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Ad men are human, too

An advertising agency that pledges only to do business ethically, not to offend, and to donate a fifth of profits to charity? Meg Carter investigates

11 February 2003

Advertising with a conscience may sound like a contradiction in terms, but the founders of the new advertising agency Eighty Twenty insist that rather than simply lining their pockets, society will benefit, too. Their promise? To deal only with advertisers interested in acting more "ethically"; to ensure that none of the advertising that they create "offends"; and to donate one fifth of their time and profits to good causes. It's a laudable sentiment, without a doubt, but at a time when adland faces the biggest advertising downturn in years, is it also too good to be true?

Absolutely not, according to the Eighty Twenty founder and chairman, Loz Simpson, whose numerous credits include high-profile campaigns for Halifax, Heinz and Land-Rover. True, the aims and philosophy of the new agency are altruistic, he says. But never has the need for a more ethical approach to advertising been so great.

"Advertising is a heinous industry in many ways, and the people who work in it have a poor reputation," he explains. "I hate advertising that talks down to you, or shouts loudly. And a lot of laziness has crept in – the number of so-called copywriters who can't write drives me mad."

Disenchantment with the worst excesses of 21st-century advertising, however, is not the only driving force behind the new venture. Simpson, a former creative director at CDP, which was the agency behind the Hamlet cigar ads, admits to having spent years wrestling with a desire "to do something that really counts", and with the need to "feed and water" his four children. "I did consider jacking it all in," he says of his career to date, in an industry still perceived by many as parasitic, self-serving, and typified by flash cars, designer suits and power lunches. "But advertising is what I know. This is a way to give something back and, I hope, create great ads, too."

Eighty Twenty's co-founder and planning director, Max Burt, has different motives. Following a road accident three years ago that left him in a wheelchair, Burt, a former planning director at D'Arcy, another advertising agency, says that personal circumstances have led him to reappraise his priorities and outlook on life.

"I firmly believe that the world is ready for more ethical behaviour," he explains. "Social responsibility is fast moving up the corporate agenda. Why shouldn't this extend to advertising and agencies, too?"

Simpson and Burt claim that there is no shortage of advertisers wanting a fresh approach, underpinned by greater social awareness and a philanthropic spirit. And it's hard to disagree. Even industry insiders now acknowledge that for 21st-century consumers, the social and commercial behaviour of the companies whose products they buy are inextricably linked.

Until now, however, few agencies have been tempted to wear their own ethics on their sleeves. True, a number have taken the moral high-ground when it comes to tobacco clients, but fewer have extended this self-imposed ban further to include clients whose activities might harm the environment, for example, or whose hard- sell tactics encourage hard-up consumers with high aspirations to overspend.

One reason for this is commercial pressure, which has left many agencies grateful for whatever work they can get, wherever they can find it. Besides, if a product is legal to sell, then it's OK to advertise, others claim – whether or not a consumer chooses to buy is down to them. Another, arguably more powerful, factor, however, is the danger of setting yourself up to be shot down.

Wry smiles greeted HHCL & Partners' recent attempts to reposition itself with a pledge to only create advertising that builds "responsible desire". Their philosophy was about ensuring that advertising had no negative impact on consumers – by pushing them into debt, for example, or encouraging antisocial behaviour, or stoking children's "pester power". Good intentions, perhaps, but their words rang hollow to some, coming as they did from the agency behind the Tango campaign.

Part of the problem is just how to define what is and what is not ethical behaviour, and just how far ethics should extend into day-to-day agency life. The advertising agency St Lukes went further than most last year when it staged a "carbon neutral" party, which involved planting trees in India to replenish the carbon burned to fuel its festivities. Then there's the thorny issue of how to discuss it. Accusations of cynical self-promotion shower down on anyone who shouts too loud.

For the time being, Eighty Twenty is enjoying a warm – if cautious – reception. "An idea whose time has come", "inspiring", and, "simple and refreshing", are some of the comments made by executives from other agencies about its arrival. Others, however, remain sceptical.

"If all else is equal, ethics can be a differentiator, but the vast majority of consumers even today are, in my view, fundamentally selfish rather than altruistic, says John Wigram, planning director of the advertising agency ARC. "Besides, many agencies already 'do their bit' by working for charities without charging a fee."

Not every agency does charity work to give something back, of course. For many, it's a chance to have a free hand to produce controversial – and, hopefully, award-winning – work for a grateful recipient, points out Eighty Twenty's managing director, Jonathon Hall. What makes Eighty Twenty different, he claims, is that philanthropy is not an afterthought, it's at its heart.

"This isn't just a nice idea – it has to work as a business for us to be able to give 20 per cent of all profits to a good cause, and we believe it will," he says. "We're not just setting out to work with advertisers who are whiter than white. There's a big difference between those who behave unethically, and those who have done but are now seeking to mend their ways."

Hall insists: "We're making a stand. There will be detractors, of course. But if you really believe in something, isn't it worth putting your head above the parapet?"