Here it is: the greatest quote you'll ever read about commercial production.

"Production during a pandemic is like running a marathon in bondage gear while chain smoking. You’re proud of yourself once it’s over, but the conditions are not ideal and your husband says if you do it again, he’ll divorce you."

We owe that highly visual summary to Wieden+Kennedy Portland creative director Jason Kreher, one of several industry veterans I talked to for this week's issue of Adweek.

The question I sought to answer was this: Of all the pandemic pivots made in the past year, which ones will have permanent impacts on the way ads are made?

Answers were fascinatingly varied, but also consistent in feeling that quarantine forced an industry that's heavy on tradition (i.e. overly reliant on in-person shoots) to embrace technology, flatten its structures and learn to juggle moving parts sometimes scattered across the globe.

If you're an Adweek+ subscriber, you'll definitely want to give this one a read.

Do you dabble in commercial production, from the agency, studio or client side? I'd love to hear your own stories of how you adapted to quarantine—and which changes you expect to embrace long-term.

Drop me a note at the email below or come find me at @Griner on Twitter.

Now I'm off for my daily "Couch to BDSM 5K" regimen.

David Griner
Creative and Innovation Editor, Adweek
David.Griner@Adweek.com

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