Agency Introduces Annual ‘Internal Pitch Week,’ Forgets to Include Any Clients
In a bold move aimed at 'fostering synergy' and 'harnessing the power of passionate ideation,' Wellington-based agency Burnt Orange Collective has launched its first-ever *Internal Pitch Week*—a five-day event where staff pitch speculative campaigns to each other for brands that do not exist.
Agency insiders say the initiative was designed to fight creative fatigue and 'get back to the heart of why we got into advertising: creating fake brands and winning imaginary awards.' The week's highlights so far include a convenience store loyalty app for people who never remember their wallets, a yogurt brand for men who refuse to say 'probiotic,' and a fourteen-part docuseries about bottled water.
While some staff applauded the concept as 'liberating,' others expressed mild confusion about when they were expected to do actual work. One senior producer noted, 'I had to cancel two rescheduled reschedules with real clients this week just to storyboard a campaign for a dog cologne called Barkspoke.'
Asked whether the agency planned to loop in any actual clients at any stage, Managing Partner and Self-Appointed Vibe Strategist, Dana Looney, replied, 'Not during Pitch Week. That’s for Q2. This is about our truth, not theirs.' A follow-up Slack message later clarified that Q2 would also be an 'internal-facing quarter.'
The event ends Friday with an awards ceremony held in the agency car park. Winners receive a 'Golden Vibe Cone,' sculpted entirely from leftover pitch snacks and remembered only in half-hearted LinkedIn posts six months later.
Agency insiders say the initiative was designed to fight creative fatigue and 'get back to the heart of why we got into advertising: creating fake brands and winning imaginary awards.' The week's highlights so far include a convenience store loyalty app for people who never remember their wallets, a yogurt brand for men who refuse to say 'probiotic,' and a fourteen-part docuseries about bottled water.
While some staff applauded the concept as 'liberating,' others expressed mild confusion about when they were expected to do actual work. One senior producer noted, 'I had to cancel two rescheduled reschedules with real clients this week just to storyboard a campaign for a dog cologne called Barkspoke.'
Asked whether the agency planned to loop in any actual clients at any stage, Managing Partner and Self-Appointed Vibe Strategist, Dana Looney, replied, 'Not during Pitch Week. That’s for Q2. This is about our truth, not theirs.' A follow-up Slack message later clarified that Q2 would also be an 'internal-facing quarter.'
The event ends Friday with an awards ceremony held in the agency car park. Winners receive a 'Golden Vibe Cone,' sculpted entirely from leftover pitch snacks and remembered only in half-hearted LinkedIn posts six months later.