Is it possible to have work-life balance in the advertising biz? Sure, with the right amount of self-inflicted sabotage.
That's the idea behind "The Happy Hour Virus" from Colorado agency TDA_Boulder, whose tongue-in-cheek recruiting effort encourages workaday types to fake a computer catastrophe and leave work early.
The HappyHourVirus.com site explains TDA's workplace philosophy: "We are all better employees if we achieve something called work-life balance. However, pursuing that goal is not always an easy task in today's corporate culture. Please use the Happy Hour Virus to leave work early and enjoy the company of friends, family or co-workers. We are aware that this might jeopardize your productivity the following day, but we are willing to take that risk on your behalf. And if this sounds like a philosophy you could live with, learn more about us here." That last word links to an employment application.
Visitors to the site can click a button to select one of three "crashed computer" motifs—"Kernel Panic," "Broken Monitor" or "Blue Screen of Death"—to make it seem as if technical troubles are forcing them to call it a day. I'd use one of the fake screens to help me escape from AdFreak a few hours early, but I'd still need a hacksaw to break these ankle chains.