I was swapping notes with another industry veteran a few weeks ago and the conversation inevitably turned to “I remember when…” We exchanged stories. Lamented changes. Reminisced about a time when the rule of thumb was “Whatever it takes”. When you had to be as creative in getting the work made as you were in getting it written.

Sometimes that meant calling in favours – from freelancers, producers, printers, models, or anyone else you knew.

Sometimes that meant scrambling to write headlines and scribble visuals in a cab on the way to the presentation.

And sometimes that meant appearing in your own ad.

Need some examples?

Back in the UK, the agency I was working for was shooting a mid-winter fundraising campaign for a homeless charity. They cast real talent from the local shelter. The mistake was telling these lovely people they’d be filmed. On filming day, they all arrived on set in clean clothes, clean shaved and with shoes polished. Although it did our hearts good to see them looking so bright and shiny, it wouldn’t have worked as a fundraiser?

The producer sent out a panic call for agency staff. As a long-haired, hairy-faced Antipodean I could clearly pass as someone sleeping rough. Look carefully at the cut that went to air and the man sleeping in the bus shelter may be familiar.

A few years (and an entire continent) later, we were briefed to integrate the direct mail for a telco with the TV campaign. It featured Buzz Aldrin in his space suit. We had a suit and a helmet made to fit someone ‘ambiguous” who was 6’ tall with a thin build. I always suspected it was always meant for me to wear it. Picture it. Wearing a fitted doona-cover. Under hot lights. Face covered with a salad bowl spray-painted silver inside so I couldn’t see a thing.

Now imagine the photographer screaming constantly changing instructions, “It’s got to look more like you’re in zero gravity, Rob.” I lost over a kilogram in bodyweight in that thing. Sadly, the images looked like crap. Thankfully, the campaign didn’t last long.

So, in this new, post-COVID world, what’s happened to ad-libbing?

“Favours” are still a currency. But, sadly, adland seems to call in favours they’re yet to earn. As a freelancer, I’m still pitched the “We’ll get you involved in the next big paying job”. Trouble is, the promise seldom arrives. We all need to stop doing work for free – including agencies for clients (a topic for another time).

“Scrambling” is still a thing – albeit post COVID it’s now a stock library shot dropped into Google Slides seconds before the start of a Zoom call. Kinda the same. But not really.

The one place which is alive and well is staff as last-minute talent. I know lots of social creatives who do their own hand modelling. Or they use the back of their head. Or the feet. Nothing identifiable of course – no talent release or payment required. But then that was never a factor.

So, back to the original question, is ad-libbing dead? No, I don’t think so – it’s just morphed into “social-libbing” or “media-libbing” or “content-libbing”.

Now, where did I put that homeless-guy-spacesuit?

Rob Morrison is a rarity in advertising – a grey-haired creative. Rob’s experience includes time as a Creative Director at Ogilvy, BWM (now BWM Dentsu), George Patterson Y&R (now VMLY&R), Campaign Palace and Wunderman. He now runs his own consultancy – morrison.collective.

Here are two more opinion pieces from Rob Morrison: