I am Jackson Pollock

And you can be too here

I'm liking these neen pieces.

This technically makes me a neenster (as opposed to a neenstar). You'll stumble across the concept every now and again but the most overt neen copy in adland I've seen is the Leo Burnett website. Clearly stylish and great dramatisation of their black pencil brand identity but also a definite rip (homage?) from the 'neen art' movement.

This raises an important question I've been thinking about recently: is it advertising's job to be innovative? Should we be exploring new territories and pushing boundaries? Should we be the neenstars?

My first response would be of course! What's the point in working in a creative industry if you can't create something unique, new and exciting?

But the pragmatists among us would say that it's difficult to sell stuff to the 'mainstream' if you're doing something that so out-there you alienate your audience. Plus you're there to sell a product not create a movement or a subculture. Well, that's an argument of course. Personally I think it's bollocks. Why do we have to reflect culture rather than create it?

However, advertising are jumping on the wagons full of bands left right and centre. Just think of the K-Swiss 'parkour' ads running at the moment. Da French yoof were chucking themselves all balletic like around the streets for years before that was in an ad. But then it does star Sebastian Foucan one of the originators of the movement. But then he was the dude in James Bond (think of this what you will).

Or think of another trend poaching brand: Madonna. "Krumping" about like with the kids from South Central. Oh Please.

Advertisers are so lazy they don't even look outside their own industry for inspiration. Think of the rash of Fallon type ads we've seen in the last year (or Fallonization as someone in Campaign called it). Take a look at the new Freelander advert. I'm not afraid to say it. Awful.

Is it because adland is too lazy to do something totally original? Or is it because the free-runners and the neenstars don't work in advertising?