DISQUS

ad scribe · 1 month ago

It would be great if someone could find and post the spot in question.

@ad scribe · 1 month ago

Second that. I want to see this unicorn of a creative Chiat spot.

Tom Owens · 1 month ago

Great writing. Better than most Ben Stiller movies.

oh werd · 1 month ago

what a bummer

Blam · 1 month ago

Chiat arrogance screws over another client (again).

Blammo · 1 month ago

Way to make assumptions

@Blammo · 1 month ago

Okay, let's look at the facts here. Senior Chiat people are leaving right and left. A large client pulls a project from the agency before it is finished. Chiat has a reputation for arrogance. So yes, I was make an assumption. Chiat's arrogance screw over yet another client.

elle_o · 1 month ago

Once again, I'll just point out that the vigor and frequency with which you attack Chiat proves you have an agenda against Chiat, personal or professional.

Fallout · 1 month ago

Who was the creative director on this project? He or she won't be around for long. To have a project taken to another agency before it is even done shows that Chiat has some real problems.

LookoutClients · 1 month ago

Most of Chiat's top talent is gone. They can't even finish a spot before having it pulled to another agency. Hiring TBWA/Chiat/Day will be a waste of crucial time and money. Don't be fooled into the lie that Lee Clow will personally craft you the next "1984." Activision-Blizzard learned that lesson the hard way.

Name · 1 month ago

probably has something to do with controversy surrounding the leaked "airport terror" level

StopSucking · 1 month ago

Wasting valuable months of your client's time and money for a spot they take to another agency to finish. Now that's "G."

Blink · 1 month ago

Hey Lee Clow, I thought you were meddling on all the accounts, every day. How does this happen under your watch?

NOYOUStopSucking · 1 month ago

not knowing the whole story yet thinking your ignorance is worth sharing, that is F (FAIL), and that's you.

Jay Chiat told me to tell you, stop worrying about us and focus on your own shit, with your lame ass.

Flyinthecorner · 1 month ago

LOL! Somebody got mad...I'll hold your flip flops while you guys scratch each others eyes out.

@NOYOUStopSucking · 1 month ago

Well, I've never had a client pull my work and take to another agency during production. Sounds like you boys at Chiat are fumbling all over the place. No wonder people (and clients) are leaving right and left.

insider · 1 month ago

too racy ..... interest level is up ..... sounds like maybe a planned story leak .....

ad scribe · 1 month ago

Oh Tragos Bonnange Wiesendanger Ajroldi Chiat Day, what the heck fire is going on over there?

comeonmatt · 1 month ago

No one here has a clue what's going on. Only at this bullshit blog.

@comeonmatt · 1 month ago

So you think AgencySpy is completely making up a story about Chiat having a TV assignment taken away from them? Maybe AgencySpy has been making up every story about every high level Chiat employee leaving.

comeonmatt · 1 month ago

Beyond that....what is there? So post this story... with no context... and just let people make assumptions? That's great. ActivisionBlizzard had nothing to do with this hahaha.

lame · 1 month ago

Hmm a campaign that is too "racy" for a game that rewards killing as many people as possible with social status and badges. Really?

Sounds to me like nervous clients that didn't want to draw the anger of stocking-stuffing moms. If moms had any idea what a headshot was, they wouldn't buy the game in the first place.

In reality, the campaign doesn't matter because this game is going to sell off the charts (millions already preordered). They probably saw that and figured "why risk a backlash?" Activision-Blizzard is playing it safe because of the pre-order numbers, and Chiat is getting the blame. Are we really to assume that A-B didn't approve the "racy" creative all the way through the process? Come on guys, we know all too well how this biz works.

gtovrit · 1 month ago

i agree.

adrefugee · 1 month ago

seems like chiat confused doing something crass or "out there" with creating a big idea. at least they tried to push it as opposed to the nissan, visa, pepsi work that looks like chiat was trying to make us all confuse them with grey or publicis

@adrefugee · 1 month ago

All of Chiat's creatives have been conditioned by Rob Schwartz to compromise. When they get the occasionally cool assignment they don't know what to do. That's probably why they got the spot taken away from them. Honestly, who is left at Chiat to do the cool work? The talent has already fled.

adforeffort · 1 month ago

The three clients you are talking about are some of the biggest in Chiat. If they can't get it up for them, who cares about the other small fish.

@Adforeffort · 1 month ago

You're right. An agency is as good as the work it does for its largest client. Not many people know this but, for the past 10 years, Chiat has been trying to do award winning "boutique" work for the Oscars and Grammys. Guess why you never heard of it? Because the work wasn't good enough to get into the books. Chiat can't even take the back door into CA, One Show or Cannes. That's how bad it's getting there.

longandlean · 1 month ago

Not many people know?

Apparently you don't "know" either.

It's not been the past 10 years for Grammys and Oscars. More like 3.

And, in that 3 years, Grammys "took the back door" into CA. Both the Design and Ad Annuals.

Can't say you never heard of it now, fucker.

@longandlean · 1 month ago

Yeah, Crispin, Goodby, and Weiden are now shaking in their boots.

longandlean · 1 month ago

the point was that the Grammys work didn't win awards.

now it's whether or not the others are shaking in their boots?

when did chiat fire you?

@longandlean · 1 month ago

So every person who is a critic of Chiat is a disgruntled employee? Instead of defending Chiat, you launch into personal attacks and accusations you can't verify. Perhaps this is why people at the agency are miserable, senior talent is leaving and clients are pulling their projects.

BackDoorBouncer · 1 month ago

CA Design annual?! You're whipping your dick out about the CA design annual?! The only award show that accepts matchbook and cocktail napkin designs.

longandlean · 1 month ago

this has nothing to do with my dick.

again, the claim was made that the work didn't win awards.

i merely wanted to refute the claim by pointing out that it made both the CA Advertising and CA Design Annuals.

if that offends you, i'm sorry.

doesn't make it less true.

93octane · 1 month ago

An apology on a blog. I guess you realized you were talking to your partner...

ad scribe · 1 month ago

THAT'S funny. Thanks. This thread could use some levity.

CardsOnTheTable · 1 month ago

I'm not buying that Chiat did a spot so racy and intense that the client couldn't release it. The spot was probably lame. We're talking about a video game client targeting young adults. And Chiat has not done one edgy spot for Nissan, Visa, Sara Lee, Pepsi, Gatorade in years. I challenge Chiat to leak their cut to Agencyspy. Come on "Pirates" put your fucking cards on the table.

Vincent · 1 month ago

I've heard that there was some sort of sabotage involved at Chiat between a couple of jealous teams or Creative Directors on the whole Activision project. Just wondering if anyone has any inside info on that.

adforeffort · 1 month ago

I heard a team didn't want to put "Go" in front of the campaign.

My2Cents · 1 month ago

I don't think this is the result of bad work. There are lots of agencies who do bad work. This is the result of bad work AND agency mismanagement. At Chiat, the creatives hate the account people. The account strategist are hated by everyone. And upper management is to busy fighting amongst themselves. No wonder Activision-Blizzard pulled the spot. Chiat can't even do a simple video game campaign without it turning into a soap opera.

RealStory · 1 month ago

Here's the story. Activision is a shit client. End of story. Chiat gave them a great, strategic campaign idea. The client went bonkers for it. And then they began to add more and more game footage. Well, fuck 'em. Let Activision go to some no name agency. Or better yet, go suck Deutsch's talentless cocks.

@RealStory · 1 month ago

Blah. Blah. Blah. You work at Chiat and you f'd up. Now get back to that Sara Lee coupon ad.

elle_o · 1 month ago

Once again, I'll just point out that the vigor and frequency with which you attack Chiat proves you have an agenda against Chiat, personal or professional.

@elle_o · 1 month ago

Chiat had a project pulled from them mid-production. No "agenda" is necessary.

gtovrit · 1 month ago

i've heard activision is a terrible client and i'm sure they approved all the way down the ine then yanked it. this is one of the oldest scenarios in the book.

brian™ · 1 month ago

Like most people here, i don't buy this BS line at all. It's ACTIVISION and BLIZZARD probably the two most progressive video game publishers in the industry. Cutting an ad for being "too racy"? HahaHAHAHAAH. Anyone that's anyone knows what BS that is in regards to Activision and Blizzard. My guess is that the initial strategy and pitch was great, but as politics got involved the initial idea got watered down, complicated, and lost it's original luster. This combined with TBWA\C\D's "classic" client management skills = agency dropped the ball, client got a whiff of it and didn't want to risk the big marketing dollars on a campaign they no longer had confidence in.

I Predict · 1 month ago

that someone will soon post the following response to your post:

"Once again, I'll just point out that the vigor and frequency with which you attack Chiat proves you have an agenda against Chiat, personal or professional."

TeaLeavesAreBetter · 1 month ago

All that talent and still you have to recycle your own work.

LookieHere · 1 month ago

Don't believe the "racy" angle either. Chiat finally does an edgy ad (after producing thousands of tame Nissan, Indiniti and Sara Lee ads) and Activision-Blizzard, one of the most progressive clients in adland, says it's too much for them. Me thinks this reeks of stinky Chiat spin.

arrose100 · 1 month ago

I've read all the comments down to here, and yours sheds a realistic light on what probably did happen. Thank you for the clarity, perspective and maturity.

Jimmy · 1 month ago

My vote goes to Chiat for the most hated company by current and ex-employees. Way to go...

elle_o · 1 month ago

And Chiat is for sure the most hated company by those who were fired from Chiat, those who could not get a job at Chiat, and those who work at competing agencies that try to improve their own agencies buzz by bashing Chiat.

@elle_o · 1 month ago

You forgot that Chiat is the most hated company by current video game clients as well

Scout · 1 month ago

Gotta wonder why Chiat is so hated. You don't see this level of consternation coming out of other agencies. Even the hot shops like Cripsin, Weiden, Goodby don't have this problem. Not that Chiat is anywhere near them on a creative level. But there seems to be something fundamentally wrong with the day to day operations of TBWA/C/D.

elle_o · 1 month ago

I don't wonder about that at all. You are clearly on a mission. And putting Crispin in the same league as Goodby and Weiden is a joke.

@elle_o · 1 month ago

So all the people leaving Chiat, Activision pulling a project mid- production, and the agency's downward creative spiral is the result of one person on a "mission?!"

elle_o · 1 month ago

These are your opinions, and I'm just pointing out that the frequency with which you post your opinions, and the hatred you express for Chiat are not those of a casual observer. You have either been rejected by Chiat, or you work for another agency which you hope will benefit from bad buzz around Chiat.

By the way, how do you keep changing your sign in so quickly?

@elle_o · 1 month ago

If you believe that the negative press, negative blog comments, senior staff defections, client problems on Pepsi, Gatorade, Uncle Ben's, and now Activision are the result of one person, then there is really no real response I can offer to you. You are simply delusional.

elle_o · 1 month ago

I'm saying you are very active on this blog. Obsessively so.

@elle_o · 1 month ago

Not as much as you. Jesus.

elle_o · 1 month ago

All I do is occasionally reply to your comments. So yes, that has caused me to post a lot.

@elle_o · 1 month ago

You reply to every comment critical of Chiat. You are a sad sack. Or you work at Chiat. One in the same.

elle_o · 1 month ago

I do not reply to every negative post about Chiat. And I do not work for Chiat. And I do not make personal attacks.

@elle_o · 1 month ago

You are virtually the ONLY person to defend Chiat and you claim to not work at Chiat. That would not pass the smell test to any jury.

elle_o · 1 month ago

Happens to be true.

arrose100 · 1 month ago

Says the person that just made 10(!) comments in a row? Bonus, you are making personal allegations based on an opinion we all have a right to express.

Your perspective is welcome, but can you try to make them less about others and more about your own independent thoughts?

Thank you,
An interested reader.

Huh? · 1 month ago

Jesus, Elle_o, we get it. You work for Chiat. Probably as a starry-eyed intern in their PR department. We know it's your job to defend them.

But stop. Just stop.

You're not changing anyone's mind and you're not changing the fact that senior people are streaming out of that place in record short timeframes. We know there are huge problems there. You won't convince anyone here otherwise.

elle_o · 1 month ago

No.

Huh? · 1 month ago

I'm thinking elle_o is the disgruntled employee who's trying to make Chiat seem desperate and clueless.

No one is this stupid on purpose.

elle_o · 1 month ago

No, I am not even really defending Chiat.
I am just pointing out the bias of the very frequent commenter here. I only reply to a small percentage of his posts. I wish he had the integrity to only use one user name (as I do). Then maybe your post would be, "Ok _____, we get it, you hate Chiat." But mostly I wish he had enough faith his agency to not feel the need to create negative buzz around others.

drank the tequila · 1 month ago

Chiat got rid of the PR dept years ago! Didn't see the profit in it.