Metallica is one of the big four bands
of Thrash Metal. They are a worldwide phenomenon. In
the US alone they've sold over 50 million albums. Their
eponymously titled 1991 album sold over 20 million worldwide.
Their new album, a collaboration with
Lou Reed, is out this autumn. I know one person who has heard
it (it is under tight embargo) who says it is very good.
At the height of their success in 2001
their bassist Jamie Newsted left the band for "personal
reasons".
He had decided to work on a side
project which he wanted to have running in conjunction with
Metallica. But band founder James Hetfield was adamantly
against his doing so despite the fact that the side project
(Echobrain) in no way threatened to compete with Metallica in
commercial terms. Hetfield however understood that while
Echobrain could not beat Metallica commercially, it could beat them
in another way. It could win the war for Newsted's
heart. Newsted could have more creative input into
Echobrain, so Echobrain could come to mean more to him that
Metallica did. Hetfield said "when someone does a side
project it takes away from the strength of Metallica", and "its
like cheating on your wife in a way".
Unacquainted as I am with the
subtleties of Thrash Metal I have lots of sympathy with Hetfield's
point of view. A band, like any brand, like any company,
needs a single focus. The heart of the band needs to be
sustained by everyone in it, just as every company needs a focus
point, a reason to be there.
It is this focus that leads to
success. The reason that creative agencies should not do
media is that their focus needs to be on the creative department
and their creative direction to be successful.
The focus of a media agency is on
creating value for brands by investing their budgets well.
Not on winning awards for creative excellence.
If you take on a side project - bear
in mind it may be where your heart is rather than on your main
job. In which case you're now failing to do that main job
properly or perhaps even at all.
First published here on Sue Unerman's blog.