The creative work of advertising agencies is more important than media space.

Media space is the exact same 30 seconds of wasted time that it was 30 seconds ago. Media is static, boring, unchallenging, and interruptive. Media is nothing without a creative message, especially if the creativity asks for permission to communicate with consumers.

Here are ten pros and cons of media and creativity:

1. Con: Media is just a space, and there’s too much space, meaning media is no longer valuable or scarce. Please tell me, where can’t I advertise?

2. Pro: You can make heaps of cash through media commission throughout the lifetime of the campaign. Produce one ad and run it for a year and you’re rolling in it.

3. Con: You can’t make heaps of cash through creativity. Sorry.

4. Con: Creativity is a sliding scale and suffers from the “Jackson Pollock Curse”. What appeals to one person is a failure to many others.

5. Pro: Media doesn’t necessarily share creativity’s failures. The ads will still run if the client is happy to do so, even if consumers find the ads ineffective.

6. Con: Media measurement is mostly pointless. One hundred thousand people saw your ad three times during a six-month campaign – how many sales did you make?

7. Con: Don’t get me started on how media builds awareness. Awareness is masturbation.

8. Con: Media is an interruption. Who invited you into my life? People care that you have their permission to talk to them. Just because I have an Internet connection doesn’t mean you can bombard me with banner ads.

9. Con: If you’re spending big money on media, then creativity loses power. Think of Harvey Norman, Bunnings, and Mitre 10, all not known for creative excellence.

10. Pro: Creativity is unbridled, powerful, and can be life-altering and immense.

A lot more cons than pros. In most circumstances, people do not care about the place but only about the content. No one stands outside the Louvre to say they stood outside the Louvre. They stand for hours outside the Louvre so they can say they finally got in and saw the Mona Lisa or the Venus de Milo. I’ll admit that not every gallery is as amazing as the Louvre, and obviously, not every piece of art is a Mona Lisa, but how many people want to stare at a blank wall?

Creativity wins.