Maybe it's time to piss somebody off

So I will. I guess I have to.

(Let's all understand before we start that I'm stupid, a miserable hack and will never amount to anything. My 5th grade teacher Mrs. Smith was right. But still . . . )

I was at an Ad Club Addy committee meeting yesterday (and just wait until you see what SmithGifford has come up with for this year - it's singularly terrific) and we got into a discussion of creative in DC and whether it's good, not good and all like that.

I've always thought that the way to build our creative reputation is not by telling the world that we do great work here (when, in fact, most of us do good work), but to do better work. Kerry Feurmann once said to a Last Tuesday (R.I.P.) group that the way to do better work, was to "do better work." That's the truth of it, if you think about it.

Anyway, I went away from yesterday's meeting feeling pretty good about the people I'd met and the ability of this community to raise the bar a bit. Check that, feeling really good.

And then, I logged on to the Capitol Communicator this morning and saw a link to this thing.

I know. I know. It's easier to sit back and criticize than to do something better in the first place, and it is decidedly low-rent to criticize someone local who no doubt donated their time. But this is, frankly, a pretty stupid spot for DC Advertising Week. It doesn't say much positive for what we can do locally.

Forgive me, but this is late-night-Comcast-produced kinda stuff. Damn near Ameritel.

There are agencies in town who, in exchange for creative freedom, could a lot better. SmithGifford, Adworks, August Lang, Redheads and Arnold come to mind. And if you challenge me to do better next year, I'll take that challenge.

Christ, the guy in the goatee looks like he's giving the old guy a lap dance. Or something. But let's not go there.

The point is, is this really what we want to hold up as how we promote ourselves to ourselves? Really? Are you serious?

I realize that the people who did it are students (at least I think they are.) And I surely don't intend to be be unnecessarily mean, nasty or diss anybody who doesn't need this kind of crap from an idiot like me we did it for free for Christ's sake and where the hell was Woody Hinkle when they were looking for volunteers - but if I'm a big local company (let's say like, oh, Hilton?) a spot like this only reinforces my low opinion of the capabilities of local ad agencies.