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Is sport becoming advertising’s problem child? Plus Dentsu’s new top creatives
With the World Cup underway amidst a cloud of controversy, Damian Francis and Andrew Banks join Calum Jaspan to discuss whether sport has become the problem child of the ad world, before Avish Gordhan and Mandie van der Merwe chat about why Dentsu Creative is 'the lovechild of a traditional agency and a consultancy', and balancing a professional and personal relationship.
Sports partnerships have been called into question in the latter part of 2022 over player ethics, this year’s FIFA World Cup in Qatar has presented viewers, attendees, and sponsors alike with a new kind of consideration.
While FIFA continues to tell supporters to focus on the game, its political qualities are now undeniable, and as one of the last remaining guarantors of eyeballs, there may be a higher reward for brands, but also a heightened risk.
The team looks at whether audiences are tuning in or turning away from this year’s global event, why it continues to marry itself to some of the morally contestable categories, and if this has turned into a branding disaster for Qatar.
Then, newly appointed co-chief creative officers at Dentsu Creative, Avish Gordhan and Mandie van der Merwe join the podcast to discuss their recent move across from M&C Saatchi and working in the middle-ground of consultancy and creative agency.
The pair also chat about balancing their partnership together personally and professionally and why as creatives you need to switch off from the work at times.
Finally, the pair talk about the need for diversity of voice in the creative communications industry, and the desperate need for increased perspective, as Gordhan tells the podcast how ‘Only One in the Room’ is more than just a name, it is a reality of the industry.
Listen to the full episode below:
Episode Breakdown
- The World Cup and the ethics of marking in sport (01:55)
- Interview with Mandie van der Merwe and Avish Gordhan (23:55)
Calum Jaspan was news editor at Mumbrella, based in Melbourne. He was also the producer and host of the Mumbrellacast. He left Mumbrella in May 2023.
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