Best job in the world? Cummins to host Asian ad industry reality TV show called The AdBreak
Called The AdBreak, it sees 10 young ad industry hopefuls battle it out for an internship with an Omnicom creative agency.
The AdBreak site promotes Cummins as the founder of Cummins & Partners, and – interestingly – the creator of the Queensland Tourism ‘Best Job in the World’, the world’s most awarded campaign ever (which was of course created by CumminsNitro, Brisbane – now SapientNitro). He’s been taking a break from the industry for the past year after selling his agency to SapientNitro.
Pitched as ‘The Apprentice of the Advertising Industry’ it has two teams of creative wannabes battling it out to solve advertising briefs to win the internship as well as colour pieces with industry gurus revealing “the good, the bad, and the downright ugly in the world of advertising”.
Home viewers are invited to script, shoot and upload their own TV commercials for one of the brand partner’s products for the chance to win a grand prize of US$50,000.
The Grand Prize will be announced during episode 8 as voted by the home audience.
“The hardest thing about advertising is actually breaking into it. Because its so hard to know people’s abilities just by judging an art folio, or a TV reel. You don’t know how they are as creative people. Are they moody, quiet, surly? Are they Divas? Are they precious?,” says Cummins in an interview with Ice-TV.
“I think a show that exposes the types of people that make up the creative department is a fascinating opportunity to create compelling television.”
Australia’s The Gruen Transfer, [which Cummins auditioned for], has been a ratings sensation for the ABC and the format has recently been sold to an international distributor.
9 Comments
Sean owned the agency that did best Job, won the client, created the opportunity and wrote the original startegy.
He was also years before his time, Before Gruen Transfer, in the idea of a ad based tv show. see link
http://www.bandt.com.au/news/cummins-pitches-ad-based-tv-concept
Sorry, but Sean Cummins was not the ‘creator’ of best job in the world. He owned the company that employed the people who came up with the idea. Minor but important detail.
And no, I have no vested interest. Except to say that I hate people taking or receiving undue credit.
This raises an issue I’ve been wrestling with:
Is the Creative Director or creative principal of an agency which handles a piece of business entitled to claim a campaign – particularly a successful one – as their own if their staff conceived and executed the work and the Creative Director or creative principal played no part in its creation?
Is having your name on the door sufficient justification to claim the work of others as your own?
Discuss.
This happens a lot in Asia.
All CDs take credit for work they were not involved in. Ogilvy, TBWA
• Lucky sods they getv 8 weeks to do an ad….how about a day…that would really be reality TV.
• Most probably 95% of the show will be about the unpleasant everyday pissing contests, not the work…just like it is in reality.
Dear Editior Sean is never one to claim credit for anything he didnt do. He is a leader who gives his team ideas and permission to be the best they can be. he has much righ to best Job as anyone. his client, his relationship, his own agency. And just for good measure his startegy.
Know the full story and stop defaming his legacy.. Oh and also know that Sean is a pioneer. He had the idea for a TV showed based on advertising years before anyone else. He chose to concentrate on doing advertising.
See link: http://www.bandt.com.au/news/cummins-pitches-ad-based-tv-concept
Short answer, 9:42? Yes.
They’ve hired the talent, laid the groundwork, most often wrestled with account service to refine the brief, and most often provided post-rationalised creative strategy arguments both inside and outside the agency as to why the solution is right.
And in the case of an agency principal, they’ve hired the creative director that has done that.
It might be more accurate to describe Sean Cummins as “founder of CumminsNitro, creators of The Best Job in the World”, but I can understand the short-hand.
And it’s not like the rest of the team haven’t had their time in the sun at just about every award show on the planet.
Good luck to all of them.
Cummins is a legend in his own mind. Don’t believe it!
It’s now 6 months later. What happened to the show? Was it canned or has it been delayed. Anyone know?