Chapter 81: The Advertisement Trap

"Supreme Creative has already started drafting an advertisement for Oakley in their office."

Early in the morning, Figs arrived at Sig's office to report.

"Got it. Stay here. I want updates as soon as there's news," Sig said, then asked his secretary to call Ross over.

"Do you have any suitable slogans ready?" Sig wasn't sure if Supreme Creative would succeed, so he needed to take a two-pronged approach.

Ross nodded, "Yes, we have one."

"Let's hear it." Sig crossed his hands on the desk, adopting a serious posture.

"We plan to focus on Oakley Oats' health benefits. We'll show a young boy eating oats at different locations and gradually growing up, edited together to show his journey. The slogan would be: 'Oakley, the Starting Point for Healthy Growth!'"

Ross described the concept to Sig, but after he finished, he noticed that Sig's expression hadn't softened; instead, he looked even more displeased.

"Too basic, Ross," Sig criticized, putting his hand down on the table. "Do you think this kind of ad can compete with Supreme Creative?"

"Uh…" Ross broke into a cold sweat, reaching for his handkerchief to wipe his brow.

"Healthy? Everyone knows oats are healthy! And your format is identical to the Kerr's baked bean commercial; it's not engaging at all!" Sig slammed the table. "Go back and come up with three different slogans!"

"Yes, right away!" Ross left the office, rushing back to his department.

Meanwhile, Figs waited for a call.

Time passed, and as Sig was about to doze off, Figs' phone suddenly chimed with a text.

Sig quickly looked up to see Figs' face light up with excitement.

"Sig, Lillina sent word—Ethan and Jimmy have locked down their concept and left the office after closing the door."

"Excellent! Can Lillina get into their office?" Sig asked eagerly.

"No problem," Figs confirmed. "She said she'd wait until close to the end of the workday, when most people are gone, to go in."

"Keep me posted; I'll be in the office all day." Sig leaned back and propped his feet up on the desk, prompting his secretary to bring him a jacket.

"Alright, but let's get lunch. How about pizza?"

"Not pizza… Pick something else." Sig frowned; the thought of Supreme Creative's early days turned him off.

Time passed slowly. After dinner, Sig lay back in his chair.

For the first time, he felt every minute dragging on. Even when he closed his eyes, he couldn't escape the constant thoughts of Oakley, Supreme Creative, and Harmony Advertising, making sleep impossible.

He dozed off briefly and woke to the darkening sky outside.

"Figs!" Sig called, seeing no one on the couch.

"Director, Figs went to the restroom," the secretary said.

"Fine… What about Ross? Call him over."

Sig stretched, feeling a bit of pressure in his chest, and as he did, Ross and Figs walked in together.

"Sig, Lillina did it!" Figs announced immediately.

"Really?" Sig was surprised.

"Yes. I arranged for her partial payment through the consulting company; the rest will be sent once she sends over the slogan."

"Great!" Sig gripped the table. "Now, we just wait."

The three sat in silence around the table, Figs' phone lying in the middle like a bomb waiting to go off.

Finally, as impatience set in, the phone beeped twice.

The chime felt magical, instantly drawing all three of them to attention.

Figs quickly picked up the phone, and under the eager gaze of the others, read aloud: "The slogan is… 'Oakley, a Bowl that Eats Life.'"

"A bowl that eats… life?" Sig repeated the line, feeling layers of implied meaning with each repetition.

Ross pondered the slogan too, finding it truly superior to a straightforward health message.

"Excellent work, Figs. Handle the aftermath carefully. If Lillina wants to join our company, let her, but give her an unimportant role, like reception," Sig ordered, then turned to Ross.

"Now this is creative! Ross, look at this slogan—compare it to yours. Update yours immediately! I want it by morning!"

"Yes, Director." Ross felt dismayed, realizing how difficult modifying an established slogan was, but he had no choice.

After they left, Sig whistled, signaling his secretary to come over.

The secretary obediently massaged his shoulders, letting his head rest on her chest.

"This will surely please the board."

Sig leaned his head closer, "Of course. Once this project is secured, they'll know this company can't function without me."

He took her hand and brought her closer.

The next day, in Oakley's meeting room, Ethan and Jimmy faced representatives from various ad companies, including familiar faces from Kerr's, IPG, and Ogilvy, along with newcomers from White Eagle and Lightworks.

Harmony Advertising was there too, though their team of two appeared sparse compared to others with four or five members.

To outsiders, this suggested Harmony was under too much internal pressure to focus on new clients. But to Ross, it showed a quiet confidence, as though they were already handing the client over to Supreme Creative.

No one, including the reserved Maroney and two young ad planners from the corner, thought much of Harmony's presence. After all, there were many well-known companies present.

Some questioned why a small firm like Lions was in the running, given they'd only done notable work for Heinz ads; now they mostly handled local brands. Did Oakley really value their creativity?

Ridiculous.

Maybe Lions had connections with Oakley. But that wasn't unusual; any company in this lineup had some connection.

So, when Lions was first to present, no one paid attention.

As expected, they finished in ten minutes, likely dismissed outright.

Next up was Ogilvy, taking a little longer but still under fifteen minutes.

Oakley's execs seemed decisive, with specific requirements, cutting conversation short.

The brevity of each presentation had the others on edge, so they started timing each company.

Harmony, White Eagle, Lightworks, IPG.

Only IPG stayed in for about twenty minutes.

None of the others exceeded fifteen.

Finally, Supreme Creative was up last.

But Ethan and Jimmy seemed entirely unfazed, casually flipping through magazines in the waiting room.

After all the other firms left, Ethan headed to the office.

"Knock, knock!"

No answer. They opened the door to find Henry, the CEO of Heinz Group and Supreme Creative's investor, popping open champagne.

"How did it go, Henry?"

"Pop!" The cork flew, bubbles frothing up. Henry poured himself a glass and smiled, "Guess which company it was."

Ethan and Jimmy exchanged glances, and Jimmy guessed first, "Maroney, because he hates us most, right?"

Ethan shook his head. "No, Jimmy, though Lions isn't friendly, there's little direct conflict since their projects are small."

"Then who do you think it was?" Jimmy accepted a glass of champagne from Henry.

"I think it's IPG. They've lost a few projects to us recently."

Jimmy and Henry exchanged looks, and Henry raised his eyebrows. "You're right, Ethan."

"IPG?" Jimmy was stunned. That's a well-known New York agency, stooping to bribery and plagiarism!

"Correct, though they tweaked your concept a bit." Henry recited IPG's slogan: "Oakley Oats, Eating Life One Bowl at a Time."

"To be honest, it would've been better if they hadn't changed it," Ethan frowned, unimpressed by the rephrasing.

Jimmy laughed, "They're clowns in a circus."

"No, Jimmy, they're worse than clowns," Ethan corrected. "They're lousy magicians, exposed yet determined to finish their act."

Henry was satisfied, knowing this whole project was Ethan's trap. Thanks to Henry's contacts, Oakley had secretly signed with Supreme Creative.

The real objective was to identify the firm bribing Lillina. Oakley's high offer was fake; the actual price was $150,000 annually, far from the rumored $300,000.

Had the companies done proper research, they might have seen through the charade, but Ethan didn't give them the time. No one expected the campaign to be a carefully orchestrated puppet show.

Oakley's execs were just actors, which is why presentations were so swift.

Their true purpose was to hear who'd borrowed Ethan's concept.

They had a backup plan: if no firm asked Lillina to steal, she'd offer it herself, citing financial need.

Ethan believed that once the idea reached a rival company, they'd almost certainly use it.

If not, it didn't matter. Oakley's contract was signed, and Supreme Creative would be declared the winner.

In reality, Ross's original concept, focusing on health, was closest to Oakley's brand.

But greed for a high ad budget and assumptions about Supreme Creative clouded their judgment.

"What's next?" Ethan shrugged, downing his champagne. "Time to pay them back, right? Let's poach a few of their finest."

"Sounds perfect!" Jimmy cheered.

Henry nodded, knowing business competition should be ruthless when opportunities present themselves.