Inside Minneapolis Advertising
November 12, 2007
Lee Lynch, the former CEO of Carmichael Lynch, recently asked, “Has our pilot light gone out? Is the Minneapolis brand on the skids?” Wait. We didn’t know that the city even had a brand. It’s got to be tough living in the Twin Cities. What do you really have – access to the Mall of America and a live-in rockstar who is totally fine with suing all his fans?
The Star Tribune recognizes that Minneapolis can be a tough place to survive. Just consider their recent article on the mixed bag of results for agencies within city limits. Some shops have seen revenues hold steady (Martin/Williams), while others (such as Fallon) are just barely hanging on and even more are just keeping their heads above water (i.e. Carmichael Lynch).
Our favorite quote from the paper: “Agency chiefs acknowledge that advertising is, if nothing else, highly cyclical, and clients tend to change their chief marketing officers more frequently than the Minnesota Timberwolves change coaches.”
However, Denny Haley, president of the Minneapolis office of BBDO points out the often overlooked truth when folks talk about the city’s ad business: “Minneapolis’ success had been so dramatic in the ’80s and ’90s that when it plateaued [in recent years] it seemed like it declined. It’s not as much in the doldrums as people convey.”
Ad folk are such drama queens. We just love the excitement and readily forget that advertising is totally cyclical.
November 12, 2007 at 9:59 pm
Every agency has their ebb and flow. It just so happens that all of Minneapolis’ agencies had it at once. But I think they’ll rebound nicely.
Carmichael just won Subaru.
Fallon seems set in the right direction… finally.
Don’t know much about Martin Williams.
There are some great smaller shops like Mono, Olson and Colle McVoy doing great things (sometimes even better than the ones mentioned above).
November 13, 2007 at 12:42 am
good for carmichael on subaru. as someone who knows people who have worked at fallon – it’s a dying agency and brand. watch out for the barrieDM’s and the monos and colle’s, they’re coming up quick. minneapolis isn’t dead. it’s just a 21st century changing of the guard.
November 13, 2007 at 2:28 pm
When I was in college in the 1990’s all my Ad classmates wanted to work at Fallon or Martin Williams. Most ended up at CME. Does anyone know what Minneapolis ranks in the ad industry. I once heard we were like 4th or 5th. http://duckduckgrayduck.wordpress.com/
November 13, 2007 at 9:17 pm
True, true. It’s a changing of the guard. For me, Mono is the best agency in town. Interested to see what kind of work comes out of BDM. And Brew. As for Colle, while I really dig their work (especially their design and art direction) they need to do something on the big stage. Everything they do now seems kinda fake. Most of their entries in this year’s ad show seemed like they were for…this year’s ad show. And from what I’ve heard, they’re a little too happy to beat their chests about it.
November 15, 2007 at 5:06 am
Yeah, Colle McVoy had a ton of stuff in the local show (Fallon doesn’t submit work), but what does that prove? I believe the last time they won something nationally/globally was the VOTE campaign from a few years ago.
And I agree with them beating their chests. From what I’ve heard, they’ve literally laughed at people who were trying to interview at their shop.
November 22, 2007 at 3:02 am
Colle McVoy? Has anyone heard of them?
December 28, 2007 at 2:21 am
fallon’s arrogance has caught up with them. the problem with fallon is that their arrogance eventually superseded their talent. guess what happens next?