So we have our ad brief. After this, it becomes fun. The
client's point of contact within the agency is the Account Handler,
and it's their job to turn an ad brief into a creative brief. These
poor souls represent the agency to the advertiser and vice versa,
and as a result are professionally disliked by both sides. The client
will always assume that the account handler is trying to edge him/her
off the carefully-discussed marketing strategy and onto some hare-brained
idea that will win the agency a Cannes Lion or D&D award1. The
agency creatives and production people will, naturally, conclude
that the account handler is being overly protective in his/her presentation
of the client's needs, and therefore cramping their creative style.
At this stage, egos are heating up nicely and hackles are rising.
