don’t need design. You need a great ad agency. But if you are in the authenticity and integrity business then you have to think design."

Bruce Nussbaum-Business Week- Speech given to the Royal College of Art- London 


Posted by Ed Cotton