How the ad industry is reacting to Bogusky’s CP&B comeback – Info Advertisement

In an era where brainy topics like big data and programmatic buying seem to dominate the conversation, Bogusky’s unexpected comeback proves that big personalities still matter in an industry that used to be dominated by them. Or they at least can get people talking. Everyone, it seemed, had an opinion on what his return means, or why he would do it now after being away from the agency for eight years.

One person summarized the reaction within the MDC Partners network: “Intriguing, exciting, desperate. Depends on who you talk to.” And plenty of people took to Twitter to celebrate, or question his return (see below).

Stephen Groth, who has been a friend and business partner of Bogusky’s for some 15 years, says he was surprised by his return. But “I think it’s awesome,” adds Groth, who is a partner with Bogusky at a Boulder-based startup accelerator called Boomtown that they formed in 2014. Groth is also president and CEO at Mahalo Spirits Group, a craft spirits incubator and marketer where Bogusky has led brand strategy.

But Bogusky’s return, while buzzworthy, is no slam dunk for the agency. “It’s like Michael Jordan going back to the Wizards,” says a former MDC employee, analogizing the comeback to an aging athlete trying to recapture the glory, way past their prime.

Says one former colleague: “This will be a challenge for Alex because he built Crispin Porter Bogusky from the ground up. He hired all the creatives. Now, he’s stepping into an agency that he hasn’t touched in eight years and all his genius creatives have left to run their own business or big companies.”

Says Groth: “Alex does everything based on a challenge and passion—that’s his thing.” He might be 55, but he has the “energy of a 20-year-old,” he adds. “He’s got so much gas in his tank it’s not funny.”

For some people, his comeback, at least for a day, provided a symbolic ray of sunshine in an industry that has been beset with bad news, whether it be disappointing earnings reports or the drumbeat of skepticism about how traditional agencies can keep up with new competitors, like consultancies, or frenemies like Google and Facebook. Says Lincoln: “I feel excited again for our industry, it’s been very doom and gloom for a while. Layoffs, office closing, scandals, losing great talent to the client side or tech side. If one person can change it, I think he’d be the catalyst. Look, he’s already inspired all of us now to talk about it.”

Still, there are some doubts about whether his name means much at all to the younger generation of creatives.

“Alex’s most meaningful contributions to the business were over a decade ago, and they were possibly less about the work than they were about cultivating incredible ad creative talent— many of them which followed him only to watch him give up on advertising,” said one agency executive. “The memory of creatives doesn’t last that far. And modern talent in agencies today? They have found new idols.”

But senior execs are buzzing.

Brian Collins, chief creative officer at independent design company Collins called Bogusky’s talent and ambition “an unstoppable force multiplier,” adding, “I hope his return puts to rest the tired cliche that ‘no one is indispensable.’ Some people are so indispensable, in fact, that their departure leaves a hole no one can really fill. They are beyond rare.”

Below, a look at how the news was greeted on Twitter:

This is like Steve Jobs coming back to Apple advertising version #ThrowbackThursday https://t.co/DPfHiBEQ4e

— anselmo ramos (@anselmoramos) August 2, 2018

Why, @bogusky why! ????????‍♀️ #fallingidol pic.twitter.com/QVgovZfQcE

— Carmen Rodríguez ???? (@_Angua__) August 2, 2018

We know things went wonkers when Trump was elected, but now @bogusky just went back to @cpbgroup Word is they are now wearing North Face Arctic parkas in Hell.

— The Next Wave (@thenextwave) August 2, 2018

I mean, I love the work CPB used to do and Bogusky was a hero to ad guys a decade back but his new Chief Creative ENGINEER designation is fucking silly https://t.co/RvIWAuoZP6

— menon (@_menonX) August 2, 2018

@bogusky coming back instills hope in me that the ad/comms industry isn’t entirely fvcked. Thank You.

— Justin Osman (@justinosman) August 2, 2018

.@bogusky dude, good to have you back. You make our business better. Big ups to you. You’re always invited to R/GA to talk some shop #LetsMakeAmazing

— Stephen Larkin (@stephenlarkin) August 2, 2018

Contributing: Megan Graham, George Slefo