You might want to enjoy my latest piece for MoreAboutAdvertising. “For Whom the Dell Tolls.” Dealing with the mind numbing news that Dell has hired itself a Global Creative Thingy, “ yawn... Yet another tech company thinks it will attract brain dead customers by hiring a Pop Star. Never has worked, never will. Anyway, there’s some interesting bits about my once intriguing relationship with Dell over the years. Crack open a breakfast beer and enjoy.
Good shit... He said modestly.
So, Ridley Scott’s “The Last Duel” has just been released to mostly positive reviews. Written by Nicole Holofcener, Ben Affleck and Matt Damon. Starring Damon, Affleck, Adam Driver and the loverrrrrrly Jodie Comer it details the events of medieval France leading up to the famous duel. Funny thing is, in all the reviews I have seen, not one of them considers that Ridley’s first feature film was “The Duelists.” Back in 1977... All of forty four fucking years ago! Who has the nerve to say old geezers can’t continue to deliver?
She delivers for me... After Kate, of course.
You will be thrilled to hear that advertising is no longer the least-trusted profession in the world, but it still ranks near the bottom, according to an annual study conducted by Britain’s Ipsos. The 2021 edition of its worldwide most-trusted professions study ranks ad executives third from the bottom, just ahead of government cabinet officials and politicians in general. Among American consumers, ad executives rank second from the bottom, just ahead of politicians. What ever happened to secondhand car dealers and lawyers? Anyway, the good news is that the ad biz is still the world’s second oldest profession. No prizes for guessing the world’s oldest.
Modeling???
You know this country is getting more and more fucked up by the day when you read that a Texas (Where else?) school district official advised teachers to remember the requirements of the new law. “And make sure that if you have a book on the Holocaust,” she said, “that you have one that has an opposing, that has other perspectives,” which prompted a teacher to ask how one could oppose the Holocaust. Gina Peddy, the executive director of curriculum and instruction for Carroll independent school district in Southlake, offered no reply.
Texas leads the way...
You will be thrilled to hear that we can look forward to yet another BDHC (Big Dumb Holding Company.) This one goes by the name... “Meet The People.” It will be led by Tim Ringel, Global CEO; Tom Armbuster, Global COO; and Natalie Alberta Dusey, Global chief of staff. Nice to know that as they all enjoy “Global” titles everything in the world will be taken care of. The chief GlobeTard informs us... “With Meet The People, we’re evolving creative and digital with extraordinary talent and data. We‘re building a unique, digital-first infrastructure from the ground up that will appeal to brands that are looking to scale with soul and move away from the status quo. Our agency partners will cut through the clutter of the industry and become an extension of a client’s team, ambition and success.” Bugger me. All this plus SOUL. Can’t ask for better than that!
Your new BDHC has arrived.
In the “You can’t make this shit up category” did you see that yesterday “Missy Lindsey Graham” said that tens of thousands of Brazilian illegal immigrants wearing designer clothes and carrying Gucci bags are headed for Connecticut. The big question is... As all these “tens of thousands” of Brazilians are wading waist deep through the Rio Grande aren’t they going to make a mess of all their designer clothes and shouldn't they keep a firm grip on all those Gucci bags.
Designer clothes?
Sad to read about the demise of John McGarry at the age of 81 after a long battle with Parkinson’s disease. I never ever worked with John, although I did work with his strange partner, Gordon Bowen, to my misfortune at Ogilvy and Y&R. What a weird guy. I guess George Lois, Jerry Della Femina and myself are the only ones left standing from the good old three Martini lunch days. But, as I still have the picture in the attic, I’m going to be around for a while!!!
Getting more gnarly by the day... Oops, night!!!
It’s almost Halloween. Another one of America’s fake holidays that encourages you to blow big bucks on shit you’ll wear for the “Holiday” even though you’ll spend it at work. Last time I looked Americans spent $8 billion on dumb fuck costumes, a quarter of which was costumes for their pets. Now, the big news that as many fucktards have long been adding ketchup to liven up their Halloween garb, Heinz has moved from the condiment aisle to the costume rack with a “Tomato Blood Costume Kit.” Containing a limited-edition bottle of Heinz Tomato Blood Ketchup and things like fangs, face paint, applicators, tattoos, the kits go on sale today online and at the Heinz Halloween store in Los Angeles. Wanna bet this year it’ll be $10 billion?
It’s just fucking ketchup!!!
Sad to read about the passing of Dave Kennedy, co-founder of Wieden + Kennedy at the age of 82. Truly one of the few still great agencies with a body of memorable work over nearly forty years. Probably the greatest thing he and Dan Wieden did over those many years was they refused to sell out to a BDHC (Big Dumb Holding Company.) That way, they were not beholden to the bean counters and their spread sheets with their never ending devotion to “Making the numbers” every bloody quarter. Good luck at the “Agency in the Sky”
Cheers David.
Yeah... I love wine, real wine. But I draw the line at the bastardizations that pop up every now and then. That’s why the news that for a mere $30 you can buy a bottle of Grey Poupon’s La Moutarde Vin that’s infused with Grey Poupon mustard seeds left me somewhat cold. Reminds me of the time I went to Gilroy, California for their annual Garlic Festival (They describe themselves as the garlic capitol of the world... Which is why you can smell it from twenty miles away.) I tasted Garlic wine before gagging. Not to mention Garlic Ice Cream. Double gaging.
Just leave shit alone...
