A Hunting We Will Go

The ad agency world continues to devolve, crushed under the weight of fleeing clients, lost revenue and an inclination towards self destruction rivaled only by today's GOP.

As a result, myself, and an army of under-employed freelance copywriters and art directors have been forced to find grazing grounds elsewhere.

At times it has been frustrating.
Other times it has been eye opening and not at all unpleasant.

For instance, not long ago I did a job for a Japanese producer who acts as a liaison between American creatives and Japanese clients seeking remote marketing expertise. Not only was there no negotiating on the price,

"You tell me what is fair and we will pay you your full day rate." (Damn, that's music to my ears.)

 But it even got better.

"There will be no revisions, because client respects you and your creative choices." (I wish this guy would call me more often)

But in many cases the hunt is downright comical.

Like that time the digital agency recruiter rejected my services because I didn't have any social media experience. I suppose if you ignore this blog, my hijinks on Linkedin, my daily homemade Trump memes, my Kim Jung Fun tumblr, my Shitgibbonfiles tumblr, and the book I published stemming from a year's worth of email correspondence with a Nigerian Con Artist, you could say I was lacking in that area.

And then there's Pharma.

I'm well aware of the connotations regarding Pharma/healthcare/well being advertising. There was a time when this was regarded as the last pasture for 44 year olds like myself. Get tagged with being a pharma guy, they say, and you'll never be called up for the Big Show again.

Even if I had a fuck to give, I wouldn't.

Newsflash to this big, mythical and rhetorical THEY: There is no more Big Show.

I'll skip the temptation to go off on that rant for the umpteenth time and end with a nod to the Help Wanted ads placed by the various Pharma agencies.

You see I have no qualms about helping you with your next project or product launch. If the check clears, I'm good to work on anything you've got. Unfortunately I have no "oncology, cardiology or pulmonary disease experience".

Nor can I show you any previous work in my portfolio about Irritable Bowel Syndrome.

Though, if pressed, I'm sure my wife could provide some amusing anecdotes.