Sally Hogshead has a new "Naked Career" interview up at Radio Talent Zoo. This time around Ms. Hogshead speaks to her hero Luke Sullivan, formerly of Fallon and West Wayne and now at GSD&M in Austin. That's right, two superstar copywriters engaged in conversation about the ad business. Give it a listen. I could tell you all about it, but I prefer to do something else. Purely for your entertainment, I will endeavor to …
Surrounding Yourself With Breakthrough Idiocy
I'm a huge fan of Hugh MacLeod's cartoons. But this one's by far and away my favorite; it's hanging up in my office: But the problem isn't limited to just the way we talk in ads. It got me to thinking why businesspeople, particularly in advertising, use phrases and language of war and criminal behavior in meetings, emails, and other parts of workaday existence: Simply put, you can’t use the language of war or …
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Flash Your Flash
"Sweet reel, but where's your web work?" queried the creative director, dismayed by the candidate's lack of a digital clue. According to Ad Age, the above line of questioning is not fantasy, but a pressing credentials/personnel issue faced by agencies today. (speaking at ad:tech) Bob Moore, chief creative officer at Publicis USA, said the agency doesn't hire people without digital in their portfolio, the hoped-for …
Latin Leader Wants To Make Leo Burnett Sexy
Chicago Sun Times advertising writer Lewis Lazare had lunch last week with Juan Carlos Ortiz, co-president of Leo Burnett and Arc North America. Ortiz, 39, has been with Burnett for 17 years, running the conglomerate's Bogota, Columbia shop before taking over Burnett's Latin American operations. According to Lazare, Ortiz now shares an office on West Wacker Drive with Rich Stoddart, Burnett's other co-president. …
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Leapfrogging To Grey
I confess I've never heard of Steve Hardwick, but Adweek reports he's going to be the new President of Grey, starting next month. But that's not what caught my eye. Here's what did: Hardwick, who had served seven months as president of independent StrawberryFrog, begins in his new position at the 525-person office next month and reports to Grey Global Group chairman and CEO Jim Heekin. Look, I know people move all …
Mucho Dinero
Do you ever wonder why ad people show up for work everyday? Is it for the money? Or are we driven to make a contribution to the culture, however small? This L.A. Times story looks at another industry, one we need not ask such philosophical questions of. A report released Tuesday shows that Wall Street's elite are making more money than ever, with the 25 highest-paid hedge-fund managers averaging $570 million in …
A Match Made In Somewhere
So the AAAA is looking for a new CEO to replace O. Burtch Drake. Ad Age's Jonah Bloom says it should be someone who's a "change agent." And according to The New York Times, executives on the search committee said "they would be pleased if the age of the next chief executive began with a “3” or “4” rather than a “5” or “6.” Their most ambitious goal of all: hiring the first woman, black or Hispanic to lead the Four …
Data Is Draft’s Friend (It Can Be Your Friend Too)
New York Times advertising critic, Stuart Elliott, joined agency big wigs at a swank resort in Southwest Florida this week. He came away with a litany of Draftisms, also known as maxims from The Howard. Mr. Draft, remarking on the trend toward consumer generated content, paraphrased a familiar advisory by the advertising leader David Ogilvy: “The consumer is not a moron. She is your wife.” Mr. Draft’s version: “The …
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