9947: The Sunny Side Of Sunshine.

Advertising Age reported on Sunshine, a film masterminded by commercial director Doug Nichol, and starring freelance producer Jon Benet. The documentary short features Benet’s cynical musings about advertising and assorted topics, delivered during the production of a McDonald’s campaign for TBWA in China. While the film is receiving great praise and viewership on the Web, Mickey D’s and TBWA are not amused.

“We did not authorize it. As a company we don’t encourage releasing our projects without informing us or getting our approval,” said a McDonald’s official in China. “[The marketing team] didn’t authorize any individual to use our project as an example.” A TBWA official added, “TBWA also did not authorize use of any of this footage and we find it disappointing that a director would take it upon himself to show material that wasn’t authorized by the agency or our client.”

Nichol responded to the irked client and agency by saying, “I loved the experience of making the short and being in China and working with the TBWA team there. I’m sorry that they took this the wrong way, and look forward to a few laughs someday over a bottle of Tsing Tao.” Benet said, “I have to admit, if I’d known ‘Sunshine’ was going to become what it has I would have been more careful about the things I said, but I guess since I never expected so much to come of it… I just said what was on my mind, which maybe isn’t always the best idea, especially in terms of my job security.”

Benet’s comment is especially worth considering. After all, when advertising executives have criticized the industry for its lack of diversity—e.g., Harry Webber, Lowell Thompson and Hadji Williams—they have felt adverse effects in regards to job security. Meanwhile, Nichol and Benet exploited a professional scenario that was literally bankrolled by Mickey D’s and TBWA. The duo openly disrespected the client and global agency employing them, as well as Chinese people and culture. Yet it’s a safe bet they will probably experience zero negative consequences regarding their job security. In fact, things are looking pretty sunny for Nichol and Benet right now.

9908: C’MON WHITE MAN! Episode 18.

(MultiCultClassics credits ESPN’s C’MON MAN! for sparking this semi-regular blog series.)

4A’s Agency Thought Leader Compensation Summit allowed a bunch of industry honchos to ponder payment plans between clients and agencies. The headline whiner was TBWA\Worldwide Global Director of Media Arts Lee Clow, who declared, “Unfortunately, in our business, we get paid like we’re doing our clients’ laundry. We haven’t figured out that the ideas that we create can become a very powerful asset to the brands we work for. Many of the ideas—whether they be slogans or advertising forms and styles or a voice that we create for brands—could be listed on the balance sheet of our clients as an asset with millions and millions of dollars in value.”

Gee, it’s always fun to watch a speech about being underpaid delivered by a multimillionaire.

If Clow is truly clueless about the compensation schemes fueling our business, he ought to call Omnicom CEO and President John Wren. Maybe Wren will explain how contracts, cronyism and Corporate Cultural Collusion stifle competition and ultimately turn advertising agencies into generic commodities. Why, just peep PepsiCo and Quaker Oats to realize Omnicom has effectively established that Goodby, Silverstein and Partners and TBWA\Chiat\Day are parity with Juniper Park and Fathom Communications. Plus, it’s a safe bet that Clow received stupid money when his shop was sold to the global holding company. Perhaps “we haven’t figured out that the ideas that we create can become a very powerful asset to the brands we work for” because folks such as Clow were too busy collecting their cuts from corporate mergers and buyouts.

But wait, there’s more. While the iconic White advertising agencies are paid like they’re doing their clients’ laundry, the minority shops are stuck fighting over the lint in the dryer filters. And that’s no ancient Chinese secret, Mr. Lee Clow.

C’MON WHITE MAN!

9739: Old Advice From TBWA.

As a companion piece to its ageism story, Advertising Age also published patronizing helpful advice from TBWA Worldwide Director of Talent Nancee Martin titled, “Six Tips for Older Job Hunters.” The keen instructions stressed things like “include your cell number in all communications.” Gee, wonder how many new hires at TBWA would fall into the category of “older” employees.