Alex Grieve & Adrian Rossi: If I could change one thing about advertising

AMV BBDO ECDs Alex Grieve and Adrian Rossi point out the importance of ‘the rest, the rest, the rest’ when it comes to creating ‘the work, the work, the work’

There’s an old joke. How many creatives does it take to change a lightbulb? To which the answer is – We’re not changing anything.

It’s not that funny. It’s not even that true – the best creatives are very comfortable with change.
But it is revealing. It suggests that the thing trying to fuck over your perfectly constructed ad is a person or persons: The Client or the Creative Director. CDE1 Mums & Dads half-cut on warm wine in a windowless research room in Ashby-de-la Zouch or Planners.

Of course, this is still partly true. But today we have a more nefarious, elusive opponent. One that hides in plain sight. The greatest enemy of the work is the work.