‘The laziest eight year show ever’: Wil Anderson talks about the return of Gruen
The ABC’s panel show Gruen returns next week after a two-year hiatus, to take another look under the bonnet of the ad industry. Host Wil Anderson spoke to Mumbrella’s Alex Hayes about keeping the DNA, managing conflicts of interest, pet food and why the show should be about, and not for, the ad industry.
The Gruen franchise has been loved and hated by the advertising industry almost in equal measures.
But it’s not something that fazes host and executive producer Wil Anderson, who has a message for them: “Just for the record, advertising industry: If we’re going to see 3,000 advertising messages a day just by walking around our lives, I think it’s fair we can have one show for ten episodes a year that reveals some of the secrets behind that.”
After two years off the air Gruen is back with comedian Anderson at the helm, with panellists Russel Howcroft and Todd Sampson once again at his side.
‘Faze’ not phase.
Thanks, Ingmar – now fixed.
Cheers,
Tim – Mumbrella
I agree that Gruen is generally a love letter to the marketing industry. Although it explains a little bit of the thinking behind a strategy, it’s often pretty soft on the strategy itself… which isn’t surprising given the key opinions come from a pro-marketing guy and a pro-pro-pro-marketing guy.
If anything, Gruen could be a lot harder in looking at the marketing industry and more insightful, but it’s popular as it is so probably won’t change.
I used to like Gruen but now I’m not remotely interested. The difference is that I’ve really stopped seeing ads. Don’t watch much commercial television and when I do I look at my phone during ad breaks, don’t listen to radio anymore – have podcasts. Have an ad blocker. Gruen will get an increasingly older audience as for a lot of people it’s like watching someone talk about recent history.
To be entertaining Gruen needds to start trashing the bad ads, but there’s 2 reasons they don’t and they’re both in the photo.
Can’t wait to see new series if the promo is anything to go by ! Good to have some smart, witty and irreverent programming that is entertaining and informative. Mmm does that make it infotainment ?
where are the women? Ad industry is full of them, but an all male panel (aside from guests) …?
I wanna see Todd and Howcroft go head to head in the pitch.