The secrets we were privy to usually saw the sun for two weeks on the back page of the mag and then were hidden forever. Not any more. Welcome to Off the Record April edition – where the dirt goes from static to shareable.
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Down, down to Melbourne
The 7am flight from Sydney down to Melbourne is looking a little like it’s sponsored by one of the major supermarkets of late. Despite a certain major media pitch being shrouded in more NDAs than you could shake a stick at, all the usual suspects are on board – literally. It’s media bosses on tour as all the big hitters from Sydney media agencies head down, down to Melbourne.
Don’t call me baby
We all know the toughest part of creating anything is naming it. So, imagine the frustration of one agency which designed a creative project and hit the nail on the head with an equally impressive name, only to find out it already belonged to something else. Something with perverse, violent associations. Oh dear. They’ve stuck with it.
Dead or alive
A film company recently dabbled in some humanitarian work that came back to bite them. While they had good intentions getting behind a needy cause, the choice to use a real dead animal in an ad did not sit well with viewers. The furry creature died of natural causes, but the damage was done once people found out it wasn’t a dummy.
Digital ninja
The IAB may be looking for a new boss now that Alice Manners is out after three years, but will it choose the right replacement? Former CEO Paul Fisher has been brought back temporarily, but OTR hears there’s fears it could go back to its roots representing publishers and undo all the progress made in digital.
Bloody Woolies
A recent off-the cuff on-stage remark tells the tale that there is still no love lost between brand owners and the duopoly that is Woolworths and Coles. Try as they might to build a brand, invest in content and long-term strategies, only to have it all undone at the shelf edge by aggressive promotions from the all powerful duo still riles marketers. Stronger words than “bloody Woolies” have been spoken.
Fight or flight
One of Australia’s big banks is undergoing a restructure that has seen people in top positions pushed out in favour of young guns. With early retirement as common as purple unicorns these days, will employees put up a fight or fade into the background? It’s not the only scandal a bank is involved in this year.
Same my name
Almost as awkward as yelling out the wrong name during an inopportune mid-coitus moment, saying the name of your former employer instead of the one that pays your salary is more than bad form: it’s a hard habit to break. For one senior exec whose exit was incendiary, the gaff would not have gone down well with either party. Awkward.
Radio silence
There is nothing nicer than parting ways when a job is well done with a handshake and a smile, but as many of us know, there is often more below the surface. The departure of one top exec after only a year caught many by surprise. This departure sparked questions of why, but also what now? Especially for a business that had a very big hole to fill and appears to have had little success in doing so.
What’s yours is mine
In times of great trouble, sometimes you need to take extreme measures. One recent publisher that was left without the power of its newsroom decided to take matters into its own hands. OTR hears that the desks and drawers of journos were the source of inspiration with what to fill the pages of its publication. Half-done stories were padded out and used without so much as a phone call asking permission or to check facts. Maybe before the next walkout, some might like to invest in padlocks.
That looks familiar
OTR is no stranger to the way the pitch process works in adland, and gets it: marketers really do have hard decisions to make. You like the work, but like another agency better? Get your friends to make the idea you love, it’s all gravy right? But agencies aren’t so understanding when they see their idea with another agency’s name attached to it. One exec was so pissed off with it happening earlier in their career they didn’t mince words about the marketer or the brand. And won’t be working with either any time soon.
Backup backs down
As one company prepares for its IPO, it’s been reported it will be backed by some pretty big names. Unfortunately for them, OTR hears that the addition of these big wigs is likely to be just rumours. Perhaps a certain chairman could put in a good word?
Short fuse
As another publication bites the bullet and goes digital, it’s an easy assumption to make that many more might follow suit – or so OTR thought when having a chat with a different company. However, that CEO wasn’t having a bar of it, nearly ending the phone call when the question
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