HAPPY NEW YEAR. Let's Rock 2012 with Passion.

I have said often in my lectures there's something you can't teach... PASSION. It needs to be nurtured, it needs to be inspired and it needs to honest.

My love and passion for advertising is 24/7/365... and I love a leap year (hey, isn't 2012 is a leap year). Yup, that's one extra day to be passionate about the greatest biz in the world. The legendary (and one of the original "Mad Men") Jerry Della Famina said it best, "I honestly believe that advertising is the most fun you can have with your clothes on". (Read more great Della Famina quotes)

I'm not saying you can't have other interests outside of advertising, G-d knows I have too many, but you gotta love "it". If you're a student reading this you need to shift your mindset from "advertising student" to that of "Student of Advertising". That simple shift will inspire you to learn, love and build the passion that is needed to day.

Add to your reading an amazing view of what the future trends are ahead for the ad business by TBWA\ChiatDay CCO Rob Schwartz on his Forbes blog "Metal Potential" titled "5 Places To Strike Gold in 2012". Yes, we have all been blinded by all the bright shinny objects that are digital and spend our every waking moments wrapped into the world of Social Media. This year there are new places to discover and own. I am truly inspired by change and adopting.

So here's to 2012. Make yours. Rock it. Be awesome.

After all, only you can/will author your future.

I remind my students everyday of my personal mantra. It's pretty simple, 10 words, 2 letters each.

IF IT IS TO BE. IT IS UP TO ME.

Happy 2012. Make it yours, 24/7/366.

Lee Clow At Ground Zero of California Cool: Think Different - The Surfer's Journal 20.4 Feature

I've been reading The Surfer's Journal now for about 15 years... yup I may be landlocked but I'm passionate about surfing from a very young age during my summer's spent in Ocean City, New Jersey. No big waves, but enough to fuel an young boys interest. Life on the beach can do that.

When I briefly moved to California in 1981 I spent many a weekend admiring and watching the surfers off the Manhattan Beach Pier, Santa Monica Pier and countless beaches along the PCH.

This story features the 68 year-old Lee Clow from his many complex sides. Creative genius, hardcore surfer and passionate life-liver (okay I made that word up) and every piece of Lee in between. From his early days at Santa Monica College to his army stint at Fort Bliss, Texas (okay that name is just too cool) to being landlocked in New Mexico (he notes "I never understood how people can live out there or anywhere in the middle of the continent) to staring in advertising at NW Ayer and finally hitting full stride when he campaigned Chiat/Day CD Hy Yablonka and landed upright. The rest is history. A brilliant history.

Read the excerpt at The Surfers Journal 20.4

"Lee Clow At Ground Zero of California Cool: Think Different"

BTW Consider buying TSJ, the stories are from surfer's and images will find you booking your next vacation.

Watch this video to better understand "Give Me Water, Give Me Surf or Kill Me Now"

"Are We Telling Stories, or Are We Just Playing Games". Lee Clow and Alex Bogusky Talk. ~ Best of A View From An AdGuy.

 

Lee Clow, Global Director of Media Arts, TBWA Worldwide and Alex Bogusky, Partner, Crispin Porter + Bogusky and Chief Creative Insurgent MDC Partners. (NOTE: Click on image for link to watch the video)

I originally posted this piece shortly after starting my original blog "A View From An AdGuy" on Blogger.com (anthony.kalamut.blogspot.com). Quickly it became one of the most popular and frequently searched, viewed and downloaded. Over the weeks ahead I will return to those earlier postings and bring them here to posterous. Hope you enjoy.

Lee Clow did some of the best campaigns back in the 1980's and 1990's, and at that time advertising was all about TV commercials, radio spots or print ads. (ahhhhhh the good old days, ha?) One of the greatest spots Mr. Clow gave the world just celebrated its twenty-fifth anniversary, the Apple Mac 1984 spot.

"Are we telling stories, or we just playing games".
"The changes that technology has brought won't change the basic element of what we say, just where we will be saying".
"The Internet opened up a whole new world for us, it's a great time to be in this business". 

That is the reason why it is so encouraging to hear Lee talk, and together with Alex Bogusky, who is one of the ad-revolutionary, about the fundamental changes in the industry.


Clow talks about the massive shift from a "monologue" to a "dialogue" and that advertising has to be a constant conversation and every piece we create has to interact with the audience. 

What an attitude! Instead to be frightened by all that weird stuff, he wants to explore the possibilities and create something exciting with it. The vision never dies.

Part One - Lee Clow & Alex Bogusky on Storytelling & The Future



Part Two - Lee Clow & Alex Bogusky CP+B Interactive Case Examples for Google/Burger King and Conversation



Part Three - Lee Clow & Alex Bogusky Interactive Case for  Nissan/TBWA and Conversation



Part Four - Lee Clow & Alex Bogusky Taking Questions 



NOTE: If any video doesn't play - immediately Click Here to Watch the full 28 min video and get inspired by these 2 guys and their work.