Now I know how Julian Assange feels. I’ve been forced into hiding ever since my “Campaign-gate” exposé last week caused more than a little stir down at Haymarket HQ in Teddington. Yeh right…
To be honest, my esteemed editor told me to “gather my notes” for the lawyers, fearing Haymarket’s legal team would be all over us like a rash. But as one of the true sisterhood – Catherine of Siena – once said: “Proclaim the truth and do not be silent through fear.” So, bring it on boys.
In fact, given the huge traffic Campaign-gate generated for this august website, old McKelvey is now trying to get me to write about the, er, advertising industry bible, every bleedin’ week. Luckily, like most people, I always ignore everything he says anyway.
But just to keep him happy – well, he does pay my wages – dare I mention that new evidence emerged this week of the cosy love-in the magazine has with Ogilvy? There was not a peep while outrage raged over the agency’s bizarre poster campaign for Indian mattress firm Kurl-On, featuring schoolgirl Malala Yousafzai being shot in the head, falling onto a mattress then bouncing back up and receiving an award.
But, what do you know, as soon as Ogilvy apologised, Campaign went large on the story, providing its favourite agency with the perfect platform to say “we have launched a thorough review of our approval and oversight processes across our global network to help ensure that our standards are never compromised again”. Tut tut.
Anway, back to me. As you may recall two weeks ago I’d bagged a hot date with Russian oligarc “Ivan the Terrible”, whom I’d met at Stamford Bridge. Private helicopters and yachts were promised…alas he turned out to be all mouth, no trousers (useful sometimes I admit, but not on this particular occasion) as he was just an Abramovich hanger-on. “Ivan the Unbearable” more like.
Still, being stuck behind closed curtains all week did give me the opportunity to trawl the online dating sites looking for a new man. However, rather disconcertingly every site I visited featured the smiling face of none other than DM industry luminary Drayton Bird.
Not that he’s looking for wife number 10, you understand, (well he might be but that’s his business) but his beaming face was there on a banner ad to promote his new book “Drayton Bird’s 51 helpful marketing ideas”.
Is there no bloody escape?
You can also follow Busty on Twitter @BustyIdol
