Stockland Martel

The San Francisco Egotist, which covers design and advertising in the Bay Area, is challenging readers to determine which is “the best advertising city in America.” The decision will be made via votes from people like you, and they’ve sparked the debate by posting an editorial in favor of SF and one touting New York City.

The former is a jaundiced but wry appraisal of both cities, written by Ted McCagg, an associate creative director at R/GA SF. An excerpt:

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“…Advertising as a whole is a world of enormous ego, made worse by the fact that most involved are hopped up on the lethal combination of insecurity and award shows. But when you add New York City to the mix, as I discovered when I moved there for my first real advertising job, it’s the perfect recipe for a**holes.”

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The New York editorial is courtesy of Sean McLaughlin, a writer for Wieden+Kennedy New York. His essay reads more like a gritty tribute to the city, as opposed to an argument describing its primacy in the ad world. But whatever, it’s a good read. Excerpt:

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“I f*cking love New York.

I love the struggle. I love the reward. Most days I even love the hate. Ask me, and it’s this push and pull that is the lifeblood of any creative quest. Sometimes that’s a job at Droga 5; sometimes that’s using your advertising dollars to escape advertising once and for all and open yourself a Hawaiian shave ice joint in Queens. It’s harder here and the success is sweeter for it.”

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This isn’t just a bicoastal battle, though. The seeding is as follows:

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San Francisco (1) vs Austin (8)

New York (1) vs Salt Lake City (8)

Portland (2) vs Raleigh (7)

Los Angeles (2) vs Phoenix (7)

Seattle (3) vs Miami (6)

Boulder (3) vs Richmond (6)

Boston (4) vs Chicago (5)

Denver (4) vs Minneapolis (5)

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For more details and to cast your vote, go here.

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