Google TV ads vs. The Ad Agency

I've been thinking about this a lot recently. What is to become of the Ad agency when Google takes over TV advertising? And what happens to all the little junior Creatives like me?

I have no doubt that Google will think of a way to try and completely take over the ad world. It's what they do. They take over. So where does that leave the Ad agencies we all know and love? Well, they'll adapt of course. That's what they do.

Already agencies are suggesting to their clients that Google TV ads aren't up to scratch, and if they want success it's best to stick with the old ad agencies tried and tested ways. I can believe that Google TV ads are not brilliant. How can they be? They offer a set number of templates and voice overs for your ad. Basically the outcome will be a set of stupidly similar ads. A big homogenised advertising mess. It's never going to produce great ads. No one can make a formula for a great ad.

Creativity is not formulaic! Great ads have an almost ethereal quality. We don't always know where they've come from, they're just great! (The Cadbury Gorilla comes to mind). For this reason, I think there will always be a place for Creatives in the ad world. Someone's going to have to make the ads look and sound good.

However, there's another thought which has been plaguing me for a while now too. Is all this worry about TV ads really worth it? I don't know many people that watch good ol' fashioned TV anymore. Everyone's watching online where there are no ads. And if they do watch TV, they watch programmes ON DEMAND where there are no ads or you can fast forward through them. I know of Creatives who are already jumping from the traditional ad agency ship and swimming to digital islands where all seems tropical and fruitful.

I've heard the argument; "when TV was invented, everyone thought that radio ads would die. They didn't and neither will TV ads because of the invention of the internet". I do agree to a certain extent. Whatever happens, it's an interesting time in the ad world but maybe not a good time to try and break into it.