A project I am working on while in the Saatchi Paris office has led me to uncover a recent Advertising Age report, and a special one at that, that reveals who were the top 100 advertisers Advertisers in the U.S. in 2005.

For the first time in American advertising history, the $4 Billion spending mark was broken...by not one but two companies. Yes, Proctor & Gamble and General Motors each spent in excess of $4 Billion in order to provide advertising support for their brands for 1 year of time. To be clear, this Ad Age report measures only advertising spending (in TV, print, radio, outdoor, online). This report does not take into account "below the line" spending (for promotions, sponsorships, events, PR), which could amount to as much of a cost if not more.

My initial reaction to this news was that of the bleeding heart liberal that I am not: "Oh we could save the world if even a small amount of that huge amount of $ was re-directed to a good cause!". But I don't want to go there- we have Bono and Angelina both working hard for us at the moment on that front, new baby aside.

What I want to talk about is manners. About showing a little bit of respect to others by showing a little bit of restraint. The question I have, is at what point do companies reach a level of spending that exceeds the limits of what most people would consider to be in good taste?

What would Emily Post have to say about spending that kind of money as a means to getting attention? How much is too much to spend on that party dress that will help to make you the belle of the ball? When is it best to rely on your natural charms?

Maybe companies don't need to be bothered with manners- they are about making $ after all, about business. Ok then, so at what point do these levels reach the absurd?

These are hard questions to ask when the competition is so steep, in an environment in which it is harder and harder to stand out. But there has got to be a better answer and it has something to do with the "less is more" philosophy, which hasn't quite taken on yet in our country. To say the least.

I have opened up a whole can of worms. It is a longer discussion than I want to get into right now, as I am currently sitting in a hell inferno. No doubt I will be adding and revising some more as clearer thoughts come to me. Alas, that is the beauty of the blog.