Clems chief Peter Biggs slams Mumbrella for ‘bordering-on-libellous’ piece on MADC Awards
Clemenger BBDO, Melbourne CEO Peter Biggs has responded to an opinion piece on Mumbrella about last Friday’s MADC Awards which he says borders on libelous.
Here’s his response, which was posted on the Mumbrella article last night:
Bravo, Robin.
You have managed to insult the integrity of everyone involved with the MADC – the organisers, the agencies who enter and the judges with your bordering-on-libellous piece.
We are proud to support our local industry and stand alongside the other MADC sponsors (who include DDB and The Age) in promoting the growth of creativity in Melbourne.
Naturally, we request the sponsorship of categories in which we are strong – why wouldn’t we? We had a number of our creatives on the judging panels (and yes, all judges abstain from voting on work that comes from their agency, whether they actually worked on it or not) and I have asked them if they knew who was sponsoring which category. They confirmed there was nothing of the sort even mentioned during the judging process.
To suggest that we were in some way ‘buying’ our wins in those categories is pure tabloid scuttlebutt. The work that won at Friday night’s ceremony has also been recognised in other award shows – both locally and internationally. Obviously, it must be pretty good work. Or maybe our bribery budget is even bigger than you imagined.
There’s an old French proverb: Les chiens aboient, la caravane passe
Literally translated, it means “The dogs bark, the caravan passes by”. I think it’s particularly apt in this instance.
And I can hug or cradle whomever the hell I want.
Biggsy.
72 Comments
I applaud Clem’s sponsorship of the MADC.
They’ve been a supporter long before they started winning everything.
They deserve the industry’s praise for their work and its thanks of the for their support.
Good on you Biggsy. Mumbrella really does over step the mark and it so out of touch it isn’t funny.
Awesome. Mumbrella is tabloid rubbish.
Good stuff Mr Biggs.
About time someone took “Tabloid Tim” to task.
Go Biggsy..
I was at the MADC awards for the 2nd time. Clems deserved to win everything they did. I am glad though that somebody pointed out the ridiculousness of the ceremony. 4 hours of Bronze dribble, i was asleep by the time we got to the good stuff. It felt rather self indulgent to me.
Mumbrella has been on a downward slope for some time. There’s no insight or anything that informs you in your job. Just puerile crap.
Scumbrella!
Several companies I’m aware of have been the subject of misleading and spiteful articles on mUmbrella.
Good to see a senior industry figure take on those posturing pricks.
Should be more of it.
Mumbrella is just so 80’s
Excellent as always Mr Biggs
Clems work stands up to any challenge.
That’s why it wins.
The only money exchanging hands is from client to agency for excellent services rendered.
I would also positively comment on the second placed agency, grey….but for obvious reasons i might be accused of bribery.
Good on you Biggsy, I would have been a lesser man and picked up the phone asking for a publicised formal apology. Instead you did the right thing: let us tear her apart.
Any sponsorship of the MADC is appreciated. It was a great night with so many talented, fun people. While it would be nice if there was more of a mix, Clems just produced the best work this year, along with AJF and Grey. As for GPYR, well, they can’t win if they don’t enter. Let’s see how they do at AWARD.
While Mumbrella wastes space on the Twitterati, social media stunts from two-bit shops, Mumbrellacasts not many listen to and reports on last night’s ratings, here’s how out of touch they are with the real ad industry:
When CB broke the story of the departure of Saatchi’s Sydney-based regional boss Ian Rowden back on March 29:
http://www.campaignbrief.com/2011/03/saatchis-chief-ian-rowden-set.html
… there was nothing on Mumbrella – until 2 months later, when Mumbrella ran the press release on Rowden’s replacement Chris Foster:
http://mumbrella.com.au/saatchis-shifts-regional-base-from-sydney-to-singapore-with-appointment-of-new-chairman-chris-foster-47727
The, on Saturday CB announced the opening of The Campaign Palace in Jakarta:
http://www.campaignbrief.com/2011/10/yr-launches-the-campaign-palac.html
… three days later, not a mention on Mumbrella, while AdNews and B&T covered the story on Monday.
Mumbrella is a self centered pile of dung, with a head dung beetle.
@2.22pm
That would be Dungbrella then?
This industry is a fucking kindergarten.
Here’s how out of touch Mumbo is with the ad industry:
When CB broke the story of the departure of Saatchi’s Sydney-based regional boss Ian Rowden back on March 29:
http://www.campaignbrief.com/2011/03/saatchis-chief-ian-rowden-set.html
… there was nothing on Mumbrella – until 2 months later, when Mumbrella ran this:
http://mumbrella.com.au/saatchis-shifts-regional-base-from-sydney-to-singapore-with-appointment-of-new-chairman-chris-foster-47727
On Saturday CB announced the opening of The Campaign Palace in Jakarta:
http://www.campaignbrief.com/2011/10/yr-launches-the-campaign-palac.html
… three days later, nothing on Mumbrella.
There are way to many award shows anyway, people need to stop whinging, need to stop attending these ridiculous events and get creating some decent shit.
How can sponsoring an award you win cast anything but doubt on the integrity of the event. None of you are that naive. The organisers, sponsors and entrants are a bit silly for not foreseeing that.
Tim reckons he was starting a credible alternative to his previous job at B&T. But he hasn’t. Instead, he’s attempted to turn his aggressively unattractive personality into some sort of authority figure.
You and Adnews cover the industry with vigor and energy, breaking big important stories. B&T has been getting killed by Adnews for some time now. CB covers the creative side of the industry passionately. What’s the point of Mumbrella. It’s just bitchy nonsense. A media lite version of Perez Hilton with no where near the same level of success or even insight. Pointless. Well said Biggsy.
The funniest thing I read on Mumbrella was the comment from DK (Dennis Koutoulogenis), CD at BMF, in response to Mumbo’s vindictive over the top opinion piece on the Panasonic “28 Day Persecution of Rommy Gulla” campaign created by The Campaign Palace: http://mumbrella.com.au/panasonic-gulla-bility-day-two-59926#comments
Here’s his response:
dk
6 Oct 11
6:59 pm
Hang on. You mean everything you see in advertising isn’t actually true?
The Ponds Institute isn’t real?
Did Mark Ecko not really tag Airforce One?
Did ducks not really start surfing after eating Wonder Performance Bread?
Did Ronaldinho not really hit the goalposts over and over again with his golden boots?
Is there no such thing as the Lynx Effect?
Does Isaiah Mustafa even use Old Spice?
Does BankWest really rely on talking animals in its research groups?
Is Hahn Super Dry not actually brewed in a factory with Knight Rider music?
Or Tui in one peopled by bikini-clad babes?
Was Tupperware not really invented by the Bud Light Institute?
Do tongues not really detach themselves from people’s mouths and go across the road to grab a beer?
Does the most interesting man in the world actually drink Dos Equis?
Does Cristiano Ronaldo use Castrol Motor Oil to take him to “hot places, cold places”?
Is Rob the Dentist really a dentist, and does he use Oral B?
Is Rita really an ETA eater?
Was Ricky Ponting really Tired? Stressed? Before feeling better on Swisse?
Does ANZ Security actually involve an eagle?
Does the man who drives the snowmobile really drive to it in a VW?
My world has come crashing down. How can I ever believe in anything again?
@realadindustry…spot on. Timmy Tabloid is
constantly writing “oh my god it’s fake”. He’s a credulous character but even more
Credulous are those who read his blog. From what I hear it is
Mainly PRs, social media try hards and a
Smattering of bitter new business hungry Media
Agencies. Hardly anything for CB or
Biggsy to worry about. And I hear his audiences
Has been flatlining for a long time. I love the moniker “Timmy Tabloid”. So apt.
DK that’s fucking genius. I’m one of many people I know who have experienced his vitriol, but for some reason it’s funny when you imagine a real life version of this guy saying it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lzyd91NFx-Y
It’s just very bad form to criticise anyone who gets behind the industry and gives something back, in sponsorship or any other way.
Why doesn’t Mumbrella sponsor the MADC?
I’ve judged the MADC before and there’s no mention of who sponsors each award as you go through the entries.
@ Ex Judge Mumbrella doesn’t support the industry. It’s trying to make a fast buck from the industry. Given someone told me the Adnews guy took pity on the Mumbrella reporter and gave him somewhere to sleep in his room on the night of the MADC Awards because he arrived in Melbourne with only hostel accommodation. It’s fanciful to think they would want to sponsor this year’s awards.
Comic book guy
This thread is now dea.
d.
Was there on the night,
I was one of the few from the ad industry that paid $1599 to attend the Mumbrella360 conference in June (I know I know, I should have gone to Cannes). Anyway, 700 others (mainly PR, Twitter, new media, blogger and other non ad industry types) did likewise so that’s over a million bucks gross! Then there were sponsors for everything and exhibition fees which probably covered the actual venue costs. I’m sure none of the speakers were paid (ironic, given we are all trying to find ways to get customers to pay for content).
So wouldn’t be surprised if they banked a million dollars. (even if you add another 200k costs, tha’s still big money)
If I was the Mumbo reporter I’d be putting the feelers out for a more generous employer!
From what I’ve heard most of the tickets for the Bumbo conference were contra or discounted. The agency of the year book is currently being offered at a discount. Timmy Tabloid is running out of steam. The joke stopped being funny a long time ago.
Good point re Dungbrella360 conference thingy – don’t recall a scathing tabloidish word on any of the sessions at his own gig. Very unusual for our very own News of The World. Sponsorships, delegate revenues and being nice to unpaid speakers got anything to do with that I wonder? Credulous.
You say tabloid like it’s a bad thing.
Lynchy, thanks for the link. It’s always appreciated.
I should say that I back the observation made by my colleague who was at the MADC – as Robin correctly observed (and you’re welcome to reprint the article, or readers can follow the link if they prefer), Clems had a great year and deserved their wins. He also pointed out that it sounds odd to hear winners picking up trophies in categories they are sponsoring. I can’t think of another event, in this industry or another, where that occurs.
As to some of the other comments, yes, you’re correct regarding Campaign Palace. As it had already been reported elsewhere, we formed the view that there were bigger stories on the day than reprinting a press release that Australia’s 30th best agency (as voted by our readers in the book mentioned above – sorry, no discount available just yet) was opening an office in Jakarta. But that’s just me.
And “Was There On The Night”, you are correct: I can confirm that Robin (who forgot to book a hotel room) spent the night with the editor of AdNews.
Cheers,
Tim – Mumbrella
Timmy, can you also confirm that Mumbrella has lost any relevance in the Australian media landscape?
PS It must be killing you Timmy that you can’t access people’s IP addresses here to out them, as you regularly do on your own site.
What! You just don’t get it do you! The issue is, most of the advertising industry doesn’t want Scumbrella around.
Tim,
Thanks for your comment.
Just one thing: The Palace’s first foray in Asia was worth reporting I would have thought. It was on CB last Saturday. The only thing you reported on that day was the MADC Awards at 10.55 that night (nearly 24 hours after the event, which seems a bit tardy, given Robin was actually there at the MADC): http://mumbrella.com.au/clems-leads-at-madc-61168
… 22 hours after CB’s MADC report: http://www.campaignbrief.com/2011/10/embargoed-until-midnight-frida.html
Lynchy
You little ripper! Pull her hair!
a sponsor winning so many prizes is odd. very odd. as much as mr. biggs & friend can bitch about it, there is nothing controversial in mumbrella pointing this out.
unless, of course, the ad industry is different, where honesty and integrity is the standard and there is no such thing as a conflict of interest.
truth is that madc is one of way too many pointless self glorifying exercises for the ad industry to pat itself on the back. time that would be better invested in servicing clients better.
It also sounds odd to hear ‘journalists’ of one trade ‘magazine’ spending the night in a hotel room with the editor of another. Any photos?
Timmy Tabloid. Whoever came up with that is a genius. What Tim doesn’t seem to get is that there’s good tabloid journalism and bad. Tim is in the latter camp. I stopped reading his blog a long time ago. Who wants to read Ctrl V press releases,
Stories copied from the papers and the other trade mags and his trademark vitriol? It’s irrelevant white noise. The brands who advertise with them look desperate and needy. It’s a backhanded compliment were actually talking about it.
The Adnews editor is tall and handsome. I like him.
As opposed to short and certainly NOT handsome. I don’t like him. Eeewww
So did they make a fortune from their conference, or did they give away the tickets and lose a fortune? Both insiders above can’t be right.
I’m so confused.
What Mumbrella does do is publish posts that disagree with its point of view, or criticise it. CB appears not to effectively biasing the apparent opinion flow. A form of lying I would have thought, and certainly every bit as bad as the things CB criticises Mumbrella for. So c’mon CB if you can find your nuts publish the contrary opinions we know you have and show us you have some principles.
Shit yes….. it does seem a bit odd – winning an award in the catergory you sponsor – I would have thought it was something that you would try to avoid at all costs – nothing wrong with it but it just does not look right – why cast any doubt at all – just sponsor another catergory. Biggs is crazy and very naive if he thinks it looks fine – but I certainly would not suggest that everything was not 100% above board, Clems and Biggs are very good operators.
As for mumbrella not reporting on TCP opening another office in Jakarta WTF….it’s pretty clear after all the dramas at the palace in the last 18 months or so that those muppets don’t have a clue – Sable saying he is ashamed of them ( as reported in CB), Fishlock taking them to court,key execs leaving, Bonds using another agency, Dominos going,the Rommy Gulla PR nightmere (when a client is forced to issue their own PR in damage control 1 week into a new campaign – that is a bloody mess) oh but wait stop the press….TCP open office in Jakarta.Seriously.
Maybe Tim and Peter should duke it out celebrity boxing style as a fund raiser – my money would be on Peter.
Pitch Doctor,
We publish all comments – pro or con – unless they’re defamatory, as your previous one clearly was.
Timmy Tabloid is more like Perez Hilton ( and just as whiney)
It’s a wonder he doesn’t draw little thought bubbles and penises over any article he writes.
CB Moderator it’s hard to see how suggesting that many of these posts are part of an orchestrated campaign from Clems in Melbourne to support the delicate ego of the CEO are ‘clearly defamatory’.
Seems convenient to me.
If you are fair dinkum delete the ‘defamatory’ words and publish the rest. Unless of course you think it would put too much balance into the thread.
@pitch doctor Mumbrella has a lot of haters which is why there are negative comments about the blog. CB has more love from the industry. Lynchy has been passionately championing the business for years so why wouldn’t the CB comment threads be nicer to CB?
I’ve never seen Lynchy try to personally rubbish campaigns the way Mumbrella does, on great work, award winning work or even bad work – and Lynchy knows more than most the difference between shit and great.
Contrary to that Lynchy has been the champion of great work in this industry. If you don’t believe me, think about Campaign Brief magazine, ‘The Work’, agency rankings, creative rankings, setting up the Australian presence at Cannes, generous behind-the-scenes contributions to AWARD, his help in growing the steller careers of people like David Droga, Craig Davis and hundreds of other heavy hitters in this industry.
And if that wasn’t enough he bought BestAds, which was one of the few sites showcasing the best of Australian work on a global stage, running at a loss, just to make sure Australians still had a presence internationally.
And he doesn’t ever brag about it.
Tim may run a semi-successful website, but in the process he’s pissed a lot of people off by rubbishing months of their hard work or even attacking them personally.
To add my personal opinion to this, I’ve met both Lynchy and Tim, Lynchy’s a genuine guy and a lot of fun.
Poor bubba….CB is the only reliable and clued in source relevant to the Aus (and Asian) industry at the present time.
Bumbrella is about as useful as B&T these days, which isn’t saying much. Time to get a job at your local Blockbuster, which is also going the way of the dodo.
@CB fan you have , perhaps inadvertently, highlighted the real problem here: We have the Sydney Morning Herald and the Daily Telegraph in Sydney, a similar pairing in Melbourne, B&T and ADNEWS, so why not CB and Mumbrella? The childish rants from what I suppose are advertising people here are indicative of the reason that the industry is increasingly regarded with utter contempt by senior marketing and management people. For fucks sake most primary school playgrounds exhibit more maturity than this thread.To think that some of these people could be responsible for multi million dollar accounts is depressing. I know it is Friday playday so being out of control is OK but Monday, contrary to popular belief, always comes.So children why don’t you grow up and address the issue.? I know it requires more thought and effort, and you have to stop the other thing you seem to be doing but really, there is pleasure in using your brain too.
@”Mmmmm…. intreshting..” Agreed. Pics or it didn’t happen.
@ 2:09 I’m Pitch Doctor, and I’m not Tim, Ive never met Tim , and if he crawled out of your arse now I wouldn’t recognise him. I know you though. You’re the petty little tiny penis who thrives on Alan Jones, plays politics in the agency and harrasses all the people who are decent human beings. You’re the person I warn clients about and advise them that any agency poor enough to have you on its staff, even as a fluffer for the creative people, should be avoided as there are always ones with real humans on staff to work with.
So on that analysis, 2:19, CB would be The Age/SMH and Mumblegrunt would be The Tele/Sun Herald?
I have been laughing myself stupid about that DK comment ever since it first appeared. Even to the point of quoting it at home. “Is the Lynx effect not real?” has become my new catch-cry!
Good on you Campaign Brief.
Scumbrella deserves a taste of their own medicine for a change
Groucho I normally respect your comments, but I think you’ve missed the mark with what I said.
Lynchy is a passionate supporter of the creative end of the business and determined to see the Australian advertising (and by proxy marketing) industry recognised as a world class market producing world class creative around the world – attracting talent and hopefully one day, clients.
When people rubbish the credibility of agencies or their work (in general, not in reference to this particular article), it’s not a case of shock jock inaccurate bad journalism vs good journalism, it’s a case of destroying what little credibility we have maintained in both marketing and advertising, which sucks the industry dry and in my opinion, doesn’t contribute anything to the greater good.
Bumbrella…I’ve got a scoop for you…I drank a can of Red Bull last night and failed to sprout wings. You should look into it.
@CB Fan
CB fan I do respect your point of view, and you’re right Lynchie is one of too few genuinely passionate and intelligent people in the industry. My comments are more aimed at the irrational tantrum posts. If we try to stop contrary opinions, even if we don’t agree with them, with silly abuse and name calling we demean each other and the industry. Competition is what advertising is all about, not infrequently based on half truths, hyperbole, and complete bullshit. Long may it continue!
Mumbo is a tedious one trick pony who has been running out of steam for some time. If Mumbrella wants a future the owners should get some new blood in there. I haven’t visited his blog for months. I check CB, Adnews and some of the media sections in the papers occasionally. Tim started the rot at B&T, and it’s now set in at Mumbrella. My colleagues all agree it’s a waste of space.
@ Rob Sandro
Um Rob Sandro if you haven’t visited the Mumbrella blog for months how do you know it is running out of steam?
It’s good your collegues all agree it is a waste of space because that saves you having an opinion of your own or even an original thought. You would have tp hope that Rob Sandro isn’t your real name or your next job might involve stables and horse manure.
@Groucho, yes Rob is my real name. What’s your real name? Timmy Tabloid? The fact i don’t visit the blog is proof of it running out of steam. it gives me nothing that helps me in my job. Frankly, it’s churlish boring shite. you only have to go through this comments thread to see how the wheels have fallen off Bumbrella.
Good to see someone telling the truth about Tim’s blog. Wholeheartedly agree with the overwhelming majority of people here. It’s rubbish. Good on Biggsy and Lynchy for taking him on at his own game.
Bumbrella is a parasite on the industry. good riddance i say
@ Rob Sandro …….. the fact you don’t visit the blog is proof it is running out of steam? How can you be so stupid as to think that. The fact you don’t visit it means nothing except that you don’t visit it. Frankly I don’t give a flying fuck who is right or wrong here. I do give a flying fuck that people with a grasp of logic as poor as yours might be roaming free in the community.
Sod off Groucho, and get back in your rubbish tin. Rob is 100% spot on. And making silly threats like yours, is exactly Timmy Tabloids style, all bitchy and catty…meow
@ voice your comment is typical of the senseless rants on this thread and your standard of post is worthy of a school playground. You don’t seem to have even considered the issue or the points raised.No wonder the industry is becoming increasingly irrelevant if you are in any way representative of it. I mean fuck me, don’t you have the wit to get past the silly name calling and write something of substance?
Who died and left you in charge Groucho?…..now back in your tin Tim
Tiny Tim wears masks
To hide his many grievance
All of which are small
I added a comment to Mumbrella’s story about CB publishing two stories on Chad (usual bitchy pointless Tim nonsense) asking Tim “this
has backfired on you hasn’t it?” I also posted a link to this article and comments thread. Surprisingly Tim hasn’t published the comment. Tim
please explain