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Team DIGO | 08/01/2019 | in
On this week’s episode of The A-List Podcast, host and DiMassimo Goldstein CCO, Tom Christmann is joined by none other than, our chief and the founder of DiMassimo Goldstein, the most Inspiring Action agency in the world, Mark DiMassimo!
Okay, we can’t lie, we’re obviously excited about this episode. As chief, Mark has overseen the production a lot of great work in the advertising space over the past 23 years. However, Mark was not always the leader of an ad agency…
After a career as a young entrepreneur and musician, Mark DiMassimo began his second career at twenty-five years old in the direct marketing division of BBDO. There, Mark apprenticed to the Direct Marketing author, Ed Nash, and soaked in the atmosphere at a time when direct marketers were entrepreneurial, and brands where built through direct marketing.
As an account executive and without asking permission, Mark started writing ads for a client that had frustrated the creative department into mass creative block. Instead of being fired, he was invited into the creative department with the proviso, “But you won’t be able to tell us what to do anymore.” With time, he emerged as a pre-eminent creative with his career took off due to his track record of success.
Mark worked on choice assignments and launched major brands with the philosophy of exploiting the blind spots of fellow direct marketers by using brand insights to create integrated brand response advertising campaigns that dramatically out-performed more tactical work.
Mark led integrated creative departments and produced notable work at some of the best creative agencies in the world before founding his own in 1996. He founded DiMassimo Goldstein in the spirit of leading the charge for “a brand revolution among direct marketers and a direct revolution among brand marketers” as well as laying the groundwork for our practice of #InspiringAction.
On this episode, we follow Mark through his career and delve into his gritty origin story from start to finish.
You’re not going to want to miss this one. Listen here!
Show Notes:
[0:00-3:00] Intro.
[3:01-7:25] Mark talks about growing up in NJ and his early upbringing.
[7:26-9:29] Mark’s imagination and first forays into creativity as a profession.
[9:29-13:46] Mark’s super-dark childhood short story and learning how to express himself.
[13:47-16:11] Wayne Dyer’s ‘Erroneous Zones’ as a marketing inspiration.
[16:13 -20:23] SUNY Fredonia, majoring in music, and discovering the library.
[21:17-24:45] Transferring to Cornell and Industrial and Labor Relations.
[24:54-27:44] How he made the switch to communications and ultimately deciding on Advertising as a career path.
[25:00-32:30] BBDO Direct and Mark’s first job working on brand accounts in advertising.
[32:31-40:20] Mark discusses his first creative experiences as a copywriter and being challenged for the first time.
[40:42-49:00] Being laid off, freelancing, and getting copywriter positions.
[49:15-55:59] Mark on his rise through the ranks and deciding to start his very own agency.
[56:00-57:37] Outro.
“The A-List” is a podcast produced by DiMassimo Goldstein, an inspiring action agency, recorded at the Gramercy Post, and sponsored by the Adhouse Advertising School, New York’s newest, smallest, and hippest ad school. You can subscribe and rate the show on iTunes or listen along on SoundCloud. For updates on upcoming episodes and guests, be sure to like the A-List Podcast on Facebook and follow host Tom Christmann on Twitter.
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Team DIGO | 07/18/2019 | in
On this week’s episode of The A-List Podcast, host and DiMassimo Goldstein CCO Tom Christmann is joined by Michael Bierut, current partner at Pentagram and former employee of the renowned Italian designer Massimo Vignelli. Michael has designed some of the most well-recognized logos in the world, including the Hillary Clinton campaign logo, the Saks Fifth Avenue bag, the Slack icon, and many more.
We are so lucky to have Michael join us in our design series, as we interview some of the industry’s biggest and brightest.
For ten years Michael worked and learned from Vignelli Associates, before joining Pentagram as a partner in 1990. He has won hundreds of design awards and his work is represented in several permanent collections including: the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) and the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum in New York; the Library of Congress in Washington, DC; the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA); the Denver Art Museum; the Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe Hamburg, Germany; and the Museum of Design, Zürich, Switzerland.
In this interview. he divulges how he turned his natural artistic inclination into a giant career in graphic design. Be sure to listen then check out his site https://designobserver.com/ for creative inspiration.
Show Notes:
- [0:00 – 1:56] Intro
- [1:57 – 4:27] Growing up in non-starstudded Ohio and discovering his drawing talents.
- [4:28 – 7:20] Serendipitously stumbling on the book “Aim High for a Career in Graphic Design / Art by S. Neil Fujita” at age 14 and starting art as a vocational trade.
- [7:21 – 12:10] The benefits of social ineptitude and the nerve to push yourself creatively.
- [12:10 – 17:57] The curse of ‘knowing the rules.’
- [17:58 – 26:16] For the love of rules and parameters.
- [26:17 – 28:16] Helvetica and 70’s font style at the University of Cincinnati
- [28:17 – 33:35] The magnetic pull to New York City and working with mastermind Massimo Vignelli.
- [33:36 – 36:10] The healthy side of a workaholic.
- [36:11 – 38:16] Wisdom gained from 10 years with Vignelli and the importance of compelling ideas.
- [38:17 – 43:08] Leaving Vignelli to become a partner at Pentagram in 1990.
- [43:09 – 48: ] Working on the top-secret Hillary Clinton campaign logo.
- [52:49 – 54:59] Outro
“The A-List” is a podcast produced by DiMassimo Goldstein, an inspiring action agency, recorded at the Gramercy Post, and sponsored by the Adhouse Advertising School, New York’s newest, smallest, and hippest ad school. You can subscribe and rate the show on iTunes or listen along on SoundCloud. For updates on upcoming episodes and guests, be sure to like the A-List Podcast on Facebook and follow host Tom Christmann on Twitter.
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Team DIGO | 07/11/2019 | in
On this week’s episode of The A-List Podcast, host and DiMassimo Goldstein CCO Tom Christmann is joined by Mike Lescarbeau, former President and Chief Creative Officer of Carmichael Lynch, and current CEO of Person, an HR consulting firm that helps companies create better workplaces through diversity, inclusion, and best hiring practices.
During the interview, Mike delves into his successful start in advertising and his natural transition towards helping companies develop positive work cultures. Mike has been awarded the American Advertising Federation’s 2014 MOSAIC Award for Diversity Achievement, and serves on the board of directors for The BrandLab, a Minneapolis-based consortium of over 40 companies working to bring more people of color into advertising and marketing.
Mike’s transition is an unusual one. In this interview he gives us invaluable advice about how to lean into people’s natural tendencies to create a higher retention rate and keep your people happy.
Sit back and take a listen to the most interesting interview you’ve ever heard about Human Resources.
Show Notes:
- [0:00 – 2:22] Intro
- [2:23 – 7:50] Writing 200 headlines with Tom McElligott and growing up in Minnesota
- [7:51– 18:14] The natural ease of writing copy and early advertising experiences
- [18:15 – 25:50] Moving from advertising to HR
- [25:51 – 31:25] How to make interviews safer spaces
- [31:26 – 37:42] Embracing Millennials and dealing with hard clients
- [37:43 – 50:10] Breaking down barriers with other people and being inclusive
- [50:11 –:] First steps in helping a company hire
- [58:18 – 1:00:07] Outro
“The A-List” is a podcast produced by DiMassimo Goldstein, an inspiring action agency, recorded at the Gramercy Post, and sponsored by the Adhouse Advertising School, New York’s newest, smallest, and hippest ad school. You can subscribe and rate the show on iTunes or listen along on SoundCloud. For updates on upcoming episodes and guests, be sure to like the A-List Podcast on Facebook and follow host Tom Christmann on Twitter.
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Team DIGO | 06/27/2019 | in
Doing just enough, just isn’t enough
On this week’s episode of The A-List Podcast, host and DiMassimo Goldstein CCO Tom Christmann is joined by Nick Law, previous Chief Creative Officer at Publicis, who made the recent leap to become a Marketing Executive at Apple. Yes, that Apple company.
Nick’s unique integration of design, storytelling, and technology give him a unique perspective in the advertising industry. He observes behavior to create brands and believes big ideas can come after the product’s medium.
Before Publicis, Nick worked at R/GA for 17 years, where he helped expand the company up from 100 to 2,000 employees.
Nick has twice been named in the Creativity 50 list and is a force to learn from. We were very lucky to have him on The A-List Podcast. Make sure you tune in below!
Show Notes:
- [0:00 – 2:10] Intro
- [2:11 – 2:20] Growing up in Sydney, the benefits of a “feral” upbringing, avoiding school & enjoying art
- [4:46 – 8:18] Drawing, discovering graphic design, getting into art school
- [8:19 – 11:06] First jobs and how to become a master
- [11:07 – 12:54] Are big ideas that important?
- [12:55 – 15:16] The importance of not taking the first job you land, the difficulty of unlearning bad habits
- [15:17 – 21:58] Taking a gap year, starting at Pentagram and moving in advertising in 1988, moving to New York in 1994, entering the dot com boom and the internet
- [21:58 – 27:40] The “strange delicious isolation” before the internet and the unavoidable future of it
- [27:41 – 42:40] How creatives can use the newest tools and executing ideas at the speed of thought
- [42:40 – 1:05] Observe behavior before building a brand, the power of storytelling, technology connectivity
- [1:06 – 1:03:24] Outro
“The A-List” is a podcast produced by DiMassimo Goldstein, an inspiring action agency, recorded at the Gramercy Post, and sponsored by the Adhouse Advertising School, New York’s newest, smallest, and hippest ad school. You can subscribe and rate the show on iTunes or listen along on SoundCloud. For updates on upcoming episodes and guests, be sure to like the A-List Podcast on Facebook and follow host Tom Christmann on Twitter.
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Team DIGO | 06/20/2019 | in
On this week’s episode of The A-List Podcast, host and DiMassimo Goldstein CCO Tom Christmann is joined by Karl Lieberman, Executive Creative Director and Creative Head at Wieden + Kennedy New York.
I don’t always launch campaigns that generate thousands of memes for years to come, but when I do, it’s awesome. Remember Dos Equis’s The Most Interesting Man in the World campaign? Of course you do. Well, that was Karl. He co-created that iconic campaign and many more.
Raised in New Jersey by an artist mother and a doctor father, Karl’s creativity and ambition was nurtured early on. However, it wasn’t until visiting his sister at work at her digital marketing office in D.C, did he learn about the world of advertising.
After studying fine arts at the University of Delaware, Karl got an internship at Mother London, where he learned his portfolio sucked, got an art partner, and learned to write from an honest place.
Karl has worked at several big-name agencies including Gyro, Mother, and Wieden + Kennedy, where he’s helped create famous work for huge clients, including Bud Light, Dos Equis, ESPN, Yoplait, Velveeta and more.
During the interview, Karl offers insights about coming of age in the business, being true to himself, and making it big. Listen in for the whole scoop
- [0:00 – 2:55] Intro
- [2:56 – 7:42] Having an artistic childhood in New Jersey with a painter mother and a doctor father
- [7:43 – 13:00] Exposure to the advertising world, learning jobs don’t have to stuck, pursuing art at The University of Delaware
- [14:30 – 25:29] Interning at Mother London, getting a portfolio invention, partnering with art director Brandon Henderson and landing first jobs
- [25:29 – 30:05] Working with hero Jeff Kling (Miller High Life) in the creative department, writing a basketball blog, connecting the dots between writing and writing ads
- [30:05 – 37:35] Writing Dos Equis’s The Most Interesting Man in the World campaign
- [38:40 – 39:57] Working harder post Dos Equi’s campaign
- [39:58 – 52:40] From Gyro to Mother then eventually Wieden + Kennedy, and the importance of briefs
- [39:58 – 55:45] Defining “good ideas,” the future of advertising, and the power of the internet
- [55:45 – 59:16] Droga5 Superbowl spots Walking Dead and Game of Thrones
- [59:16 – 1:00:38] Outro
“The A-List” is a podcast produced by DiMassimo Goldstein, an inspiring action agency, recorded at the Gramercy Post, and sponsored by the Adhouse Advertising School, New York’s newest, smallest, and hippest ad school. You can subscribe and rate the show on iTunes or listen along on SoundCloud. For updates on upcoming episodes and guests, be sure to like the A-List Podcast on Facebook and follow host Tom Christmann on Twitter.
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Team DIGO | 06/06/2019 | in
On this week’s episode of The A-List Podcast, host and DiMassimo Goldstein CCO Tom Christmann is joined by Prentice Howe, Owner and Chief Creative Officer of Door No. 3, an Austin based full service marketing agency that focuses on turning challengers into empowered challengers through brand activation.
Working with some of America’s most iconic brands such as Minute Maid, Anheuser-Busch, and the Dallas Cowboys, Prentice has developed a unique talent and passion for helping challenger brands stand out against their industry giants in a crowded consumer marketplace.
Author of the Amazon Best Seller Empowered Challenger Brand, Prentice’s work has been recognized national and internationally in shows such as Cannes Lions, London International Advertising Awards, the Webby Awards and Communication Arts. Oh, did we mention he spent 5 years out in LA trying his hand at screenwriting? Hear more below!
- [0:00 – 1:18] Intro
- [1:18 – 2:20] Honolulu born, and Boston raised, Prentice ends up finding his roots in Texas once he starts attending SMU.
- [2:20 – 3:57] Taking an Intro to Advertising class at SMU that quickly changed his anticipation of being a business major, finding a passion for the advertising industry and starting to build a creative portfolio
- [3:58 – 5:58] The jump starts to his career— working on accounts such as Anheuser-Busch while traveling and building his portfolio along the way
- [5:58 – 10:28] Mentions of some of his first work produced in the industry and learning that eliciting emotion doesn’t always evolve by just “being funny”
- [10:28 – 14:40] Leaving Texas to try out life in LA writing screenplays, “failing forward”, and an interaction with a neighbor that helped him realize his passion for advertising as a career.
- [14:40 – 20:40] Starting work at Door Number 3 as an ECD, strategies for dealing with imposters syndrome, nurturing your network and finding the right people to surround yourself with
- [20:40 – 23:25] Taking a leap of faith moving to Detroit to become a Creative Director at Donor to soon hearing Door Number 3 knocking on the door again, deciding to buy the agency and officially making Austin home.
- [23:25 – 27:40] Door Number 3’s homecoming, refreshing the agency’s brand identity, creating their positioning strategy and writing a book called the Empowered Challenger Playbook
- [27:40 – 34:55] Discussing some rising challenger brands, the process of writing the Empowered Challenger Playbook and a look into Prentice’s daily routine
- [34:55 – 38:47] What the city of Austin and its advertising landscape looks like
- [38:47 – 46:45] Discussing evolving industry trends, his take as a business owner and his advice for young people in the industry
- [46:45 – 48:55] Outro
“The A-List” is a podcast produced by DiMassimo Goldstein, an inspiring action agency, recorded at the Gramercy Post, and sponsored by the Adhouse Advertising School, New York’s newest, smallest, and hippest ad school. You can subscribe and rate the show on iTunes or listen along on SoundCloud. For updates on upcoming episodes and guests, be sure to like the A-List Podcast on Facebook and follow host Tom Christmann on Twitter.
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Team DIGO | 05/30/2019 | in
On this week’s episode of The A-List Podcast, host and DiMassimo Goldstein CCO Tom Christmann is joined by Ricardo Casal and Juan Javier Pena, Creative Directors at DAVID The Agency, an agency founded in Buenos Aires that exemplifies the “always on” approach to advertising.
Ricardo and Juan’s professional experience together began in Ecuador with their joined college projects jumpstarting their career and leading them to internships and ultimately to becoming, now, creative directors for an internationally renowned agency.
In this episode, they share the story of their undeniable interest in advertising, their thoughts on culture hacking, what attracted them about working at David, and much more. Take a page out of their book by listening below!
Show Notes:
- [0:00 – 2:20] Intro
- [2:28 – 11:25] Attending college together in Ecuador and meeting through working on ideas and submissions for student award shows, winning scholarships to an advertising school in Buenos Aires
- [11:30 – 16:11] Creating a brotherhood through a shared love for advertising and utilizing advertising award winners as a way to learn, study, and gain inspiration
- [16:40 – 23:30] Interning at TWBA in Argentina right out of college, Flying to the U.S to interview with David the Agency, Why they believe David is different and stands out from the rest and what they enjoy about working there
- [24:45 – 32:26] Learning their thoughts on the phrase “If you own data, you own the world” and their interpretation of the “data takeover” happening in the industry right now
- [32:30 – 40:50] How they capitalize on “Culture-Hacking” at David and what their strategy is in doing so, Their controversial and impressive MACMA Man Boob campaign for breast cancer
- [40:54 – 43:26] What makes the Burger King account so special to them and the importance of building client trust and relationships while also sharing the same visions and ambitions
- [43:27 – 45:40] Taking a guess on where they would be if they weren’t in advertising
- [46:00 – 51:37] The importance of gaining fresh perspectives in order to be inspired and to inspire others. How to keep faith in what can be a cynical industry at times
- [52:50 – 54:45] Outro
“The A-List” is a podcast produced by DiMassimo Goldstein, an inspiring action agency, recorded at the Gramercy Post, and sponsored by the Adhouse Advertising School, New York’s newest, smallest, and hippest ad school. You can subscribe and rate the show on iTunes or listen along on SoundCloud. For updates on upcoming episodes and guests, be sure to like the A-List Podcast on Facebook and follow host Tom Christmann on Twitter.
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Team DIGO | 05/23/2019 | in
On this week’s episode of The A-List Podcast, host and DiMassimo Goldstein CCO Tom Christmann is joined by Dhruv Nanda, Creative Director and Writer at Oberland, a New York based agency with a mission to create purpose-driven campaigns for each of its clients.
Prior to working at Oberland, Dhruv has had a multitude of experience throughout the past 7 years in this industry. He has worked at a range of agencies including Wunderman, Ogilvy, Saatchi & Saatchi, and Momentum Worldwide while also getting a taste of what in-house creative was like at Chipotle.
In this episode, Dhruv shares his life growing up and what led him to his interest in advertising, the importance of brands having a mission behind them, removing ego’s to make for better work, advice on story telling for non profits, and much more. Hear it all below!
Show Notes:
- [0:00 – 1:28] Intro
- [1:29 – 5:45] From Growing up in Dubai to attending a private school in Zambia, Africa for 3 years
- [5:50 – 12:32] Leaving Africa to study Law at Carleton University in Canada, and working in a hardcore financial sales role right out of college
- [12:40 – 18:03] Learning the art of persuasion through sales, how reading the “Ogilvy in Advertising” book ultimately drove his attention to the industry, and his decision to attend Miami Ad School
- [18:54 – 24:00] His consistent interest in drawing comics, drama, and sketch comedy playing a role in his choice to become a Copywriter
- [24:29 – 30:40] His experience at Miami Ad School, and what meditation and being in the right mindset can do for creatives in this industry
- [31:10 – 38:10] How Interning at Draft Agency, PI&C, and MRY boosted his career in New York City. The surprises and challenges he faced going from ad school to “the real world”
- [39:40 – 44:48] The importance of building necessary client relationship standards, accepting the offer from Bill Oberlander to work for Oberland, and what working for a mission based company means to him
- [45:17 – 49:17] The difference between working at an in-house agency rather than out-house, his experience working alongside Steve Ells at Chipotle
- [49:22 – 55:00] Sharing advice on story telling for Not for Profit clients
- [55:09 – 57:10] The value he feels working as a professor at Adhouse, and where to find Druhv online
- [58:08 – 1:00:06] Outro
“The A-List” is a podcast produced by DiMassimo Goldstein, an inspiring action agency, recorded at the Gramercy Post, and sponsored by the Adhouse Advertising School, New York’s newest, smallest, and hippest ad school. You can subscribe and rate the show on iTunes or listen along on SoundCloud. For updates on upcoming episodes and guests, be sure to like the A-List Podcast on Facebook and follow host Tom Christmann on Twitter.
