Why marketing is harder than rocket science; Sam on the ‘powder snorters’
To the glamorous environs of the Sydney Convention Centre and the Effie Awards, where guests were made to feel VERY good about themselves.
The bonhomie was enhanced by Australian Association of National Advertisers chairman Joe Talcott, who used his speech to talk up the marketing industry’s role as a tax-generating stimulus to the economy. He told the audience: “Don’t look down at your shoes and say ‘Jeez, I work in advertising’. Say ‘I create smarter, happier, healthier people’.”
And he added: “It’s not rocket science. It’s harder than that. It’s easier to launch a rocket than change consumer behaviour.”
Menawhile Talcott was also true to his day job as marketing boss of News Ltd. Unlike the other presenters, he rejected the autocue to read from printed notes.
ABC presenter Adam Spencer let his full geek credentials flow during the show. After some technical detail from BMF boss Matthew Melhuish, chairman of the awards committee, Spencer said; “When you mentioned Bayesian probability analysis that was pretty much dirty talk to me.”
Later in the show, Spencer told Advertising Standardsa Bureau boss Fiona Jolly that based on his ABC experience, he admired her ability to stay jolly as she dealt with complaints. He said: “If you changed your name to Fiona I’d-like-to-stab-myself-in-the-eye-to-distract-myself-from-how-stupid-the-dipshits-who-made-that-complaint-are it would be quite understandable.”
And the other major source of comedy gold for the evening was a video message for the industry from Sam Kekovich, the voice of Australia Day for Meat & Livestock Australia. Among the highlights was his namecheck for Sean “Best creative director in the world” Cummins whose agency was behind the Tourism Queensland best job in the world campaign.
The work was created by MLA agency BMF and Trapdoor Productions.
It’s exactly shit like this that makes me hate advertising people.
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Greating writing: Kekovich is back to his best… thank god.
His last MLA Australia Day ad wasn’t the best
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I didn’t realise Adam Spencer was a “greek”.
Pass the retsina.
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Oops! Thanks, Solomon. I’ve now demoted Adam to mere geek status…
Cheers,
Tim – Mumbrella
Is that “herder” or “harder”? Fog or Frog? Love it.
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The only thing shittier … not using your name and hiding behind your initials.
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“It’s exactly shit like this that makes me hate advertising people.”
Someone has a VERY low hate threshold.
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i was there it was my first awards cerermony but i was confused…. why are the media companies that actually ensure these campaigns were seen and deliver effectiev results not credited… its such a big part of the whole process but none of these creative agencies seem to notice…
i was also expecting to see a heap more young people – it was a room full fo old farts that seemed really bored
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Yes, Advertising people suck SHG. SHG. Now what could that stand for?
Sh*t Head Guy?
Sorry Heinous Goul?
Sultry Hot Gas?
Sumptuous Halal Gastronomy?
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“I create smarter, happier, healthier people” ?!?
Funny, but I always thought it was teachers that made people smarter, and doctors, nurses and dieticians that made people healthier. I’m not sure who makes people happier, but it sure aint advertisers. They tend to make people want to buy stuff. Best to keep a check on your sense of relevance.
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Hey SHG, play nice. Joe is one of the good ones.
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Hear, hear Andy, I concur 100%.
Beau, maybe SHG stands for Some Hopeless Git, or Sadly Hostile Goose.
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Harder than rocket science? You have no idea…
What a bunch of tossers you marketing people are.
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I don’t know about that Geek-meister. Top Gear started in 1977 but took 25 years to become a global ‘overnight success’. Yet in one episode they were able to convert a Reliant Robin into a space shuttle. QED.
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Elroy – I completely agree with a number of your comments – firstly too many old farts in the room – sadly, I’ve become one of them. But we had all the youngens who actually won the Effies for Commonwealth Bank there to bask in their glory. They deserve it.
Secondly, I agree that the media is/was under-represented in the acknowledgement of the effectiveness of the campaigns. You’re right, great media placement and partnerships have a lot to do with the success. Denis Handlin from SONY was the first person I phoned when we picked up the Effie for Debit Comes with Music as without our partnership with SONY and BanditFM, our campaign wouldn’t have been so successful.
Finally, I concur with Joe Talcott – changing people’s perceptions of brands is harder, much harder than launching a rocket. “A geek” needs to get into the real world. And who is SHG?
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Silly Halfwit Goose!
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