Creative Conundrum

As clients increasingly begin to narrow down their vision of the final creative – a process facilitated by the shift of servicing people to the client side – what is becoming a rarity these days is the ‘creative leap’. The days when a simple one-liner from the client would be inspiration enough for creative to come up with mind-blowing communication seem to be history now. While much of the blame for this goes to the client, whose lack of vision – worsened by the perilous timelines he works in – causes him to take what he feels is a foolproof ‘A for Apple’ route, some of it also needs to be attributed to the inability of creative teams to grasp the business-driven nuances of the communication.

How does one find a middle path between the two extremes – doing justice to the information that needs to be a part of the message while putting in place a message that people are inclined to read?

Ad Agency Reckoner Advertising

It is only right that the annual ET showcase of India's best advertising agencies be itself communicated by out-of-the-box advertising. Take a look at these creatives and if you feel you can add to the list of top things, write in your comments.

Of course, if you have any creative ideas that you feel reflect the spirit of the reckoner, send them to ET at adagencyreckoner@gmail.com. Some of the best creatives received by us will be displayed online here.

Will Piyush Pandey reign again?

He heads the nation's highest rated advertising agency, and going by last year's Agency Reckoner, was ranked the most influential person in Indian advertising and the best creative director. His grip on the numero uno position is so firm that not even the likes of Prasoon Joshi and Balki are able to edge him out.

As research begins to understand the leading figures of the industry as part of the Agency Recokner 2008, the big question is whether anyone else will be able to attain the number 1 position in 2008 displacing Piyush Pandey. While you watch Brand Equity to know who comes out on top, tell us who, deserves to be up there - with particular reference to the category of the 'Most Influential People in Advertising'.