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On a more somber note Worldometer.com reports that Coronavirus cases worldwide reached 70.85 million. Covid-19 deaths topped 1.59 million.
Coronavirus cases in the U.S. have hit 16.104 million, with deaths above 300,000, after several consecutive days of over 3,000 deaths.
Der Trumpf recognized this milestone by completely ignoring it.
But, Ivanka's hard at work...
In case you missed it, the world’s second richest person, Elon Musk, just came out with a statement I am one hundred and ten percent behind... “The problem with corporate America is that there are too many MBA’s.” Damn right Elon. He said the biggest mistake he has made as a leader of both Tesla and SpaceX was spending too much time in meetings looking at PowerPoints and spreadsheets, instead of being out on the factory floor. Ah yes, PowerPoint “decks.” Those useless things which are acquired at useless meetings, then taken back to your office and placed on your “Stack-O-Decks” until it gets top heavy, falls over, then you dump them all in the trash. Isn’t corporate America great?
I have an MBA... "More Bank Accounts."
Yes... It's T.G.I.K.M.F. So, to start your day, here for your delectation are some choice Kate goodies to go with your breakfast beer.
Now... Get to work... If you still have a job.
Remember how Loony Lady, Sidney Powell, a member of Rudy Nosferatu’s “Elite strike force team,” promised to release the Kraken? So, where the fuck is it? On Wednesday afternoon, the U.S. Supreme Court flatly rejected a plea from Trump’s allies to have them toss out Pennsylvania’s election results. Now they’re hanging their hats on another imbecilic Supreme Court attempt from the Texas MAGA “Morans.” As far as I know they don’t keep any Krakens in the Supreme Court basement.
Der Kraken has sprechen...
Have you been reading about the new Ridley Scott sci-fi epic “Raised by Wolves?” He recommends you should watch it with three bottles of wine... Good advice in my opinion. I once shot a couple of spots with him back in the early eighties. (Before 1984) Interesting guy to work with. There’s a great interview with him over at TheGuardian. In it he says “Fuck” almost as much as I do, and the most amazing thing of all... He’s 83 years old... Same as me, and we’re both still chugging along... “Fuck!”
And, he created “Ripley.”
News that Coke is about to launch a massive $4.2 Billion global agency review, will certainly create a flurry in the BDA universe. Particularly in the incumbents... McCann, UM, Wieden + Kennedy, Starcom and Carat. A tsunami of cash will be blown on efforts to hold on to the business and on efforts to win the business. It will drag on for most of next year culminating in massive layoffs by the losers and the same old shitty advertising by the winners. Never forget Steve Jobs immortal words to John Sculley... “Do you want to spend the rest of your life working on fizzy water?” He’s up there on his iCloud pissing himself.
Words from the wise...
Over at MoreAboutAdvertising, we are told that Wunderman Thomson says it’s cracked the code of brand “Inspiration.” Yes indeed, another piece of typical BDA bullshit from what used to be a fine agency but is now a pale shadow of what it once was. WT global CEO-Nozzle Mel Edwards says: “The launch of the study comes at a hugely significant time. Our mission is to inspire growth for ambitious brands, it’s at the heart of our business and this could not be more relevant today. Brands face immense challenges to grow amongst the economic downturn effects of the pandemic. “However, amongst a backdrop of uncertainty, our Inspiring Growth study unearths the power of inspiration as a strategy for growth, presenting a significant opportunity for brands that perhaps was once overlooked.” As I commented on MAA... What a load of old bollocks. Inspiration my arse. As David Ogilvy once said to me many, many, many years ago… “The business of advertising is selling.” He was right then… And he still is today.
AdScam Asks...
As I have said many times, Apple manages to charge outrageous amounts for its products, and the Appleonians happily cough up the big bucks for anything with the magic logo on it. Now they have launched an over-ear headphone set, the AirPods Max which will set you back a mere $549, or in Britain 549 quid, which is about $700. You have to laugh at the news that industry fucktard analysts were enthusiastic about the product, describing the high price as an attraction for those looking for a status symbol similar to the premium editions of Apple Watch or traditional Swiss watch brands such as Rolex. The sad part is, they’re probably right.
It costs an arm and a leg. So, wear it on your head.
It’s nearing the end of the year, but it’s not going to be a happy holiday for everyone. The first of the BDHC’s to sharpen its axe, Dentsu International plans to eliminate 12.5% of its 46,560-person workforce, which boils down to cutting about 6,000 roles. This is cloaked in a mealy-mouthed PR release including this shit... “We believe integrating our business around the consumer is the greatest advantage we can give our clients and the greatest competitive advantage we can give ourselves. We will do this by accelerating the transformation journey we started last year to simplify further how we operate, delivering even greater agility through a focused portfolio of six global leadership brands with prioritized investment and resources in capabilities of high client demand and growth.” Ah, yes indeed. As my mate, Stephen Foster over at MoreAboutAdvertising puts it so succinctly... When they cut back companies always attempt to put a positive sheen on it, in this case “integrating our business around the consumer” and giving clients a “competitive advantage.” How this tallies with lots of exits is, to say the least, unclear. Were these people doing nothing?
And now... A few words from management...
On Monday, Larry Kudlow, Trump’s chief economic adviser, and the man who over the years has consistently got everything wrong, finally did something right. He praised Biden’s pick of Janet Yellen to lead the Federal Reserve. “She has very sensible views on the economy,” Kudlow told the Washington Post’s Robert Costa. Kudlow also sent a post-election note of congratulations to Biden economic adviser Jared Bernstein. Good for you Larry. You deserve a pat on the back for that...
And a little Peruvian Marching Powder!
