Of course, there have been some ominous straws in the wind - a disappointing standard of work at this year's Cannes festival and the emergence of a new creative world order in which the UK no longer rules the roost. This is a problem that higher adspend alone won't fix.
Editorial: Advertising industry's problems lie within
When a leading industry advocate such as Sir John Hegarty claims that 90 per cent of ads are "rubbish" and an insult to people's intelligence, it's time to sit up and take notice.