FYI:  I am forwarding this to Lactnet for Jennifer, per her request:
Winnie asks:
> "Is anyone else wondering why this project keeps getting postponed
> and postponed? Am I the only sceptical one who smells influence of
> the formula companies in the delays?"
>
> While there may well be untoward elements involved, it may also be just a
matter of the reality of the business. Up until 10 years ago, I worked in
advertising and I still do some occassional projects. My dh has been in the
business for 20 years. The fact is that projects get delayed and delayed and
delayed b/c of things like: the copywriter was sick or on vacation--a week
or more lost, the person who had to approve xyz had a more pressing project
come up and another week is lost, the client changed his/her mind about xyz
and then changed it back and then wanted something new altogether--another
several weeks lost, the vendor who is supposed to shoot the photography is
really the one you want, but she is backlogged and you have to a wait a
couple of weeks for the shots, the studio to shoot the video is booked and
can't be scheduled to coordinate with the actor,director, art director, etc
for several more weeks and on and on. There are so many people to
coordinate, so many opinions to consider, there is the politics of being
sure everyone who needs to be, (for the sake of politics, not quality
control) is in the loop. Then there is the sticky reality that people who
know nothing about advertsing think they do and want things that won't work
and you have to hand-hold them through the project so that they think they
had all of the ideas that do work.
>
> As an example, my dh was supposed to begin a project in September that was
drop-dead due November 15. He gave the client an estimate (a coorporate
client with many layers of approval) and tried to keep his schedule open.
Today, he was finally given a production schedule and promised copy for this
week--now the deadline had to be moved by a couple of months. It happens all
of the time.
>
> Of course, the other thing that happens all of the time is that really
great ideas get watered down b/c the client gets afraid of offending anyone
and too many people have a say and you end up with the lowest common
denominator. But, the Ad Council has a great reputation and I would doubt
they would let this happen--still it could take longer to get people who are
used to approaching the promotion of breastfeeding from the "don't offend
anyone" perspective to take the risks that this campaign requires.
>
> I am definately someone who trusts the AIM companies to find a way to
undermine most bf promo efforts, but in this case, I prefer to have some
faith in the Ad Council until I have reason to believe otherwise.
> Jennifer Tow IBCLC (and BFA), CT, USA
>

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