10649: A Brief Rant On Briefs.

 

Here’s another sign that the apocalypse is upon Adland.

 

Now it’s possible to use AI to craft creative briefs—coupling perfectly with AI-generated copy and design. But why did the moron behind this hustle produce an advertisement displaying an old typewriter?

 

It’s also a safe bet that an AI brief will be just as uselessly uninspiring as documents shat out by breathing planners and strategists. And creative teams can expect to be tasked with cobbling together campaign concepts in less time than what was awarded to the hack who printed a templated brief.

14256: Going Nowhere Fast.

Need another reason to hate project briefings and internal reviews? Now useless account planners and moronic account directors can ride stationary bikes while failing to offer strategic insights or constructive feedback. Thanks, FlexiSpot!

13951: Stepmom Stupidity.

Adweek published diverted diversity dim-wittedness from Frank About Women VP and Associate Director of Strategic Planning Kate Hanley, who identified stepmoms as the latest underrepresented sub-segment in advertising. Hanley, however, proves there’s a surfeit of stupid strategic planners providing useless information under the guise of thought leadership. Pity the creative teams who have to partner with idiots like Hanley—as well as the culturally clueless clients who might buy her bullshit.

As Family Ads Become More Inclusive, One Group Remains Invisible: Stepmoms

It’s a role that’s perhaps most thankless during holidays

By Kate Hanley

Here we are in the thick of the holidays, and brands selling everything from chicken stock to snow tires are painting some pretty cozy pictures of family life. And yet it’s not that magical for all of us.

In fact, 45 percent of Americans would prefer to skip Christmas, according to a study from a few years back. And another study found 42 percent of Americans are part of a stepfamily.

Coincidence?

Maybe. But anybody who’s navigated the logistical nightmares and emotional minefields of blended-family holidays knows all too well how fraught they can be. Ensuring that kids get equal time with their parents, that all the stepsiblings and half-siblings feel equally loved, and honoring established traditions while attempting to create new ones can be an emotionally exhausting task.

And often, this thankless burden is shouldered by an unlikely champion: the stepmother.

Yet these efforts often go unnoticed, at best. In the worst cases, stepmoms can be downright demonized for simply existing at the holidays. Even people who’ve never had a stepmom can instinctively bristle at the notion of one. But where does this negative perception come from? While Disney didn’t start it—its wicked stepmothers are simply extensions of a well-established fairy tale tradition—it certainly has kept the myth alive for generations of children.

And sure, it’s easy to blame Disney. But when’s the last time any brand stood up for stepmoms? In an age where brands are eager to showcase inclusivity and to celebrate the changing face of American families—like Honey Maid’s “This Is Wholesome” campaign and Angel Soft’s “Just Dad” spot—we still don’t see a lot of love for stepmoms.

Why not try showing her as the unsung hero she is? For example:

• Shine a spotlight on the emergency maxi-pad run she makes for her stepdaughter … I’m looking at you, Always.

• Give a nod to the never-ending dropping off of left-behind makeup and sports gear to mom’s house. A crossover car for the crossover parent, perhaps?

• What about the invisible products we seldom celebrate? Stepmoms are kinda like Spanx, after all. We want them to be super supportive while we pretend they’re not there.

• If moms need #allthewine (which they do, according to the memes flooding my social media), then maybe there’s a whiskey out there strong enough for #stepmomlife!

So, this holiday season, hug a stepmom. Or better yet, fix her a drink.

It’s time to rethink how you approach today’s American family a bit more.

Kate Hanley

is vp and associate director of strategic planning at Frank About Women, a think tank based at MullenLowe Winston-Salem.

12056: CCO = Chief Cereal Officer…?

Advertising Age reported General Mills created a new role—Chief Creative Officer—and filled it with an ex-advertising agency Chief Strategy Officer. Why not call the executive a Chief Strategy Officer? General Mills Chief Marketing Officer Mark Addicks gushed, “[The new Chief Creative Officer] brings a wealth of experience in leading teams to do great work that delivers market growth. We believe his strategic planning and thought leadership will be powerful additions to the ways our brands connect with our consumers.” Um, would love to hear from the new Chief Creative Officer’s former agencies in regards to his ability “in leading teams to do great work…” Has a strategic wonk ever really led the creative process? For that matter, has a client ever employed a bona fide Chief Creative Officer? And why the hell wasn’t Nelly considered for the role? If this new guy is worth a shit, the first thing he’ll do is bitch-slap and bounce the hacks at Tribal Worldwide for producing the World’s Most Hated Dad for Cheerios.

General Mills Creates Chief Creative Officer Role

Former Fallon Exec Michael Fanuele Will Oversee Brand Strategy

By E.J. Schultz

General Mills Chief Marketing Officer Mark Addicks is getting a wing man, as the packaged-food giant brings aboard a former agency executive in the newly created position of chief creative officer.

Michael Fanuele, formerly the chief strategy officer for Fallon, will oversee brand strategy, strategic planning and creative development at General Mills. Previously those duties were mostly overseen at the brand level, with Mr. Addicks having the ultimate responsibility.

“A great creative idea strategically communicated to the right audience at the right time and place is critical to success in today’s dynamic, multi-channel world,” Mr. Addicks said in a statement. “Michael brings a wealth of experience in leading teams to do great work that delivers market growth. We believe his strategic planning and thought leadership will be powerful additions to the ways our brands connect with our consumers.”

The move will align content creation and production under the new role; Mr. Fanuele will also oversee brand design, marketing best practices, and external agency management, a spokeswoman said.

Mr. Fanuele worked from Fallon’s Minneapolis office, which is the same city as General Mills headquarters. “I’m thrilled to be joining the General Mills team and look forward to leading creative strategy for its many brands that truly matter to millions of people,” Mr. Fanuele said. “I am excited to see just how great these brands can be when turbocharged with purpose and creativity.”

It’s the latest big marketing exec shift at General Mills, which last month hired former MillerCoors marketer Jackie Woodward for the newly created position of VP-global media. General Mills is the nation’s 44th largest advertiser, spending $894.2 million last year in the U.S., according to the Ad Age DataCenter.

Mr. Fanuele’s hiring follows moves by other marketers to centralize creative functions. For instance, PepsiCo in 2012 tapped Mauro Porcini, 3M’s longtime design guru, as its first chief design officer. Also, last year Johnson & Johnson hired its first corporate-wide chief design officer when it brought on Ernesto Quinteros, former chief brand and design officer of Los Angeles-based Belkin International.

10717: You Da Men’s Wearhouse.

To woo urban audiences, the new Men’s Wearhouse campaign makes some bold statements obviously rooted in account planning: You don’t have to be a suit to wear one. … It’s not so much the brand of suit that defines the man as it is the brand of man who wears the suit.

You’re gonna find these commercials hilarious. George Zimmer wearing shades and cruising in a cool ride guarantees it.

8403: The Value Of Creative.

This graphic from the Zimmerman Advertising website clearly depicts the value of creative at the agency—it’s even dwarfed by Traffic & Administration.

8193: StrawberryFrog Has A New Wart.

Adfreak and Agency Spy spotlighted a moment of insanity perpetrated by the Director of Planning at StrawberryFrog in Amsterdam. Heather LeFevre sought to “remove a cancer from adland” by launching an online campaign to blacklist an ex-employee. MultiCultClassics will forgo rehashing the silly details, opting instead to briefly swing the microscope in LeFevre’s direction—as well as conduct an experiment in Web investigation.

First, LeFevre has only held her position since July 2010, and her previous roles were at a Senior Planner level. In other words, she’s a newbie leader. Actually, it’s clearly premature to label her a leader, especially given her actions in this scenario. So let’s call her a newbie manager.

Second, when LeFevre announced her new StrawberryFrog gig on her blog, she indicated the need to immediately hire four planners. Hence, the newbie manager was faced with having to quickly assemble a team—a daunting task even for a seasoned veteran. It’s safe to say she failed in her opening assignment.

Third, LeFevre once offered her opinion on the characteristics of a successful planner. She said, “From my perspective, I think mastering the art of conversation is one of the most important skills to develop. How to Talk to Anyone is a great book to help. You have to build rapport with surly creatives and clients that you may not see all that often. They will invite you into their inner circle if they trust you, find you interesting and want to talk to you. It doesn’t matter how smart you are if you haven’t got that.” Too bad the surly Director of Planning didn’t tap her masterful conversational skills when confronted with a challenging report. She should consider checking out a few basic books on professional leadership.

Fourth, LeFevre has obviously put StrawberryFrog in a bad spot. Forget the possible legal issues, since MultiCultClassics isn’t familiar with employment law in Amsterdam. Her immature rant has completely shifted the focus away from the agency’s work. Additionally, future candidates might think twice before pursuing a job with the place. Hell, clients might give pause before partnering with StrawberryFrog. Someone holding the title of Director of Planning should be an ambassador for her agency. She should at very least be responsible for briefs involving clients, not coworkers.

Fifth, LeFevre perpetuated a sad reality in our industry: Asshole employees are ultimately outnumbered by asshole bosses. And one has to wonder if LeFevre represents the common occurrence of an asshole employee getting elevated to become an asshole boss.

Sixth, LeFevre’s 17-page document unintentionally displays her poor planning abilities. As always, the planner compiles reams of redundant, fuzzy and irrelevant information, demands that the mess be read in its entirety and expects everyone to decipher its usefulness.

When LeFevre originally told the world that StrawberryFrog had named her Director of Planning, she joked, “They might have been smoking something, that’s still to be confirmed.” Um, looks like she just supplied the confirmation.

UPDATE: Some of the links above may be useless, as LeFevre’s blog—featuring the original condemnation—is suddenly restricting access to visitors. Perhaps the Director of Planning received a call from the Director of Human Resources.

UPDATE TWO: Well, LeFevre’s blog is accepting visitors again—but the infamous post has vanished. Perhaps LeFevre can use her keen investigative skills to unravel the mystery behind its digital disappearance.