Duh! Facing the Reality of “The Pitch”

Have you been watching AMC’s “The Pitch,” where two ad agencies face off in a battle for a new client? We recently blogged about agencies who chose not compete, but for those who preferred to put themselves out there, our own Kellie Mazur has been filing episode updates (read her most recent here).


We’re not surprised by much of what occurs in our business. But the reaction to Kellie’s posts by “contestants” — via our comments section — took us aback. Agencies from both winning and losing sides have expressed their dismay that what we’re seeing in the final episode didn’t completely represent the entire process.

Well… duh.

Any professional in the communications and marketing profession worth his or her salt understands the distinction between reality and reality TV. Distilling 400+ hours of footage into 40 minutes of drama-filled excitement takes skillful editing, plus some self-comfort in manipulating the truth.

So don’t moan that the series isn’t accurate. Don’t try to explain away what made you look less than intelligent. “The Pitch” is a documentary; it’s entertainment. And if you don’t know that, you shouldn’t be throwing your hat into the world of reality TV.