Adrants Named Best Advertising Blog by MarketingSherpa

Once again, we bow graciously at the feet of all who voted for and deemed Adrants worthy of being named the Best Blog on Advertising in MarketingSherpa' annual survey of Top Blogs and Podcasts. As MarketingSherpa writes, despite research that proves otherwise, "Does sex sell? We've seen data that it can depress ad campaign results. However, obviously it doesn't hurt you as a blogger in the world of advertising. Steve Hall, known for witty commentary combined with ad photos of scantily clad young women, has obviously captured the hearts of advertising execs."

And, pray tell, some of you dare to complain we post too many racy pictures. Either you haven't worked in the ad industry long enough or you're a really nice person who thinks we're mentally ill and should retire to a monastery to wash away the sins years of toiling in the ad business have left upon us. But, as we've said before, namely in yet another bikinied cleavage ad, "We don't shoot the commercials, we just share them with you."

Honestly, it's all fun. Advertising is fun. Working in the business is fun. Writing about it is fun. It's not an exact science nor will it ever be which is why everyone likes to talk about so much, analyze it and criticize each others work because, as we all know, the work we do is far better than the work coming out of that other agency down the street. It's a healthy rivalry. And with the speed at which client marketing directors switch ad agencies, anyone on the agency side has a far better chance than anyone in any other industry of working on a much broader collection of business.

"Fun" as it is, advertising is big business too and the world wouldn't be what it is without it but we do take ourselves way too seriously sometimes. Does the average person give a crap about a Cannes Lion? Do they even know what one is? Would it matter if they did? Because the business is so fickle and fleeting and without much firm data on what works and what doesn't, it needs awards more than results for agencies to win business which is why there are so many awards shows in the first place. Oh yea, and then there's the egos to stroke too. But, like I've said before and despite all of the above, I'd go to Cannes in a heartbeat if the Adrants travel budget could afford it. How's that for fickle and fleeting?

So we're awash in the "death of the :30," podcasting, blogging, social media, consumer generated media, word of mouth marketing, viral advertising, million dollar homepage advertising, tagging, headvertising, dogvertising, forehead advertising, assverting, bravertising, blogvertising, bloodvertising, adverblogging, invertising, advergaming, chipvertising, thongvertising, replacevertising, busvertising, police car advertising, adverwear, and urinal advertising. Is there any wonder there's so much to write about and so many sites and books doing it?

I'd personally like to thank Mike Doyle, president of RDW Group for firing my ass back in March 2004 which is what gave me the kick in the ass to make the, at that time, two year old Adrants into what it has become today. RDW Group was an agency, though successful, unlike any other I had worked in prior. It was one of those places where there was one way to do things, one voice to speak, one person to please, one person to answer to. Nothing else mattered. To make matters worse, I had just come from a young, successful, vibrant, many-voiced, all opinions welcomed agency and the fit was, to say the least, not good. But, the bills needed to be paid. Yes, I hated the job and did a crap job which is why I was fired but, like a lot of things in life, it all happens for a reason so, again, I thank Mike Doyle for firing my ass. Although, he didn't have the stones to do it himself. He sent the admin folks instead. Oops. Sorry. A little bitterness slipped through. Anyway, that's ancient history.

I thank everyone of you who has every visited Adrants or ever will. Corny as it sounds, this place would be nothing without you.

Written by Steve Hall Comments (10) Jun-27-06