Diary braced itself. A routine call to Korea was clearly about to reap rich dividends. A new global mega-pitch perhaps? Or moves by WPP to acquire yet another agency?
"It's the 'Celebrity X Files'," came the answer. "This is the real news."
And so Diary stumbled onto what looks set to snowball into the biggest Korean story in a long while. It has it all, from sexual shenanigans to political scheming and, in a delicious twist, it just happens to involve one of the country's advertising giants.
In November last year, Cheil Communications tasked independent research house Dongseo Research with compiling a report on the advertising value of 99 local celebrities. The report was, however, unusually thorough - and in addition to such categories as career history, acting ability and public image, was the one on 'rumours'.
It is this last category that lists all manner of lurid details about the stars' sexual proclivities, illegitimate children, drug use, and dalliances with business tycoons and even cabinet ministers.
Predictably enough, the report has been leaked onto the internet, and has spread through cyberspace like wildfire. A committee of showbiz personalities and entertainment agencies are now drawing up lawsuits that are expected to result in Korea's largest-ever legal action, and Cheil is suitably contrite - issuing an apology and noting that the file is presumed to have been leaked by the research house.
The journalists initially interviewed for the report have also joined the fray, issuing lawsuits and taking the opportunity to ask Cheil to come up with a solution that will restore their damaged integrity.
According to The Korea Times, notable names in the report include Bae Yong Jun, Choi Ji Woo and Kwon Sang Woo. So there you go. Forget about media rates. This, clearly, is the story that is gripping Korea's advertising industry like nothing else.