The industry has long moaned about the business of pitching. But many forget that some of the best stories to tell down the pub – once the sweat and tears have dried – often come from the dreaded client pitch. The Drum invited a handful of agencies to share their, side-spliti... sorry, tragic tales of woe from the frontline.

The marketing industry’s pitch process is much like a penalty shoot-out in a football match. For those involved, the pressure is immense, the prize all too alluring and murmurs of ‘isn’t there a better way of sorting this?’ are frequently heard.

But, like the penalty shoot-out, the pitch can be highly entertaining for those not closely involved. Many an agency meeting has been brightened by anecdotes of pitches that haven’t exactly gone to plan.