Two Words For 'Slumdog Millionaire'

Over. Rated.

Sorry peeps, I know this is the Oscar darling of the season. And I know we'll be seeing Danny Boyle's lovely film stylings ripped off in many ad campaigns to come this year.

But really, how much brutality, cruelty and squalor can you fit into one movie? I get that every day in advertising.

The custom my wife and I have every year is to go out and see the five Best Pictures nominees. For the first two (Benjamin Button and Slumdog) we're off to an inauspicious start. I"ll keep you posted.

Leo Burnett and the Army

I worked on the Army account at Burnett for a year, late in its tenure. That they sued Burnett didn’t surprise me; I walked into the worst agency/client relationship I’d ever seen. It was poisonous, shockingly so. But I loved working on it. How many times in your career do you get to write about a product that actually means something? Uniformed generals reviewed your work. They shouted ‘hooah!’ on the rare occasions when they agreed with the agency. There was something at stake. It was a memorable and inspiring experience.

As for the lawsuit, it’s another shovel of dirt on the coffin of a once-great agency. And inside, poor Leo spins.

Here's an ad I did for the Army.

My New Year's Gift To You

Watch this video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxxOyGK1pMk

Questions:

That girl is, as my daughter Maddie would say, OOGLY. My word, how did she get in a music video? She's almost as ugly as the drummer, which begs another question: how did they not throw that drummer out of the band? He's so ugly.

That scene of them all playing air instruments...how did nobody tap them on the shoulder and tell them it's a bad idea?

Finally, interesting how Steve Perry is often separate from the band members. Could the song be a commentary on his estrangement from the band?

Questions. So many questions.