I saw this adage.com article today with the headline: “What Crispin’s Lauded BK Work Doesn’t Do: Gain Ground on McD’s.” It definitely made me stop and think - what the______?  Crispin has rekindled interest in this long standing brand, developed clutter cutting creative (Whopper Virgins, Whopper Freakout), they debuted the Subservient Chicken, brought back the King (although a bit disturbing to me), and made the Whopper Family commercials a delight to watch. Crispin was Ad Age’s 2008 Agency of the Year for crying out loud. Now, with all this going for them, wouldn’t you think that everyone would be happy and BK sales were over the top?

Well, unfortunately, according to the article, there are differing opinions on what a success Crispin’s campaigns have shown at the register and how they compare against the 300 pound gorilla in the room – McDonald’s. From a branding perspective, Crispin really has done a great deal to revitalize the chain. Remember, BK had gone through four agencies in four years before hiring Crispin, and BK did pass up Wendy’s for the #2 spot in burger chains during Crispin’s watch. But McDonald’s is still way out front of everybody and gaining share (is that really surprising to anyone?). And there was some controversy over two TV ads, Sponge Bob Square Butt and the banned Texican Whopper.

According to the adage.com article, there also seems to be rumblings from the front line franchisees that there is a decline in traffic and sales and there is too narrow a focus on the young male targets. Having worked on franchise accounts, I understand the power and influence of their voice and how they can impact advertising campaigns.

This article just confirms to me a harsh advertising reality. An advertising campaign must move the needle per the client’s expectation. That’s really the bottom line. Even a creative powerhouse like Crispin, with all the great work they’ve done for clients and accolades lavished upon them, there is this one litmus test that has to be passed. And in some cases, in the client’s view, Crispin didn’t.

A few examples:

1. Crispin resigned the Miller Lite account due to differences in strategy. Coincidentally, Miller said they pulled the popular “Man Law” campaign developed by Crispin due to declining sales.

2. ConAgra Foods left Crispin, who resurrected the deceased Orville Redenbacher in a series of commercials that generated tons of buzz, but it seemed mostly negative.

3. And who knows what happened with the Nike Running Shoes account. The relationship lasted about one year. With those two companies and their philosophies, it would seem like a marketing match made in heaven.

But no matter what, Crispin will undoubtedly continue to push/rip the envelope, do great work, win accounts and make headlines for both themselves and for their clients (hey, I’m blogging about them). For any agency, that’s a very nice place to be.