Advice: Buy These “Advertising” Books
I first met Paul Arden when I moved to Saatchi & Saatchi London in 1991 to run the J&J account and business development across Europe. Paul was one of Saatchi’s most famous creative directors, had worked on major agency accounts like British Airways, Silk Cut (a cigarette brand) and Fuji. He was a very serious London dude dressed in Saville Row suits and Havana cigar smoke.
Our first argument happened about five minutes into our first meeting on my second day. I think (know) that he had disdain for American ad guys and he presumed that I was a dweeb. Because we had to work together, the head of the office managed our relationship by seating us next to each other at a table in the big Saatchi Wimbledon tennis tournament tent. The kind of big money client event that was standard in those days. We sat down at our appointed places, looked at each other, laughed and decided to like each other.
The next argument occurred when Paul created a rather expensive video (without anyone’s approval) to illustrate the big idea that we presented to Adidas when we were a lock to win their international account and I was going to build my own sports agency to run it. This was a big fucking deal for the agency and me. We didn’t win it. It was the worst advertising pitch ever. Read about it here.
Paul’s Books
I highly recommend Paul’s books. Smart, full of easy to digest insights (you like small books, right?) and rather witty. Buy them and put them on your desk. About $28 bucks will make you look like you have your act together. Reading them will help you get your act together.
It’s Not How Good You Are, It’s How Good You Want To Be.
It’s Not How Good You Are, It’s How Good You Want to Be is a handbook of how to succeed in the world – a pocket ‘bible’ for the talented and timid to make the unthinkable thinkable and the impossible possible. The world’s top advertising guru, Paul Arden, offers up his wisdom on issues as diverse as problem solving, responding to a brief, communicating, playing your cards right, making mistakes and creativity, all notions that can be applied to aspects of modern life.
Whatever You Think – Think The Opposite.
The inspired follow-up to the international bestseller It’s Not How Good You Are, It’s How Good You Want to Be.
Bursting with ideas, innovations, art, philosophy, science, and brilliantly bad advice from Paul Arden–a cult figure in the worlds of advertising, art, design, and marketing–Whatever You Think, Think the Opposite offers a new way to approach business and life.
Do me a favor by doing yourself a favor – buy these.
