I read a story on Ad Age today about General Motors firing more marketing execs, specifically three guys who worked with the Cadillac brand. One of GM’s main ad agencies used to be uber-creative Boston shop Modernista! (though I am excited to talk about them, the exclamation point is actually part of the name) and I was reminded of their classic TV spot “The Big Race” (a.k.a. “Happy Jack”) for then-GM brand Hummer.
One of my all-time favorites, as a great example of both a flawlessly executed commercial film and a great outside-the-box idea that convey the product benefit in a memorable way.
Modernista! chose not to defend the Cadillac account in the most recent review. And the more I think about why a great agency like that would voluntarily part ways with such a whale of an account (to borrow a phrase from Sam Marquez of “Las Vegas”), the luckier I think those three marketing execs really are.
Tags: GM, Happy Jack, Hummer, Modernista
