Every meeting I've ever had as a client I've felt tempted to start it like this one. It's a temptation I resist, because it's horrible, but it certainly would be memorable.
(And I always want to end each meeting with a rousing 'go back to your constituencies and prepare for government' but whenever I do everyone in the meeting is either too young or too American so they just look at me blankly.)
Anyway, this is the quintessential ad meeting moment. It's got everything.
1. The account manager type trying to make sure 'the talent' doesn't say anything that might annoy the client.
2. Splendid assortment of junior toady clients (all required to shout CHECK! to affirm their agreement with the big senior client)
3. The best meeting opening moment ever. (I won't spoil it for you)
4. The worst and most pointless visual demonstration ever ('anything else is all wet')
5. The most accurate, chilling and pointed exposition of the worst and most prevalent advertising thinking I've ever come across. (All products are identical. Consumers are there to be duped. Advertising works through mindless, irritating repetition. It would be funny except this seemingly facile view represents how so many practitioners actually behave)
6. The first instance captured on film of 'the Theatre Of Insight' - when the ad hero (clearly a planner) uses overly flowery language to point out that the ads the client so clearly loves (and which seem to be extremely effective) are all wrong. And he gets away with it.
A fantastic movie. And at the risk of inventing youtubevertising, here's where you can buy it. (Including my affiliate number, hurrah)
Thank you for sharing that. I thought it was absolutely fantastic.
'It's all wet' was a particular high note.
1947, incredible.
Posted by: Stuart Parkinson | June 05, 2006 at 06:38 PM
Is also a convincing argument for why hats are so useful.
Posted by: Colman | June 05, 2006 at 07:57 PM
Check!
Posted by: Kevin R | June 05, 2006 at 11:37 PM
After making millions selling his beauty soap business to Unilever [renamed LUX], Mr Evans went on to start a 'Women's Personal Hygene' company where he continued with his 'strategy' of cliche driven, demonstration style ads including the now familiar, 'IT'S GOT WINGS' and 'BLUE LIQUID POUR' ads for every bloody sanitary towel brand known to man.
Posted by: Rob@cynic | June 06, 2006 at 01:05 AM
Great to see that clip again. I wish I still had a reel with all those bits we dug out from the classic movies about advertising. (The bit from 'I'll never forget whatsisname' where copywriter Oliver Reed smashes up his office with an axe was a personal fave.) I must now check on YouTube to see if any of them are there.
Posted by: neil | June 06, 2006 at 10:34 AM
The way he stands up to the client demonstrates that this is a movie that could never be made today!
Posted by: Scamp | June 06, 2006 at 11:01 AM
neil,
I've got them all. I found them on a hard-drive the other day. I was going to stick them on youtube and here gradually. They're some big files so I don't want to do them all at once.
Posted by: russell | June 06, 2006 at 11:23 AM
1. I wish all meeting rooms were that spacious. Normally at the start of a meeting you spend the time shuffling around table n chairs.
2. I wish more clients wore hats.
Posted by: Ben | June 06, 2006 at 02:00 PM
If only some of my clients were as kind and considerate!
Posted by: Servant of Chaos | June 06, 2006 at 03:05 PM
I might want to borrow that hard drive off you. It was quality stuff.
Posted by: neil | June 06, 2006 at 10:44 PM
Neil, I'll bring you a drive on Sunday.
Posted by: russell | June 06, 2006 at 10:49 PM
My favourite movie representation of an advertising account exec has to be Cary Grant in North By Northwest - I think it's how many Account Execs (male) see themselves (certainly how I did before I moved over onto the client side).
Posted by: andrew | June 07, 2006 at 10:06 AM