Some Advertising Types, v2

I worked on a big client in Texas, I'd call it "American Airlines" but that would be indiscreet. Let's call it "Big Generic Airlines".

The account service person comes into my office with a new assignment. Account service people are often referred to as "suits". Or more derisively, "coat hangers".

Suit: Awesome assignment! BG Airlines was just awarded the contract to transport the Mona Lisa from the Louvre to the Met in New York! First time the Mona Lisa has ever come to the States! So BG wants to promote it, should be a great opportunity for some good creative!

I agree, yay!

So copywriter and I concept several print ads. And yes, 'concept' is considered a verb in advertising....

We came up with some good ads, the majority with the Mona Lisa as the visual because, well that's the pay off.

Creative Director is pleased, account service is pleased, so off to present to the client.

You'd initially think, Wow, working on BG Airlines must have been amazing! The budgets, the exposure! Not that easy. Clients of that size have lots of layers of marketing people who can all kill your work, but none can really approve it - just enough to get to the next layer. These entry- and mid-level folks are called such things as "flying monkeys", "proctologists", and in some cases, "idiots".

We get to the client level that can actually make the decision. We present.

Client: - silence -.
Client: All of the visuals are of the Mona Lisa.
Me: Yes well that's the pay off of the opportunity - BG has been entrusted with bringing her here to the States, it pays off all the headlines. And you know, it's da Vinci's Mona Lisa.
Client: Well YOU know that, because you're....artsy. I mean, YOU know what the Mona Lisa is, but does anyone else?

I still, to this day, have no idea what the best response to that would have been. How many things are wrong about the above statement? Isn't the Mona Lisa the POINT? THE MOST FAMOUS PIECE OF ART IN THE WESTERN WORLD?

Client: Just make the visual one of our planes, then it'll work for me.

GAH.