Fake ads.

There are plenty of guys who can get ahold of a batting-practice pitch and put it over the fence. Doing so, however, is not the same as hitting a homer in a game that counts. Then, the pressure is greater, the pitches are faster and the stakes are higher.

Recently, a luminary in our profession, a Hall-of-Famer and vaunted Cannes judge has asserted that it's ok to give fake ads a "pass" because they push the boundaries of what we do.

It's hard for me to conceive of a more Orwellian universe, where fake is real and posers are considered sage.

At the root of what's wrong is the very idea of what an ad is. An ad is a communication at the service of those people who pay for it. First and foremost, it is meant to move their business forward. If it becomes your calling card as well, that's fine. But it must never be forgotten. Ads are communications designed for a client.

If you want to reward fake ads, ads that aren't paid for, ads that don't have to garner client approval, that's fine.

Just create a new category for them.

Call it "Batting Practice Homer."