If you're hooked on "The Apprentice," then you've seen hot, hot, hot adman Donny Deutsch challenge the Donald's apprentices to come up with savvy ad campaigns for major companies. But long before Deutsch became a media celebrity, some bold men and women shaped the advertising profession with their imagination and daring.
Ad Industry Superstars
Bill Bernbach (1911-1982) ranks first on Advertising Age's 20th century honor roll of advertising's most influential people. His philosophy? "Rules are what the artist breaks; the memorable never emerged from a formula." He pioneered the modern TV commercial with such unforgettable ad campaigns as, Alka-Seltzer's "Mamma mia, that's one spicy meatball," the American Tourister "Gorilla," and Life cereal's "Mikey."
Another advertising superstar is Mary Wells Lawrence (1928-). Advertising Age named her "the world's highest-paid female executive and advertising's first international superstar." Lawrence created the "I love New York" campaign.
Three Secrets of Ad Superstar Success
- Be "arrogant." Bill Bernbach urged his employees to strongly believe in and put forward their ideas.
- Determination. Albert Lasker (1880-1952), ninth most influential ad-man of the 20th century, started as an 18-year-old floor sweeper at Lord & Thomas in Chicago. Fourteen years later, he owned the company.
- Know the product. Shirley Polykoff (1908-1998) was a mom from Brooklyn whose "Does she...or doesn't she? Only her hairdresser knows for sure" campaign increased Clairol's sales by 413%. Her secret? Understand the product. Today, people still ask Shirley's immortal question, "Is it true blondes have more fun?"
Following in Their Footsteps
A bachelor's degree will help you enter the exciting world of advertising, although it doesn't have to be in advertising itself. Any liberal arts degree can get you there, although majors like journalism or marketing that develop your writing skills get you off to a good start. What matters most is that you can show potential employers that spark of creativity and that you're great at communicating. You'll work the same long hours that these advertising pioneers did, and you'll work under the same kinds of pressure. However, the median salary in advertising is $57,130, and in marketing management, the median reaches $78,250. That should help make the long hours all worthwhile if the chance at national or international fame doesn't already.
Can you hear Madison Avenue calling?