Do Clients Make A Difference?

In 2003 I was Managing Partner of a creative boutique called Berlin Cameron. Later that year, after winning Coke, Pfizer and a slew of other accounts we were unanimous choice for Agency of the Year by all the trade magazines. Earlier that year  a small, semi known Miami agency called Crispin, Porter, Bogusky wiped the floor with us during the Ikea pitch. We got even later that year beating them for the Silk Soy Milk account, but you could tell that those guys were special. Crispin went on a national one  powerhouse when they won the coveted Burger King account.

Crispin had some success with the MINI and Ikea but Burger King was a different story. It was a huge account, much bigger than the entire agency at the time, and immensely complex. It also had a history of  frequent agency churn. Advertising agencies are not known as charitable to each other. Madison Avenue gleefully anticipated that this will be Crispin's demise. Yet Crispin did not only survive, but until last week at least, when it was fired, it thrived - creating breakthrough advertising and giving Burger King an identity. It also fashioned itself into one the better agencies in the country, certainly the most hyped. But hype aside, its work for clients other than Burger King, like VW, an account from which it was also fired, was inconsistent. 

This, I think, points to the importance of the client in creating great ads. Crispin's brilliance on Burger King would not happen without the support of Russ Klein, the CMO who hired them. Agencies often are quick to take credit for the great advertising they create, but it often comes down to clients willing to take the risk and "buy" that advertising. Klein, apparently, was such a client. Other clients of Crispin, less so.

Client-agency relationships are personal and complicated. And sometimes, not transferable. When Klein left a little over a year ago, Crispin was dead man walking. Yet, they had a good run, and 7 years in the fast food business is a lifetime.

Here's wishing that they find their next great CMO.

Comments

[David]

good insights Avi... despite BK's bad rap, their multitude of agencies and plethora of CMOs, Burger King has displayed instances of inspired work... Gary Langstaff was a stalwart before the franchisees booted him; in Year One of his tenure, DMB&B won over 180 major creative awards including D&ADs, Clios, Gold Pencils, etc ... and Jeff Campbell's reign was highlighted by The Battle of the Burgers, Aren't You Hungry? and Burger King Town... Good clients understand good work which is why they buy good work.