AC #69 Now Available.

The Thrity Rooms To Hide In Addition. John and Tug talk with Master Jedi Luke Sullivan about his new book Thirty Rooms To Hide In, creativity and getting out of advertising. It’s a great Sunday afternoon chat with almost no…

AC #69 Now Available.

The Thrity Rooms To Hide In Addition.

John and Tug talk with Master Jedi Luke Sullivan about his new book Thirty Rooms To Hide In, creativity and getting out of advertising. It’s a great Sunday afternoon chat with almost no cursing and only minorly bothersome mouth sounds.

Give it a listen won’t you?

And stay tuned. ‘Coming in August 2011: The American Copywriter Reboot.

 

Click to preview book

 

AC #69 Now Available.

The Thrity Rooms To Hide In Addition.

John and Tug talk with Master Jedi Luke Sullivan about his new book Thirty Rooms To Hide In, creativity and getting out of advertising. It's a great Sunday afternoon chat with almost no cursing and only minorly bothersome mouth sounds.

Give it a listen won't you?

And stay tuned. 'Coming in August 2011: The American Copywriter Reboot.

 

Click to preview book

 

Nike runs home.

According to our friends at Ad Age, Nike is back home with Wieden. Whilst we’re fans of all involved, something about this says that all is right with the world.

American Copywriter salutes Hal Riney

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Here’s to a voice that stood out. Spoken and otherwise. A voice that I’m certain our industry will miss even more than we may suspect. If you’re a little young and stupid (which is perfectly acceptable), do yourself a favor and bone up on The Riney Way. You can start by absorbing what Jeff Goodby had to say about the man.

Here’s to you, Mr. Riney. We are believers.

And the Oscar for Best Ad on the Oscars goes to…

Walkhardoscarad
Tonight, is a big, big night for brands.  Star brands, studio brands and marketer brands all mix on the red carpet. We can count on the Nicholson brand doing well tonight. It’s a tradition to cut to him grinning in the audience. His smile is as iconic as the Clydesdales. But what about the marketers that are making their big bet with this event instead of the hyper-hyped Super Bowl?  Follow a live chat with the pundits on Adfreak’s new OscarFreak. If you are so moved, leave your opinions on the winners and losers here or as an audio comment. We’ll update this post with our own opinion in the morning. In the meantime, we already know what Judd Apatow thinks of the whole thing.

Irene Done speaks for the nation.

When the lady is right, the lady is right. God bless Irene for speaking the truth.

American Copywriter salutes Phil Dusenberry

Dusenberry8Former chairman and CCO of BBDO, Phil Dusenberry, passed away on December 29th after a battle with lung cancer. He was 71. In 1999, Ad Age ranked him 31 on their list of the century’s most influential advertising people. He was a bona fide advertising luminary. His lofty titles and achievements disguise the fact that he was, throughout his career, a copywriter’s copywriter. Dusenberry’s work is the stuff of legends including Pepsi’s Michael Jackson spot and Ronald Regan’s Morning in America commercials. He penned a few screenplays, too, most notably The Natural. An apt description for Dusenberry himself in the context of his chosen profession.

When I was in college I interned in the corporate communications department of Pizza Hut, Inc. When it came time for the big franchisee convention, I got plopped down in some back room of a Wichita Marriott hotel making last minute changes to speeches for the Pizza Hut execs. I was pecking away (on an original Mac BTW) when I heard someone say, "Hi Phil!" I turned and saw Dusenberry sweep through the room. He was there to present BBDO’s new crop of spots to the franchisees. I punched "save" and stole into the darkened hall with everyone else. I really wasn’t supposed to be there but no one hassled me. The room was electric. Advertising is a big expense and franchisees pay much of the bill. Hundreds of eyes locked on Dusenberry as he took the stage. From word one, he owned that room. With his white hair, whiter teeth and power suit, Dusenberry was the definition of an "ad man." He deftly introduced several spots to the crowd that afternoon including (if memory serves) the classic "Right Field." The crowd loved it. And him. It was a lesson to me. An advertising contract is a potent mix of money, power, politics and creativity. Yes, it’s always about the work, the work, the work. But a little showmanship never hurts.

Here’s to you, Mr. Dusenberry.

Whopper Freakout really sells.

Whopper

So, in one fell swoop, we’re selling the living hell out of product and freshening up the testimonial. Nice work Crispinites. Nice work.