Them's the rules.

You might've read this before, but it's worth another read. 

It was written by Robert Townsend, CEO of Avis Rent A Car in the early 60s. 

I won't rehash the story. There are plenty of other blogs that do, which you can find with a quick google. But it's worth reading this extract from Robert Townsend's book, and there's another enlightening piece about it in The Pirate Inside. We've also written about the great Avis campaign by DDB in our Advertising Greatness series.

Anyway. It's bloody brilliant. 

The best piece I've ever read about client-agency relationships, and it's less than 200 words. Clear, concise and simple, it lays out the framework for creating great creative work. A simple set of rules based on trust. Grown up, old fashioned, trust. Everyone knows their job and they are trusted to get that job done. 

It's no wonder the majority of today's creative work is dogshit poor and the advertising industry is at an all time low when the industry is devoid of all trust. Instead we're surrounded by an army of mediocre, identikit marketing types, deployed to implement a process that strangles good creative work with a slow death by a thousand amends. 

That's why I love the story behind this philosophy so much.

Client needs some shit hot creative work to increase their sales. 

Client finds shit hot Agency who it wants to work with to increase their sales. 

Client trusts Agency to produce shit hot creative work to increase their sales. 

Agency's shit hot creative work increases sales. 

Client is happy.

That's how to ‘git 'er done’ as Larry would say.

I've printed it out and stuck it on the wall. I suggest you do the same.