Have the success of Mad Men and the lure of Madison Avenue really created enough interest in an advertising reality show?  From the agency perspective, the answer is a resounding “NO”.

Recently, AMC has decided to try its hand at a reality show.  Whether it will be exciting enough to draw viewers has yet to be seen.  But the biggest challenge has been getting any agency to participate.

This is not the first time this idea has come up.  Pile and Company has been approached at least two times in the last five years about a similar show.  In both of these shows, the idea was to get inside the workings of an agency as it pitches a piece of new business.  The reasons we said no:

•    Does a client really want to put their confidential business goals and marketing information out there for all to see?  In every review we manage, the client has everyone sign Non-Disclosure Agreements.  Yes, maybe it worked on The Apprentice, but I think you would be hard pressed to find many clients open to participating.

•    Most agencies would also say no.  It isn’t that there is any reason not to have a camera following their internal new business process for a new business pitch, but they would not want other agencies to see their ideas and how they approach presentations.  

Agency reviews are serious business.  Clients are making big business decisions.  So unless you wanted to “stage” a review, I don’t think it will ever work.

But, maybe I will be proven wrong.  If I am, I’ll write about this topic again.