Is advertising really a creative business?

Q: How many advertising people do you think made it onto Fast Company's recent list of The 100 Most Creative People in Business?

A: One.

That's right, just a single creative from our whole "creative industry". An industry that awards itself for "creativity" more than any other.

Of course, Elvis Chau of JWT Shanghai deserves full credit for this magnificent achievement. Imagine if he didn't make the list and we had no-one to represent our industry. How embarrassing would that be?

Ironically, even Elvis says, "Advertising is not that original."

Perhaps it's time for ad agencies and their clients to stop talking the talk about how to engage consumers who are already engaged with things far more engaging than advertising, get their heads out of their research reports, and start to produce something that is genuinely creative and entertaining.

Now there's an idea!