RKCR/Y&R celebrates BBC’s 90th, IPA rages at UK government, Droga5 debuts for Coke Zero
A rich mixture then.
***RKCR/Y&R (please call it Y&R, RKC and R have cleared off) has produced this nice film to celebrate the BBC’s 90th birthday, featuring some of its greatest hits. Oddly, there’s no Jimmy Savile.
But I can’t really see why someone at the Beeb couldn’t have done this. The corporation is full of talented people whose efforts don’t seem to appear on the screen or over the wireless. Anyone who’s had the misfortune to listen to Radio 4’s pathetic comedy offerings at 6.30pm would surely agree with me.
Y&R clearly has a better perspective on such issues than its client.
***UK agencies are still up in arms about the Government Procurement Service’s joke shortlist for creative agencies – and their trade body, the IPA, is making the odd squeak too.
Campaign had this interesting observation from Nicola Mendelsohn (pictured), IPA president and also boss of UK indie agency Karmarama: “As one of the largest independent agencies, you would think that we would get on [the list] as we represent British taxpayers’ money and putting money back into UK coffers.
“The government now has a spectrum to play with. There will still be other rounds for the digital and integrated lists, so they could include other agencies in there, or they could add more agencies to the roster.”
Maybe Nicola…
The IPA says: “Choosing agencies to develop effective communication campaigns is not like buying aircraft carriers or paperclips – and to adopt the same approach is unhelpful to everyone.”
I suspect they’re knocking at a closed door. This is a government in which PM David Cameron (a former PR man for Carlton TV) doesn’t know the difference between the deficit (the nation’s current account) and the accumulated debt (up £62bn since Cameron and co came into power, just over two years ago).
So the chances of a sensible resolution to this conundrum are, I would suggest, slim.
***The aforementioned Cameron is betting the ranch on a Tory solution to enforcing the results of the Leveson Inquiry into press ethics (or the lack of them); a Parliamentary vote on Monday night proposing a deal underpinned by Royal Charter (whatever that may be) as opposed to a legal structure with broadcast regulator Ofcom as the court of last resort.
Actually Cameron’s probably right – although he may lose. Get MPs (Parliament) and the law involved in all this and it will be nightmare.
Mind you, at the current rate of Met Police arrests, there won’t be any tabloid hacks left to worry about.
***The usually-wonderful Droga5 has made its debut in the US for Coke Zero.
I’m struggling with this a bit, but maybe there’s more to come.
***And finally here’s a tuneful treat for the weekend.
