Leo Burnett Beirut’s 2012/2q GPC: Transparency?!
By Admin I : So we’re reaching a new pattern of reviews here, dealing with a huge multinational agency such as Leo Burnett is by no means underestimated, at least by brofessionals like us, since we’re pretty sure they can barely read our usual reviews without rolling eyes and using their pretentious attitudes saying “Who the hell are those bloggers?!”
Whether you can digest criticism or not – or not – and I surely don’t mean employees only, we’re here talking about senior executives and clients; we came across your GPC report, and lucky us, the report is available for the public!
So why wasting a chance to review how an agency asses itself, how a change in behavior is perceived by the so-called ‘creatives’ after a roller-coaster year, talking about advertising in general, and Leo Burnett Beirut in particular (Exotica alone is enough proof!)
The report is an ego nirvana celebration with lots of cheese even though the whole industry is shifting towards more rational realistic policies, going far from the orthodox methods of aging multinationals:
“It’s clear from our performance at Cannes that we’re firing on all cylinders, and our HumanKind philosophy is helping to push the needle forward for the entire industry”
Really?!
So back to the GPC results, and if you aren’t familiar with it, the GPC was founded by Donald Gunn and Michael Conrad as a quality control mechanism for Leo Burnett Worldwide and the scale is distributed as following:
1 – Appalling 2 – Destructive 3 – Not Competitive 4 – Cliche 5 – Innovative Strategy 6 – Fresh Idea 7 – Excellence in Craft 8 – New standard in the category 9 – New standard in advertising 10 – Best in the world, bar none
Leo Burnett Beirut had an 8+ ranking this quarter, which is highly debatable (chill! we’re not pretending to know more than the board of executives, but we’re just stating our minds). The ranking is based on the ability to change behavior through creative work and it’s what mainly determines promotions and bonuses within the agency (wish everyone can do a bad performance and still grab a bonus!)
Johnnie Walker grabbed 3 high rankings in the GPC, kind of expected for an inspirational campaign but somehow overrated especially that it became redundant and never “changed behavior” unless making people drunk is considered a notable behavior change.
Diageo – Johnnie Walker
Keep Walking Lebanon – Nadine Labaki
Leo Burnett / Beirut
GPC score 8.0
Category: Integrated
Diageo – Johnnie Walker
Keep Walking Lebanon / Nadine Labaki – On Set
Leo Burnett / Beirut
GPC score 7.3
Category: Film
Diageo – Johnnie Walker
Keep Walking Lebanon / Nadine Labaki – On Screen
Leo Burnett / Beirut
GPC score 7.6
Category: Film
The second campaign assessed was café super Brazil, and a 7.7 is a well deserved ranking here: the campaign portrayed a genuine Lebanese ritual and revived a brand that was struggling in the market!
Café Super Brasil Read the Country’s Fortune
Leo Burnett / Beirut
GPC score 7.7 / 7.8
Category: Integrated / Film
Himaya is probably one of the most overrated campaigns of the year! A Cannes Lions, and a 7.7 GPC ranking for a campaign that was reported inspired* (check this link)
Himaya Break the Silence
Leo Burnett / Beirut
GPC score 7.7 (Cannes Bronze PR Lion)
Category: Integrated
Himaya Repetition
Leo Burnett / Beirut
GPC score 7.7
Category: Film
Himaya Predator In The Park
Leo Burnett / Beirut
GPC score 7.2
Category: Ambient Media
Another campaign grabbing a well deserved 7.0 ranking for a good concept but somehow a weak execution.
Procter & Gamble – Max Factor
Evil Eye
Leo Burnett / Beirut
GPC score 7.0
Category: Print
What mainly raised Leo Burnett Beirut’s GPC to 8 is a 9.0 ranking for Farid Chehab’s book “A bet for a national conscience” weirdly perceived as a campaign, and weirdly assessed as behavior changing; it’s almost like who dares to give Leo Burnett MENA’s chairman a low ranking, people need their jobs in the end.
Leo Burnett Beirut A Bet For A National Conscience
Leo Burnett / Beirut
GPC score 9.0
Category: Integrated
No matter how transparent ad-men pretend to be, advertising seems like a field struggling to move forward but always faced by traditional media and thinking processes. Back then, they thought advertising could change the world (well, some are still convinced) yet now, it’s clear that “World-changing” ideas can barely reach an award show and end by a raise or a bonus.
Wishing Leo Beirut a good luck for the next few months of 2012, which seem more promising after the well done Alfa ad and Audi Bank animations, but remains a not very good year on so many levels.
