The nice ‘pitch theater’ debate: must companies cross large or stay it easy?

Still, just a fortunate few are in a position to exist within the advertising industry with out pitching in any respect. So companies internationally nonetheless have to fit up (or put a Carhartt painter’s jacket on) and courageous the pitch, a room through which limitless probabilities open up, only a few of which result in getting the industry. Big and brash or small and quiet? Big image or element?

We requested a bumper crop of company pitchers how they plow through the thicket.

Mike Petricevic, co-founder and artistic spouse, Waste Creative: “A few years ago, we were pitching for one of Riot Games’ social media accounts. The pitch deck was solid, but our creative director believed we could take it up a notch. He proposed simulating their Twitter feed, animating the content to bring our strategy to life, showcase the creative in situ, and experience the community manager posting in real time. Putting the content in context provided a real-time glimpse into how our strategy would unfold online. Riot described it as the most innovative pitch they had seen. The pitch was won within minutes and without a single slide.”

Craig Allen, leader ingenious officer, Callen: “Making people laugh always disarms what can be very serious meetings. GIFs and joke slides can help people loosen up, making the pitch less formal and turning it into more of a conversation among friends. I once carried a very brightly patterned women’s handbag into a pitch to set the tone. It worked. A solid happy hour after is always a good move too. In summary: laughter, women’s handbags and $1 beers.”

Adam Levine, leader advertising officer, Luquire: “I’ve seen sushi chefs flown in, CEOs dismantling watches, and the world’s largest manicure station (yes, everyone got one): pitch theater at its most extra. But the best theater is strategic, not gratuitous. The last thing any agency wants is for the client to remember the theater more than the pitch. Once, we had a nervous first-time presenter; we told the client it was their very first pitch, and the clients literally cheered when she finished. At Luquire, we intro each other instead of ourselves. It shows chemistry and lets us brag on each other. For a travel pitch, we all wore tees from our dream destinations. Subtle, but it shows we’re listening.”

Chris Woodward, govt director, gross sales, Oliver: “If you play by the rules, you’ll probably lose the pitch. Your best option is to not pitch at all: build relationships with your prospects and convert them without a pitch. Failing that, break the process. Create opportunities to speak to the client outside of the formal pitch touchpoints. Build a microsite for your RFI and turn on LinkedIn marketing to influence decision-makers. Pitches are almost never won in the room.”

Andy Griffiths, affiliate director, consumer expansion, Space & Time: “Now more than ever, chemistry is a key factor to winning new clients, so bring who you are (not just what you do) into your pitch. If your agency offers difference days/voluntary time, contribute to the causes that are important to the prospective client. Running a bake-off competition in the office? Ask your prospects to be the judges. Brands hear and see lots of noise about culture and the people they will be working with for the next three-five years, but making it tangible and experiential isn’t always easy. It’s instantly memorable when done right.”

Patrick Ryan, leader govt officer (CEO), The 300 Consultancy: “Say. Fewer. Words. We all know that one person who talks so much we zone out. In pitches, this is fatal. I’ve even witnessed a client say, ‘You’ve thrown so much at me, I have no idea what you’re saying anymore’. Whether from nerves, excitement, or trying too hard to impress, people use too many words to say too little. Simplify the complex for clients who may have sat through 10 other pitches in the last two days. Sounding smart is useless if no one understands you. The real skill is being clear, concise, and memorable.”

Ben Reilly, industry construction director, Imagination: “‘Man-marking’ is everything. Before the pitch, find out who’s in the room. Do your homework. Check their socials, dig into their work, and look for key cultural crossovers. Brand teams might want vision and big ideas, but finance and procurement? They’ll be looking for details and numbers. Every space needs to be tailored accordingly to feel inclusive, familiar, and human. That’s what builds trust. Clients are people first, and they want to feel a genuine connection. Be relatable and real because they’re likely thinking, ‘are these people I can work with? Go for a drink with? And don’t be flash. I’ve heard stories of pitches being lost because the agency MD turned up in a flash car or the agency’s reception had too many flowers in it. Humble is always best.”

Oli Richards, leader advertising officer, The Beyond Collective: “Winning pitches come down to more than just the color of the cupcakes or a fancy mood edit. They’re won because the clients in the room can imagine themselves working with you and how important they’d be to you. Understand what the pitch trigger is (the thing they’re most hacked off with or not currently getting). It’s often something more functional than you think and it’s probably not written on a piece of paper. Then double down on how only you can solve that, in every meeting. It’s the gold you can use to shape the pitch presentation and what you can do for them.”

Cat Botibol, industry construction director, Secret Cinema: “Present the budget first and wear something memorable. On budget: no client will listen to any of your ideas if they think they can’t afford them. I’ve seen people’s eyes glaze over when cost isn’t mentioned right at the beginning. On clothes: I used to swear by a pair of tights that had one black leg and one white leg. Obviously, tights don’t win pitches but I still get comments to this day from people who remember me wearing them. So standing out isn’t just about the pitch deck. Make yourself memorable however you can.”

Michael Ruby, leader ingenious officer, Park & Battery: “Pitching is like auditioning for a role. Growing up in the theater, the hardest lesson I learned is that you need to be unapologetically you, not what you think the casting director wants. Unfortunately, too many agencies treat the pitch like an elaborate production. Over-rehearsed. Over-dramatic. Sorry, but just a lot of bullshit. We’ve won our biggest pitches by doing the opposite: dropping the pitch armor and showing up as us. Enthusiastic. Nerdy. Unfiltered. It’s OK to be weird and vulnerable. Just be you. And if you lose, sometimes it’s not anything you did. It’s just because the costume didn’t fit.”

Gemma Marchioni, senior account director, Hot Pickle: “The pitch should be an experience that makes your idea tangible. In a recent pitch to a fragrance brand, we delivered our lead creative idea while peeling open a branded picnic hamper. We served alcohol-free bubbles from vintage China cups, unfolded hand-embroidered napkins, nibbled on edible flower-strewn charcuterie boards and discussed our nostalgic recollections of favorite picnic spots in the city. The client could literally taste the magic we wanted to offer their consumer.”

Louisa O’Connor, managing director, Seen Presents: “Really, you’re in the hands of the pitch gods but it helps to put the ‘boring bits’ into something more interesting – those important but less sexy elements: how can you show that without using PowerPoint? A video, a TikTok, a prop… Think about a format that will resonate with your client or bring a smile (even if they’re reading your disaster recovery plan).”

Barney Worfolk-Smith, leader expansion officer, Daivid: “Have a laugh. A real one. God, it must be dull sitting through a load of oh-so-carefully crafted word soup. Once at a car brand pitch, a creative director I worked with decided that he would lead the presentation. He opened saying he would be able to make them laugh out loud at least three times. It went well but at the end of the pitch, the marketing director claimed he’d only laughed out loud twice. ‘What about that?’ said the CD, pointing at a fruit bowl. Before the pitch started, he’d arranged the apples and banana into a rude shape. None of us had noticed and the room descended into tearful laughter. We won the pitch and it set the tone for the relationship.”

JJ Schmuckler, world leader expansion officer, VML: “The unspoken trick of standing out in new business is to make a client feel at every step that they’re getting something bespoke and truly authentic. The days of adorning your office with red velvet to welcome a client are long over. Find the connectivity between your agency culture and the client’s ethos and lean in heavily to that. Never be gratuitous – just authentic and relevant to who you are and what you want the clients to remember most. They don’t remember fancy notebooks. I’m 90% sure.”

Tamara Alesi, CEO, Mediaplus America: “Three simple things. First, dress the part – it’s hard to be taken seriously if you don’t demonstrate you care about how you look and how you’ll represent the brand. Second, have an idea to say ‘no’ to. Third, be likable and human.”

Asher Wren, senior vp, expansion, Dept: “RFPs are so often executional. They’re about outputs, not outcomes: ‘design a new brand’ or ‘build a new website’. A bad growth leader will respond to the brief as it stands. A great one will ask why. For a recent pitch, the client asked us to replatform their website. When we asked them ‘why?’ it became apparent that they were looking for an immediate increase in leads. We pivoted our strategy and recommended that they park the replatform until the following quarter and focus on upleveling their media and creative instead. The client agreed, canceled the pitch, and awarded us the business.”

Matt Johnson, leader technique officer, Haymaker: “The pitch is a performance. Treat it like opening night; every detail matters. We once hired a professional lounge singer to play piano and sing our scripts because it helped everyone feel how they would be brought to life. When the performance elevates the idea, it sticks. Passion is contagious, and when you bring that kind of energy, people don’t just see your idea; they believe in it.”

Tamara Francois, CEO, The XP Agency: “Before every pitch, we say a prayer. Having a little extra grace and guidance on your side goes a long way to boost confidence. Every pitch is a chance to surprise the client with how well we understand their brand. Recently, we presented an idea to update a legacy brand’s iconic jingle. Instead of just pitching a new tune, we researched the original composer, uncovered surprising cultural moments tied to the song, and shared stories even the client didn’t know. After every pitch, whether we win or lose, people always compliment us on the research that we do.”

Stephanie Tillinghast, vice-president, industry construction, Battery: “Experience the brand as much as possible. Buy the product, use the service. Go visit where it’s sold. Talk to a fan and a critic. The client will always know more about their own brand, but you’ve got to try your best to catch up. Make the whole pitch team do it. At the same time, stay authentic. Don’t dress like the brand, that’s weird (unless it is your style anyway). Understand and respect the brand, but don’t suck up.”

Robert Volten, industry lead, Chuck Studios: “Most pitches are remembered for one thing, maybe two if you’re lucky. So be crystal clear on what yours is and repeat it like a mantra. Clients already know your credentials (thanks, Google), so skip the CV and start with them. Show you’ve done your homework, then show who you are. I once introduced myself as a failed rock singer – we still talk about it. Pitches are theater, so rehearse your role and ask each other questions, show chemistry and skip the deck where possible. I once competed with huge agencies and considered renting an office to make a good impression, but instead, I used our size and eagerness to our advantage, and it won us the pitch.”