My last post was like eating Pixie Sticks before the turkey. Time to nourish my soul with gratitude.

So, I’m sitting in the Admirals Club with my family waiting for our flight to Kansas City. While my girls gorge on the spicy snack mix, I decide to check up on the blog. My eldest daughter takes a peek over my shoulder: “Daddy,” She screams, “Why do you have a picture of somebody’s butt on your blog?”

Why indeed? I’ve been feeling not very clean since I posted about the sex tape uncovered at a New York advertising agency. While I tried to make a case for it being newsworthy on account of all the ramifications it has on our industry: social networking, content creation and dissemination, human resources, etc… I still feel sleazy.

When your ten-year old daughter asks about naked pictures on your computer, it’s time for a redirect. So…

Let me now share a bit of Thanksgiving gratitude about the best job in the world. No matter how tawdry and desperate things can get in Ad Land there is simply no other vocation I would prefer. For over 20 years advertising has been my life. It has put food on my table and given me a purpose driven life. I get paid to come up with ideas for an ever-changing assortment of clients. I get paid to THINK. Imagine that? When I was a boy I knew my mind was cluttered with amazing things. I had confidence in my God-given smarts. And for most of my adult life, so have a lot of other people. What a blessing! We should all be so lucky. Chances are many of you are.

These are troubling times. Some might argue we should be thankful for having jobs at all. Fair enough. But tough times are part of life. When you are sitting at the dinner this holiday, listen to your kin. Ask them how their jobs are going. Listen to their gripes.

If you’re family is anything like mine, most everyone is interested in Ad Land more than their own. It’s a cool job we have. Let us count our blessings. The Gods of Advertising are, indeed, wonderful. Rejoice!

Buns up & heads roll! Voyeuristic video causes scandal at New York advertising agency.

Creatives doing spread layout.

The loveable guttersnipes at Agency Spy have come up with a doozey to kick off the holiday season. They’ve discovered a cell phone video of two NY agency creatives copulating in a cube during office hours. Not prone to subtly, Spy titles the salacious post, “Deep Desk Dickin’ 3: Sex In An Advertising Office! “ Nice. Talk about basting the turkey. Also, they’ve included a deliciously grainy photo of Creative #1 buns up on Creative #2. In case you didn’t notice, see above.

As I write this, there are 51 comments attached to the post, including, apparently, the sad confession of the alleged filmmaker who claims to have been fired by the alleged agency for disseminating said video. He was caught, if I’ve read the comments accurately, by way of his reflection showing up on the video!

You can’t make this stuff up.

While the string suggests the agency in question, as of yet no one is giving up names, let alone the video. Folks, I have to admit, I would absolutely watch this video, if directed to it. Who wouldn’t? It’s a perfect storm of titillation, real-life drama, and ad agency gossip.

Yet, there’s more going on here than voyeurism. Call it hyper-voyeurism. Because, if not for the Internet, this tawdry tale would have bloomed locally, created a brief stink, and then died. Countless worker bees have made honey in their cubes before. But we are now in the age of cell-phone cameras and You Tube.

In many respects this is more the story than the two having sex. The second life is more fertile. And dangerous. What prompted the third party to film it? Of course he lost his job. What was he thinking? Why did he not just turn tail and run? That’s what anyone else would have done, right?

Wrong. The age we live in is rapidly creating new breeds of citizenry. We’ve all heard the blather about everyone being their own brand and how each one of us is now a driver of content. You Tube and the blogosphere have opened up countless “rear windows” and we are peering through them, shamelessly. We are also shooting and filming and writing. And now some of us have become paparazzi. Even I, by writing this, am strengthening the story’s radioactivity on the Internet. It’s your turn now. YOU will now go find the story on Agency Spy. YOU will search for the video. YOU have become part of the story.

Update –The video can be seen at Gawker.com. It’s boring. More fun is watching the voyeur dash from the scene. More fun still is all that has transpired since…

 

Pitching and Presenting, Part II. Selling your work is as critical as making it.

…Er… I…um… like… you know… basically…

Fact: Public speaking (or presenting) ranks second in what people fear most. Right behind falling out of airplanes.

Fact: Public speaking is hard and most people aren’t very good at it. Most people will never be very good at it.

My opinion: Writers are usually better at presenting work than art directors. Nothing personal, it’s just that writers are more comfortable with words than non-writers.

Folks, I’m pretty good at selling work. God gave me grace under this pressure. I thrive in front of an audience. Maybe you can too. Here’s my best advice, some of it learned the hard way.

1)   Being nervous is okay. It is not a sign of weakness. On the contrary, it’s a sign of respect.  Tell your clients that you’re nervous. Seriously, I do it all the time. This is something that works before any speech you might be giving. People warm up to you. Remember… some of the best performances begin with a healthy dose of stage fright. It’s not a ploy. It’s the truth.

2)   Look nice. What can I say? If you can’t afford nice clothes, borrow them. I think it’s a pleasant surprise when creative people wear suits. It means you take your audience seriously. It means you take your work seriously. The average commercial costs 400 grand to produce. And you’re going to sell two or three of them wearing blue jeans? Whatever you choose to wear, remember what legendary ad man, David Oglivy once said: nobody ever bought anything from a clown…with the possible exception of Ronald McDonald.

3)   Don’t start your sentences with the word ‘basically’ or end them with the phrase ‘you know.’ Or, even worse, the word ‘like.’ This is something you can learn how not to do. I did. You’d be surprised how inane these words make you sound. On that note, try to avoid saying ‘I think.’ If you didn’t think it you wouldn’t have said it.

4)   Be funny if you can. But not if you can’t. Do not try to be funny. You either is or you isn’t. It shouldn’t be an issue anyway. Yours is a business presentation not Tony and Tina’s wedding. Besides, a competent straight man is just as good as the humorous, big personality. Maybe even better. The bigger sin is the presenter who thinks he’s funny but is hopelessly not. Sadly, the culprit here is usually the creative person. He thinks his job is to bring the funny. One lackluster joke and the boat starts taking on water. A few more and you might as well book an early flight home. While funny wins pitches, so does charming, respectful and polite. Again, no adult ever bought anything from a clown.

5)   Passion is good. Properly directed. Be passionate not only about your work but what your work can do for your client. Remember: The quickest way for you to become rich and famous is for them to become rich and famous. Everything you say should imply this. If you cut all the fat away it is why they are listening to you in the first place. All clients want results. Sound like you can give it to them.

6)   Avoid being defensive. The whiny creative is as much a cliché as the anal account guy. And, in my view, a lot uglier. Especially if he’s wearing dirty blue jeans and is sporting a faux-hawk.

7)   Never force a client into anything. Ever. Whether it’s a million dollar TV commercial or your opinion on euthanasia, don’t push it. Even if you somehow manage to browbeat a client into submission, it will come back to haunt you. Buyer’s remorse is inevitable. And when it happens your client will hate whatever it is you sold him twice as much as when he first saw it. Guaranteed. God only knows how many ad agencies were fired because somewhere along the way they were browbeaten into submission.

   Options. A client can be genuinely right and you can be genuinely wrong. Happens all the time. One has to be able to stand outside of one’s own arguments. The first lesson of Journalism is that there are two sides to every story. In your presentation you are pitching only one. You don’t need to give other scenarios equal time just be aware they exist. Be open-minded. On that note, when selling ideas, I am a firm believer in providing a client options. Do not be afraid to show work other than what you are recommending. Contrary to popular belief, clients do not gravitate to the worst idea in the room, especially if you frame it as such. I’ve never seen a client buy work that has been deemed flawed. She may not go with your recommendation but she won’t go with crap either. Whatever your opinion on the matter, this much is true: After the meeting, you never want a client talking about something that’s not in the room.

9)   Power points. Surprisingly, I’m not going to advocate dumping them. But if you can hold a meeting –and I mean hold it- without one, you’re having a good meeting. For routine stuff go ahead: point and click. But for the big show try looking for the magic from within yourself or your work. Both. Stand behind your work, literally and figuratively.

In Conclusion… If I had to select the most important item from the above list, it would be the bit about nervousness. So many people try to cover up and play cool. But that didn’t work when you were stoned in high school and it rarely does so in presentations. Like your mom, they can see it in your eyes. You know that they know that you know your nervous and you end up stuttering and saying “basically” too much. Best to just be honest about your nerves. Tell your client that this is the biggest meeting you’ve ever been in and of course you’re nervous. Tell them it would be disrespectful if, for some reason, you weren’t. Not only is it the truth, it’s a great opener. Trust me on this. Clients do.

When it’s all said and done, confidence tempered with respect is the most important attribute a team can bring into the room. Second only to big ideas and a cashmere jacket from Barneys.

Client presentation? Creative Review? Pitch? Presentation skills are as critical as the work.

I’m speaking to the Chicago Portfolio School tonight on presentation skills. Learning how to do this well has changed my life. I’d like to share a portion of the text with you…

“The Immigrant Song” was typically how Led Zeppelin opened their concerts but, technically, it was not how they started their show. First came the anticipatory drone of all these speakers against a blackened stage -you know, to set the stage. It could last for 2 minutes. And then, Boom! The cavalry charge of guitar and drums. Since the Middle Ages, incendiary music has been used to incite warriors to battle. Remember Brave Heart?

Led Zeppelin’s choice to begin their “presentation” with a frantic call to action is a good one. It gets people up and riveted to, if not charging, the front of the stage? Wouldn’t you love to get that kind of reaction when you present? And that opening 45 seconds of drone –Awesome! It’s like a volcano rumbling before it erupts.

As presenters we must learn to embrace the palpable buzz before going “on” for it is not dangerous. Feeding off the anticipation in the room is a good thing. Let yourself get excited. What’s the downside -Looking like you’re enthusiastic? Passionate? I’d say it’s dangerous not to be psyched.

Be motivated. Don’t pretend what you are doing is not a big deal. Or that is precisely how you will come across. Most presentations are a big deal. Think about it. You’re either in front of a client, your boss or both. And chances are you’re in a competition of sorts. How on earth is that not a big deal?

Let me continue by debunking a popular myth. You know the one. We learned it as early as in the first grade, doing book reports and show and tell. It’s the one that states reading from your presentation is bad. Instead, we are always encouraged to recite our material by heart. Or risk sounding dumb, right?

Come on, memorizing stuff is not a sign of intelligence or respect. If anything, it tells your audience that you spent more time committing your thoughts to memory than actually coming up with them. Why burn valuable fuel on something so cosmetic? Unless you’re reciting the Pledge of Allegiance, why worry about such things? Use your memory for anniversaries, not speeches. Recite poems not presentations. Work from notes, yes. But don’t be insecure about referring to them.

Part of me believes presentation skills cannot be taught. A rigid automaton will always be a slave to his power point. You can no more pull the stick out of his ass than tell the clinically depressed to lighten up. For most robots, the stick is lodged in there pretty good. All the king’s horses and all the kings men will not be able to loosen up a frightened art director or quiet the nerves of a tongue-tied copywriter. Mechanical delivery cannot be fixed with oil.

However, presentation skills can be improved upon. For me, it was a matter of self-preservation. And I got my first lesson in the Chicago Public School System. Not in a classroom, mind you, but in the schoolyard. Essentially, I had to learn how to talk my way out of countless beatings. I’m not kidding. Bereft of physical prowess, I relied upon my wits. If and when a bully approached me with intent to do bodily harm, I had to talk him out of it. Easier said than done, right? But that’s exactly the point. It was easier to say something than to do something. I could face the bully. And I can face you. Look at public speaking this way and it’s a lot less mysterious. It becomes simply a matter of survival.

A lot of schools teach the ‘art’ of advertising –more of them are popping up every day. Yet, as far as I know, not one offers a course on giving presentations. Perhaps because the skill is so elusive, so hard to grasp, let alone teach. And yet, presentation skills are a critical part of every ad exec’s career path, especially for those of us in the creative department. After all, if you cannot sell yourself how can you hope to sell anything? Perhaps the real reason so many fine artists died penniless paupers was not because they were ahead of their time but because they were clueless when it came to selling their work!

Having written all this, I should add there’s nothing more fun than giving a presentation. Channeling the angst about doing well is key and I know how to do it. Next post: My list of presenting do’s and don’ts!

There’s no such thing as scary ads, part II. How Come?

“I want to be in commercials too!”

Writing about horror movies has me thinking about the various genres one finds in advertising films: comedy, drama, suspense, documentary, testimonial…

But where’s horror? For the life of me I can’t think of one intentionally frightening TV commercial. Certainly, there have been scary spots. Crispin’s infamous car crash commercials for VW shocked us all. (By the way, several years before the Crispin campaign, Leo Burnett did the exact same thing for the Seatbelts Commission. Though produced, I don’t think the commercials ever ran. Management found them too harsh. Fools.)

Anyway, scary as VW’s commercials were, one would be hard pressed to label them as horror. By definition (“inspiring repugnance and dread”) they fit the term but one can’t categorize these films that way. Horror usually has a supernatural element, something outside the bounds of human reality. Demons. Ghouls. Ghosts. Creatures of malevolence. The undead. Filming a car crash –no matter how horrifying- does not make a horror film.

And the countless commercial parodies of famous monsters (Frankenstein, Dracula, etc) absolutely are not horror films. Most are scary bad. “What’s in your wallet?” The mad doctor asks his hunchbacked assistant in Capital One’s evermore-grating campaign. Horrid but it’s not horror.

Public service often uses brutal imagery to make its point. Limbless people, wasted away drug addicts, and so on. But again, these are not horror films. More like documentaries or testimonials.

Several years ago my team on Altoids set out to be the first to create true horror films. Given Altoids’ “curiously strong” mantra the goal seemed appropriate. The campaign’s rich history of creative innovation made us even hungrier for the challenge. My two able lieutenants, Noel Haan and Andrew Meyer fabricated several marvelous scenarios, which we sold to the client. Even after years of successfully breaking the rules, our client was nervous (somewhat understandably) about making true horror pictures. “We don’t want to scare consumers, Steffan,” they argued. “Not really.”

We were determined. The execution I was most passionate about featured an unholy child, alone with her music box (reminiscent of an Altoids tin), sitting cross-legged on the floor in an attic. Bent over it, she slowly winds the creepy toy, causing it to emit a painful and cryptic sound, each note building more and more tension. The fear becomes palpable. Right before the ungodly toy springs open we cut to black. Super: Altoids. The Curiously Strong Mints.

Had Pandora’s box (the Altoids tin) been truly opened? What Hell hath the girl unleashed?  As any true aficionado of the genre will tell you, the true horror is in never knowing for sure.

In pre production, I recall discussing the spots with none other than director, Wes Craven. We were that serious, that hell-bent on creating horror. Alas, Wes had another film to make and we had to move on. Never the less, we made our commercials. So far, I cannot locate my favorite but “Circus Freaks” is on Fire Brands. It’s a nifty film, but it’s not scary. Is it horror?

In the end, I doubt true horror can ever be captured in a TV spot. Instead, we’ll just have to settle for “ghost ads” at Cannes.

Because there’s no such thing as a terrifying commercial, here are two dark and lovely films to sink your teeth into.

“Ladies, Ladies…There’s plenty of blood for everyone!”

I’ve been a devoted horror aficionado since childhood, when I regularly snuck into the Parkway Theater in Chicago (now, I believe, a Lenscrafters) to watch wildly age-inappropriate triple features with my miscreant peers. Horror, Kung Fu, and Detective were the most popular genres, with Horror being the going away favorite. In many ways, my dark side was shaped in this grind house. Here, I became a lifelong devotee of Hammer Films, the UK production company best known for Christopher Lee’s canny and lurid Dracula. Being a 12 year-old boy, imagine my (psycho)sexual awakening leering at the scantily clad brides of Dracula as they emerged, always in sheer nightgowns, from their coffins in the cellar. I swooned every time one plunged her pointy fangs into each of the gentleman lured by wanton desires –hers, theirs and mine!

As I got older, my tastes in horror evolved to include the burgeoning Zombie genre. Danny Boyle’s “28 Days/Weeks” pictures are current standards, but, to this day, nothing compares to George Romero’s blunt and terrifying Night of the Living Dead. I defy you to watch it alone, in the dark, in a basement as I did some 30 years ago.

Much has been written about the Zombie/Apocalypse genre, especially given the spate of above-average movies in the last decade. Cormac McCarthy’s upcoming “The Road” should be a jewel in this gruesome crown. Critics rightly point to society’s collective fear of imminent apocalypse (global war and warming, overpopulation and pestilence) as reasons for the genre’s growing popularity. Undead people (often our loved ones!) relentlessly trying to eat us are at the heart of our deepest, darkest fears. Mine anyway. That and focus groups.

With this segue in mind I want to talk about a movie I saw at the Chicago Film Festival, now in limited release. “Let The Right One In” is about a bullied young boy and the special bond he forms with the little girl who moves in next door, who also happens to be a vampire. At times lurid and frightening, it is the intelligence and beauty of this Swedish film that make it stand out. Sweden is grim and cold and the two unlikely characters find certain warmth together, not to mention bloodshed. A lovely film. Go see it, regardless of your age, sex or temperament.

And for those who crave a far scarier ride, pick up a DVD of “The Signal.” Imagine an LSD trip with zombie-like psychopaths. And the psychopaths are…you! No mere shock fest, this 2007 low budget film imagines all of us as killers, our sanity undone by strange undulations emitting from our televisions, computers and cell phones. That conceit is not new, but everything else about this movie is. The acting and direction are first rate. I was blown away.

Trust me on both of these films. They are that good.

A little truth about false advertising.

We’re just lying to meet you on Classmates.com!

Adpulp recently ran a piece about a California man who was fooled into joining Classmates.com by an online come-on claiming some of his long lost high school friends were waiting to meet up with him on the site.

Ah, the promise of seeing Stevie and the Pugster again! Remember that time you all climbed up the water tower and Stevie fell in? Or what about sweet Lorraine, the most beautiful girl in the world? Maybe she’s regretted that missed opportunity at prom, where you both were with other dates, but had that one slow dance…

All bullshit. Nobody this man knew from high school was waiting for him at Classmates.com. It was an email scam. And one, according to his attorney, that was arguably illegal. Adpulp reports they are  “seeking class-action status for the complaint, which alleges misrepresentation, negligence, fraudulent concealment and violations of California’s business code.”

Good for him. I loathe this blatant form of false advertising. I recently compared hardcore DM to “snagging” –a brutal form of fishing whereby the fishermen rip weighted hooks through the water trying to gaff spawning salmon.

This “Bait and Switch” technique is nasty for it’s reliance upon a lie. Other lying liars of the adworld are direct marketers who address (and dress) envelopes to look like there’s a check inside or correspondence that is “personal and confidential.” Disgraceful. How is this not different than the email con men from Nigeria or phony victims of natural disasters and war? They want your money and will prey on your sympathy to get it.

I realize what we do (at all agencies, in all media) is based on a selling proposition. I’ve written extensively about how advertisers regularly manipulate greed, lust, envy, sloth and other “sinful” triggers in order to fulfill their agendas. I struggle with it and am, in turn, fascinated by the struggle. However, I must draw the line at bait and switch or flat out lying.

Old friends may be found via Classmates.com but they are NOT waiting for YOU right NOW. And when the site uses something as personal as an email to communicate, it makes the lie more insidious. For me, it crossed the line.

What do you think? 

The myth-making power of advertising & propaganda. Nine concepts that change(d) the world!

We’ve been discussing the idea that certain campaigns create myths out of their subjects, allowing them to transcend, or, in some case replace reality. A perfect modern example is Apple. While the product is truly excellent, ever since its “1984” TV commercial, Apple has obtained and maintained cult like status. With its super-sleek design, packaging and advertising, Apple is way more than hardware -it’s Lifeware. Few would argue the point, especially those of us in advertising and design! We blissfully drink the Kool-Aid. We Think Different.

Who or what has achieved myth-like proportions on account of its propaganda? I’d like to offer my notorious nine. (I couldn’t think of a tenth). A few criteria for making this list are that all on it must be on it forever, no flashes-in-the pan. Items must be global in scope, transcending specific cultures. Finally, advertising and/or propaganda must be a primary driver of the entity’s success. Here they are, in no particular order:

1.   God & Heaven Be you Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist or miscellaneous, you are praying to something that you have no tangible evidence exists. This is by far the best and most obvious example of my point. From the Bible to the Dead Sea Scrolls, it’s all based on man-made propaganda. Scripture is body copy. The Crucifix is a logo. For more (way more) on this provocative notion, I humbly beseech you to read my new novel, The Happy Soul Industry.

2.   Bottled water Even though countless simple and irrefutable tests have proven bottled water to be no more pure or better for you than most tap water, a staggering majority of us still believe ads that tell us it is. My wife is one such person. Despite my tirades, she continues to bring cases of it into our house every week. I give up.

3.   Apple (see above)

4.   Nike Because of his compelling rhetoric and charismatic persona, a lowly carpenter, Jesus became no less than a Messiah -his creed perhaps the most followed religion in the world. Because of compelling rhetoric and the charismatic persona of a mere basketball player (Michael Jordan), a lowly gym shoe became the Shoes, -its creed a clarion call for anyone who has ever broken a sweat. It is believed God can walk on water. And so, with a pair of Air Jordans, can we.

5.   The British Empire Royals change but the loyal following never does. There is no logical reason why Princes and Queens continue to exist but they do… in England as well as in all our imaginations. The constant, loud discussion of these figures is what drives their popularity. They are important merely for existing. It’s odd, vaguely annoying, and a global phenomenon.

6.   Hollywood The hype, glitz, spin, fame, and glamour of La La Land. Words and pictures about words and pictures. The town can’t help it. It is what it is and has been ever since the “talkies.” More so than DC or NYC, LA’s Hollywood maintains its ridiculous and sublime image. Hurray for Hollywood!

7.   Death As soon as we are born we begin dying. It happens to the best of us. The great equalizer is the most enigmatic concept in the world. Pyramids have been built to house dead people. The best real estate in the world contains dead people. Nothing scares or motivates us like Death. Despite its absolute certainty, we all are uncertain of what Death really means or feels like. We have only our stories, beliefs and memories. Death is the ultimate myth.

8.   Target Their “Design for Everyone” mantra captivated America, redefining the value proposition. Cheap became Chic. Will this mythology carry it through this recession? How about the next boom time?

9.   Starbucks How many of us visit this temple every morning? Grande Skim Lattes. We even speak in tongues! One argument against this selection would be the conspicuous lack of advertising. To their credit, much of Starbuck’s myth is organic. Word of mouth was the first advertising. It’s still the best.

I would have liked to put “America” on this list but as evidenced by current events, our brand changes, for better and for worse. Inspiring belief, our new President certainly has rekindled the potential for America’s myth. We’ll see.

Another notable exclusion are celebrities, alive or dead. Sure, Marilyn Monroe, James Dean and Elvis are icons. But of what: Sex? Talent? Dying badly? Perhaps they comprise part of bigger myths like Hollywood and the UK?

Last detail: I did not put Altoids on the list. It is the closest thing I’ve got in my portfolio to a mythical brand but I was uncomfortable promoting it here. What do you think, Gentle Reader? Did I miss one or get one wrong?

Inspiring belief. Making myths. For precious few brands it’s a Godsend.

The Gods of Advertising are stingy!

I recently guest lectured at Depaul University about myth making in advertising. I’ve been captivated by the topic for years, ever since I experienced, first hand, a “curiously strong” myth of my own. With the Altoids campaign, we created a brand story far more powerful than any rational messaging ever could. After that, mere copywriting was no longer enough. Trying to find the “curious strength” for every client became my job. It’s difficult but that was the mandate.

People are no longer moved by a product’s “unique selling proposition” or USP. And they haven’t been for years. Facts alone don’t move products like they used to. Probably because facts don’t move people like they used to. We’ve wizened up to the come-ons and bullet points. We’re either bored by them or cynical. And the more saturated the marketplace the more indifferent we become. If people want facts about something they Google it.

In my view, to be truly great, advertising must inspire belief. More than just get people to buy something, advertising must get people to buy into something: a belief about the goods or services that transcend its practical use.

This is hardly a new theory. Most of my peers have been extolling similar notions for years. Remember when ad folk tossed around the word “branding?” A bad word now (sort of like “awareness”), agencies used to flaunt their amazing ability to build brands. They weren’t wrong. Unfortunately, it was and is easier said than done. Especially when clients are impatient for results.

Still, it’s amazing how few advertisers get it right. Apple. Nike. Name five others. At my agency Potbelly Sandwich Works has a cult-like following, albeit mostly regional. And if we’re lucky and wise, Effen Vodka could get there. They have magic in their DNA. I’ve gone on about Canadian Club’s marvelous print campaign from Energy BBDO. Can their “Damn right” myth grab a hold of America’s men? The Minicooper campaign was on its way, though lately it seems to have driven off course. Regardless, these are tiny, tiny examples. And highly debatable.

Where are the Zeus-like creations of modern marketing? Not just the big ones. The mythic!

The secret to doing well in the creative department? Tend bar and study psychology.

“Hungry? Angry? Lonely? Tired? I know just what you need.”

This week and next I have the privilege of speaking at a pair of learning institutions here in Chicago. The first engagement is with an advanced marketing course at DePaul University. The second has me addressing the class at Chicago’s Portfolio School. While the former deals with marketing theory the latter is about getting a job in a creative department. Both very useful and exciting classes and I look forward to helping them. One of my favorite activities is presenting ideas and/or work to students. I never think of it as a homework assignment.

However, preparing for these engagements reminded me, once again, of some advice my father Larry Postaer (Founder, Chief Creative Officer, RPA) once gave me about advertising study.

Number 1: “Know a little about a lot.” The perfect argument for a Liberal Arts education is also applicable to copywriting. We will have hundreds of clients in our careers and few of them from the same fields. Best to have working knowledge in as many areas as possible. This was profoundly good advice before entering college and then the workforce. With technology creating new categories of business every day, the notion has only gotten stronger.

Number 2: “Work in a bar.” Pops believed that attending to customers (particularly in a saloon) would teach one how to understand people’s wants and needs better than any classroom. The drunk and wanna-be-drunk are often hungry, angry, lonely or tired. Figuring out which, and how best to deal with it, is invaluable to an aspiring copywriter.

Given I got this advice during College, my father also recommended taking psychology courses in lieu of marketing ones. The reasons were much the same as for working in a bar. Learn how people think. Learn what makes them tick. Learn how to persuade them.

In his opinion, Psych 101 and creative writing were what made a good copywriter. That and working in a bar. I’d argue to the freshman class of 2009, it’s still a good plan.