Thomas Kemeny - Junior: Writing Your Way Ahead In Advertising

Junior: writing your way ahead in advertising

Text 2019 Thomas Kemeny

Introduction 2019 Jeff Goodby

Book design by Anna Kasnyik - www.ksnyk.com

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any manner in any media, or transmitted by any means whatsoever, electronic or mechanical (including photocopy, film or video recording, Internet posting, or any other information storage and retrieval system), without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Published in the United States by powerHouse Books,
a division of powerHouse Cultural Entertainment, Inc.
32 Adams Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201-1021
www.powerHouseBooks.com

Limit of Liability Disclaimer: Although the author has made every effort to ensure that the information in this book was correct at press time, the author and publisher do not assume and hereby disclaim any liability to any party for any loss, damage, or disruption caused by errors or omissions, whether such errors or omissions result from negligence, accident, or any other cause.

Further, while every effort was made to make the information in here useful, the author and publisher do not assume and hereby disclaim any liability to any party for any financial or professional loss, damage, or disruption caused by following the advice in this book. The book is called Junior and thus all the information herein should be taken with a grain of salt. Like seriously, the author is just one guy and he doesnt even run an ad agency. Though he wants to be helpful, hes far from perfect and following his advice blindly is probably not a good idea. If you only read one book on advertising that youll base all of your decisions on, read another one. Dont bet your whole career or whole business on what is said in here. Also, the author uses a few swear words.

To all lawyers and other people who love reading fine print, thank you for taking the time to look at this. I hope you found it to your satisfaction.

Library of Congress Control Number: 2018961865
EBook ISBN 978-1-57687-960-3

To my loving wife, Jen:

yo!

I. A NEEDLESSLY SPECIFIC STORY ABOUT HOW TO GET IN.
In case youre one of those go-getters who got this book before you got a job.

II. WRITING. REWRITING. RE-REWRITING.
Say hello to 90% of your job.

III. MORE WORDS? YOUVE GOT TO BE KIDDING.
Body copy and other longer form writing.

IV. TV OR ONLINE VIDEO OR WHATEVER ITS CALLED NOW.
The simple medium that people love to make complicated.

V. WHEN IN DOUBT, GO WITH THE SWEDES.
Digital, social, and all of that.

VI. ADS PEOPLE CLIMB INSIDE OF AND POTENTIALLY SPRAIN THEIR ANKLES ON.
Experiential marketing beyond a logo at a concert.

VII. GOODBYE, NIGHTS AND WEEKENDS.
Pitching new business.

VIII. LOSING A MONTHS WORK IN FIVE SECONDS.
The delicate art of presenting.

IX. WORDS OF WISDOM. OR AT THE VERY LEAST, WORDS.
Hard lessons of unfortunate origin.

X. YOULL BE FINE. OR NOT.
Counterintuitive inspiration on being an advertising creative.

XI. FUNNY, YOU SIGNED UP FOR AN AGENCY JOB BUT ENDED UP IN POLITICS.
The right way and how to avoid it.

XII. QS AND MY AS.
Questions Ive been asked and my surly responses.

This book represents my views and not those of my employers.
Unless you like it, in which case they not only endorse it, but it was their idea.

In most agencies its an insult. A slur. From the moment you get in, you want to kill that word off of your title. Murder it and have its body wash ashore in Baltimore. You try to mumble it in hopes that people will miss it. Scratch it off of forms so that others wont see it. Why wont it die? Make the hurt stop.

Junior.

Its also where the energy of an agency comes from. The title of the people willing to do anything it takes, anytime it takes. Sure, I can work this weekend. I can just make it to my next kids birth. Junior is the pulse. The youth and vibrancy. The bright-eyed, puppy-dog hope that refuses to be jaded by anything. The fight that makes the subhead on a banner as stellar as the TV spot. The heart.

In a perfect agency, were all juniors.

This is your last chance to turn around.

Traditionally, advertising books have been written by people with established careers, big offices, and letters like VP in their titles. Superstars whove been working for several decades. They have stories from the old days when people could start in the mailroom. Theyre sagely CDs or ECDs. They are talented.

Thats been done.

Who wants another book filled with seasoned wisdom? This is a book written by somebody still getting his bearings. Someone who has made an extraordinary number of errors in a still short career. Someone who has managed to work at some of the best agencies in the world despite these shortcomings.

Hi. Im Thomas.

This book is not a retrospective from some ad legend. This is not a book for clients or our bosses. Its a book that should be instantly useful for people starting out. A guide for the first few years at a place youd actually want to work.

Advertising books havent been written by people who deal with banners, social media post copy, print ads in local papers, etc. I did. You will.

This is a book for the year s in the trenches. The all-nighters. The years where you are making something out of nothing seven days a week, because youre lucky to even be given nothing.

By way of disclaimer Ill mention that my way into advertising was a strange one. It didnt involve friends in the business, portfolio schools, nepotism, or secret society membership. I didnt kill or sleep with anyone (not for my career anyways). I got in because I worked like a mule and did what Ill talk about in the following pages.

Some of the things I did were smart. A lot of the things I did were stupid. Clearly I did enough things right, but in all honesty I made and continue to make more than my share of mistakes. And some of my biggest mistakes have led to my greatest successes. Learn from mine and perhaps you can find bigger and better mistakes to make.

This book is my personal perspective (shaped of course by those around me), but I dont blame anyone else for my views. Nor should you.

Alright then, enough dicking around. Welcome to advertising. Grab some leftover pizza from the kitchen and lets get to work.

HOW TO GET A FOOT IN THE DOOR

(hint: lead with your balls).

At Crispin Porter+Bogusky in 2005, they had a full-wall bookcase filled with prospective employee portfolios. Hundreds. One day I asked the recruiter, Are those all the portfolios you guys have been sent this year? She told me, No. Those are just the portfolios worth hanging onto.

Do something big, or youll just be another maybe in that wall of portfolios. Need an example of how to get in? Keep reading.

(Internship phone call)

Hi Veronica, this is Thomas Kemeny.

I emailed you and you said to send my book. Have you had a chance to look at it?

Its here somewhere.

Oh

Tell you what, why dont you send me a letter about why you want to intern at Crispin Porter + Bogusky.

Ok.

Dear Veronica,

Why I want to work at Crispin Porter + Bogusky