AUCKLAND, Today: Hunch’s Michael Goldthorpe writes: I’ve just read Paul Catmur’s poem to mediocrity. It’s great. Whimsical, insightful, apposite and fun.
Of course, we expect that. Paul Catmur is an exceptional writer. He artfully wraps big and little words around carefully twisted clichés to shine a light on the point he wants you to remember. It’s very clever.
I don’t say this to blow smoke up his arse. He’s not into that. I mention it because most of the people who read his piece would have liked it as much as I did. Why? Because he cared enough to craft it. And it was far from mediocre.
That’s where Paul missed the point.
Aiming low is fanciful and fun. At a time of significant rollercoaster, it feels like an easy out on a hard road.
But the benefits of aiming low (or even medium) are few. Anyone who works in advertising should always aim for the stars. Because the only alternative is to work for the money – and then you know you’re fucked.
“Everyone in advertising should always aim for the stars. Because the only alternative is to work for the money – and then you know you’re fucked.”
Do we work in an over-privileged, under-important industry stacked with a greater than average population of wankers? You bet we do.
Should we shutter down, aim for average, take the cheque and buy a boat?
No. We shouldn’t, we mustn’t and we can’t.
Because advertising isn’t about the science of sales. It’s the craft of making people feel. The heart of every great ad has nothing to do with the kerning and everything to do with the human moments that build connections with other humans.
And you can’t make people feel if you don’t care. You just can’t. So the minute we stop caring and fighting and fastidiously studying people, is the minute we turn into Gary Vee.
So here’s my take.
I wholeheartedly agree with Paul’s take on our collective Dunning-Kruger-ness. And I concur that awards are generally a bunch of bollocks (an opinion widely shared by others like me who mostly watch other people win).
But I don’t think the answer is to ‘own our mediocrity’. Because if we don’t care, no one will – and what we do becomes a lot less fun.
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