Can Hotshot Ad Guy Alex Bogusky Make Microsoft Cool? Nope.
Can Hotshot Ad Guy Alex Bogusky Make Microsoft Cool? Nope.
Written by craig coffman
Fast Company last month featured this article asking a simple question: Can Alex Bogusky (pictured to the left) make Microsoft cool? Seems like a simple question. It has all the wonderings of a solid point-of-interest article. But, after reading it you are told the answer. No. He cannot.
It is not an assault on him. Frankly, I do not know the bad-boy of the ad world. However, reading this article gave me some insight into him, and raised a few questions as well. He is a named partner of Crispin Porter + Bogusky, who have been responsible for many “cutting-edge” campaigns in recent pop culture. Mr. Bogusky seems to have some messiah like quality which I am not seeing. Maybe he is extremely personable, but he might be getting too much credit.
“Just the other day, I was walking by the kitchen in the office,” says the young art director, two years into working for Bogusky. “There was, like, this halo over him.”
Really? A halo? Sure he is good looking and speaks well (at least in this article), but he also says he does not do the work. He might come up with some of the ideas, such as the concepts for Mini, Virgin Atlantic, Volkswagen, and Burger King. However, get ready for this, the “king” of the ad world did not really do those ads. Surprise! Andrew Keller and Rob Reilly (of CP+B) were the creative force behind that work.
Ever heard of them? Doubt it.
More so, he is no longer Chief Creative Officer. That’s right. He is now co-chairman of CP+B. He is no longer working the late nights of obsessive editing, but rather flying about to clients to “talk about strategy.” By his own admission he will not be working on the account directly like he has in the past.
“It’s up to those guys how they want to run it now,” says Bogusky, who has been with Crispin since he was 26. “For sure, I’m passing the torch.”
There it is. The answer. No, he will not save Microsoft. Andrew Keller and Rob Reilly, on the other hand, just might get the job done. But I doubt it because, come on, it’s Microsoft after all.