DESPERATE TIMES CALL FOR CREATIVE MEASURES. In an effort to get hired, advertising copywriter Marc Guttesman and creative/art director Tom Millar recently launched a Web site, video spot and direct mail campaign to showcase their skills. The Web site, at www.marcandtom.com, features a hilarious public service announcement-style spot depicting Guttesman and Millar failing at attempts to do work outside of the advertising world. The ad industry vets worked together at Bozell on the Lycos and Verizon Wireless accounts, as well as the National Fluid Milk Processors Education Program's Milk Mustache campaign, from 1997 until 2001, when they were laid off. "The ad industry took an incredible hit in 2001," Guttesman said. "So many people were forced out of the industry-people with 10, 15 years' experience." Hoping to save themselves from that fate, the pair teamed up with up-and-coming director Joe Leih and created the spot, which in one scene shows an actor playing Millar marking up a child's drawing, telling her it "isn't working." To publicize the spot, Guttesman and Millar sent DVDs to 20 New York ad agencies. The campaign has generated about 100 e-mails from people around the world, and to date, 10 overtures from agencies asking to meet with the pair. "The opportunities sound very promising," Guttesman said.
AS LONG AS YOU'RE ONLINE CHECKING out the handiwork of clever creatives with too much time on their hands, visit www.holifestigala.com. Pompano Beach, Fla.-based First Marketing celebrated the first annual "Holifestigala," a holiday that, by the agency's decree, falls on the fourth Tuesday of December. "The holiday unites all individuals behind spirited traditions and customs that ... create new ways to spread warmth and joy to others," according to the agency. Practicing "holifestigaliacs" partake in traditions such as dressing the chinchilla in festive clothing and carving the Crab Rangoon. If nothing else, the holifestigala.com Web site is worth a few laughs-particularly the animated game in which visitors can dress the chinchilla by clicking on brightly colored sweaters. Also, click on the link about how long Holifestigala lasts, where you'll see an animated chinchilla become belligerent and attack the finger that feeds it. Now that's holiday cheer!