This is normally followed by a huge bash where conservative, even staid, suits reveal an unseen side of themselves which can only be described as bizarre.
The theme of the parties says it all - in 2000, the Year of the Dragon, Saatchis executives revelled in a dragfest billed as 'Drag-On'; while last year it was the somewhat strange topic of 'Orbiting the Giant Hairball'.
This year, it was the more placid 'Gods and Goddesses' theme, but by all accounts the party, staged in Thailand, was a raucous affair.
Taiwan CEO, Neil Hardwick, turned up as a Thai monk dressed in full orange, silk robes, but was immediately led away by security guards for impersonating a member of the Buddhist order. He was given the choice of losing the robes or going to jail. Naturally, he chose the former because the whole idea of the bash was to take part in a process to raise the advertising bar. Or was it to drink the bar dry?
Fortunately other celebrants were not asked to strip, including Chris Foster, the Japan CEO, and Hong Kong account director, Antoni d'Esterre, as they were dressed in more traditional attire - if there is such a thing at a Saatchis party.
