By
James Nieman | 05/11/2017 | in
“I try to be really clear at what I’m not good at and then think about how I can change that… it’s about just being honest with yourself”
This week on “The A-List” podcast, host and chief creative officer of DiMassimo Goldstein Tom Christmann chats with the one and only Gerry Graf, founder and chief creative officer of Barton F. Graf.
Before starting his own agency, Graf spent the better half of two decades making award-winning creative for some of the most well-respected agencies in the world, such as Goodby Silverstein and Partners, BBDO, TBWA/Chiat Day, and Saatchi among others. For his outstanding work, Business Insider would later label him “The Most Creative Man in Advertising”.
Tune in as Gerry tells Tom all about his time writing for the “SNL of Notre Dame”, hunting rats in Venice Beach, the importance of making your own opportunities and why creativity is valued more today than ever. Full episode and show notes below!
Show Notes
- [0:00 – 1:42] Intro
- [1:43 – 4:56] Tom and Gerry’s past at BBDO and what it was like growing up in Lexington, MA
- [4:57 – 7:30] Going pre-med to Notre Dame
- [7:31 – 13:07] Writing for the Keenan Revue – the SNL of Notre Dame
- [13:08 – 14:23] Post Notre Dame life and hunting rats in Venice Beach for six months
- [14:24 – 17:15] Hating life as a stockbroker for two years in Boston
- [17:15 – 22:03] Gery’s first portfolio, getting denied from agencies, and the introduction of Ken Fitzgerald
- [22:04 – 25:48] Being offered a job at Saatchi & Saatchi while on a payphone in Grand Central
- [25:49 – 27:13] The walk of shame
- [27:14 – 29:22] Emulating Cliff Freeman
- [29:23 – 37:50] Gerry’s “pull the rug” copywriting trick and getting his big break on Snickers while at BBDO
- [37:51 – 44:54] Working at Goodby and finally Reuniting with Ken Fitzgerald after over a decade
- [44:55 –50:25] Making your own opportunities, asking the right questions and not giving up
- [50:26 – 52:43] Selling and maintaining a good idea
- [52:44 – 57: 42] Getting in the industry today and valuing creativity
- [57:43 – 58:57] Outro
“The A-List” is a podcast produced by DiMassimo Goldstein, 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. If you want to be interviewed for an upcoming episode, contact us at AdhouseNYC.com.
By
James Nieman | 04/27/2017 | in
“You get more when you are generous… when you give credit…when you share opportunities and don’t hog the limelight for yourself.”
This week on “The A-list” podcast, host and DiMassimo Goldstein chief creative officer Tom Christmann is joined by Jill Applebaum, creative strategist at Facebook Creative Shop. Before joining Facebook, Applebaum made a name for herself at several different agencies including DMB&B, Ogilvy & Mather, Young & Rubicam, J. Walter Thompson and DraftFCB, where she was one of the masterminds behind Oreo’s revolutionary “Daily Twist” campaign. That year, she and her creative partner were listed No.7 on Fast Company’s “Most Creative People of 2013”.
In this episode, Jill and Tom talk about the trials and tribulations of becoming a copywriter, surrounding yourself with good people, the current state of women in the industry, and so much more. If you’re interested in learning from one of the best in the business, this episode is for you. Full episode and show notes below!
Show notes
- [0:00 – 1:30] Intro
- [1:31 – 12:09] Growing up in New Jersey and starting off in the industry
- [12:10 – 14:54] Mentorship and collaboration
- [14:55 – 17:01] Why Jill made the move from DMB&B to Ogilvy & Mather
- [17:02 – 19:07] Y&R and BrandBuzz
- [19:08 – 21:33] The current state of women in the industry
- [21:34 – 23:56] Jill’s favorite brands to work on
- [23:57 – 26:42] The importance of having a strong work ethic
- [26:43 – 31:40] What it means to be a good creative partner
- [31:41 – 34:14] Transitioning from being a creative to being a creative director
- [34:15 – 40:48] The famous “Daily Twist” Oreo campaign
- [40:49 – 43:17] Why Freelancing is against her DNA
- [43:18 – 44:44] The similarities and differences between Facebook and Agencies
- [44:45 – 49:55] Jill’s advice to young creatives
- [49:56 – 51:12] Outro
“The A-List” is a podcast produced by DiMassimo Goldstein, 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. If you want to be interviewed for an upcoming episode, contact us at AdhouseNYC.com.
By
James Nieman | 04/20/2017 | in
“Before I knew anything about advertising I was trying to find books… business and self-help books to get lost in. I found one that looked pretty easy to read and it had one piece of advice in it… it was the simplest piece of advice you’ll ever get but super important and has led to my career path more than any one sentence in the world.”
In this episode of “The A-List” podcast, host and chief creative officer of DiMassimo Goldstein, Tom Christmann, chats with Greg Hahn, the chief creative officer of BBDO New York, where he helps brands like HBO and FedEx make award-winning work that works. For a little over 40 minutes, the two talk about what it’s like to be a musician, the magic of David Lubars, hacking technology, and the benefits of eavesdropping. Be sure to listen all the way to the end to hear one piece of magic advice that every young creative needs to hear. Check out full episode and show notes below!
Show Notes:
- [0:00 – 1:20] Into
- [1:21 – 7:04] Greg’s early life and aspirations
- [7:05 – 11:00] The two different paths in advertising
- [11:01 – 13:33] Being a musician
- [13:34 – 21:24] Attitude and curiosity
- [21:25 – 23:11] The magic of David Lubars
- [23:12 – 29:04] Working with Spike Jonze, the benefits of eavesdropping, and the endless creativity around New York City
- [29:05 – 32:35] How creativity has change, hacking technology
- [32:36 – 35: 13] Luke Sullivan’s “Hey Whipple, Squeeze This” and other must-reads for young creatives
- [35:14 – 36:25] Hahn’s alter ego, Maxcatt
- [36:26 – 38:40] BBDO the global boutique
- [38:41 – 40:55] The most important advice Hahn ever received
- [40:56– 41:37] Outro
“The A-List” is a podcast produced by DiMassimo Goldstein 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. If you want to be interviewed for an upcoming episode, contact us at AdhouseNYC.com.
By
Team DIGO | 01/07/2016 | in
The final episode of Season 1 features a very special guest with a unique story. Ben Rothfeld is the founder of Plannerben Anecdata, a planning consultancy that helps marketers and their agencies cut big data down to size.
Rothfeld and Host Mark DiMassimo have a long and storied history. The partnership started over two decades ago when they first began working together as colleagues for Kirshenbaum & Bond. When DiMassimo decided to leave K&B to launch his own agency, Rothfeld agreed to leave his post at a San Francisco brand consultancy to become the very first employee at DiMassimo Inc. Cooped up in Rothfeld’s parent’s Greenwich Village co-op apartment, their journey began. After a few start-up years, Rothfeld went on to a storied strategy, analytics and data career, including a long stint as Axciom’s Global Marketing Strategy Director and Bloomberg LP’s Global Content Strategy Lead.
Now, after 20 years of inspiring action, Rothfeld joins DiMassimo on his “Inspiring Action Podcast” to cover a variety of topics such as: Analytical Investigation, Google cars, the future implications of the internet and much much more!
By
Team DIGO | 12/04/2015 | in
Sir John Hargrave is an inspiring innovator, published author, agency owner and the current CEO of Media Shower, a premiere content marketing company that has written editorials for The New York Times, Business Week and MSNBC among many other publications. His upcoming book “Mind Hacking: How To Change Your Mind for Good in 21 Days” is an inside look at the life hacking techniques that Hargrave has developed to turn his life in a more positive direction.
A self-proclaimed computer geek, Hargrave has a comical yet refreshing take on how to tackle life’s obstacles. Listen in as Sir John tells host Mark DiMassimo all about the best practices to “reprogram” and “debug” your brain so that you can accomplish anything you put your mind to. And, since we know you’re going to feel inspired enough to want to read his book, we’ll just leave the free download link for you right HERE!
By
Team DIGO | 11/03/2015 | in
Mark Taylor is a keynote speaker, leadership trainer and organizational consultant who uses his 35 years of experience as an accomplished CEO to run think tanks in Manhattan. Under his mentorship, hundreds of different organizations and executives have flourished.
In this episode of the “Inspiring Action Podcast”, Taylor talks about how his past experiences in the corporate world led him to an epiphany that ultimately transformed his outlook on growth and success. Shifting his focus towards the importance of a strong working environment and culture, Taylor’s career took an enlightened turn that will leave you feeling inspired
By
Team DIGO | 05/14/2014 | in
Looking to learn and laugh on tomorrow morning’s commute? We’ve got you covered.
Agency Partner and Chief Creative Officer Tom Christmann recently joined Sean Grace and Nadia Blake on The Storyboard Podcast. The episode – a 38-minute adventure – is a beautiful combination of both industry knowledge and hilarity. Tune in as the three explore topics such as virtual reality, the future of advertising, the direct economy and much more. You may also find out that Tom is apparently a hologram who is “completely wasted” and “#blessed” (even though only one of those is actually true – we think).
Be sure to follow both Nice Shoes and Sound Lounge, who Co-Produce the Podcast, and be on the lookout for the next great episode!
