The Birth of Venus
Dartmouth says that “personal diversity” means entertaining many different kinds of experiences in your own, daily life. It goes beyond the ordinary diversity in which we find ourselves surrounded, like it or not, with people who offer us counter narratives. Personal diversity means filling our days with activities that don’t match up with what we […]
Che Palle!*
Okay, so where am I? I’m at the airport having a rather pointed conversation with the Alitalia desk manager about the upgrade to business class I just paid for my trip to Rome where I may or my not be going for a short film shoot. Although I paid my $950 to gain entry into […]
The Most Racist Commercial Ever
I don’t begin to be an authority on race relations or all things racist. After all, I’m a white guy who has a decent amount of education in a white collar job. According to the masses, making it America is right up my alley… …however, I do have just a little expertise on the the […]
KELLOGG’S: You Should Have Called The Media Guy!
Surfing around Amazon today and I came across an oldie but a goodie written by yours truly: European and American Paintings and Sculptures 1870-1970, in the Australian National Gallery Hardcover – 1992. Yeah, you can buy the book on Amazon but the $1800 price tag might scare you aware from this out-of-print beauty. In a […]
Finding the Perfect Media Guy House…
LA is a gentle line of homes without a city // You see some summers when a row of properties burn like a sacrifice above the desert // Moreover it’s more really the slow sleepy whip of driven-by Starbucks in strip malls // It’s a petro haze // A lowrise watercolor forever outshone by its […]
Ink on the Soul: The Psyche of a Copywriter
Okay, so where am I? I sitting in my hotel room staring at a keyboard that doesn’t move and won’t move as a wrestle with my inadequacies that only copy can deliver to an imperfect mind. It both frightening and paralyzing. I have four books in print, countless commercials still on air, and a straight […]
SUMMER LEARNING: Bras Can Solve Road Rage
Okay, so where am I? I just pulled off an impressive haul at the 38th Telly Awards. I’m stuck in traffic on the 101 Freeway near Hollywood, watching the world swirl around me in a rage (more on that later). One good thing about traffic is that you get a lot of chance to think. […]
Cutting Corners, and Lackthereof
Everything starts with denial. “I don’t need my glasses.” “I’m not gaining weight.” “I’m not slowing down.” “I’m not out of shape.” But I was. All of it! The 1920s penny scale in the entry way and the notches on my belt didn’t lie. Those bastards have crystal balls. So about a year ago, I […]
The Idea
In the beginning of advertising, it was all about The Idea. The goal was to be talked about, from the playground to the bar. To be a cultural icon. Viral before viral was viral. The goal now? I have no idea. We’re not talking about commercials, jingles, and magazine ads anymore. They aren’t about us. […]
Great Ads Come From Old Typewriters and Unibomber-style Hoodies…
Okay, so where am I? Yesterday’s email from the Telly Awards letting me know that I am now an 11-time winner launched a quickie celebration until the very next email reminded me of the pending deadlines I have on a handful of projects, each demanding their own slice of greatness. Great. Just great. Where to […]
