In the early 1990s, I worked for a direct response agency called Draft. Named for and run by Howard Draft. One of the most arrogant, one of the sleaziest men I've ever met in an industry known for being … um … "ethically challenged." Once I realized what I had gotten into, I got out as soon as I could. It took years of "Silkwood showers" to wash away the Draft stench.
Through the ensuing decade, Howard Draft enjoyed success after success. Got richer and richer. His formula seemed to be concentrating on new business and winning awards for new clients to create industry buzz while ignoring old clients. Yet he never gave the old clients a "we no longer care about you" discount, even though they no longer received the level of service they signed up for.
I have neither the time nor the stomach to discuss the sexual/romantic encounters Howard Draft was rumored to conduct in the workplace.
This all disturbed me mightily because I believe in The Golden Rule.
This past week Howard received his comeuppance, and in a big way. Two months ago, Draft was awarded an account worth nearly $600 million from Wal-mart. It was a huge win.
Last week, it was taken away. Julie Roehm, the Wal-mart exec in charge of the agency review process, was unceremoniously canned amid lots and lots and LOTS of rumors. And then on Thursday, Wal-Mart fired Draft (now DraftFCB) and said it would hold a new agency review because of "new information we have obtained over the past few weeks." Wal-Mart did not expand on the nature of the information. Draft is most emphatically NOT invited to participate.
This NEVER happens. A company the size of Wal-Mart does not award $580 million in business to an agency, give interviews and release statements talking about how brilliant and innovative their choice of agency was, and then, before a single ad has been created, can that agency. This is big. This is juicy. This is huge … and should be humiliating for all concerned. (That is, if Howard is capable to being humiliated anymore.)
Julie Roehm loves fast cars and famously took a test drive in Howard's Aston-Martin while the review was still going on. The little spin was covered by local papers, as well as Ad Age. There was a dinner at the oh-so exclusive Nobu in New York and a command performance by the Eagles. It was an appalling display of consumption that had nothing to do with marketing, strategy or creative product. And all this went on while Wal-Mart employees make minimum wage and have shitty healthcare benefits.
Welcome to the real world, Howie.
Over the weekend a Draft spokesperson said the agency wasn't worried about this harming their reputation. Of course not. It just reinforces the reputation Howard Draft has worked hard to earn throughout his career.