The Ad Industry Explained by Bagels.

For a pessimist, I remain optimistic.

Optimistic about advertising.

Or at least GeorgeCo., LLC, a Delaware Company.

Because I have formulated something I call 

"the Bagel Shop Theory of Economics."

I grew up in a world where you were never more than three blocks from a good bagel shop.

There were hundreds of them. 

Then tastes changed.

98-percent of them closed.

Rents were too high. 

People left the city.

There were health scares related to sesame seeds. They called it Sesamegate--a few people still remember the fallout.

In a 20-square-block area
where there used to be seventeen bagel shops,

now there was one.

Bagel consumption went down.

Like I said, tastes changed.

However, there was still a demand for bagels.

People who switched to frozen, or supermarket bagels, 

or conglomerate-made bagels,

or muffins or smoothies

remembered how good a nice, hot bagel was.

I remember when they'd come hot out of the oven at H&H.

I've never done drugs,

but I'm sure the high is better from H&H than heroin.

So the one bagel shop left got busy.

There were lines out the door. 

Literally, down the street.

They raised their prices.

The lines remained.

They stretched down the block.

Around the corner, even.

Soon, other bagel shops opened.

Not as many as there had been, but more than there were.

Nevertheless, the lines remained.

Customers beget customers, after all.

There was business for everyone.

Higher-priced, steady business.

Now cross out bagels and substitute "real advertising."

The agencies closed. Or switched from a good product

to ads that were frozen and conglomerate-made.

However, a few people remembered.

How good a nice, fresh-baked ad was.

That's why my phone rings.

That's why I get so-many calls.

And so many clients who stay with me.

That's why I'm optimistic.

There's a need for bagels.