The Maytag Repairman, Geico Caveman and Burger King King will all be getting more exposure this week in New York City. That’s where the annual Advertising Week is being held.

The event is in its fifth year and, word has it, has transformed from a fluffy boondoggle to a working week that’s focused on some of the larger issues facing the industry. This week, attendees will be working through some issues including the rise of digital advertising and the lack of diversity in the advertising business.

It’s interesting to note that the Death of Advertising isn’t on the agenda. After all, the industry is evolving so quickly and so dramatically, that even the term “Advertising Week” is, well, weak. (Okay. Bad pun. We know.)

All that is not to say that the advertising industry is dead. In fact, just the opposite is true — there’s never been a more exciting time in marketing and advertising than there is today. The advent of TV in the 1950s didn’t hold a candle to what’s happening right now. Neither did the Golden Age of Creativity during the 1960s. And the 15 years (1984 to 1999) that ad agencies focused more on awards than sales wasn’t anywhere near as fun as things are today.

So have at it, Advertising Week attendees. Explore all the new and wonderful things going on in marketing. And, while you’re at it, come up with a new name for your annual event. Because traditional advertising is dead and that makes for a very exciting time indeed.

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