Culture Shock on Madison Avenue

Last week’s announcement that the Interpublic Group acquired Reprise Media set off a round of self-congratulatory praise up and down Madison Avenue.It was as though they stopped hitting the snooze button and finally addressed the importance of search in any advertising campaign.But take a close look beyond the buzzwords like “integration” and “broad marcom mix,” because the acquisitions and partnerships merely put a pretty face on some of the deep, troubling issues at play.

There is a long-standing, creative tradition on Madison Avenue whose roots run deep.These are agencies that have thrived on the big idea.They brought us the famous “1984” ad for Apple and the Aflac duck.

Although there is room for creativity in search and other online advertising, it’s pretty much standing room only.There are no big ideas, there is no Aflac duck or “1984” ad among the 100 characters in your text ad on Google, Yahoo, or MSN.The creativity in search and online advertising is limited, and based on results, not ideas.

This clash of cultures will inevitably drive a fissure between the creative teams and the search teams on the new, “online-friendly” Madison Avenue.Indeed, this conflict is highlighted in a recent article by