Here’s an excerpt from the story that I greeted with a satisfied nod (emphasis added):

In honor of Coke Zero’s appointment as lead sponsor of the Coke family of Nascar drivers last year, Crispin built a video game, Rooftop Racer, that places the soft drink front and center. It also struck a branded deal with “The Jimmy Kimmel Show,” spurred out of the host and comedian’s love for the beverage. “What Crispin does is take a simple proposition that we know we need from a product, and they somehow make it entertainment,” said Mr. Shunker. “They don’t mirror pop culture — they help create it.”

There’s a significant distinction there that’s at the center of Crispin’s success. Any agency can hire trend-spotters who collect pop-culture insights that become the foundation of an ad, but Crispin’s work is more culturally primal than that.

The agency creates the stuff that infiltrates, and actually becomes the culture.

The article goes on to blast Crispin’s work on Microsoft so far, though. I personally disagree about the campaign’s so called failure. I think as far as starting to carve a set of new meanings for Microsoft, it’s been very intriguing. Also, it will take time to show true benefits.