The Real AdLand Suit

So, a few people have questioned my anonymity. Or, to be more accurate, questioned why I'm anonymous - to question my anonymity itself would be to suggest that my real name is Adland Suit, and that I don't have a head, which would be ludicrous. I have a very fine head, thank you very much. Anyway - I digress.

I just wanted to explain to you, my loyal readers, what lies behind the anonymity, what benefits it brings, and what tribulations it can provoke.

First and foremost, I can get away with an awful lot more on this blog, and can be a lot more frank in my assessment of ads, campaigns, brands, companies and people than I could be if my face and name were sitting atop of every post. And that works for views both positive and negative: if I think something is awful, I can be totally honest without having to worry about politicking; and if I think something is wonderful then I can say so without being accused of obsequiousness. I can write about people's over-complication of 'digital' without having to worry about alienating the people I work with who insist of having the word in their job title. And if I ever felt the need, I could write about my CEO being a tool without fear of being fired. (I can't see myself doing that any time soon, incidentally - my CEO is really rather lovely, and really rather good.)

I'm also not going to deny that it's quite fun. In my head (which I definitely do have) then I'm essentially a superhero - AdLand Suit is the Superman to my Clark Kent, if you like. (If Clark Kent was a rather outspoken Board Account Director, rather than a mild mannered reporter.) The nice thing about 'in my head' is that the fact that I'm really more like City Boy with 1% of the readership holds no sway there. There's a time and a place for facts, and it ain't here. But having conversations about ALS with colleagues who have no idea is enjoyable, and I don't see that changing any time soon.

And finally, inasmuch as is ever possible, there's no personal agenda here. I've got no issue with people who use their blogs as self-promotional tools - the people who do it well are wise, intelligent people who prosper off the back of it. There are, of course, a lot of self-indulgent blog bores out there, but nobody reads their blogs. Ha. This blog is about raising awareness of the role of a Suit, encouraging debate about the role of a Suit, engendering conversation about a Suit's views on advertising and the value that we can add, and potentially, from time to time, helping Suits both current and future to be better at what they do. This blog is about me only because I am a Suit - AdLand Suit can do that in a way that a blog about me couldn't.

And yes, of course, it can be irritating. It makes it impossible for me to big up work that I'm involved in that I'm excited about - or even that my Agency is involved with. There are ways round that, of course, but I can't think of any that wouldn't involve me being massively self-aggrandising - and no, you wouldn't know that I was, but I would, and that's enough. And I'd be lying if I said I didn't, from time to time, wish that the relationships I'm forming as ALS could benefit me in real life - but not enough for me to 'come out', as it were.

I might one day. But not yet. For now I remain your humble, faithful, exceedingly well-dressed and fine-headed servant, AdLand Suit. Have great weekends one and all.