Why are things so heated between Hollywood and Madison Avenue?

Hollywood and Madison Avenue at least seem like the perfect pair. Hollywood films and stars are great at catching our attention. Advertising is perfectly positioned to direct that audience glare. Unfortunately, as relationships between the glitz agencies of Hollywood and the ad moguls of Madison Avenue continue to gain traction, so, too, do fallings out in the field. 

To some extent, Hollywood and Madison Avenue crossovers are nothing new. Ad placement has always existed, and celebs have appeared in advertisements for decades. Now, though, major movie launches also offer the possibility of merch deals, associated sales, Instagram campaigns, and a whole lot more. 

And, with so much riding on those deals, this relationship has become more frayed than ever. This time, it also seems like it’s personal. But, what exactly has got these Hollywood and Madison Avenue pairings so heated?

A clash of cultures between Hollywood and Madison Avenue

In a sense, Hollywood and Madison Avenue work with the same goal in mind – to sell an ideal. But, Hollywood is selling stories, and Madison Avenue is all about products. This results in two different cultures that, ultimately, clash because of their similarities. After all, both are ego-driven and used to stealing the limelight. And, both intend to do that in very different ways. 

These clashes are never more apparent than in the most public industry rift so far, between MediaLink’s Michael Kassan and UTA. But, experts believe that these fallings out have been happening for years behind closed doors. And, it’s hardly surprising when both sides are convinced they know how to catch the crowd best. 

Varying timelines

Timelines also have a part to play in Hollywood vs Madison Avenue clashes. After all, for Hollywood stars and execs, the work happens before a product hits the market. After that, it’s on to the next thing.

Yet, for advertising to be of any real use, it must be a long-term drive. In this sense, it seems like Madison Avenue would be ideal for picking up the mantle once Hollywood has moved on. But, there’s also an element of Hollywood feeling stalled, while ad agencies don’t feel like they’ve got their money’s worth. No one’s happy, and everyone’s to blame.

The problem with star-run agencies

Hollywood stars have always shown some interest in ad potential. Stars like Ashton Kutcher and Jason Bateman even tried to launch their own ad efforts back in the early 2010s. More recently, celebs like Reese Witherspoon have started star-run agencies to bridge this gap. 

But industry experts remain skeptical of working with celebs who, ultimately, know very little about the advertising industry. Thus far, successful pairings from these agencies have certainly been few and far between. 

Of course, none of this is to say that Hollywood and Madison Avenue won’t remain the pairing who love to hate one another. In a way, you could argue that one doesn’t exist without the other. However, all of these issues, and the growing escalations like the UTA/Kassan legal battle, point to one thing – something’s got to give. What that is, only time will tell.

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