I’ve scrutinized the so-called viral video and it beats me why an agency would think of this as the most creative way to pitch a client. Does the fact that a team can put-together hand-held video footage (some parts obviously staged) tell you anything about their approach? They talk of wanting to ‘learn about the customers’ perspective’ as if it was some secret sauce for marketing. And what’s with that ‘research’ question a woman asks of a man on the street. he seems to walk away in a hurry and she asks "are you allowed to talk to women?" if I was Subway, I would be deeply troubled by handing over my account to people who trivialize what understanding customers is all about.

Sure, the stint about working at the restaurant for a day was a good idea, but nothing novel there. Agencies have done that for years. As Steve Rubel aptly puts it, in the macro sense, Agency.com has set back the credibility of the social media, and hurt all interactive agencies