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Doc Martens curb-stomps ad agency
Posted by Fired Fred on May 24, 2007 5:55 PM
Dead rocks stars apparently have no business dying with their boots on, especially if they are maladjusted youth-favorite brand Doc Martens.
Someone at Saatchi & Saatchi London is being thrown under the double-decker bus for using four ads for Doc Martens that were not meant to be seen in public...
Kate Stanners, executive creative director, Saatchi & Saatchi said the four print ads which featured the late rock singers Kurt Corbain, Joe Strummer, Sid Vicious and Joey Ramone all in heaven wearing Dr Martens boots, were presented as a homage to the rock legends. All four punk-rock icons were known for wearing Dr. Martens boots.Ok, none of those guys ever called them "Doctor" Martens. Anyway, about that person being offered as a sacrificial mosh pit victim by Saatchi...
"While we believe the creative is a beautiful tribute to four legendary musicians, the individual broke both agency and client protocol in this situation by placing the ads on a US advertising website and acting as an unauthorised spokesperson for the company."Many a hapless head has been ground underneath the heel of those boots over the years. Now I'm supposed to believe their new corporate mission statement...
Dr Martens did not commission the work as it runs counter to our current marketing activities based on FREEDM, which is dedicated to nurturing grass roots creativity and supporting emerging talent.Maybe they're carving that into the heels of the boots these days, as a reverse image so people can see it in the mirror and read it on their foreheads.
When did the terms Grass roots and Doc Marten's become analogous? Did the company perhaps accquire some admin. from Birkenstock? So Kate stepped out of bounds in the execution of the ad? Censoring the artist would seem like a childish thing to do, especially if the ad was well received by the public. In the Doc Marten "History Of" coffee table book, I remember there being a repetition of fight the power type statements. Everything from the musicians to the band histories seems to get at this "do your own thing" idea. Maybe the company should revamp the motto to read "do your own thing so long as it is in compliance with the company, share holders, FCC, attorney's, PR, PC, mission statement, etc etc. I am not condoning/advocating what Ms. Stanners did; rather I am questioning the course of action by which a company censors an artist. It has been my experience that some of the best brain childs are a direct result of defiance. Best wishes to Ms. Stanners and a world of compliments to her work.
Posted on: May 25, 2007 5:09 PM