Houston, advertising agencies have a problem.

No shit Sherlock. I know this is not breaking news and it's no secret that ad agencies have been having a rough ride over the past few years. They've had their turf encroached on by consultancies, they've seen procurement departments kick them where it hurts, and they have seen an exodus of talent to tech firms.

Admittedly all of the above is not great. But none of that is an excuse to sit down in a corner quietly and just wait for the death knell, instead this is the time when the smart ones should come out swinging.

There once was a time when ad agencies were seen as the arbiters of creativity, the smart ones that came up with the clever ideas. The places TV characters, shows, and movies were based on. From Darrin Stephens in Bewitched to Mel Gibson in 'What Women Want', and of course MadMen.

There was a time, and it was not that long ago, that the business had its sights firmly set on creativity - it owned it. Ad agencies where places where rebels, misfits, likable rogues, and boardroom showmen and women banded together to come up with ideas that not only got attention but also did what they were supposed to do - grow a client's brand and bottom line. The aforementioned band of brothers and sisters were not all from the creative department either, they were from every department. United we stood, united we fell at times, but ultimately united we succeeded.

If an ad agency is to succeed now they need to, in my humble opinion, look back for a minute to see what worked and then look forward. Look at what was done in the days when ad agencies were lauded by clients and consumers for their ideas and inject that energy and spirit into what is needed today.

Yes, times and other factors have changed, but the root of the business remains the same - come up with smart and effective ideas that grow brands. That premise right there is not rocket science.

I remember when agencies were a little crazy, when long lunches were de rigueur, and when the ideas were written on a notepad or a coaster at a pub. While that may all sound like one long party to some, it was in fact a way to stimulate ideas and thinking. And it worked.

Today far too many people strap themselves into their chair in front of a screen, pop in some earphones, and go about their day like they are sitting at mission control at NASA waiting for a transmission about a clogged toilet on the international space station. How fucking boring. Sorry for the language, but it's warranted.

Boring does not create ideas.

Ideas and wild creativity doesn't happen while sitting at a desk looking at a Facebook feed or answering emails. Steve Jobs was brilliant but he wasn't that brilliant, he didn't install a programme in the Mac that spits out ideas when you need them, thankfully.

Ad agencies need to get a bit rebellious again, do as Seal sung about and 'get a little crazy' at times. Embrace being the wild ones in the room. Advertising that blends in is boring and gets ignored, the same can be said of an ad agency that blends in. Don't blend in and don't be boring. Simple.

There's a touch of entertainment in the ad agency business. The moment we resemble our clients is the day we cease to have a point of difference. People don't want to go and see a band that reminds them of their day job, far from it, they want to be entertained by someone who is sharing their creativity with them, they want to be entertained, they want to hear and see something memorable that they will take away with them. That spirit needs to live in an agency. When you leave the room you want a client to still be talking, excitedly, about what you just showed them. As Robbie Williams sang - 'Let me entertain you.'

My first agency job overseas was at a now defunct agency in Singapore called BATEY ADS, an agency famous for launching Singapore Airlines and creating the iconic Singapore Girl and endless campaigns that took the airline from a two plane start-up to the number one airline in the world. The founder, Ian Batey, who is a tough and smart cookie, wrote a manifesto for the agency, one that may sound a little dated in some ways today, it was written in the 70s, but it is still the cheat sheet for what an agency should aspire to be.

Here it is.

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Our Staff

We believe in sharing our financial rewards solely with the most deserving, our staff.

We believe in open door management, delegating responsibility and making everyone responsible for their actions.

We believe every single person on staff, from office boy upwards, should think creatively, eat creatively and sleep creatively.

We believe that hard work makes Jack a bright lad.

Our Craft

We believe in advertising that tickles the toes as well as the head.

We believe in creating ideas that endure rather than one-off ads that win awards.

We believe in never sacrificing the art for the profit.

We believe raw concept testing of advertising ideas was invented by a frustrated Tasmanian transvestite.

We believe that the most important rule to follow in developing an idea is not to have any rules.

Our Business Attitude

We believe the best clients are the ones we have; it’s more important to develop existing business than to continuously chase new business.

We believe we must seek to know as much about our clients’ business as the clients know themselves.

We believe there’s no such thing as a bad client, just bad judgement or salesmanship on our part.

We believe that the most effective way to build a strong client relationship is when the clients see us not only as an advertising/marketing partner but also as a business partner.

We believe forward planning is next to godliness.

We believe in treating the bottom-line like grandma: with reverence.

Our Personality

We believe we’re lucky to be in such an exciting industry and it shows in the energy and passion we apply to every task.

We are more like barrow boys than suave admen.

We believe in being fair to the point of being irreverent; cheerful, always cheerful – to a point.

We believe that a little madness helps keep us sane.

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Some may say I am pining for the past, nothing could be farther from the truth, I love the current day and what tomorrow has in store. I am just passionate about ideas and creativity, and I wont apologize for that. The moment an ad agency lets that go is the moment they cease to be relevant. Every brand needs a point of difference to stand out, agencies are brands too.

So what's the answer? I honestly don't think the fix is very hard. My take is that agencies need to get back to what they were renowned for - the creativity and ideas. And don't make it just for the cool kids who get the cool creative titles. Creativity is everyone's job if the agency is to succeed and lead the way with right-brain thinking. And by everyone I mean 'everyone' in the agency as Mr. Batey laid out above, but that 'everyone' also includes bringing the client in on the fun. Get the client just as excited as you are about the job at hand, their job, the assignment they have tasked you with. A united creative front is a strong one, a formidable one, and one that is hard to penetrate. If everyone walks into that presentation meeting and is empowered and emboldened by great ideas, ideas they have played some part in bringing to life, then that energy is irresistible. Better still, if the client has been on the journey with you to get to that end result then everyone in the room, including the client, will embrace what's on the table with vim and vigor.

"Creativity is infectious, pass it on." - Albert Einstein

In short - do the creative work, make the creative work inclusive, love the creative work, and most importantly make the creative work fun. Do those simple things and your agency will immediately stand out among those who seem to have thrown their hands in the air and forgotten about the three things that separated an ad agency from an accounting firm - creativity, ideas, and fun.

Oh, and remember...this is not rocket science, if you want that I suggest you call this number +1 281-244-2100 and tell them you have a problem.

Rodd

Aside from being the Creative Director/Founder of Parlor I am also a coach and mentor to creative people and those wanting to reignite their creative DNA by doing more to enhance their creative life. If you'd like to know more and see if I can be of some help to you then please feel free to drop me an email - [email protected]

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