NOW & NEXT
-
The shadows of giants.
Posted by Sam Meers on Monday | December 19th, 2011
I grew up in the golden age of advertising. Three networks ruled the commercial advertising airwaves. It was NBC, ABC or CBS, not necessarily in that order.
I fell in love with advertising at a very young age. There was something about it that intrigued me. I specifically remember a United Airlines commercial where a young woman was flying (with her portfolio) to New York City for a job interview. The flight attendant noticed she was nervous and offered her advice about how to navigate the city. I loved the spot because it was wonderfully emotional. But more importantly, I loved the idea of taking a step into the rare air of advertising.
In college, I learned their names. Ogilvy, Bernbach, Burnett, Needham, Riney, Mithun. They were giants to me. The simple thought of interviewing to work at their companies sent chills down my spine.
I learned the craft. I learned their craft. And soon, I found myself working for a DDB agency (the “B” stood for Bernbach). Within a few years, I was in NYC standing before hardened agency executives defending my work for our clients.
Damn, it was exhilarating.
It is easy to forget, as we move at the speed of digital, the brilliant minds that paved the way for our profession over the past 100 years. Today, new giants are emerging. Men and women who understand there is no longer a line between digital and traditional. It is one. They understand success still starts with a big idea. They have learned from the past so as to continue inventing the future.
We walk in the shadow of giants. Let’s make them proud.
Leave a Reply
February 8, 2012 | 4:12 pm
Love this post Sam. Too true. I’m always ( like most ) reminded of the Chiat/Day’s 1984 ad. Comes up in conversation at every Superbowl.