MARK FENSKE: Nobody Ever Did a Good Ad Writing to a Strategy...

Do not hire any grads of Virginia Commonwealth University's graduate program in advertising. At least don't if you want to increase market share or operating margins. On the other hand if you want to win a ton of creative awards, be an artiste and hang with really cool folks then go ahead and hire 'em.

Mark Fenske currently teaches in the graduate program in advertising at Virginia Commonwealth University and he has a fascinating take on the creative process and what it takes to make great ads. Mark is also a highly celebrated Madison Avenue creative director. He does voice overs - his droll, Midwestern twang has generated a lot of work and copycats. You currently hear him on Cheezit spots... Cheezit - get your own box. And Mark even won an MTV video award in the mid-nineties for directing Van Halens music video Right Now.

I recently came across a podcast of an interview done with Mark by two copywriters at Sullivan, Higdon and Sink. Mark was describing some of the "truths" he teaches his students including this little gem:

"... you can't do your job well if what you care about is selling the clients product."

He also has several other truths/rules including "never take the company tour" and "nobody ever created a good ad writing to a strategy". Mark's point seems to be that all this business shit gets in the way of the creative process. So just don't listen. Block it out.

I don't get this. I never will get this. I am proud of the fact I don't get it. Look, advertising is not art. Advertising is weaponry in a battle for market share. If creativity helps me gain more share fine. If not then it is wasted sword motion. If you want to create art, if you want to be an artiste then get out of advertising and go be an artist. Write a screenplay, write a novel, go make another award winning music video but get the fuck out of advertising. God forbid if you work for me and try to create an ad without the strategy.

I have one question for Mr. Fenske... did you ever learn how to hit the curve ball?

UPDATE: 12.15.05: MARK FENSKE TO WIEDEN: HAS MARY MINNICK READ THE 14 ANTI-LAWS OF ADVERTISING?

Mark Fenske is returning to Wieden to work on the recently awarded Coke account. Mary Minnick, Coke's new marketing guru is the latest in a long line of Coke marketers to try to move the needle.

I have several predictions: First, Mark will craft ads that will be creatively brilliant and will win at least two Lions at the '07 Cannes. Second, Weiden will siphon huge amounts of cash from Coke shareholders over the next 12 months. Third, Coke's market share erosion will accelerate as will their year over year marketing spend. Fourth, Minnick will depart Coke for personal reasons and then write a book about branding. Mark Fenske will write the forward to Minnick's book. Do you think anybody on Coke's board of directors has read Fenske's 14 anti-laws of advertising?

AdWeek via Yahoo via Adpulp has the full story on Fenske's return to Wieden. I found this exchange between Wieden and Fenske interesting:

"He (Wieden) asked me (Fenske) what I'd been doing, and I told him I've been working freelance gigs; it's just that no one can sell what I write. He looked at me and said, 'I can."

UPDATE: 01.15.07 - A little more than a year ago I predicted Mary Minnick's departure from Coke. Her departure was announced today. I also made some predictions about her next move, Mark Fenske's creativity and Coke's market share and spend.

UPDATE: 01.31.07: Mark Fenske announces his departure from Wieden & Kennedy according to Adweek:

"I missed teaching," said Fenske, cautioning against reading more into his move. "In fact, I've already started teaching. The semester started two weeks ago." His last day at Wieden was Monday.

He said the Coke business would be "left in very good hands," but did not elaborate.

More on Mark Fenske here.

UPDATE: 10.12.07 Business Week interviewed VCU's head honcho Rick Boyko who made an interesting comment:

Though many traditional portfolio-based advertising schools are now adopting this approach, the Adcenter has it built into its core: "The school is set up to replicate business and has always taught its creatives to think strategically,"

Hmmmm........ this doesn't quite settle with Mark Fenske's 14 anti-laws of advertising. I'd be interested to hear how Boyko reconciles his comments with Fenske's.

Download vSente's Free Campaign Planner to learn more about how we help marketing managers battle larger competition.

Comments

[Me]

You are a 'tool shack' Mr. Smock! I've never heard of you. But I know Fenske's name.

You are a bitter man that apparently has no creativity what-so-ever. If you did, perhaps I may have heard of you before.

[Mike Smock]

Hi Mike,

Never been called a tool shack.

Kind of like it.

Been called bitter before. Thats not very creative. Coming from someone who I will guess considers himself creative.

Also been called a couple of nice things too.

And you're right. I don't consider myself to be creative. At least if your gauge of creativity is awards or MTV videos.

I just love it though when an agency pussy like you leaves a message like this.

Why don't you use your real name and agency affiliation?

And fight like a man. Let's debate the effectiveness of creativity. Or offer up some constructive criticism of our approach. Then we can fight. Or talk. Or debate. Hell, we might even end up liking each other and learning from each other.

By the way, next time you leave a little bomb like this you might understand that your IP address is captured. Which tells me that you work at Martin|Williams in Minneapolis. Is this you Mike Grey?

[Tim Brunelle]

Mike -

Here we are almost two years later. Interesting post. I've known Fenske for years, had drinks with him a couple times. I suspect if you'd spent any time talking with him in person, you'd get a broader perspective that some words on his blog don't convey. Why such a rush to judgement and anger?

I'm fascinated by your "marketing is war" analogy. Are consumers the carnage?

So you'll take creativity, but only if it does precisely what you expect and want. Sort of a P&G 1970s approach--beat the consumer to death with straight facts and media weight. And if we have to pretty things up, well, okay. But don't spend too much money doing it.

I agree with Fenske that "ads is art." Or that advertising is art in the service of business. (He's said both things.) Seems to me the point here is that there will always be a struggle, there will always be the rational product benefits and unexplainable magic behind advertising. Neither side will win out, or both lose...something. But rationality and magic can work together and perhaps even respect each other for mutual benefit.

Your approach has merit, as evinced by your list of successes. Fenske's approach works, too. That recent Happiness spot for Coke seems to have resonated with a lot of people.

I'm curious if you've been able to deconstruct creativity yet. Have you found the Holy Grail of advertising where art no longer needs apply?

- Tim

[Mike Smock]

Hi Tim,

Thanks for you comments. Let me address the major ones.

1. "I suspect if you'd spent any time talking with him in person"... I have spent time with Mark. We played on the same baseball team in high school. Which is how I know he can't hit the curve ball. His brother was a good friend of mine. Even spent a few nights over at the Fenske household. But this certainly doesn't qualify me as a friend of Mark's.

2. "I'm fascinated by your "marketing is war" analogy. Are consumers the carnage?"... No. in fact the approach we use is based upon winning without fighting.

3. "Why such a rush to judgement and anger?"... this cracks me up - you're the one making critical judgments of me after having spent 10 minutes reading my blog("I suspect if you'd spent any time talking with him (me) in person...").

4. "Sort of a P&G 1970s approach--beat the consumer to death"... Do you stereotype everybody this way? Do you even know what the P&G 1970's approach was?

5. "I agree with Fenske that "ads is art." Look, I am one of Fenske's biggest fans when it comes to his creativity. But, if it doesn't generate competitive advantage then it's wasted. Ads is not art - ads is commerce, art is art.

6. "But rationality and magic can work together and perhaps even respect each other for mutual benefit." Yea I agree. More than you'd ever suspect. So where does Fenske's "14 Anti-Laws" fall on the respect spectrum?

7. "That recent Happiness spot for Coke". I loved this spot. I marveled at the creativity. I could watch it a 100 times. BUT IT DIDN'T MOTIVATE ME TO BUY COKE. And I'm a cola drinker with no brand preference.

8. "deconstruct creativity yet?" No. And I think we likely will continue to disagree on this. For me, ads are commerce - for you and Mr. Fenske they're art.

[A Planner]

You say "do not hire grads from VCU" - Wouldn't you want someone who has been taught by Fenske? Someone who is able to discern the difference between a good ad an an award-driven ad? Someone who has been taught by a very smart man who may say some dumb things sometimes? And wouldn't you want to hire someone who is in the type of situation where they are learning from a Mark Fenske and has the opportunity to make up their own mind as to whether they want to agree with Fenske or not?

[Mike Smock]

Hi "A Planner",

I have said several times in this blog that I am a big fan of Fenske's creativity. The issue I have is with his 14 "anti-laws". So yea, If you're a VCU grad and agree with Fenske's anti-laws then I don't want you working for me. I need creative folks who appreciate the need for research, strategy, tactics, execution and most importantly selling the clients product.