Someone once said, “Writing is wrestling with one’s thoughts.” If that’s true, I’ve pinned a few thoughts to the mat during the course of my career. Which turned into campaigns that have given clients a compelling, distinctive voice. And consumers a reason to act. Which is, after all, what great advertising should do. Yes, it’s an art. And yes, I’ve had a great time deliberating over typefaces, photography, and the nuances of punctuation with all the talented Art Directors I’ve had the pleasure of working with.
But, as my hero Bill Bernbach once said, “Advertising is the art of persuasion.” So this art of ours has to get someone to do something. Or buy something. Or think differently. And when that happens, I get my greatest satisfaction. If, in the process of creating that kind of advertising, I manage to get the attention of an awards show jury, well, that’s great, too.
I’ve been recognized numerous times in Communication Arts magazine and have won a One Show Silver Pencil, an Andy Award of Excellence, a Gold Effie, Gold Addies, Mobius, Silver Echo, Gold Ace, Caples and, believe it or not, one request for my autograph. (See, Warhol was right.) My work’s been published in Creativity magazine and in marketing textbooks. One of my campaigns has been made part of the National Museum of American History at the Smithsonian.
When I’m not wrestling with the next great idea, I’m either cycling, kayaking, or hanging out with my wife and three kids—all of whom try to convince me not to compete in another triathlon.