March 2nd 2010 Thankfully, we humans are not very rational. What's more, we become even more prone to emotional decision-making when we're in groups. 

Businesses are no exception and many strange marketing decisions are made as a result of this group dynamic.  Now, if you've seen me talk at conferences, you'll probably already have heard this anecdote! If not, read on. It's a gem.

After successfully pitching against two large international creative shops, morale at the agency was higher than ever. We'd won a major account to brand and launch  the US business news network, CNBC, across Western Europe and we couldn't wait to start.The core proposition was to emphasize the competitive advantage that CNBC offered viewers, by providing the most timely business information.

At the heart of the campaign was a print execution that featured tired commuters on a Tokyo subway train [Above, right] with the headline "Keep your competitors awake at night". The body copy then explained that in the 24 hour world of business, it's essential to have 24 hour business news to keep one step ahead. The clear sub-text was that as New York is closing, Tokyo is just kicking off. Ever prudent with our client's budget and acutely aware of the tight deadlines, we proposed using a powerful 'reportage-style' image from  the world's leading stock photography library - Getty Images.

It's a great image, don't you think? CNBC's management in New York and London were full of ego-swelling praise for the British agency that no-one had heard of. For a week or so, we thought we could do no wrong. All was going well until we presented final boards to the entire marketing team in London. Just as we prepared to pack up, a lone voice asked; "Don't you think it's a bit racist?"

That was it. The alarm bells rang... and the debate began. By including images of Japanese commuters and suggesting that they were "competitors" we ran the risk of being perceived as "anti-Asian", we were told. Looking at the people in the room, I saw nothing short of an 1980s Benetton billboard... a diverse array of ethnicity and nationalities. Not one of us truly believed that the work was explicitly or implicitly anti-Japanese but the corporate fear of being misunderstood spread like a virus. It was decided that we would shoot a new image, featuring only white/European/Caucasian commuters.

And so a disused London Underground station was hired, models were auditioned and booked and we set about re-creating the tired travellers. 

A true story. Here is the final image we used [Right].

I can't help thinking that the Getty original was better...