The play "Any Wednesday," was about a man who used his mistress's apartment as a tax write-off. It ran for two years on Broadway in the '60s. Keith's "Any Wednesday," memos written ran weekly for 23 years.
23 years.
To quote from an article, titled, "Last Wednesday," by Tim Nudd, reporter for Adweek in 2004, ""Any Wednesday" featured an image of a torn-out sheet of lined, spiral-bound paper, with breezy observations about the ad industry written sideways on the page. "There was a great Spanish poet named Juan Ramón Jiménez, who said, 'When they give you ruled paper, write the other way,' " Reinhard explained.
There was also a stock character, "Vic" (as in, "very important client"), who would make his own piquant observations. For example, Vic would often inveigh against the scourge of jargon. "Whenever someone uses jargon, I suspect they're trying to sell me something, rather than trying to help improve my business," he would say.
"I got a lot of great feedback," Reinhard said. "I did get flak once for using the word 'intrusive' as a positive. One time I printed the winning design for a paper-airplane contest on the back, in case anybody felt I was wasting paper on the front side."
Here are 10 (+ 1 bonus) of our favorites:
Arguments about whether advertising agencies should be big or small are irrelevant. Some clients need us in 20 countries, while others market their products in only one region. Some agency functions are best done big-media buying for example, while other activities need a more personal touch. Modern-day advertising agencies must therefore learn to be bog and small at the same time. And know when to be which.
The question "What would we be like if we were the world's smallest agency?" produced the following list of virtues at a recent planning session:
Fast, fun, flexible, nothing to lose, mean, daring, lean, hungry, distinctive, need to be crazy, great parties, no history, no politics, permission to fail, very creative, very aggressive, we'd know what we stand for, creative tension, easy communication, concentrate on output, simple processes, instructive.
I see no reason why we shouldn't embrace most of these qualities, even though we are one of the world's largest agencies. By doing so, we can become more efficient and more fun. And, in the end, even bigger.
I was once asked to list the qualities for good account managers. On reflection, I think they apply not just to account managers, but to all of us.
1. Common sense. (Better still, uncommon sense.)
2. An eye for a problem and a knack for solving it.
3. A gift for speaking and writing the language.
4. An urge and a talent for selling.
5. A preference for work over idleness.
6. A willingness to join the team with a dream of one day leading it.
7. A resilience that recognizes change as a normal condition of life.
I'm told that, as a schoolboy, Picasso was a terrible math student. What the teacher asked him to write the number "4" on the blackboard, Picasso saw it as a nose and began doodling to fill in the rest of the face.
Seeing the familiar in a fresh new way is at the heart of what we call creativity.
Many theories have been advanced over the years as to how each of us can release the creative posers stored up inside us. But not enough emphasis has been given to the first rule of creativity:
Be prepared to look foolish.
If you are unwilling to risk derision from those whose conventional wisdom is threatened by your idea, or if you are overly bothered by the snickers of those who take comfort in the "tried and true," it's unlikely you'll be very creative.
We all understand that there is no scientific formula for great advertising. It involves art, intuition, and magic.
The magic is the same as that which makes for great paintings, defines great literature and permeates great music. It brightens the stage for theater and ballet and punctuates the highest achievement in sports.
This being true, those of us who seek to work magic in our craft should learn to recognize it and applaud it wherever we encounter it. Which means, we not only need to exercise our talents, but nourish them as well. Or, as Goethe put it:
"Once ought, every day to least to hear a little song, read a good poem, see a fine picture, and, if it were possible, to speak a few reasonable words."
A group called the Daughter of St. Paul put together a list of words they consider to be the most important in the English language. Here it is:
Most important 6 words:
"I admit I made a mistake"
Most important 5 words:
"I am so proud of you."
Most important 4 words:
"What is your opinion?"
Most important 3 words:
"If you please"
Most important 2 words:
"Thank you" (continued on next page)
Most important 1 word:
"We"
A Japanese client shared this thought: "Genius is perseverance in disguise."
Ludwig Mies vande Rohe is credited with the observation that "God is in the details," and Mark Twain one observed that the difference between the almost right word and the right word is the difference between that lightning bug and the lightening bug and the lightning.
Our friend Roberto Duailibi, Director of a Brazilian agency, DPZ, provides an eloquent reminder of the importance of details in our business.
"Word here, an illustration there, the space between characters, the colors of the photography or the illustrations, the choice of the models, the scenario, the overall mood of the text and photo, the choice of type for the heading, and then for the copy, the weight of the signature, on which page to place the ad, at what time to run the commercial...details minutiae. In the end they make all the difference."
Evan as we think big in shaping our organization to meet the global needs of more and more clients, let us never forget the think small by paying attention to every detail of every detail of creativity, craftsmanship and client care.
I was asked by a member of one of our creative departments how I reconcile the apparently conflicting ideas of asking for "breakthrough creative" with the need for "client loving." My response:
1. You won't succeed at selling "breakthrough creative" by telling clients they are wrong, or implying their intelligence if inferior.
2. "Breakthrough creative" must also be right. A good question to ask is: "Would I invest my own money in this idea?"
3. The braver the creative idea, the more trust is require. Clients don't buy much of anything from people they don't trust.
4. "Digging in" is a concept alien to salesmanship. It suggests a kind of arrogance and confrontation which is hardly in keeping with the art of persuasion.
5. Enlisting the client's early involvement in strategy development helps create "ownership" of the brave creative ideas which result.
And finally:
6. You can't sell "breakthrough creative" to a client who's fired you.
"That was then. This is now."
Those are the words on a large sign posed on the door of the CEO for one of our clients in the U.S. Another important client has a marketing team which has a "five year rule" - Don't tell us anything that happened more that five years ago." These clients join a growing list of companies struggling hard to transform outmoded cultures into organizations geared to the marketing challenges of today.
Advertising agencies are trying to do the same, although it seems ironic that an industry which takes such pride in creativity and innovation has often seemed more concerned with celebrating its past than creating its future.
We do well to honor our heritage and traditions, and take inspiration from them. As long as we remember "That was then. This is now."
David Ogilvy and I were once discussing the pressures of the advertising business. He shared a favorite quotation of his which has since become a favorite of mine. It is an observation by St. Augustine, the first Archbishop of Canterbury:
To be under pressure is inescapable. Pressure takes place all over the world: war, siege, and the worries of state. We all know men who grumble under these pressures, and complain. They are cowards. They lack splendor. But there is another sort of man who is under the same pressure, but does not complain. For it is the friction which polishes him. It is pressure which refines and makes him noble.
May our men and women never lack for splendor and nobility under pressure.
Our deepest sympathies go out to the family of Mr. Jeff Foley, who passed away over the holidays.
Resident of Fairfield, CT and beloved husband of Deborah Kornblum Foley, Magazine Publisher and Advertising Director, Jeff Foley died most unexpectedly in his home Tuesday, December 30, 2008, the victim of a heart attack. In addition to Jeff's devoted wife Deborah, he will be remembered by his daughter Garnet Nicole, and sons Alexander and Patrick. Jeff held many positions in publishing including the Principal of Travel Marketing Solutions, Publisher for Travel Holiday, Advertising Director / International Sales Director / European Manager for The New Yorker, and sales management for Texas Monthly Magazine. Jeff loved his business, and the friends he made in Publishing.
Jeff lived an amazing and full life. Stints in London, New York, Los Angeles, Dallas and Houston, among others, Jeff embodied a maxim he loved: "live well - laugh often - love much." Jeff earned a BS Economics from Oregon State University in 1980. Notably, he won a "Persuasive Oratory" championship in a competition that included all PAC 10 schools and more than 200 universities in total. Jeff was a 1976 graduate of Washington High School, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where he was a mainstay on the State Championship swim team of Iowa, and his many close friends there remained a vital and wonderful part of his life throughout.
A Memorial Service celebrating Jeff's life was held at 1pm Saturday Jan 3rd in Fairfield at the Greenfield Hill Congregational Church, 1045 Old Academy Road, Fairfield, with Reverend Alida Ward officiating. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to: The Foley Family Education Fund, c/o: Lesko & Polke Funeral Home, 1209 Post Road, Fairfield, CT 06824.
One reader, Mike McHale, Founder/Chief Media Officer of Montville, NJ-based CLEVERWORKS LLC wrote to us about Jeff, "The publishing community lost a great guy and one of my best friends last week. He was the the godfather of my daughter, Rachel. Here's picture of Jeff and Rachel at her First Holy Communion in April, 2008." Mike can be reached at mike@cleverworks.us for more information.
Our hearts and prayers go out to the Foley and McHale families, and those who knew Mr. Foley in the magazine publishing business. He will be remembered for the joy he brought to their lives - The Editors
Mr. Hirschhorn joined Sling Media in December, 2006 to preside over the newly created Sling Media Entertainment Group. The Sling Media Entertainment Group was formed to define and create even richer and more engaging experiences for Slingbox customers as well as their family and friends. Mr. Hirschhorn is tasked with delivering entirely new applications and services enabled by the Slingbox’s marriage of familiar TV programming and richly interactive Web-connected devices.
Before joining Sling Media, Hirschhorn was a Founding Partner at TripleH Media Advisors, a digital media consultancy. Before TripleH, Jason was Chief Digital Officer at MTV Networks. At MTV Networks, Jason was responsible for the company's digital media businesses and interactive strategy.
[Former President of Jupiter Research - which he helped build into a $65 million syndicated research business - and one of the world's first experts in online advertising.]
Peter Storck manages ThinkVine's agent-based modeling simulations business.
Prior to ThinkVine he was president of Points North Group, a research firm focused on digital media strategy, which he started after having been president of Jupiter Research, the $65 million Internet strategy consultancy.
Earlier in his seven years at Jupiter, he was senior vice president of research, and before that, founder, senior analyst, and director of the firm's online advertising practice, the first of its kind in the world. Prior to Jupiter, Mr. Storck served in state and national political campaigns dating back to 1984 and as an advisor in Congress, and he taught writing at Columbia University.
Mr. Storck is a member of the advisory board of leading online ad industry conference, ad:tech. He has appeared frequently as an interactive expert at ad:tech and other industry conferences and in media such as CNN, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Business Week, and Advertising Age.
He holds a Master of Fine Arts in Writing from Columbia University and a Bachelor of Science in Industrial & Labor Relations from Cornell University.
Paul McEnany is a populist marketer who creates strategies and marketing programs which build lasting relationships with consumers. He is a specialist in participatory media, with a background in both traditional marketing and account planning.
As a New Media Marketing Strategist at Dallas-based full-service agency Levenson and Hill , he has worked with companies including Aaron Brothers Art & Framing, Gordon’s Jewelers, Greatwide Logistics Services, Paramount Pictures and DreamWorks, Warner Bros. Pictures, Church’s Chicken, and Glazer’s Distributors.
Paul has been instrumental in launching Ambush Interactive at Levenson & Hill. For the new division, he is developing talent, growing resources, and integrating new-media values with those of the traditional agency.
Paul writes one of the Top 25 marketing blogs globally, Hee-Haw Marketing, in which he advocates responsible marketing in ways that make companies and their brands more relevant in the lives of their customers. Besides the MadAve Journal, he is also a regular contributor to Top 25 Blog, Beyond Madison Avenue, which examines the changing advertising landscape. He also publishes his own blog, titled, Hee Haw Marketing.
A budding activist, he can be reached at paul.mcenany@gmail.com.
Before launching Madison Avenue Consultants and the Mad Ave Journal, Wendy McHale was a senior consultant with Vogue Magazine, the flagship Conde Nast publication, providing insight and sales support for their print and integrated marketing sales propositions.
She brings a 15-year background in sales and management with major publishers, including Time Inc. and Conde Nast, both of which have twice employed her in senior sales positions.
Wendy has significant experience working with start-ups, most recently as Executive Beauty Director for the Conde Nast Bridal Group. In 2002, Wendy won "Salesperson of the Year" at the Conde Nast Bridal Group for her sales growth using cross-platform solutions.
Over the course of her two stints at Time Inc. Wendy was hired as Fashion Director with InStyle Magazine at the launch of that extremely successful publication. She began her career in Time's College publishing division with Student Life Magazine, in circulation.
At Conde Nast, besides the Conde Nast Bridal Group, she has worked with Mademoiselle, Glamour and Architectural Digest and Bon Appetit. Before Time Inc. and Conde Nast, Wendy had stints with Murdoch and Reed Elsevier. Besides Fashion, her collective sales background has given her category knowledge of Beauty, Travel & Hospitality and Home Furnishings.
At Reed Elsevier, Wendy helped launch "The Official Cruise Guide" as Global Advertising Director. She was 28 and at the time, the youngest person ever to hold the Global Ad Director position at the company.
With a 19-year background in traditional media and 7 years in Interactive marketing to date, McHale is best known for his proactive leadership with integrated marketing. A self-described "Media Activist," as co-founder/managing partner of Madison Avenue Consultants and the MadAve Journal Publisher, he is responsible for the day to day operations of the two LLC's.
Tim has planned media and serviced over 150 B2C and B2B Brands, such as Procter and Gamble, McDonald's, Anheuser-Busch, Intel, MCI, Nike, Starbucks, British Airways, General Motors, Isuzu, American Airlines, Warner Bros., General Foods, Philip Morris, JC Penney, Exxon-Mobil and AOL among others.
McHale was co-founder and Chief Media Officer of Tribal DDB Worldwide, a separate division of DDB Worldwide (Omnicom). According to The New York Times, he was the first Interactive professional on Madison Avenue to be appointed to this title, representing the increased importance of media in the agency equation.
While at Tribal, he managed a 50+ person staff across 7 offices. He launched Tribal Connections, Tribal's global interactive CRM and strategy group. Before joining DDB, he was EVP, Director of Strategic Planning and Development at i-Traffic, a division of Agency.com (also Omnicom), also leading their business development efforts. Before forming Madison Avenue Consultants, McHale was co-founder and CEO of Underscore Marketing.
Tim began his career as an intern at Ogilvy & Mather.
Kurt has been collaborating with Wendy and Tim McHale on numerous creative projects for over 20 years. He is the cultural conscience of the MadAve Journal.
He spent 30 years on Madison Avenue as a writer and creative supervisor at Grey Advertising, Cunningham & Walsh, Benton & Bowles, and McCann-Erickson. His accounts included P&G, General Foods, Drackett, Texaco, American Home Products, The U.S. Navy, Heublein, Gordon's Gin, Van Heusen, Buick, MGM, and RCA Records.
He also organized and staffed RCA's first in-house agency as creative director of advertising/sales promotion for all of the label's artists, working with David Bowie, Lou Reed, Elvis Presley, Jefferson Airplane, The Guess Who, John Denver, Waylon Jennings, Harry Nilsson, Townes Van Zandt and Chet Atkins. On the agency side he wrote the Texaco campaign with Jack Benny in all media for four years, and created ads for other show business legends including George Burns and Harry Blackstone, Jr.
Since 1986 Kurt has taught "All About Advertising" to undergrads, grad students and working professionals at New School University in New York City. His classes welcome guest specialists like media entrepreneurs Wendy McHale and Tim McHale as well as Stephanie Blackwood, co-founder of the leading gay/lesbian agency, Double Platinum. Kurt also teaches "The Big Idea," a new three-credit copy design course that partners New School and Lang students who want to try writing advertising with Parsons' students who want to try designing ads. Non-credit working professionals can also take the course and partner each other. "The Big Idea" meets 15 Monday evenings from 8:00 to 10:00 starting September 10.
Additionally at The New School, Kurt taught in the Humanities Division for 10 years, alternating "Pulp Fiction" (a history of pulp magazines and their major authors from 1890 to 1950) and "Killer Writers" (a study of crime noir writers and novels from Raymond Chandler, Dashiell Hammett and Jim Thompson, to Chester Himes, Patricia Highsmith and Donald E. Westlake).
Kurt also teaches a continuing film series at the 92nd Street Y, "Killer Movies: Lost Films Noirs" (the fifth annual installment begins February 5, 2008), focusing on the best and most obscure crime dramas of the 1940s. Kurt is also launching a new film series, "Lost Weekends: Alcoholism At The Movies," focusing on classic drinking films of the 20th century. This ten week series begins October 2 and runs for ten Tuesday evenings (7:00 to 9:30 p.m.) at The New York Society for Ethical Culture, 64th Street and Central Park West. Info at nysec.org, hit Table of Contents, hit Other Events.
Kurt holds M.S. and B.S. degrees in Journalism, both with advertising majors, from the University of Wisconsin, writing the first thesis there on television commercials. He also taught advertising at the University of Illinois, sharing a faculty office with the legendary direct mail specialist James Webb Young. He is married with four children.
Kurt's son, Chris, is a rock musician with three solo CDs in international distribution, plus 20 years' experience as lead guitarist recording and touring with Come, Consonant, Steve Wynn, and Evan Dando; Chris also played drums in the seminal slo-core band Codeine, and plays drums currently with The New Year. Kurt can be reached at brokawk@newschool.edu.
Ritesh Patel, Co-Founder, Avivocom LLC
You can never get Ritesh to talk much about himself, which is why we are delighted to do so here. His contributions and influence within the media technology industry have been felt across many of the most respected Fortune 500 companies.
Mr. Patel has over 15 years of operations and information technology experience. His professional profile includes senior positions with Euro RSCG, Dimension Data, Agency.com, Conduit Communications, Perot Systems, Forte PLC, Hospitality Perspectives, Inc, Citicorp/Citibank, Holiday Inn International, American Express TRS and BPF Travel, Inc.
Prior to co-founding Avivocom, Ritesh was the Global CIO for Euro RSCG, a division of Havas. There he was responsible for Information Technology Strategy and Operations for the 5th largest Advertising and Media companies in the world.
As co-founder, Ritesh has been instrumental in the success of the company's offering. Currently, Avivocom's technology uses a combination of video, VoIP and text chat to let its enterprise clients converse with online prospects. The company offers two products, LiveGuide and LiveBanner. It is widely used by IBM to support their Express Advantage product suite aimed at mid-sized businesses.
According to Click Z, IBM believes the ad unit helps it be accessible to the SMB community, which tends to think of the company as monolithic and aloof.
Prior to joining Euro RSCG, Ritesh worked for Dimension Data, a South African Systems Integration services business where he was responsible for the Architecture of solutions for global 1000 customers. The focus was mainly on Service Oriented Architectures for clients in the financial services, retail and health care industries. Ritesh joined Dimesion Data after 4 and a half years as the Vice President of Technology for AGENCY.COM in New York, where he was responsible for managing a team of nearly 40 professionals to create the technical infrastructures for web based applications.
In 1998, Ritesh was the Managing Director for the New York Office of Conduit Communications, an Interactive Strategy Consulting and Development company headquartered in the UK. During his tenure, Ritesh was responsible for building the NYC office and working with clients in the financial services, travel, health care and insurance industries. Ritesh joined Conduit after having worked in the Information Technology Strategy & Planning department for U.K. based Forte Hotels, Europe's second largest global hotel company.
Earlier in his career, Ritesh spent five years as the co-managing partner/founder of an information management consultancy that advised clients in the travel, financial services and catalog industries. He also spent four years with Citicorp Information Management services where, in the role of vice president of product development, he shared responsibility for the development and evaluation of information-based business opportunities in the corporate and consumer travel markets for Citicorp.
Eric Frenchman, Chief Internet Strategist, Connell Donatelli Inc.
Eric is an online advertising and marketing consultant from "the great state of New Jersey" and Chief Internet Strategist for the D.C-based online advertising agency, Connell Donatelli Inc.
He is currently working on the online advertising team for John McCain for President, 2008. In 2006, Eric planned and purchased online political advertising for a number of high-visibility candidates.
Since 1998, Eric has managed multi-million dollar online advertising and CRM campaigns for AT&T, DLJdirect, Harrisdirect, and BMO Investorline. In 2003, Harrisdirect was recognized as Best Financial Advertiser. By 2005, it was ranked 17th largest online advertiser in the US.
Eric is a frequent columnist for MarketingProfs.com, one of the most respective and influential blogs in the business, subscribed to by 250,000 professionals.
An avid gamer, Eric shares his expertise and insights about online political advertising, WoW, and life in the digital age on his PardonMyFrench blog at www.ericfrenchman.com.
Eric holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering from Rutgers University and a master’s in business administration from the Rutgers Graduate School of Management.
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