I never thought I’d say this, but I just saw a corporate website from an ad holding company that doesn’t completely suck.
For the uninitiated, the lion’s share of the largest ad agencies are owned by a handful of publicly-traded conglomerates with names like Omnicom, Interpublic and WPP that function largely as financial institutions. They’re not typically given much credit by creative types — except when they’re handing over buckets of cash and stock in exchange for an agency. These companies generally play the role of beancounters and aren’t known for adding much to the creative process. And, as you’d expect, their websites are usually lifeless.
A notable exception is the new internet home of MDC Partners, owner of Crispin Porter & Bogusky, one of the more famous agencies in the land. The main attraction on the relaunched site, designed by Crispin, is a map that tracks the comings and goings of key executives. So with a bit of clicking and sliding you could see that Alex Bogusky, the creative legend who now works at he MDC level, is splitting this week between New York and his headquarters in Boulder, Co. You can also see his recent Tweets and a profile. And of course the site also does all the other stuff you’d expect a corporate site to do: investor information, mission statement, etc.
Who cares, you might ask? Well, I’d argue that little things like this breathe a little life into a corporate brand composed of three letters. And that matters when you consider that MDC, often the buyer of small creative agencies, needs to convince its potential targets that it’s fosters and supports a creative spirit. The site also works as a general reminder that corporate sites don’t have to be completely boring. However, you must already know that since you’re reading this one.
Hat tip to Creativity, which alerted me to this one.