What's in store for 2007?
Of course every year has been pivotal for digital - that’s why it’s so exciting - but I have a feeling 2007 is going to be the year when it all goes a bit weird. We have already seen traditional agencies taking on digital briefs and digital agencies pitching for TV briefs. Where can it possibly end? Who knows, but I feel it would be remiss of me not to stick my neck out a titchy bit.
Let’s have a look at the best digital work for the last few years. The last 3 top 10s in Campaigns’ Annual have not seen a single entry from a non-digital specialist. Indeed, of 30 entries only one (from Tribal DDB) is even related to a traditional agency and that was from 2003. There was a time when the digital departments of TV agencies, such as Ogilvy, were much stronger. But as the boys from Freakonomics* will tell you, the stats don’t lie.
So…if 2007 is the year that the big agencies make a push for digital how many of the top 10 digital pieces of work will come from non-specialists? It would be interesting to hear what you think the figure out of ten might be – please leave a comment. Personally, I certainly think they will catch up quick, very quick, and no doubt there will be some great bits of work but I have a feeling the specialists will dominate again – for this year at least!
On traditional agencies doing digital, one other thing struck me about this years’ top 10. Half of the entries came from just two agencies (Dare 3 and Republic 2) so there is clearly room for competition. I’ve said before that it’s too easy to win digital awards. Competition from the best ad agencies around might just be the shot in the arm our industry needs.
*I read Freakonomics over Christmas. I know a lot of people pooh-pooh it as not being a proper economics book but as someone who did Economics A level and therefore should, in theory, have read a proper economics book, that was precisely the reason I enjoyed it so much.
James Cooper
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