Should Advertising Agencies Provide Free Spec Work?
People in other industries don’t provide their would-be clients with “spec work” for free. That would be asinine. So, why do advertising agencies continue to do it?
It’s not a new question. (This Adweek story from August was just the latest assessment of a practice that goes back decades.) But Toronto agency Zulu Alpha Kilo really illustrates just how ludicrous it is—in the great video below, in which a guy approaches real men and women (not actors) in other businesses and asks them to provide him with a product or service for free, to see if he likes it before committing to more.
Zulu made the video for Strategy magazine’s annual Agency of the Year event on Wednesday night, where a number of agencies presented comic videos. But despite the humorous approach, the topic is a serious one for Zulu.
The shop took part in spec pitches during its first two years of operation, but founder and CCO Zak Mroueh abruptly stopped doing so. “We haven’t done a pitch that requires spec creative in five years,” he told Adweek this year. “This approach allows us to support our clients’ brands rather than using the resources our clients pay for to gain new business.”
Now, it wants other agencies to follow its lead. “It’s time we all said no to spec,” says the on-screen copy at the end of the new video.
Could it be that easy?
Also, here is a list of winning agencies from Strategy’s AOY event.
CREDITS
Agency: Zulu Alpha Kilo
Creative Director: Zak Mroueh
Art Director: Guilherme Bermejo
Writer: Nick Doerr
Agency Producer: Tara Handley
Production House: Zulubot
Director: Zak Mroueh
Producers: Tara Handley, Daniel Kaplan
Director of Photography: Albert Huh
Casting Director: Shasta Lutz
Post, Editing, Music Company: Zulubot
Editor: Mike Headford
Colorist, Transfer: Roslyn Di Sisto
Producer: Tara Handley
Engineer: Stephen Stepanic
Share
Latest Posts
Why Google Cares If Your Business Has Online Reviews – And Why You Should Too
A business’s visibility on Google can make or break its success, but what if one simple factor, like online reviews,
Why Local SEO Matters: Strategies to Dominate Your Local Market
With the competitiveness of the digital space, businesses must recognize the importance of local SEO. As consumers increasingly turn to
How to Get Started with Your Dealership’s Digital Marketing Strategy
Since the rise of the internet, the number of users and digital platforms has steadily increased year over year. According
Double Duty: Why Owning Both the Ad and Top Organic Spot Matters
In the realm of digital marketing, obtaining the highly desired top organic search result is usually seen as the main
Drivers Hold Onto Cars Longer: A Service Opportunity for Dealers
Based on a recent study by S&P Global Mobility, the average automobile on the road today is 12.5 years old—a
Unlocking the Potential of Enhanced Conversions
What Are They? Enhanced conversions were developed to help provide additional data on top of conversion tags with first-party data.