I'm chief instigator, janitor, secretary and mailroom person for brown and browner advertising.
Joined February 2009
- Tweets 46,472
- Following 3,142
- Followers 11,174
- Likes 84,518
3,620 Photos and videos
Jun 12
A friend and fellow copywriter, David Swint's birthday was this week.
Seeing the birthday announcement on Facebook shook me.
David killed himself 3 years ago. The darkness overtook him.
We encouraged, supported, and begged him to believe that the storm would pass.
2
1
17
724
Jun 12
A couple of us made the hard decision to reach out to the authorities, and they placed him on a 30 day hold.
He hated us for that. He told us in no uncertain terms.
I'd do it again. It haunts me that it was not enough.
Please don't let the darkness of these times overtake you
2
1
6
193
Jun 12
Breathe.
Take a moment to breathe.
You're doing a good job. If no one tells you that today, I have.
It's going to be okay, the sun will shine sooner or later.
Trust me.
I'm standing in my own storm myself, but I know it's temporary.
Breathe.
We'll see the sunshine.
1
10
129
Jun 11
Of course, learn AI.
However:
• Stay curious
• Listen more
• Practice the skills of your craft
• Ask 'why' a lot
• Run towards feelings, not away
• Take your time
• Embrace being human
• People watch more
• Look up from the screens
Do all this, and you will master AI.
1
3
6
150
Jun 11
Listening is a skill.
Hearing is not listening.
Companies 'hear' their customers but don't really 'listening' to them.
Oh, advertising is horrible at listening. We hear pretty good but listening is hard for us. And it isn't the client we don't listen to, it's customers.
1
4
122
"Yes. I’ve grown petty in my old age. Who am I kidding? I was born petty. I've just cultivated my pettiness to a higher plane of existence."
My response in a text conversation with a friend.
"Cultivated? You've been watching too many martial arts films," him.
I have.
1
1
6
252
Doesn't Seinfeld know everyone is creative.
Today he would be labeled a egotistical creative, unwilling to collaborate.
I mean, what does he know?
5
327
Creating boring advertising may actual require more energy/effort.
We need a study.
Many creatives start with interesting/human, and through feedback are forced to make it 'better.'
That 'better' requires more effort because it goes against what the creatives thought best.
1
3
152
People do not owe you their attention.
Nothing about your existence means others are obligated to pay attention to you.
This is what's wrong with advertising. Just because an advertiser spent a lot of money, doesn't mean anyone has to care.
Be interesting. Earn their attention
4
11
245
We are simply not that interesting.
Yeah, I said it.
Linkedin isn't broken. It is a mirror, showing how copulating boring some of us are. Dare I say, it shows how uncreative folks really are. I do.
Say something interesting, engaging. Stop telling me you're creative. Prove it.
2
9
897
Now, before you come for me. Know that I'm happy with my Linkedin presence.
Hell, you're reading this.
You see, many of you post but refuse to respond to comments, and then blame Linkedin because no one wants to engage with you.
Linkedin is "social media." Try being social.
1
2
263
I may have been the reason a few agencies no longer have "open door" policies.
I know that one agency president regretted it for sure.
Hey, he used to brag that he was smarter than adv. people because he graduated from a Ivy League school.
I wanted to see if he was
He was not
3
6
883
Ever notice that there can be too many cooks in the kitchen; too many chiefs and not enough Indians; but never too many people trying to contribute creatively on a projects.
Aim straight.
1
4
651
Advertising, the industry has never loved me as much as I love advertising, the craft.
Not even close.
But because I was free to create and be creative, I am thankful.
I wish that this opportunity was at the core of adv. today like it once was.
You deserve a better industry.
1
8
267
May 28
If there's not one concept in the internal meeting that has someone asking, "what the copulation," the creatives are self editing.
And you don't want that.
The creatives have been so beat down that they've finally surrendered to "safe" - they are sort of phoning it in.
1
9
406
derek walker retweeted
My thinking and writing are 100% artisanal, hand-crafted, small-batch, limited edition, and bespoke.
Perfect? No.
But by me.
1
2
14
237
derek walker retweeted
May 26
Treat creativity like a commodity and you’ll end up with a surplus of value-priced mediocrity.
2
4
21
735
May 25
Maybe it is time to stop calling it advertising.
Leo Burnett was a advertising prophet.
We've lost our "respect for the lonely man."
youtube.com/watch?v=7WUxb8YB…
1
1
2
499
May 25
I'm going to say it.
Name 5 advertising agencies that as small, independent shops were ruling the advertising world that continued to rule the advertising world once they became behemoths?
Wieden comes close.
We can all list advertising houses that used to do amazing work.
1
41
May 25
Too often, the larger agencies get, the weaker the work they create becomes.
Things like internal politics and chasing profit over quality get in the way of doing amazing work for the clients.
Leo Burnett tried to warn his own agency, and they forgot his words. None of us were.
42