Martin Weigel

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That Was The Year That Was

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Almost missed Rob Campbell's homework assignment, and Northern is making me looking bad.

Here's my effort:

1/ Best single thing [personal &/or professional] you did/achieved in 2010.

Working with some of the loveliest, and most frighteningly talented people on the planet.

2/ Most shameful thing [personal &/or professional] you did/achieved in 2010.

That Party.

3/ Ad industry scandal or scoundrel of the year

There are too many scoundrels, snake-oil salesmen and bullshit artists in our industry to mention. I guess that’s part of both its shame and its fun.

Though I’d probably single out anybody who has the nerve to publicly style themselves as a ninja, guru, prophet, Second Coming, or change agent.


4/ Your overall rating for 2010 out of 10. [1 = shit / 10 = showoff]

On balance our industry churns out more arse-numbingly dull and worthless content than it does great. So I’d give the year a 4. I'm with Northern - Write the Future and Old Spice were notable exceptions.

5/ What do you think will be the most overhyped advertising related subject of 2011?

Any subject that begins with ‘The Death of...”

It’s a fair guarantee that a stream of speculative and largely self-serving rhetoric follows, utterly unconnected to creating economic value for clients.

Though I guess that hype is perhaps to be expected in an industry that is driven by the transfer of enthusiasm and hunger for the next new thing. Again, the glory and the blight of our industry.

I nominate:

Faris Yakob

Bob Hoffman

Grant McCracken

Dave Trott

Iain Tait

They'll have wiser things to say than I.