One of advertising’s most respected creative leaders, Jeff Goodby, has said that advertising is only great if it passes his “cab test.”
The cab test is when an ad exec gets into a taxi and the driver asks whether they’ve done any work he’s familiar with. If the answer is “No,” you’ve failed the test.
The exercise is Mr. Goodby’s call-to-arms. He’d like to see us get back to making marketing communications that are truly famous – outside the navel gazing walls of our awards show circuit.
Jeff Goodby’s a guy I look up to. His agency’s one I’ve long admired. So naturally I’m hailing a cab this afternoon to take our temperature.
I’ll share my findings here in a week. Stay tuned!
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Jon Finkelstein
March 1, 2010 @ 12:06 pm
Love this idea. It truly tests whether work breaks through. That Goodby, he’s so smart ;-)
I think for many of our brands, it can also remind us of who we’re talking to. Look forward to your findings, Dave.
Jacoub Bondre
March 1, 2010 @ 9:18 pm
I did a ton of work with the guys at Goodby when I was south of the 49th. They were always good at understanding their limitations while also pushing the boundaries.
Tough mix to have. They did it beautifully.
ameet
March 2, 2010 @ 12:47 pm
I love when the best results are from simple litmus tests..