A House Of Cards

Somebody asked me today what do I think of Jaguar pulling its account from Euro RSCG. (Full disclosure: I am a former executive at Euro RSCG, and I pitched Jaguar while at another agency). Two things surprised me about the decision. The first, Euro's tenure seems to be a quick one, lasting about 6 years. Even in these days of rapid hiring and firing, automotive accounts seem to be more stable. The car business is more complex, and multi-layered. That makes it more difficult for an agency, and paradoxically, more stable.

But what really shocked me was Jaguar's decision, its unconvincing denial notwithstanding, to take the account in-house. With very few exceptions, notably in the fashion business, Advertisers do not take account in-house. Going in-house immediately limits the quality of the creative resources. Creatives are attracted to working on a variety of accounts, to mixing it up. Working on the same account day after day, year after year can be a numbing experience. And sidestepping a cross-fertilizing multi-brand environment will dull creative instincts.

I doubt that the in-house solution will give Jaguar what it needs to build the brand and its business.