Agency ad drive is not new idea

I quote last week’s news story (MW February 12): “TBWA Simons Palmer is to launch its own 48-sheet poster campaign… it is thought to be the first time an advertising agency has launched its own above-the-line campaign.”

In 1965, JWT London was the first UK ad agency (probably) to advertise its own services in the national press, in this case The Sunday Times, with 12 ads spread over 24 weeks. It was JWT’s first house campaign since its trade press ads in the Fifties. Each ad generated 150 to 200 requests for more information.

I would like to give Simons Palmer two pieces of advice:

To make its phone number big enough to be read by prospect ive clients as they sweep past in their BMWs with a car phone in one hand and a fag in the other.

Make sure its switchboard is personned from dawn. Clients go to work at astonishingly unsocial hours.

Good luck. After all, it’s already had two stories in MW without actually doing anything.

Tom Rayfield

Rayfield Writers

Banbury

Oxon