Moral sense prevails in the ad world

As the moral fabric of our society is torn asunder, the Diary is proud to note that advertising, alone among the great professions like tele-evangelising and secondhand car dealing, has kept a firm hold on moral purposes.

When David Wheldon, Coke’s former worldwide head of advertising and, ever so briefly, director of marketing for greater Europe, left the Big Red One last week to become president of BBDO Europe, his new boss Jean-Michel Goudard welcomed him warmly to the agency.

Now BBDO, of course, happens be the agency of Coke’s bitter rival Pepsi. So perhaps Wheldon’s experience might be especially pertinent?

If so, Goudard is reportedly far too upright to consider drawing on his knowledge, at least for “a decent period of time for ethical reasons”.

So, what is a “decent period of time” in advertising? The Diary reckons ten or 15 minutes ought to do it.

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