These are exciting times. PBS announced that they are bringing back an old favorite, “The Electric Company”. Granted they will not be rerunning the original series but it is still exciting nonetheless. The original series focused on reading skills and ran from ‘71 – ‘77. Some of us old heads will remember the series fondly. That is where we were introduced to the likes of Morgan Freeman and Rita Moreno. The new series will reflect the change in technology and the way 8 year olds are learning today as opposed to the 1970’spsychedelicstick figure approach. For those born in the 80’s check it out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9QuWj_eO9s&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M98-5g3TYTI&feature=related

I read an article in the wee hours the other night about Integrated Production. If you want to sound like you are hip and on top of what is happening, throw that around at the next industry party. The concept is pretty simple – the entire team is involved in crafting the concept and strategy for a project from the minute the RFP comes through the front door. On an agency level this means interactive, broadcast and print teams come together to tackle concept and strategy across all media outlets but you probably already knew that. It really could not get any simpler – communication. I am amazed anything was ever produced that was worth mentioning with teams operating in silos. It is hard not to get excited about this.

However, I have mixed feelings about the ad world finally embracing this methodology – On the one hand I am looking forward to working on projects where, perhaps, we (TBG) are brought on much earlier in the RFP process to help develop the big idea or at least help determine how digital relates to what is being done in other disciplines. In order to have a successful project, whether you are a producer or partner, it is critical to have a voice as early as possible in the process. How else are you able to communicatewhat makes sense and how to execute it in the interactive/digital space and have people listen?

It sounds like the people spear heading this movement have the same frustrations I have had over the years. Disjointed ideas, people concepting who do not understand the medium, ideas sold to clients that are impossible to pull off within the budget/time frame or just plain impossible to pull off in accordance with their spec. It sets everyone up for failure. Those projects that do get sold through tend to be contentious, where the producer spends his or her time trying to be a fire wall instead of focusing on how to get an awesome idea made into a reality. It is exhausting and frankly is a morale killer for the creative team. Perhaps this new approach will mitigate a great deal of this, which would be brilliant.

On the other hand, I am skeptical about how this is going to get pulled off. Is the ad industry ready to adopt an actual project management methodology that supports truly integrated production? Each discipline requires its own management approach. Managing interactive is an entirely different beast. To produce interactive in a traditional waterfall manner is counter to this new way of thinking. Adopting a more agile approach to design and development, would force the team to continue working together even after the idea is sold. Why set up a production department that is founded on the principle of cross discipline collaboration and then follow the old management approach? While there would be a broadly defined deliverable for the client to cling to, doing so would take the agency and end client out of their comfort zone. Hopefully, as this becomes the norm, clients will recognize that they have an opportunity to be a part of the team and have more control over making sure the end product reflects their business needs of the moment and not when the contract was signed. I guess only time will tell if the integrated production that is being bandied about is powerful enough to convert the old dogs.