Essay 189

OK, here’s a slightly different take on the Neil French debacle…

For those struggling with the political controversies, perhaps it would be easier to consider the professional aspects.

Neil French stumbled for his failures as an adman.

First, he failed to consider a key advertising tenet: Know your target. He walked into an audience with lots of women and young professionals and spewed outdated perspectives.

Second, his quotes during an Advertising Age interview spoke volumes. “If you can’t commit yourself to any job then, by definition, you’re crap at it. If you can’t commit 100% to your job, don’t pretend you can. Nobody deserves a job unless they can commit to it,” he insisted. Neil French couldn’t commit to keeping up with the times, which is what the advertising business has always demanded.