My first big project crash at the ad agency in Austin

I was 24 and working on a big retail account. We had a launch date for a billboard campaign set for June 1st. Two weeks before, the client changed the tagline and I didn't double check with the printer before sending the files. Ended up with 50 billboard wraps that said the wrong thing. Cost the agency about 8 grand to reprint everything. My boss sat me down and said I needed to stop assuming and start verifying every single time. Has anyone else had a costly mistake early on that stuck with you?

3 comments

3 Comments

milarodriguez6d ago

Oh, that's a rough one. It's funny how a mistake like that really sticks with you, isn't it? I've noticed that same issue shows up in all sorts of places, not just work. Like when people don't double check a recipe before cooking, or they assume a store is open on a holiday and drive all the way there for nothing. It's just human nature to assume things are fine, but it's the little extra step of checking that saves you every time.

spencer_coleman6d ago

Totally agree, that extra step of checking is everything.

the_diana6d ago

@milarodriguez that store on a holiday thing hits too close to home.