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June 16, 2003 - Strategy Magazine
Regular Features

Exposed
Les Kahl, CD, Brown Communications

by Samson Okalow
page 6

In his 15 years on the job Les Kahl has hopped around Western Canada (and a variety of agencies) from Winnipeg to Calgary to Vancouver and now back again to Cowtown. Having left Calgary's Impact Blue in May, after a short stint as co-CD, he's happy in his new role as CD of Brown Communications - even if the client world out west appears less than enthusiastic about what agencies do. "In the Calgary office, [the agency] is starting to rebuild and there's lots of energy. It just seemed like a real good opportunity."

But he's less sanguine on a couple of other matters, one being the short shrift he feels agencies are getting lately from clients. Says Kahl, "The one issue I find is the commodity that agencies or advertising has become, with the dangerous situation of agencies being looked at as suppliers as opposed to partners."

The second issue? Life's kinda hard out on those prairies and, in Calgary, he says there are too many agencies and not enough clients. "Certainly a lot of the budgets (i.e. Telus) have left the market," adds Kahl, who contends there has been a significant slide over the last five to six years. "Everybody talks about Alberta booming, which overall is the case. It's just you don't see a lot of oil companies advertising on television."

Oh, and there's a third. But read on. (Psst! Here's a hint: It's about clients.)

What would you do if you weren't in advertising?

I'd probably be forced to be a slimy salesman, but I'd be working hard to try and fit in the golf industry somewhere.

Who do you admire most in the world of

marketing/advertising?

These days I admire anybody who can make a go of it in Western Canada. There seems to be not only a lack of clients, but the clients that are out here are quite tough and take a lot of control.

What work are you most proud of?

A small print campaign for the CHA (Canadian Hockey Association) coach mentorship program. It was a smart answer to a touchy subject. It was difficult to tell coaches they're not doing it right.

What's the best campaign out there and why?

My favourite is the new AppleMusic.com series from Apple. I think it's smart and human and assumes the target is knowledgeable. And it's an excellent product demo as well.

What's the worst campaign out there and why?

I really have a hard time with that Blockbuster stuff, the hamster and rabbit. It just seems as though they've given up on the movie experience and copped out with some strange, "cute" idea.

Most embarrassing moment?

With no disrespect to your fine publication, it is this interview.

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