Business of advertising is exceptionally chaotic. Here age old relationship’s get destroyed in seconds. A good agency may overnight become untouchable. Many times agency’s self esteem may not allow further association with the brand. The relationship is always under pressure. Sometime it may have crumbled to such an extent that separation is just an excuse away. Instead of trying to revive what is almost dead, it may be best to be the first to break the relationship. Damage control is top priority at times..
In 2001, the situation between TBWA ANTHEM and ELECTROLUX was no different. For a long time, the agency has been presenting their best effort on the brand. None were being approved. The answer was simple and stupid. Let’s try something else.
Though the creative being presented was bang on the brief. The euphoria of the storyboard would crumble in the client meeting. The agency had already presented series of work, leveraging their best talents to work. The work ranged covered a wide spectrum. It moved from ultra-safe to over-the-edge. I remember one darker shade storyboard narrated by Sidharth, where a Laundry person takes a load of dirty cloths, enters the house at night and uses the Electrolux washing machine to do the job. Account planning by MAHAPATRA and the creative by SIDHARTH were usually on target, that is – if you would want to believe the agency.
Unknown to the agency, there was a different track to the whole episode. A love triangle was developing. The client was overtly inclined to another agency that was slowly and silently wooing the brand. This was one of the largest agencies well known for its creative powers. They had been presenting scripts. It did not matter that some-of-them were just recycled work. And on top of that, the client has been sharing our work with them. Definitely, love leads to blindness. Anand Bhardwaj was the marketing manager at Electrolux at that time
I was heading the brand. George and I at Anthem had tried everything possible. Then finally one day we came to know of this another agency. The writing was on the wall and it was apparent that we were losing the business.
As a team we decided to give it a lat shot. Another set of creative were presented. The result was no different.
A well-wisher of TBWA ANTHEM in Electrolux informed the agency that sometime in the afternoon ( as soon as the MD- Ram Sunder was in) they will be sacked.
Getting fired is such a dirty feeling. At Anthem we decided that before the client could fire us, we would SACK THE CLIENT. It was a technical victory not affecting the final outcome.
GEORGE
GEORGE, KRISHNAN and I met to discuss and decide the text of the letter and as to who would carry it. I don’t remember the argument but it was finally I who went to Electrolux office and gave the sacking letter to RAM SUNDER in person. It is rumoured that termination letter was being typed when the agency beat it with the termination letter.
So, the agency was able to hold high ground. As there were hardly any media covering advertising & marketing in 2001, the story remained a low key one and reality known to limited few.
OTHER IN THE SERIES
- ● Thank You ● Rain Clause – I ● Lethal Combination ● APPETITE ● Puncture ● Adultery- the moment ● ASSET ● I am Sankar ● The Count ● Introduction ● Time Bomb ● Small Tile ● Shoot Report ● Sardar Khush Hoga ● Shoot At Mud Island ● Kaali Peeli Picture ● Upgrade ● Juhi Effect ● Power Of Punjab ● Out ● Two More ● Eleven Minutes ● The Cherry Win ● The Presentation ● Black Gold ● Buffered ● Continue With Client ● One Less Decision ● The Ghost Of 35 Rani Jhansi Road Jhandewalaon ● The Problem ● Imported Art Card ● Banyan Tree Agency
