The O.B. Advertising Agency

[Spitfire]

Inspired by the lawyers in this great forum, I would like to reserve a small cornertable in the bar, where everybody doing advertising can sit down and have a chat.
I myself has been working in advertising for more than 30 years. Starting out as an Art Director, moved on to copywrting and then also to directing my own commercials. I have owned an agency, been a Creative Director and part owner of some. Now I work as a frelancer besides teaching advertising at the University.
How about you guys and girls - am I the only one?[huh]

 

[Zemke Fan]

Open this chat up to...

Public relations professionals, too?

 

[Foofoogal]

can sales be included? I always need advertising help. lol

 

[Spitfire]

Step right in

 

[Foofoogal]

well thank you sir. It shall be interesting. I imagine with the internet your field has changed dramatically as mine has.

 

[Spitfire]

It sure has changed things - on the other hand I tend to look at the internet as just another mediachannel.
It takes some new knowledge to do thing there, but basically it's still a qustion of the great idear. Just like in print, TV or Direct Mail.
As I see it a lot of money are now transfered to that media instead of print/TV - but it's still a question of attracting and surprising the audience.
That's the stuff I do - and I do it just as well on the internet as in print.
You get a lot of responseactivites to count in too - just like DM.
The only real difference is that you can get a dialouge going with the targetgroup like in no other media. And that's great!

 

[Fleur De Guerre]

I'm a copywriter by trade, although marketing rather than advertising. I always thought advertising was probably more challenging.

 

[LizzieMaine]

I wrote radio copy for quite a few years, before going into the news end of things, and then post-radio I wrote PR -- mostly "corporate success stories" for various clients for almost ten years. If you've ever been cajoled into trying a FileMaker Pro Enterprise Solution, it was likely me that did the cajoling. My schtick was always to emphasise the people over the product -- it was "How people use X Product to do this," rather than "X Product Does This."

 

[Miss 1929]

Been there, done that...

I did ad sales for 5 years, for an alternative weekly paper (great) and a monthly magazine (terrible). Print is being killed by the internet out here in the Bay Area. So I am now looking for a web-related job.
Selling is selling... and at least on the internet, you don't have to deal with geographical limitations!
I would rather be on the creative end of it - interesting that Spitfire went from Art Directing to sales, when I hope to go the other way!

 

[Miss 1929]

... If you've ever been cajoled into trying a FileMaker Pro Enterprise Solution, it was likely me that did the cajoling....

Aha!

I adore FileMaker Pro btw.

 

[Ephraim Tutt]

Inspired by the lawyers in this great forum, I would like to reserve a small cornertable in the bar, where everybody doing advertising can sit down and have a chat.
I myself has been working in advertising for more than 30 years. Starting out as an Art Director, moved on to copywrting and then also to directing my own commercials. I have owned an agency, been a Creative Director and part owner of some. Now I work as a frelancer besides teaching advertising at the University.
How about you guys and girls - am I the only one?[huh]

Greetings from the Observation Bar Association to our fellow Lounge professionals.

Looks like you're off to a flying start Spitfire. (And you've got some mighty fine looking ladies here too).

All the best with the thread.

 

[Miss 1929]

blush

 

[Smithy]

I think you might know this already Soren but for the others...

I worked for the dark side ( ) where I was a media planner/buyer but gave it up in 2002. Have worked as an account manager as well. I'm a creative producer now.

 

[Ephraim Tutt]

Can you be an uncreative producer?

Just askin'

 

[Spitfire]

I would rather be on the creative end of it - interesting that Spitfire went from Art Directing to sales, when I hope to go the other way!

Ups - I am not in Sales.
I went from artdirecting to copywriting and later to filmdirecting. But I still do all 3.

Great to see so many ad/sales people.
As for the ladies - I am not surprised. This is ADVERTISING!!!!!!!

 

[Mike in Seattle]

Since one of my many hats (pun intended) is editor/publisher of our local paper (subscribed readership - 4000), I might as well jump into this group, too, since I do a majority of the ads, all the layout, all the chasing down of new customers and the like...

 

[dr greg]

selling air

I used to sell space in the rock press, as well as design the ads, lay 'em out (with a scalpel and roller), and write the advertorial as well, I remember my main trick on the phone was to jam a cigarette in one earhole to shut off any outside interference and office noise so you were whispering your pitch instead of blathering...old tricks no doubt lost today!

 

[Smithy]

Can you be an uncreative producer?

Just askin'

Oh indeed yes, they're on things like Home and Away

Actually seriously, it's the title that's often used for producers working on arts and cultural projects, like me.

And Dr Greg, that's a classic. Though I bet you felt like bunging a smoke in both ears sometimes so you didn't have to listen to some advertiser have a good old moan.

 

[texasgirl]

I'm an advertising librarian. I gather all the research for the ad guys and gals. I like it a lot, always researching something new. This morning is Valentines Day

 

[Ephraim Tutt]

I'm an advertising librarian. I gather all the research for the ad guys and gals. I like it a lot, always researching something new. This morning is Valentines Day

Ah..St Valentine's Day. Did you know there were a couple of Saints Valentine and both were martyrs? Their link to romance - considering they were celibate - is a mystery to me.