Slave to the Grind

So I've been in advertising for thirteen years now. A year at Ambience (Now Ambience Publicis), two years at Trikaya Grey (Now Grey Worldwide) and ten years at Alok Nanda and Company (Still going by the same name. Perhaps they'll make the big change when I leave - just like the others did.)

And what have I learned in all these years?

That working quickly on a project doesn't earn you praise, it only gets you more jobs that need to be done twice as fast.

That Art Directors need to be physically present at exotic locations for shoots while writers have to use their imagination and Google Earth to write creative brochure copy.

That a cold beer at lunch can do you more good than yoga at breakfast.

That a client doesn't care what you say or show in an ad as long as the logo is big.

That deadlines sound deadlier than they actually are.

That Powerpoint presentations really aren't powerful. And don't make a point either.

That brainstorming is just another word for 'A group of people staring at ceilings pretending to be deep in thought'.

Now all this immense knowledge has got me wondering: Is all the late night slaving and mental abuse in advertising worth it? How would I know? Ask someone who works after six.