And finally a new order (or is it an old one in disguise) is taking shape. The death of J Walter Thomson.

At no point in my 33 year long career could I have expected to be writing a post about JWT being no more.  (In fact in the early days I didn’t know what a post was.)

In fact in the early days there was no internet to even write a post on.

But today Wire and Plastic Products announced that after a tumultuous year, including the merger of Y&R and VML, with Y&R taking second fiddle in the naming stakes (VMLY&R), JWT is to merge with Wunderman and be called…just Wunderman.  What’s more, this article in today’s Drum also talks of the rise of creative and media agencies joining forces.

What we are actually talking about here is the re-emergence of the ‘Full Service Agency” that typified the landscape upon my entry in 1985.

The fracturing of our industry following the rise of the ‘media independents’ caused major financial ramifications and a loss of credibility for either camp, certainly a loss of income.

But now data (media ) and ‘media independents’ are once again forming a properly integrated alliance.

I’m not one of those Ad Contarians that bemoans the death of the idea, although I still cherish it, but good targeting and good creativity was what worked back in the day and will necessarily work again.

I suppose it’s progress.

User generated content?

What happens when you run provocative headlines.  This is the campaign for the launch of STV local in North Lanarkshire.

 

Dream Job

For those of you fed up with working in print media in the UK this might be your dream job which was sent to me by Stephen Tait from Down Under.

Jade Goody , the brand

There is something about Jade Goody that demands respect.  Well, I think so.  OK it’s easy to knock her apparent obsession with being in the media eye but give her due respect – it is her job, her income stream and she works hard for it.

Jade Goody is a brand and a lot of people like it.  Myself included.  Sure, it’s not Chanel.  She lacks what posh people would call ‘class’ but she has a sense of style that I admire.

She’s dying though.

And here’s the rub.  She will get a mixture of praise and shit from the media over what remains of her life and she will command column miles; never mind inches.

But, if you saw her programme, like I did, on Living TV tonight you will know that she is a public figure worthy of respect.

Do you recall, did you see even, what must be her lowest moment on Big Brother when she was co-erced into stripping off? (I think she was duped in a game of strip poker.)

It was sad, and arrogant of her fellow house mates.  But I think she has learned a lot since then and not in a way that loses any of her, still, naive charm.

Jade Goody is a good person. Let’s hope what remains of her life touches some hearts and that she dies with dignity and at peace.

All Media Scotland

I’ve been asked to be a blog contributor on All Media Scotland, a website that targets the Scottish media community.  So far I’ve made three contributions.

This is the first.

This is the second.

And this went up yesterday.

think Hard in the news

Although an unpleasant subject matter I was asked to allow my blog post on 1576 to be subbed for use in All Media Scotland. If you don’t read i, you should. It’s a good view on life in Scottish media and Mike Wilson is doing a good job there.

I think you’ll be able to read it by right clicking on the image and clicking on view, you can enlarge it to read it with the magnifying glass icon.  It’s easier than it sounds… Alternatively just go to the source, here.