Last year I spoke with Lee regarding these ads. "36 Hours ‘til Monday" ran in a 1986 issue of "'M' The Civilized Man" and I wanted to know who the ad agency was. They got back to me after a couple weeks and told me they knew nothing about the ad, photographer, models... zip.
This happens a lot more than you’d expect. When it comes to ads, retailers are notorious for lousy record keeping much less having an actual archives — I’m guessing Lee wouldn’t have any trouble telling me what their EBITA was in 1986. The ads are from the little known Tom McElligott of the long gone agency, Fallon McElligott Rice.
I found out about about Tom by way of this wonderful piece by Dave Dye of, "Stuff from the Loft" blog. The ads ran in two page spreads so the impact wasn't lost then and, after almost 30 years, they're even more powerful. While McElligott gave up the ad business and retired at age 50, a college kid scored an interview and Tom gave him some very wise advice which follows and which I wish someone gave me when I was starting out...
“Don’t be distracted by anything. The work is what counts. There are a lot of things that can get in your way, that take up your time and your emotional and intellectual energy; none of them account for anything. They mean nothing. The only thing, in the final analysis, at this stage of the game, that really counts, is the work. The work is everything.
The years that I spent in advertising I saw an awful lot of people who had the potential to be good lose a lot of their ability to distraction, to politics, to fear and to who has the bigger office. You’ll get the bigger office; you’ll make the money. Anything you want will happen, but sometimes it’s hard for people to see that when they’re in the middle of it.
It looks like it’s incredibly complicated. Well, it’s not complicated at all. In fact, it’s so uncomplicated it’s amazing. All it is about is the work. Finally, if you do the work people will notice and you will get what you want. That’s it. It’s as simple as that.” Tom McElligott
I remember this campaign. Brilliant and quite a bit ahead of it's time IMO. Thanks for the memories.
ReplyDeleteThose ads are gorgeous, simple and effective. I'm stunned they haven't been plagiarised.
ReplyDeleteI wish I'd read this when I was a copywriter for Bozell and had a huge tantrum over the fact someone stole my line for the Middle East launch of Jeep Grand Cherokee. Instead of being flattered, I thumped out, missing the amazing rally supper we held for the Paris Dachau drivers, and their excellent stories and driving tips. Nose, Face. Spite. Cut.
Duke & Bee- I'll put a piece from Esquire on Nancy Rice this week, Rice left Fallon McElligott Rice in '85 to start Rice & Rice Advertising -- Another legend in the ad business.
ReplyDeleteELS - You're a legend in the ad biz as well. And humble to boot. Why didn't you tell me about your book? We'll nip that in the bud:
http://www.amazon.com/Ten-Tales-Told-Century-Peculiarly-ebook/dp/B00JNG88FG
ELS - Do you mean Paris-Dakar???
ReplyDeletecaboose a little loose, sweet cheeks?
ReplyDeleteAnon- I think she does…
ReplyDeleteAnon- Gosh, I've missed you.
That was a spectacular, as the kids say, spell check fail. Of course I did!
ReplyDeleteI remember F M and Rice's seeming meteoric rise. They were the darlings around here.
ReplyDeleteELS- I thought as much -- Reviews coming in fast&furious on your new book. I'll put some up tonight.
ReplyDeleteUnclelooney- Very much the ad man's sleeper. So long under the radar they, 'poof' disappeared while mega agencies with zero soul and 'meh' creativity thrived. Is the world trying to tell us something?
Recently I've been thinking that I probably should have gone into advertising.
ReplyDeleteMike-
ReplyDeleteI was the only one who read Advertising Age in the main post library at Bragg. I wanted to be Don Draper before the guy who invented DD was a gleam in his father's eye.
Weiner steals like there's no tomorrow and the ending should coincide with a real life story of a couple who worked in advert in Chicago. They eventually married (Don and Peggy) but the husnad died shortly after of lung cancer. Check out Don's cough next episode.
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