Live Updates: Advertising Briefing Now in its Fifth Day
A patronising account manager and a cocky copywriter at a leading Surry Hills advertising agency are locked in a briefing that is in its fifth day.
The reason?
Habitually, the account manager ends each briefing by addressing her creatives with the infamous and patronising, “Does that make sense?”
One copywriter has had enough and has made a stand.
He bravely, if not foolishly replies “No. No it doesn’t. Can you please repeat the entire brief right from the top.”
Not one to back down, and realising her bluff had been called the woman drew in a breath, bared down, and dutifully repeated the entire briefing, for a market leading laundry detergent.
Each briefing takes around 25-30 minutes.
Witnesses say the briefing is clear, concise and quite simple – a branding spot. An important brief, but not a complicated one.
Yet at the conclusion of each briefing, the account manager cannot resist two notorious words, “Make sense?”
A slap in the face. A red rag to a bull.
The copywriter’s response “No. No it doesn’t. Can you please repeat the entire brief right from the top.”
And the cycle begins.
That was five days ago.
Since then, the advertising world has tuned in, and the conversation has gone viral. It is currently being broadcast live via several streaming services.
It has effectively divided the advertising world: it’s suits vs creatives. Each side rooting for its own.
Internally, the chief executives seem determined to let the two fight it out.
“There’s been sexual tension between the two for years. This important for the agency to let this matter come to a close. A natural closure.”
Meanwhile the advertising world has erupted.
Suits love the condescending thrill of “Make sense?”, and they don’t want to forego that power.
Creatives the world over have said enough’s enough.
Watch this space.
