To mark the end of a successful year, Rezonant Design strongly believes in making a warm gesture towards all the clients who have made it possible. To mark the end of 2012, a diary made of recycled paper was the chosen gift.
However, just a diary made of recycled paper would not suffice. The diary had to reflect the attitude of Rezonant Design as well. The diary had to convey gratitude and at the same time be intelligent. For this purpose, we created 'Pandora's Book Of Clients'. I was responsible for conceptualization and writing. Illustrations and Type were handled by Ranjeeta and Pia.
The book contained short pieces on the worst clients that advertising agencies cross paths with. The book was sent to clients, thanking them for not falling into any of the categories. There were 6 categories- The Meddler, The Miser, The Idiot,The Dictator, The Liar and Mr Impatient. Each category had a supporting illustration.
The Meddler:
When you employ someone for a specific job, the least you can do, is let them do it. Some people cannot help but put in their two bits, whether it´s relevant or not. They´ll want you to change things based on something their grandson heard on the radio while vacationing in the Bahamas.
This client´s suggestions will be based on information that his daughter came by, on her favourite soap opera – “You see, my daughter saw this on the Bold and the Beautiful and I think we must try it...”
Ah shaddup!
The Dictator:
Let´s say you´ve been hired to write articles for this guy. So why does he expect you to pickup his laundry? Why are you reading bedtime stories to his kids? And for *BLEEP*s sake, why are you walking his dog?
Some clients do not know the difference between employing a professional and buying a slave. They think it´s the same thing. They’re demanding, rude, unreasonable and unwanted.
The Liar:
A man walks into a textile store and asks to see the finest silk there is. He inquires about dresses, shirts, bedcovers and even hand-woven carpets. He is eloquent about his love of silk and about how he wants every inch of his mansion draped in it. His only purchase however, is a handkerchief.
Some clients tend to make mountains...out of little clumps of earth (to call them molehills would be far too flattering). And the agency ends up bringing out the bazooka...to swat a fly.
Mr Impatient:
So, there´s this guy who appears to be in a crisis. He wants you to finish a project in two days, something that would normally take you two weeks to do. He says it´s incredibly urgent. A matter of life and death. For the next two days he calls you, texts you, mails you, even lands up at your office and perches himself on your shoulder.
Two days later, you know you could’ve done a better job, but you take comfort in the fact that you kept to the deadline and that you helped someone out.
Then he makes you spend the next two weeks making changes to your `not so good´ job.
Then he makes you spend the next two weeks making changes to your `not so good´ job.
The Idiot:
Imagine this scene from a comic book - Spiderman crashes through the window of a burning building. Now why could he be doing this? Is he angry at the window? Is it an evil window that requires punishing? Or is it because there´s a bigger picture - someone in the building (behind the window) needs saving!
Some clients simply can´t see the bigger picture. They’re eager to keep their jobs afloat with patchwork and they ultimately end up with a haphazard collage of this and that. They’re not bad people. They’re just idiots.
The Miser
This one´s simple. The agency did the work. The agency wants to be paid for it.
What nobody wants is a string of emails telling them that your bank is acting up or that the money you expected from some OTHER project hasn´t come in yet.
Nobody cares. Pay up on time, say the agencies, that´s all.
