There's been a strange thought that's been troubling me for the past few weeks. Maybe it was watching the pitch, maybe it was reading about Gerry Graf storming off state, maybe it was something else. What I've been thinking is this: in order for there to be good work, bad work needs to exist.
This is not a new idea by any means. What really brought this back to mind was an interview with Ava Duvernay. She talks about the divergent paths black filmmakers can take, bringing up the notorious Tyler Perry himself.
She says that you couldn't have Sundance award winning films, like hers, without movies like Perry's. And Tyler Perry is vilified because he's the only one consistiently making black films. The solution is more black filmmakers making quality films.
So much breath is wasted (at least in my case) decrying bad work. Not understanding how someone could attach their name to something so bad? How someone could disrespect people's time and attention? How could someone waste that much of someone else's money?
There is a positive side to this. Without bad local ads, or bad national ads, my heart wouldn't sing when I come across something great. The exhilaration of stumbling across a new idea would disappear. Not to mention it would be much more intimidating to make ads in a world where everything is "The Man Your Man Could Smell Like."
It's not our responsibility to be collectively ashamed of the work of the ad industry at large. Our only responsibility is deciding what kind of work we want to do. And doing it.