Howdy to newly found alum Mike Sweeney.
I worked at C/D NY '93-'95 (one year at 79 5th, one year virtual) and it was my first job out of college...such a great place to start my career. Thanks for keeping the site running. I've struck out on my own and am doing ethnographic research.
And Alison Forsyth (we knew her as Alison Smela has also found our merry band.
I was with Chiat/Day from June 1990 through August of 2001 in both the Chicago and LA offices working on the Nissan Regional business.Welcome Alison!
Welcome John Uusitalo, wo worked as an account supervisor on Intel in the San Francisco office (80-82)/
Doug and Laura Katz
Doug Katz was a beloved figure on the C/D NY staff. But who knew his secret passion: running a summer camp!
My wife and I have recently partnered with Camp Lakota in the Catskills and we are new owners & directors up there. This is our 6th summer of running summer camp. And you think advertising is a crazy business.I remember fondly the days back at 79 5th and all the help you and your
team gave us.Doug
*writing*producing*shooting*editing
*digital video for web/cd/dvd
*live webcasting*interactive cd production
There are so many people with whom I worked at C/D and, there, in the SFO office, was one of my all time favorites, Gene Crocker. When I was installing the Wang system, I think I stole him from media to become the head of MIS (IT) for the SF office.
I was in San Francisco a few weeks ago and met Gene for a late breakfast in Berkeley. He has a wife and two lovely children from a former marriage. He now works for Wells Fargo bank in the mortgage dept.
My fondest memory of Berkeley is a particular bookstore which Gene spent much time circling various blocks trying to find for me.
I find it obscene that he looks so young.
Welcome in from the cold to Pam Bertino, who used to be known as Pam Morris. She worked in Venice Beach, CA, from 1990 – 1992 on the Nissan Account. She worked with Tom Patty and Steve Goldman.
She is now a big shot at the Weather Channel in Atlanta, which means she could ruin your morning commute if you're not nice to her.
Long-time C/D alum Neal Grossman has been named as TBWA's Chief Compensation Officer.
Of course, the big question is "did Neal get a raise?" And, if so, was his first assignment in his new role to approve it?
Robert Chandler, one of Bob Dion's writing partner, has written a wonderful obituary for Bob. It has been submitted to many publications, but due to the inconstancies of the newspaper business these days, it may not appear everywhere we would like. But I'm proud to publish it here ....
Bob Dion, a Calming Creative Force at Tempestuous Chiat/Day, Dies.
Bob Dion, a key art director and creative executive at the iconoclastic and ground-breaking ad agency, Chiat/Day, during its ascendant years, has died in his Palm Springs, CA home. He was 78.In reporting his January 9th death, his son, Rob, cited pulmonary fibrosis as the cause, after a long illness.
Mr. Dion spent the bulk of his 45 year career with two firms. First at Needham, Harper & Steers (now part of DDB) and later in the Los Angeles and then New York office of Chiat/Day, which he established with Jay Chiat in 1980. The agency was in 1995 acquired by Omnicom and merged to form TBWA\Chiat\Day.
Mr. Dion was notably understated and easy going in disposition, a stark contrast to the famously charismatic, volatile, and acerbic Chiat, who lead his agency to fame and creative acclaim by alternately inspiring and intimidating.
A good friend and peer of Jay’s in both age and mutual regard, Dion was able to anticipate imminent firestorms and provide a buffer behind which the eclectic, youthful, more easily cowed talent of Chiat/Day could continue to function. And deliver the audacious campaigns C/D was producing on both coasts, elevating the young shop into the first ranks of innovative ad agencies.
Lee Clow, now chief creative officer of TBWA\Chiat\Day, is a creator of the agency’s most famous commercial of that era, the Orwellian “1984” which launched Apple’s Macintosh computer. Clow recalls how, when interviewing with him in Dion‘s Needham days, “He took so much time coaching me encouraging me and telling marvelous stories about advertising adventures. Bob Dion was one of the more nurturing and helpful guys in the business.”
In New York, Dion served as creative director, overseeing campaigns for cruise line, Holland America, General Electric, upstart airline, New York Air, and the controversial investment banking firm, Drexel Burnham Lambert.
In this period, when America’s economic primacy seemed to be threatened by a rising Japan, a Dion spot for General Electric pictured Uncle Sam in closeup being slapped several times across the face, until Uncle takes the offending hands into a powerful grasp, lowering them with impervious aplomb.
Boston marketer, Noreen Young, his former client at Holland America observes, “The truly amazing thing is that Bob’s creative work done in the early 80's is still the core of Holland America communications all these years later.”
Jim Condon, a copywriter veteran of Needham, now 92, knew him from his start in that agency’s Chicago mailroom in 1960. Five years later, in the L.A. office, the two collaborated with creative director, Hal Kaufman, on the launch of what was to be a long running and famous campaign for Continental Airlines. “Hal was fixated on a line, ‘The rare bird with the golden tail.’ Bob and I kept saying, it had to be proud bird. For days Hal resisted, finally relenting just hours before presenting to
Continental founder, Bob Six. It was a close call.”Mr. Dion, a native of Chicago, where he was born May 29, 1931, graduated from Western Michigan University in 1955. There he met and married his first wife, Nancy Perry, soon beginning a six-month Army stint.
Afterwards, Mr. Dion sold Burroughs business machines for an unhappy period until making his escape to the Needham mailroom. There, he eventually proved his talent and although he had never taken an art course, was promoted to art director on All Detergent, and then Morton Salt. “I was an admiring bystander like everybody else in the industry,” said Mr. Condon, “What an art director's dream! Not a word of copy, just beautiful graphics and the Morton signature.“
Dion inspired affection and respect throughout his career. Longtime Chiat/Day art director and CD, Yvonne Smith expressed sentiments that were typical: “Bob Dion was too nice to be in advertising. It made it all the harder to steal ideas from him (though it didn't stop me). He was as talented as he was generous and gracious.”
Mr. Dion is survived by his wife, Alberta. By his four sons by Nancy: Perry, Jeffrey, David, and Robert. By a fifth son, Benjamin, by his second marriage to Louise Seeley of Boise, ID. And by seven grandsons.
Veteran copywriter and creative director, Ken Segall, recounted a story from his days as apprentice copywriter and partner to Mr. Dion. Mr. Segall had allowed an incorrect address to be calligraphed into hundreds of elegant invitations for an important Chiat/Day event. Discovering this when there was very little time left to repair the mistake, “I picked my stomach up off the floor and went to break the news to him. Somehow Bob suppressed his desire to kill me and together we figured out a fix. The wrath of Jay was about to come down upon him, but I believe Bob was actually more concerned about not scarring his rookie writer for life.“
Does anybody have a working email address for her? The one I have bounces back. Don't post it as a comment, just send it directly to me via email. (My address is at the top of this page.)
Steve Alburty
Guy Day's death has a lot of people Googling and finding the Jay/Day website!
Michael Aarons ...
I was an account guy in L.A. from ’85-’88, on Apple, Home Savings and Mitsubishi. Now retired and living in Lake Arrowhead.
... who is now Creative Director for eMedia at MLT Creative in Atlanta. Here's a blog post she wrote about Chiat/Day.
We have been in South Florida and Connecticut for a number of years. We are now trying to move because we want only one house but in neither of those places. Our three children are now adults, which I guess means that we are old, but getting old is better than the alternative, although we have no independent confirmation of that.
I have been involved in elective politics, real estate and charity. I am now ready to go back to regular work, which I was never intrerested in when I was younger. But I remain a realist, which was always my undoing.My daughter is trying to get into the advertising business, which means there must be a gene defect in the family, but I try not to discourage her.
Mindi Harrison turned me onto your alumni site. It’s a wonderful thing. I am listed as neither lost nor found, but here I am. I worked for Paul Greenberg in the media department in New York from ’87 and ’88, and then went off to law school- which, at the time, was actually just a few blocks down 5th Ave. As I recently wrote to Mary Maroun, law's been a decent ride and, generally speaking, it hasn't been as painful as many have experienced, but nothing can match the fun and creative energy of my time at Chiat/Day. It was a special place to spend some time.
You may read Adweek's obituary for dear Bob by clicking here.
I neglected to welcome Jeff DeJoseph to the alum list. Jeff worked at C/D NY and then went off with Bob Jeffries to found their own agency. Welcome, Jeff!
Welcome Jennifer Hammond!
I am in the class of 1987-1992. I worked with Pam Keehn on the Nissan truck business..
Here's a great submission from Chuck Phillips:
Tom Burr and Hy Yablonka, the two surviving original partners of Chiat/Day, reminisce today at Hy's palatial home in Orange California. I was lucky to be there.Chuck
Tom Burr was Guy Day's minority partner, and Hy Jay's, when, they merged their two agencies into Chiat/Day in 1968. Tom was chief suit, Hy was Jay's creative partner and the person who spotted and hired Lee Clow. Burr left in the mid 70's to join the two Mels (Abert and Newhoff) @ Abert, Newhoff and Burr which had a 17 year run in LA. After that fine agency was torpedoed by two bankrupted clients (Laker Airways being one), Tom joined Hakuhodo (world's 8th highest billing agency) first in LA and later NY. He retired after 14 years there. With Lee firmly in command in LA, Hy joined me at C/D S.F. in the early 80's before leaving to become CD of all automotive advertising for Bozell in Detroit.
Another alum found! Michael Niles.
I was an account guy at the LA office in 1984-1985. Although I was only there a relatively short time, I came away with a lot of memories, quite a few stories and many new friends.
He now works for an agency in Santa Clarita called Great Day Advertising, which is just about the best name I've ever heard of for an ad agency!
Welcome in from the cold, alums Martin Grant and Robin Raj!
New jay/day member Dennis Juett informs me that his friend Tom Phahlert passed away several years ago, so I have on the "Lost and Found" list, I have created a third section, "In Memoriam." If you see any members on the list who have passed away, please let me know. (My email address is at the top of this page.)
Steve Alburty
All of Bob's sons managed to make it, as did Keith Bright and Shelley Menning and Hal Maynard. But here's the best part: Bob is now buried in the same cemetery as Frank Sinatra. The two of them are probably having a drink and a cigarette right now.
Steve
I got myself into quite a pickle last week. While trying to process the news of Bob Dion's death, and then Guy Day's death, I got e-ttacked by two women to took great offense to my earlier email which chastised people for not submitting more comments.
I was called an "asshole" by both of them. I went ballistic, which is how I react these days to criticism. No, this wasn't criticism, these were grenades. And since I have maintained this site for seven years for no pay, and had been sitting at my desk at home all week working on the site, I really flew off the handle, the end result being that I decided to pull down the site.
Many people immediately wrote emails to me asking me to reconsider; some posted comments to this posting.
It was Robert Chandler's words that finally calmed me down. As you can see in his comment, which is attached to this post, he said the wisest words: "In the immortal words of Jay, Give them the old Chiat/Day welcome. You know, ignore them.'
So the site will continue and the few cranks out there who object to something I write are welcome to express them. When banshees come after me, I will try to realize it just comes with the territory.
Steve Alburty
And yet another alum emerges from the existential existence of non-jaydayness to reveal her presence:
I was a Venice recruit on Nissan back in the mid-90's. (I'd have to check my resume to know the actual years--it's been a while.) I was Debbie Penick back then, now Debbie Arora.
Somehow, news of Guy Day's death caused alum Chuck Silverman to run across this website. Says Chuck:
I actually hired or recommended about 10 or 15 people who are on [the "lost and found" list] and know several others. I even introduced Kuperman to Clow. And I was Lee’s copy partner twice. Look at Chiat/Day: The First 20 Years. I am Year Nine.I’ve got a lot of good stories about Jay, Lee and others.
Sr. VP Creative Director at Chiat/Day
1987 - 1989
Worked here twice. First time in the late 70's as Lee Clow's copy partner. One of the first creatives at this now-famous agency. Came back at Jay's and Lee's personal requests to help head-up the Nissan pitch both strategically and creatively. We were in the Biltmore Hotel at the time. I personally wrote the strategy and did the creative that got us the business. Helped move the office to Venice, staff up, digest and run the account after its successful acquisition. Again, Jay asked me to move to the account side. This time I quit and moved to Colorado. Been here ever since.Copywriter at Chiat/Day
1975 - 1978
Always wanted to work here although they were small and relatively unknown at the time. Jay hired me from my Kawasaki work. Ran into Lee Clow in the halls and we became a copy/art team. We went to the same high school – Hamilton High. As fate would have it, we got into the Yamaha Motorcycle pitch. Based on my Kawasaki experience and Lee's unabashed talent we got it - and it changed everybody's life. Jay gave me $500, asked me to buy a couple of suits, get a haircut, and be the head account person on the business. At the time, I took it as the ultimate insult. Now I revere the compliment. We ended up using a very junior Tom Patty as our Account Coordinator.
I received this wonderful email from a lost alum from the early early days of what would become Chiat/Day:
Dear Mr. Alburty,I learned today with great sadness the passing of Guy B. Day. The world has lost a incredible human being. I was Faust/Day Advertising's first art director. I joined the agency as the fifth employee in the early 1960s. I left Chiat/Day in 1970 with Guy's blessing and worked with him on various projects until his "final" retirement in the 1980s. In fact, I worked with him to create and produce his two retirement ads that ran in the trades, one in the '70s and the final retirement ad in the '80s.
Please add me to your Chiat/Day roster and your mailing list.
Regards,
Dennis S. Juett
Mel Abert spoke has spoken with Annette Day. She said Guy did not want any service or memorial. That sounds like Guy. If the JayDay team wants to arrange something, Says Mel, "I'm certain many people would want to attend."
Dear all,
This weekend, we lost Guy Day. He was one of the greats, and one of the primary architects of this very special place, called Chiat/Day.
When I joined the agency, Guy Day had one foot out the door, having been brought back to provide supervision over LA while Jay focused on building an agency in NY. Retirement however, was not a word that Guy found attractive, once saying that he was a “brown bagger” and that in order to be at his best, he had to have a place to go everyday, and so he kept coming to the office.
Guy kept a desk at the agency (by then located in the Biltmore Hotel) and his phone still rang with amazing regularity. As one of the secretaries that covered Guy at the time, I found him a real challenge. He typed faster than I did. His proofreading and grammar skills were better than anyone else in the building. And he always answered his own phone. Some days it seemed my only contribution to making his life easier, was getting his mail and sending the occasional “panafax.”
But by late 1986, feeling that the agency was headed in the right direction, Guy started coming to the office less frequently, spending time on two things he was deeply dedicated to: improving his tennis game, and getting the novel that was inside his head – out, and onto the page. He would pop in from time to time to perform various “sanity” checks, usually when we had a really big pitch (like Porsche and Nissan), or when Jay was thinking about moving or merging us.
In sharing stories with others who knew Guy well I was reminded of some things.
First, it’s important that we not forget that much of the “no-nonsense” focus on the work ethos, actually came from Guy.
In announcing that he, Guy Day, would be President of the newly merged Chiat/Day, he promptly shared with the Los Angeles Times that his appointment was the result of a coin toss, and that it was a technique that he and Jay planned to repeat annually to determine leadership of the agency. Nobody was ever really sure whether being named President was the result of winning, or losing the coin toss – but it set the stage for the total distaste for hierarchy and any trace of organizational politics.
Sid Salinger, one of Chiat/Day’s first Production Managers recounts,
“Guy and I were the same age (born in 1933), so perhaps we shared many of the same ‘old-fashioned’ values. He was unquestionably one of the most creative people I have ever had the privilege of knowing. He had a quiet, wry, ironic sense of humor, and of honor. He was even-tempered; quick to praise, and slow to criticize. Advertising agencies, by their very nature, are generally peopled by mercurial personalities. Guy's mind was lightning-quick, but his tongue was mannerly and controlled. He was in every sense of the word, a gentleman -- a gentle man.”
"I threw a tantrum about the account people and bitched and moaned about them not being helpful and getting in the way, etc....hey, I was like 24 or something, I had no idea how good they really were until I grew up. I think Guy had had enough of me and probably a few others and he totally lost it and screamed at me "You're fired. Get the f--- out of the agency". A response that I must admit, had stupidly never occurred to me.
Later, Brent Thomas came into my office and asked why I was packing my stuff and I told him that Guy had fired me. He walked away and I continued collecting things from my desk. About 10 minutes later Brent came back and said "stop packing, you're not fired anymore."
That evening as I sat in my office writing a Yamaha brochure, my box still half packed, Guy walked in and sat down. Over the course of the next hour, he explained his point of view on the advertising business, Chiat/Day and account executives. About the account people he said "Why do you keep trying to change them? Who they are makes them good at what they do. Just like who you are makes you good at what you do. And more importantly, you need them. Creative people are lousy at selling the work, they give up way too easily."
As Guy got up to leave I said "So am I still fired?" To which he said "You were never fired" and walked away."
Guy was a brilliant storyteller, and one I could listen to for hours. In his stories the casting never changed: Jay, his partner, was both brilliant and a mad scientist – inflicting his experiments on all of us, and Lee was the creative genius. Guy was always clear, that it would be Lee that would be Chiat/Day’s creative Moses, responsible for leading us into the ‘promised land.’ Guy also used to say that Lee seemed to be the only one who didn’t realize he was our creative Moses, and that it was Guy’s job to remind him of it regularly – especially if one of Jay’s recent experiments had left Lee’s head spinning.
Of all the stories however, it was Guy’s new business bravado that made him one of my heroes. It is the stuff of legend.
There are many stories, but one of my favorites is the one recounted in Chiat/Day the First Twenty Years, in which after seeing some bad advertising for Western Harness Racing, Guy wrote the following to the client, “I am going to disqualify myself from ever soliciting your account because of this letter. Your advertising is embarrassing. You’re a major event in Southern California, and if you don’t care about your advertising, you ought to find somebody who will…” Almost two weeks later, the client calls Guy and wants to talk. Guy, Jay and a team from the agency head over and make a presentation but leave the meeting without the account. Back in the parking lot, Guy and Jay realize they needed a “betting man’s approach” and so returned to the client’s office with an offer he couldn’t refuse – Chiat/Day will bet every dime they make on the account that they can increase attendance by 15%. For every person over 15% Chiat/Day would take a $1/head and for every person under 15%, Chiat/Day would pay the client $1/head. The account came home with Guy and Jay that day. And the campaign was so successful, that the client quickly renegotiated the $1/head bounty as his primary means of agency compensation.
When you ask Lee about Guy, he says, "Guy made me sane while Jay made me crazy. He taught me a lot of things, like how to understand Jay. I probably wouldn't be here if it weren't for Guy."
Rick Boyko also had some very fond memories,
"When I first arrived at Chiat/Day in 1983 as an art director on Home Savings, one of the first people to walk into my cubicle at the Biltmore and introduce himself was none other than one of the men whose name was on the door. Guy was warm, humble and above all always willing to give me time whenever I asked. He became a mentor and teacher to me and one of the main reasons I ended up teaching myself is because of what I learned from him. While Jay challenged us all to push the boundaries and to think bigger thoughts, it was Guy who made sure the thoughts we thought were on brand and strategic. Many years after I left Chiat/Day and had become a manager myself, Guy would periodically send me notes with constructive thoughts. Those many years later he was still teaching. David Ogilvy said he admired and hired “people with gentle manners who treat other people as human beings”, I’m sure David is going to enjoy meeting Guy."
Fred Goldberg writes,
Guy was the first person who I met when I interviewed at Chiat/Day in 1982. I liked Guy from the start. He was an amiable, genuine good guy. I don't think I ever saw him get angry or be mean. I had a very positive relationship with him over the years I spent at Chiat/Day and afterwards at Goldberg Moser O'Neill.Guy seemed to perpetually have a happy go lucky attitude with just about anything and everything. At the same time he often offered much wisdom. He particularly had a quite perceptive view into people and their motivations. I saw him consul Jay, and others, on matters where his candid point of view and advice was honest and more often than not, on the mark. Guy always offered me his frank opinions and advice, which I found relevant and which I appreciated.
I learned much about the "work" from Guy. He championed it. I learned much about the advertising business from Guy. He didn't take it nearly as seriously as most of us did and therefore often had a possibly clearer perspective. He was a good friend to those he considered his friends. He was a source of irritation to some others because he could see them for what they really were and didn't necessarily like what he saw and said so.
I am sad to hear of Guy's passing. I will miss our occasional conversations these past years. He was a good advertising person and his contributions and consul were invaluable. And everyone should remember, without Guy Day there would never have been a Chiat/Day, possibly the greatest creative agency of its time."
I got a personal laugh out of a comment about Guy from Geoff Siodmak, an old friend of the agency from the early days - his observation was right on. Geoff writes, "Guy was the calm to Jay's whirling vortex. He was so measured, so intense, so balanced, so in love with his wife and family, it was a constant inspiration. And though it did not seem so, he had a lesser tolerance for fools than Jay did. It certainly kept you alert - when Jay called you a dope, you probably were not - when Guy called you a dope you probably were."
---
As others have said, Guy was an intelligent man, a thoughtful man, a strongly opinionated and yet, a fair and gentle man. Most importantly, Guy was a generous man – one confident enough to persuade, shape and influence from the edge of the spotlight, rather than from its center.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to Guy's family.
To share your thoughts about Guy, and see tributes from others, please check out the posts at http://www.jayday.org.
Love, Laurie
Laurie Coots
Chief Marketing Officer
TBWA\Worldwide
It is impossible for me to think about Guy Day without thinking of Jay Chiat. Just as I can not think about Art Garfunkel without thinking of Simon and Garfunkel. Like Simon and Garfunkel, Jay Chiat and Guy Day created a partnership where “one plus one equaled three.” Together they created something unique.
Looking back at the agency, from a distant perspective, I believe that—to put it in sailing terms—Jay was the sail. Guy was the keel. Jay gave us propulsion. Guy gave us stability, balance and direction. Together, they were more than each separately. Together, they were not just Chiat and Day; but literally, Chiat/Day.
Jay wanted to see “how big we can get without getting bad.”
Guy wanted to “do great work” for clients who really appreciated what we did.
Jay was more of a businessman. Guy was more of an artist. Jay liked to make deals. Guy liked to make ads.
Jay was the gambler. Jay lived big. He always wanted to expand the boundaries.
Guy was the pragmatist. He lived within his means. Instead of expanding the boundaries, he wanted to seek perfection within the boundaries.
When we had to decide whether to resign the Porsche account to pitch the much larger Nissan account, Guy voted for “the bird in the hand.” Guy valued loyalty. Jay wanted to roll the dice.
Guy was a romantic soul. He believed in absolutes: right and wrong; good and bad. Compromise was not easy for him. Loyalty was important to him. He was protective of his people. When the Nike client got upset because we were getting more publicity than they were, it was Guy who stood up to them.
Guy was a great boss. He never told you what to do. He merely told you what he wanted you to achieve. He never meddled in the details. He gave you enough latitude to achieve great success or fail miserably.
Guy was not physically in the agency for more than half of the 21 years I spent at Chiat/Day. But when he was there, he provided a wonderful balance and a clarity of vision. I especially remember the years 1983-1984 when we won the Nike account, Pizza Hut, Porsche, and Home Savings. It was Guy who gave us the guidance, support and encouragement to think we could win.
Now, many years later, Jay and Guy are both gone—from the agency and from this life.. But their essence lives on. The song has ended, but the music lives on.
Tom Patty
More sad news: Guy Day, the man behind the "/" has died. I will post more details when I have them.
Guy left the agency in the late 1970s (or was it the early 80s) to write a book. The last I heard of him was he was living at Westlake Village, a retirement community, outside of LA.
Bob Dion, one of Chiat/Day's greatest art directors, has died in Palm Springs. I have no information about a memorial, but watch this space and I will post what I know if I find out.
In the meantime, please refer to this profile of Bob which was posted on this site in 2005. (The article refers to Bob living in Napa, but he had then moved to Palm Springs.)
Another lost alum has shown up in my inbox:
I worked with Dina Weinstein and Mindi Harrison from 1985-1989. Then, I got pregnant and had a baby and left... I still have the Mrs. Piggy Wiggle book that you gave to me for her, and some kind of baby countdown sticker that you put in my office. We had lots of silly fun and I look back on those years with the fondest of memories.That child is now a junior in college, and her younger brother is a senior in high school :) George and I moved our family to Long Island----six years ago I went back to nursing school, and am working as an RN. I hope this finds you well. I think of everyone so often. I loved looking at the list. Happy Holidays and New Year
Pam Peters
Got a great video today about Tom Patty's wife, Susan, from a company called Your Story Here. They produce personal documentaries. This one has great footage of Susan and Tom, of course, but Lee Clow is in there, as well as John Rinek.
Ex Adman discovers things that really matterTom Patty is not the sort of man to do things by halves. His career as an adman gave him clients like Nike, Nissan and Pizza Hut. When he retired from Chiat/Day Advertising in 1998 he was President and Worldwide Account Director.
Sailing every Thursday and riding his bike a hundred miles a week, Tom now advises hundreds of small Orange County businesses every year as part of his job as a SCORE counselor. And he has lost none of the drive - or the talent for spotting trends - that put him on top in the advertising world.
So when Tom's wife Susan was turning 60, Tom knew he wanted something special. And he didn't just want to buy more 'stuff'.
"So much of our time - and our money - is spent on stuff. Just stuff.
“I should know, I have sold a lot of stuff over the years!” says Tom with a wry smile.
Don't get him wrong. Tom has nothing against flat screen TVs and other grown ups’ technology toys. He just thinks that we - all of us - are looking for more.
"We want more meaning in our lives." says Tom - who through his SCORE work and industry associations still spends a lot of his time thinking about the Next Big Thing. "In the decade ahead, the intrinsic worth of things - their subjective meaning - will come to have greater and greater significance in all of our purchasing decisions. We want things that really matter.
As it happened, one of the small businesses that Tom has been advising fills just the niche he has in mind. Your Story Here LLC Video Biography is an emerging Orange County business that specializes in personal history documentary – honoring people who may not be celebrities to anyone but their families and friends.
In Tom’s case, the thing that really matters is his wife Susan.
"My wife wants a large garden in the North West. I reflected on that for a long time,” says Tom. “In truth, the whole world is Susan's garden. She cares for a large circle of friends and family just as she would care for her garden. I wanted someone to help me turn that concept into a gift."
The result of Tom's vision - and Your Story Here's production expertise - is a 35 minute multimedia show called "Susan's Garden". All of Susan's "garden" appears - from her smallest flowers (her grandchildren) to her oldest. "That would probably be me!" says Tom.
"I think it is the shape of things to come," says Tom, who carries "Susan's Garden" in his iPod Touch and readily plays it for anyone too slow or too polite to escape. “The technology is great - but Susan is what really matters.”
Your Story Here owner Jane Shafron agrees. “We are seeing an increasing interest in personal value products like our video biographies”, she says. “Baby boomers worked hard all their lives for material comforts and are now discovering that true wealth only comes from personal connections and meaning.” As one of Jane’s recent blogs has it: “It’s not about the toys."
And Susan's reaction? As a long-time producer herself, she was always going to be a tough audience. "It’s one of the sweetest things he has ever done”, she says.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYIFxHLz7Gw
Find out more about Your Store Here by clicking, well, here! And check out Jane's blog here.
Mindi Harrison (Shaevitz) has shown up in my inbox. She had the great privilege to be the local media buying supervisor under Oksana Glass at Chiat/Day from 1985 to 1993. "Definitely the good old days!" says Mindi.
Welcome to alum Terry Taylor, who worked at C/D from 1990-1993 (LA and Dallas "on the meat grinder that was Nissan)."
Those of us who worked in the New York office knew her as Shari Kasch and she was an ace traffic manager. Here she is at the Hollywood Bowl, where she went to visit her sister. She's back in New York and is looking for a spot as a Sr Project Manager for Desktop and Traffic groups. Anybody know of anything? If so, contact me (see masthead above) and I'll contact Shari for you.
In the meantime, admire this lovely photo of her.
Steve
Chuck Phillips, C/D Employee #1, has returned to the U.S. from many years of living in Canada. He has opted for warm weather after all those years up north, having now taken up residence in Malibu.
When he left Vancouver, a local trade paper ran this wonderful salute to him:
(Click on the image to see it in a larger size.)
When I was a young lad, and working at Chiat/Day as a junior print production manager at C/D in the late 70s, there was this art director ...
Her name was Yvonne Smith, and, to my memory, she was one of the most magical art directors in the history of Chiat/Day. She had a long, Southern drawl, which made her even more hypnotic.
Here's an update on what Yvonne is doing these days:
Here it is in pdf format. And here is the text:
Yvonne Smart Smith
Managing Partner, Creative Director, TBWA/Chiat/Day, Los Angeles, California.
This Emmy-winning Creative Director began her career in New York at CondeNast Publications (Vogue, Glamour, Mademoiselle) as an Assistant Art Director, while waiting for a job in her first love, advertising and entertainment.
Since then she has worked as a creative consultant for the likes of Tom Hanks and Garry Marshall and every elite brand known to advertising, including Nike, Apple Computer, BMW, Porsche, Walt Disney, Frito Lay, Nissan, Vuarnet France, and Estee Lauder, to name a few.
She has won a slew of awards from the most prestigious organizations in film, television and advertising: Cannes Film Festival, The One Show, Communication Arts, New York Art Directors Club, The International Clio Awards, The Andy Awards, The London Film Festival, Belding Awards, an EMMY (The Academy of Television Arts and Sciences), and is a 5-time Kelly Award Finalist.
Yvonne has judged The One Show, Communication Arts, The Clios, The EmmyAwards, The New York Art Directors Club, the Andy Awards, and has Co-Chaired the International Clio Awards.
She is a longtime judge for the Primetime Emmy Awards, with the distinct honor of judging the finals for Outstanding Drama Series and Outstanding Comedy Series.
Yvonne has been recognized in Who’sWho in America, Who’s Who in Advertising, Who’s Who in California, Who’s Who in Business & Finance, Who’s Who in American Women and Who’s Who in the World.
She has taught and lectured at UCLA, USC, The Art Center College of Design and the Art Director’s Club of Paris.
She both supports and has judged the AAAA Minorities in Advertising Scholarship Competition.
Yvonne is a member of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, The American Film Institute, the Museum of Radio & Television, and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art as well as various other professional organizations.
An active contributor to and member of many charities, she was honored by Free Arts for Abused Children, recognized by the Mayor of the City of Los Angeles for her work with abused children. She actively supports the ERAS Center for Children at Risk, Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, The National Humane Education Society, as well as The Humane Society of the United States.
Presently having four rescue dogs of her own from animal shelters, she has personally rescued and placed another 61 animals, including dogs, cats, horses and one skunk.
Her hobbies include river rafting, hiking, horseback riding, off-road driving, art, design, film and Porsches.
Yvonne holds a BFA from the School of Architecture & The Arts, Auburn University, where her academic achievement kept her consistently on the Dean’s List. She is also a graduate of Skip Barber Precision Driving Courses.
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And here are some candid snaps of some of her children!
Denzil Meyers, whose talents seem to know no bounds, is making several appearances on television this month!
Says Denzil ....
1. "Trauma", Episode 2 "Bad Day At Work"... Oct 12, 9pm on NBCEpisode 2 of this new thriller series ... like "ER", but what happens immediately before you get to the ER — life with the paramedics
who scoop you off the street after a natural disaster or an office building fire, or in our episode, when a disgruntled employee goes postal.Don't blink, or you'll miss me as an office employee, hiding from the shooter in the building stairwell, tho I do have a line.
www.nbc.com/trauma/
2. "I Almost Got Away With It", Richard Garber episode ... October, several airings likely, on Investigation: Discovery (check local listings)
This show interviews current convicts, and re-creates the almost-perfect crime in question. Investigation: Discovery is a whole channel dedicated to Hollywood crimes,
forensics, and serial killers. And its about time, I'd say.I play Moreas, the victim of a brutal murder by my caretaker (Garber), whom I hired to help me recover from a job-related nail gun injury to the head (WTF?)
http://investigation.discovery.com/
As always, local listings are subject to change, so dates may vary
Click on photo to see larger version.
Jane Newman and Susan Goodman getting together earlier this summer for cocktails and a catch-up.
Hey, Russell Wager has become "lost." If you have a current email address for him, send it to me at the email address shown in the masthead up there on the top of this page.
Ann Zemenak? Vanished.
I received this lovely Chiat/Day haiku the other day from a newly found alum:
Sarah Madden-Beaudin - 1989-93 Warehouse Days then to Binoculars mainstreet Main Street bring your pet to work Friday flower raffle Kupe in the ficus trees rollerblades x-rated Christmas Parties Firehouse The Fish v cool thanks sarah
Just as in the news or talk-show industry, all of us who hustle in the blogosphere are always looking for the next "get." I've found a good one: Gene Cameron, who has been "lost" (as far as the Jay/Day site is concerned), for ages.
Turns out he is a biggie at J.D. Powers and Associates. In fact, you can watch this interview with him by clicking here.
Received a shout-out today from C/D NY's favorite Irishman, Eamonn O'Regan, who is in Dublin.
Eammon go bragh!
For years, I have apparently listed the lovely and talented Theresa Buchanan on the "found list" as Theresa Babbington. My error has been corrected.
Robert Chandler has always been a wonderful magpie for this site. He discovered a small trove of photos taken at the Biltmore.
He is able to identify some of the participants (in no particular order) as ...
Lee, Hy, Brent Thomas, David Butler, Phil Lanier, Hank Hinton, Jay's exec sec, an unknown to me lady with Steve Hollingsworth in the b.g.. And Mark Doyle with some former clients.If you have any additional information, click on "Comments" and add your memories ...
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Who better to spend jay/day with than Laurie Coots. We indulged in our favorite Sunday ritual when she's in NY: eggs benedict. Yum!
Here's is a jay/day message from Jessica Edelstein ...
Hi Steve. Happy Jay/Day!If anyone is wracking their brains 'cause they don't know a young artist or don't have a favorite cause or don't have a cleaning lady, here's a good way to celebrate Jay's love and dedication to creativity and art:
We now have 2 student-run art studios up and active in the U.S. which are part of a greater international network of 35 studios. We are looking to help support these fledgling studios and to increase the infrastructure of ROOM 13 USA to allow for expansion into other American cities.
Would you mind posting something for us on your site? The artists of all ages will thank you and Jay will smile. Arrange as you wish.
Best,
JessRoom 13 is an international network of art studios run by student artists within a school environment. Supported by an adult working artist-in-residence, young artists are given a safe place in which to explore their feelings by expressing their creativity and imagination.
Started by primary school students in the West Highlands of Scotland, Room 13 has now grown to have 35 studios in Scotland, England, South Africa, India, Nepal, Turkey, China, Canada and now the U.S. The project has grown with the help of generous creative people around the globe, so by donating here, you will help more artists of all ages discover themselves through art.
If you would like more information or to help give this worthy program artistic, financial or promotional support please contact Jessica Edelstein at jessica@room13usa.com
YOU CAN DONATE TO ROOM 13 TODAY VIA YOUR PAYPAL ACCOUNT OR BY CREDIT CARD BY CLICKING HERE:
No $$$? - Help us promote Room 13 USA by becoming a fan on Facebook by clicking here
I am putting out an All Points Bulletin to be on the lookout for Susan Gomes. She used to work in media at C/D LA during the Biltmore days. An old friend of hers is trying to contact her.
This is a frequent request, here at JayDay Central. People are always asking me "Do you know where [fill in the blank] is?" Sadly, the answer is often "no," as I don't have an inexhaustible list of everybody who ever worked at Chiat/Day, nor their email addresses.
But every once in a while I like to ask the community to try to locate someone. This is one of those times.
Steve
Sid Salinger, who was one of the first C/D employees, has provided some additional names of former employees. They've been added to the "Lost" list, as I don't have email addresses for any of them. If YOU do, please send them to me:
Steve...here are a few of the very earliest...actually ORIGINAL...Chiat/Day employees who don't appear on EITHER list...so I guess you'd classify them as "Lost".Warren Halperin
Dennis Juett
Bill Manning
Tom Phahlert
LeNore Plotkin
Les Slifkinand last, but most certainly not least,
GUY BRIAN DAY
Best regards,
Sid Salinger (1968-1970)
A C/D New York alum has magically appeared in my email inbox:
Greetings fellow Chiat / Day-er. I worked at the New York office for 2 years, 1990-91. I was in accounts on Royal Caribbean and Nissan, and I sat 2 cubicles away from Jay for my first year. I will never forget his cardboard chair or how great it was to just listen in to his conversations when he was on the phone. I loved every day that I worked there.I stayed on the agency side for a couple of years, eventually crossing
the line into production. I worked my way up from PA to Producer on
features, music videos, concerts and television shows, but have
returned to my first love, commercials. I'm still in touch with Jon
Shrair who told me about your alum site.
Also, I heard from Jon Wyville, who worked at C/D from 88-92 and who has the coolest email sig I've ever seen:
Courtesy of Andrea Sommer come these nostalgic pictures of a Chiat/Day picnic in 1989. I'm presuming it's New York, since it appears we went there on a train and the lake looks crummy enough to be in New Jersey.
Also new to our ranks is Clarissa Potter, who went from advertising into healthcare, for one of THE most prestigious cancer-care facilities in the world.
I worked at Chiat day from 91-92 as a first job out of college and was recently on a trip with Lizzy Kooper. She said that I should contact you with my e-mail address because I worked at Chiat Day.. what an interesting idea… my experience was brief, but I am great friends with Jamie Barrett who convinced me to work at Chiat Day and worked with Martin Grant and Jon S.Best,
Clarissa
Clarissa Potter, LCSW
Quality of Care Initiative
Office of the Physician-In-Chief
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
This just in (actually, I'm behind in my mail, so this way from April) ...
Steve: Chiat/Day/Mojo was my first job after college. I was an Ad Grad from Fresno State. I worked in the Venice office from 1989-90. I worked on the Nissan account for John Varty, Steve Goldman and John Upton. I transferred to the new Dallas office to work on Nissan Regional in 1991. I worked with Michelle Burke (Mowdy) and Nancy Kane Amus (on Facebook). I left C/D/M in 1993. I later worked at Lord Dentsu with some ex C/D/M folks (interesting). Now I live in Dallas and am Dean at a Community College over workforce training. Konley Kelley
I always thought of Tom Patty as the Big Nissan Cheese. I must be honest, the last thing I ever imagined would come out of his mouth would be the sound of Tom, standing in front of his own band and a live audience, shouting "Everybody!"
Yes, Tom has produced a CD. Who knew? It's called "Living on the Island Side of Life."
Here's a brief soundclip from one of the tracks. He graciously sent me the whole CD, which has become my favorite "car CD."
You can actually buy this CD from Amazon by clicking the link below. But hurry, there are only two new and 8 used available the last time I checked.
I'm really proud that Tom has used some of his post-C/D time to produce art. Wearing a suit for as long as Tom did could become a habit. It's nice to know that he's so readily traded that suit in for a Hawaiian shirt.
I'd also like to thank Tom for his generous donation to help maintain this site. He is now included on that list of benefactors you see up there on the right-hand side of the main web page. (You can do this, too, by the way, without going through all the work of producing a CD. I'm just sayin')
(click on photo to see larger version)
There are alums and then there are ALUMS. Tom Patty certainly falls into the latter category. He worked in the LA office for umpteen years on some of the most important business the agency had, including Yamaha (in the early days) to Nissan. I got this note from him this weekend ...
First of all, I want to tell you what a great job you have done with this “Jayday site.” Congratulations.I thought I would provide a brief update on my life since I retired from Chiat/Day in 1998:
In January, 1996, (after my wife, Veronica, passed away in 1994), I married another C/D alumnus—Susan Ashmore (LA office, 1985-1987, Broadcast Production dept).
In July, 1998, I officially retired from TBWAChiat/Day as President, Nissan worldwide account director.
In 1999, I sailed to Hawaii in the Transpac race (California to Hawaii) and wrote some songs which I recorded and produced in a music CD entitled “Living on the Island Side of Life.” (You can listen to these songs on my website: islandside.com.)
In January, 2002, Susan and I went on a world cruise that departed and returned to LA. We were gone for 120 days and visited more than 30 different countries. I called this “my semester at sea.”
In November 2002, Susan and I sold our house in Marina del Rey and moved to Dana Point, a small community just South of Laguna Beach.
In 2003, I joined a volunteer organization called SCORE, which is part of the Small Business Administration. The Orange County chapter of SCORE (SCORE.114.org) has about 100 retired business executives from all areas of management (production, sales, tech, marketing, etc) who volunteer their time and expertise to help small business owners. Every year, I personally counsel with about 100 small business people and give more than 40 seminars on “Marketing” in the Orange County area.
The reason Susan and I were unable to attend the reunion last fall was because we were on another cruise that took us from Monte Carlo thru the Suez Canal to Dubai and other parts of the middle east and then to Mumbai, India, along the Somali coast (fortunately we were not attacked by pirates) to Kenya and then South Africa and finally to Rio.
I love living in Dana Point. I ride my bicycle three or four days a week, go sailboat racing every Thursday afternoon and many weekends, play my guitar, and do my volunteer work for SCORE.
I love my life and I am blessed to be married to Susan, to live in Dana Point, and to have worked with Jay Chiat, without whom none of this could have been possible.
Welcome David W. Griffith (class of 1997 - 2001) and Brooke Dore, who was lost and lo, is found again.
Grab your checkbook and credit cards! The time has come for Jane Newman's Annual Thorn Tree Benefit. Anybody who is anybody will be there, buying and bidding on amazing African crafts. Here's Jane's pitch to you ...
Yes it is that time of year again!We are doing an African Bazaar this year!!!!!!!!! We have brought back lots of great original stuff from Africa --traditional kangas and kikoys (aka sarongs), baskets for the beach, wooden bowls the warriors carved, new styles of bracelets, cushions, salad servers, soap, key rings, designer belts and tons of other stuff. Everything is priced low, low, low so TONS of bargains. And the silent auction is going to be the biggest and best ever.
This year we are supporting the two primary schools in the Sereolipi area with all the teachers, books and food they need to run a basic school and our goal is to raise $80,000. So please make sure you come and bring a friend or two that would be interested in helping. The more people shopping the better!!
All loveJane
The date is May 13th from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Clodagh Design
670 Broadway, 4th Floor
Between Bond and Great Jones
Here's a link to the official invitation.
P.S. Those of you who on the East Coast who missed the 40th Annual C/D Reunion in LA last October might consider this a great opportunity to catch up with old friends and do some good for the world! Jay would consider this a noble effort.
From the mightiest of all Human Resources experts in the country, our own Eve Luppert:
Eve Luppert, Smarty-pants Brainiac at 3Peas Consulting, is very excited to announce her new organization, 3Peas Consulting3Peas offers workplace consulting, training and workshops to dynamic organizations (or those who hope to be) delivered by someone who has real work-place experience and a track record of building great places to work.
Services include:
On-site workshops that your staff wants and needs, for example what managers need to know about the law, how to interview, how to do reviews, developing and delivering dynamic presentations and more. The session are practical, interactive, real and fun.
Insightful surveys, interviews and analysis to help you understand what's really going on in your office, where the hero's are, what the bottlenecks might be and practicable advice for helping you and your team deliver a wonderful product, every time.
Meeting facilitation to help you get more out of your meetings than wondering when they will ever end. One on one and team coaching your management team prepare and survive layoffs, growth spurts and all the ups and downs that come with running a firm with a pulse.
Development of policies and policy manuals that people will read, and keep your team informed, the company safe without that cold corporate tone that just doesn't work with you and the firm you are building.
Eve Luppert has helped build award-winning, low turn over, profit making companies in the design, architecture, advertising and high tech firms for the past 20 years. She got her training in the hey-days of Chiat/Day advertising, moved on to help build high-tech firms in the height of the Seattle/West coast tech craze and helped her last firm become an award winning place to work and grow from 80 to nearly 300 people in less than 4 years.
Charlotte area firms are invited to an introductory 45 minute workshop for up to 20 people for this one time only price of $800. See if you and your team don't come back for more.
Contact me at emluppert@gmail.com
PS, I'll be in New York May 13-16 and glad deliver this special offer in the Big Apple during that time too!
| Permalink | Comments (2)
This announcement arrived in today's email:
Hey Steve,Just checked jayday recently.
Good to see all the ex-Chiat people up to cool things, like jumping out crashed planes.Here's my latest:
http://roundseventeen.blogspot.com/
I'm told it's funny.
But what do I know, I'm an underemployed freelance copywriter.
Thanks in advance,
Rich Siegel
[Ed. note: My favorite entry is one about the evil of Zyrtec's evil single-tablet packaging, which I have attempted to open myself. Whoever designed the packaging must have trouble during his or her own toilet-training.]
From the lovely Lauren Schiller ....
Introducing Lady Brain!My friend Steph and I have just started a rather lively podcast called Lady Brain. Think Car Talk meets Dear Abby, with touch of Cosmo Mag. Go to www.askladybrain.com to listen in!
In each 10 minute episode, we give candid advice on the stuff you think only happens to you. Don’t feel like dealing with your own drama? We’ll hash it out for you on the air! It's primarily for the ladies, but fellas, don't be shy.
Help us spread the word and listen as often as you like:
-Sign up for episode updates and ask advice on our site: www.askladybrain.com
-Join our Facebook fan page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lady-Brain/68945161514?ref=nf
-Forward this email to all your friends (or those who you're sure won't mind a little dirty talk)
-Find us great sponsors! The karmic payoff will be amazing, and there could be a referral fee in it for you.
-Add theladies@askladybrain.com to your address books so we don't hit your spam box.Help us keep the dream alive! And most of all, tell us what you think!
Love,
Steph and Lauren | www.askladybrain.com
theladies@askladybrain.com
Welcome Hillary Jordan, from the class of 1989-1994.
And also Kelly Waltos, a senior producer from 84-97. She and a friend of hers run a great blog, the masthead of which is seen above. You can visit it by clicking here.
Here are Chris Nolan, Robert Chandler, and Chuck Phillips holding a small reunion at Cafe Montana in Santa Monica.
Click on photo to see larger, uncropped version
Chuck Phillips has proven to be one of the best C/D alum finders. Here's his latest catch:
anybody who worked at chiat in the early 70's will remember marie dagucon.a smart, attractive, outspoken, tough EA who took abuse from no one and was respected by all. jay was as intimidated by marie dagucon as the rest of us.
a fixture at the after hours creative department poker games where she more than held her own.
marie just reconnected via the blog. she's a real estate agent in tucson and lives with her partner of 17 years glenn there. picture taken recently in kaui.
Marty Wenzell, who was one of the great Account Supervisors during the 80s in the New York office, was in NY the other day. We had lunch at the Film Center Cafe.
He's now the Chief Marketing Officer at Exemplum, a digital services company specializing in online interactive animation.
He and his wife still live in Half Moon Bay, where their two daughters are in high school.
Ah, a name so refreshing, it should come bottled. Virginia Pellegrino ...
I worked at Chiat/Day Seattle (later Livingston) from 1977 – 1983. I was VP/ Broadcast Producer. I produced those Alaska Airlines, Pacific NW Bell ... etc.... spots you mentioned in your Roger piece! I wasn’t in the rafting picture — probably someplace on a shoot. Was there during the BEST time! Still in Seattle — freelance writer now.Cheers -- Virginia
Who can forget the classic commercials TBWA Chiat/Day created for Taco Bell which starred a beady-eyed, talking chihuahua?
Apparently, U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals cannot, for today they finally ruled in the case of of Taco Bell Corp. vs. TBWA.
Two guys in Michigan, who created the character, sued Taco Bell and were awarded $42 million for breach-of-contract. Taco Bell then sued TBWA, but lost the suit today. Taco Bell was held to be responsible for paying the Michigan guys the $42 million.
This means the Michigan guys can pull into their local Taco Bell drive-thru and order 35,294,117 crunchy tacos!
Read all about it here.
(I'd just like to say that I had a dream in 1986 about a pink bunny and batteries.)
ADDENDUM
Jerry Fields, who is a freelance copywriter
Greetings Steve.I'm an infrequent reader of your smart, and entertaining site, but I do enjoy it.
I don't suppose you're planning on adding an addendum to the Taco Bell story, but I'd just like to give Chuck Bennett (and his partner on the project, Clay Williams?) the credit they deserve.
Using a Chihuahua is not an idea. A chihuaha is simply the beginning of an idea. Executing the campaign as well as Chuck and Clay did is what made it a fully formed, entertaining, and distinct idea.
Everyday we see a parade of new personification campaigns, and as a device it's nothing new. In the 1960s Leo Burnett built an entire agency around talking, non-humans: Milton the Talking Toaster, Charlie the Tuna, the Jolly Green Giant, Poppin Fresh, etc.... Speedy Alka-Seltzer, a talking tablet, sprung to bubbling life in the 40s, or thereabouts.
What made all of these distinct were their personalities, and the situations in which they were placed. Crispin's black, talking Beetle is certainly a cool, and distinct, personality/campaign--all due respect to My Mother the Car and Herbie the Love Bug.
We're all human, but it's the details, large and small, which make us originals.
Reverse personification, "Hi, I'm an Apple. And I'm a Mac," is a good example of distinct character development that defines the campaign as original. Chuck and Clay's Taco Bell work was no less well defined. The dog had attitude, expressed in how he dressed and what he said. It could have been a lap dog, it wasn't.
Sit-coms are the same in that they nearly all begin with identical foundational tools, but grow themselves into unique worlds. Consider: A husband who frequently gets himself into trouble. (George Jefferson, Al Bundy, Peter Griffin.) A wife/relative/neighbor/friend that has to bail him out. (Louise. Peggy, Lois) A wacky ensemble cast around which to build parallel story lines.
The Jeffersons, Married with Children and Family Guy are as unique as "the east side," suburban Chicago and the animated parts of Irish Catholic Rhode Island.
Using the same component parts, sit coms even attract different audiences. God may not be in evidence in many places, but he/she/it is very much in the creative details.
I have a friend who some years before pitched a Chihuahua campaign to Taco Bell. I've never seen the campaign. It might have been great, it might have stunk, but the fact that Taco Bell has seen so many campaigns built around a Chihuahua underscores the fact that a dog, by itself, is only a dog. Just one piece of a campaign puzzle. Nothing more.
The two Michigan lawsuit lottery winners don't deserve a dime, let alone 42 million, or whatever the sum, unless Taco Bell/Chuck and Clay, had copied their Chihuahua comic strip. I haven't seen the comic, but I do know Chuck well. He is an original. Nothing borrowed about him, or how he thinks. This seems to be verified in the courts seeing fit to protect Chiat/Day.
On a slightly related note, there is currently a suit against Chiat, and perhaps Apple, involving the use of a Marshal Mathers song. I'm sure you've read about it. A close friend of my father's handles some business affairs for Marshal, and has brought the suit, which apparently has not gone well for Chiat in the first legal skirmish. I don't know if the case has merit or not. I don't know the details. Said lack of knowledge will not prevent me from taking sides, however. I think more highly of Lee than my father's friend, so who needs facts to arrive at a verdict? Maybe we should send a Chihuahua to Michigan to bite the ankles of both the two guys who collected all the coin from Taco Bell as well as Marshal Mathers and his watchdog manager. It all sounds (slim) shady to me.
When I asked Jerry for permission to post these comments of his, he filled me in on his background and what he's up to now:
If you're foggy as to who I am, here's some background: I was a writer with Chiat L.A. in '89 and '90. I worked with Michael Smith, Pam Cunningham, Victoria Felice and Chuck Bennett. I'm the guy who came from NYC to join in the reunion festivities.I work freelance, and have done so since 1994 in fact, but of late have decided that I'd like to do more than ride in, save the day, they riding back down the elevator to the cries of, "Shane. Shane. We love you, Shane. Come back, Shane!" so I am now receptive to any interesting staff jobs that might pop up. Given how expansive your world is, perhaps one of your friends, from a continent near or far, will ask if you know of someone who fits my background. My site is http://www.jmfields.com. It's a great site. Check out the opening of the "Tragic TV" section.
(click on photo to see a larger image)
From Chuck Phillips (C/D Employee #1) ...
Here's a 1980 photo of the group handshake completing the purchase ("merger") of agency hoefer, dieterich & brown, thus entrenching chiat/day in san francisco and putting them in a position to buy regis mckenna agency which yielded the apple computer account.look how bloody young chiat looked. the folks in the photo are (L to R) me, our wonderful chairman monty mckinney, "the admiral" (john hoefer who had a ship sunk under his command in WWII), jay, and john pelkan (HD&B's president and hoefer's son-in-law) who didn't last very long (i think I'm the only one still alive).
those two cultures were as alien as any ever put together. at the time i likened it to a marriage of the hare krishna with the catholic church. it seemed like a dumb idea at the time. but jay was about as dumb as a fox.
Click to see a larger version.
Adelaide Horton made it onto the front page of today's New York Times (see photo above.) She was on the flight that landed in the Hudson River on Thursday. She is shaken, but safe.
Roger Livingston
It was pointed out to me by Jonel Brown that the collection of photos from the C/D 40th Reunion contained no photos of Roger Livingston. Chuck Phillips happened to have one (thank you much, Chuck.)
Remember that the photos of the reunion are NOT posted on this website because of bandwidth limitations. They are posted on Shutterfly. Click here to see them.
Roger was the head of the Seattle office.
Addendum: Chuck Phillips wrote me tonight to say, ""head of the seattle office?? roger was one of the titans of west coast advertising in the 80's... he bought out jay and created the livingston company which became one of america's most award laden creative shops. his campaigns for alaska airlines, people's bank and pacific northwest bell are hall-of-fame classics. roger was also an accomplished competitive sailer who designed, built and raced a boat ("lobo") which won a slew of races including the internationally acclaimed san francisco big boat competition. his crew there was the same "stars and stripes" crew that would later go on to win the america's cup back from new zealand. and you know what they call "heads" on sailing boats."
And a big howdy to Rondi Shouse, who also worked in the Seattle office.
(Click on photo to see it in a slightly larger size.)
What a great surprise to receive an email (and a donation to the site) from Jonel Brown, who worked in an office many people forgot we even had: Seattle!
Says Jonel ....
Steve,Since you don't have much feedback from the Seattle Chiat Day office I felt compelled to share this very old photo. This was a raft trip taken by almost the entire Seattle office in 1981, we rafted down the Snoqualmie River. And it was a LOT faster and higher than anyone expected and we had quite an exciting run. Our guide fell into the river as did several others! I'm pretty sure Roger would not have been pleased to lose half of his creative & account teams to the river! Some folks from those days pictured here; (in no particular order) Jerry Box, Jim Copacino, Brian McKenna, Rhondi Shouse, Sharon Teal, Darlene & Ted Smith, Mark Chernansky (sp?), Lee ?, Beth ?, Tammy ?, Someone here must have a better memory for names, I can remember the people so well!
And I sent you a donation with my thanks for keeping this site going!
If any of you out there can remember any of the names of the people pictured here, please let me (Steve Alburty) know at the email address at the top of this site's masthead.
Ah, the classic ad man is alive and well. A memoir in one pocket, a woman in the other! This is from Marten Tonnis ...
By pure luck I came upon your web site and enjoyed reading about Steve Beaumont and other alumnis. The accompanied group photo was shot by Bo Hylen who's now a very well established photographer in Europe.I've worked with Lee Clow at Chiat/Day as an art director from 1984 till the end of 1987, mostly on Apple, Mitsibishi Audio and Eveready. Then, many years as a freelancer on Nissan, Infiniti and with Creative Director Marty Cooke in N.Y. and Toronto on Reebok, Nissan Canada, Labatt Beer and Amex.
My last long freelance stint was with Bill Hamilton, C.D. at J. Walter Thompson in N.Y..
Presently I work for mostly European ad agencies from my home in Pasadena.
I've just finished my memoirs, written as a novel. which I like to publish in the near future. The biggest part is about my life in advertising which is one of my obsessions. The other one is women.
While freelance at Chiat N.Y., I've bumped into Jay several . He always told me that freelance sucked, trying to convince me to come back on staff. During that time I stayed often at his penthouse which never had toilet paper.
And, when I was on a tv shoot in New York with my writer Steve Rabosky, Jay invited us for dinner at his new home, which was an old fire station. (with his Porsche inside the entrance) But Steve and I declined. Instead we went to the U.S. Open to see Andre Agassi play. Jay was really pissed.
Best regards,
Marten Tonnis
Sid Salinger
When I posted the excellent article from the 1968 LA Times, I forgot to publish the "then and now" photo of Sid Salinger, who sent me the article.
Thanks again Sid!!
Welcome in , from the land of the lost, Jerry Fields.
At first, I thought he was a finance guy. He said he wasn't. I said he was. (Turns out I had him confused with Jerry Wales.) Amazing how many brain cells erase their storage in just a few decades.
But no, Jerry was a writer ... and he was at the 40th Reunion of the Founding of Chiat/Day, so look for his picture. (See below on how to view all of the photos of that momentous event.)
Suave, sophisticated, smart, and impossibly thin. That's our Zach Rosenberg, who has been named Leader of the Year by Southern California's largest ad industry org. They are a little late on the upswing, because all of us have been aware of Zach's brilliance for years.
thinkLA Honors Horizon Media’s Zachary Rosenberg as Southern California Advertising Leader of the YearLOS ANGELES (November 18, 2008) - thinkLA, the largest advertising industry organization for Southern California, today announced that Zachary Rosenberg, Executive Vice President, General Manager of Horizon Media’s Western Region has been named 2008 Leader of the Year. The industry’s top honor, the award is given annually to recognize creative thinking and innovation in marketing and media.
Read the whole article here.
From Bria Silbert (a.k.a. "Barbara Winkler," C/D 1977-1984) ...
About three decades ago, Gene Cameron and Tom Patty were tasked to pitch Yamaha Outboards. This T shirt was developed as part of the campaign. I don't recall if we got the account, but I got the T- shirt.
Welcome in from the cold, Martin Navarette, who worked in Venice from I1990-1992.
Bria Silbert, who was once known as Barbara Winkler and who was the subject of this previous jayday profile, has become the latest alum to make a donation to help defray the costs of hosting and maintaining this site. Thank you, Bria!!
There are many who will attest to the fact that even though he was (and is) a "suit", Steve Bland is a pretty good guy
And I will not say to them "nay," for today he made a generous donation to the continuation of this site.
Among other things, Steve works at Traffic with Tom Cordner. Both of them are furiously trying to create a renaissance for the Mitsubishi automotive division.
I had worked with him when he was in our New York offices.
If you'd like to be as great a person as Steve Bland or Bonnie Schwartz (see below) then click the button over there on the right that says "donate."
This note arrived a few weeks ago from Lauren Slaff, who is now a personal chef!
hi steve,I am a ny chiat alum from 89-90. was an entry level schlub who got her promised promotion after a year which rarely happens anywhere else.
have been grateful to have built friendships and professional relationships during my almost 2 years that lasted and are strong today.
am even having my old pal from 4th fl. reception devon burton come out to visit my home is podunk southwest colorado.
some of the best people I've met were c/d alum and I am proud to be one.
with warm regards,
lauren
My first boss at Chiat/Day (1977) was Irene Hook, head of Print Production in LA. She was salty, funny, smart, and vivacious. Some of you may remember that her hobby was belly-dancing. She also introduced me to the joys of vendor lunches. (I believe her favorite drink was Scotch, but I could be wrong about that.) And then she'd come back to the office and have a little lie-down on the sofa in the ladies' room.
I was always grateful to her (and Sharon Stanley) for taking a chance on somebody who know absolutely nothing about the job for which he was being hired. My 17-1.2 year career there would not have been possible without these two women.
I'm sorry to report that Irene passed away on April 5, 2008. I had found her address in Apple Valley on the Internet and sent her a card. It was intercepting by her loving son, Tom, who contacted me and gave me the news of her passing.
I think of her often and am glad to have these pictures of share with you.
Steve Alburty
Today's alum spotlight is on Tom Cordner ...
Most of us wonder what it would be like to start your own agency. I did, but I lacked the courage to just do it on my own. I've never been afraid of a challenge. I started TeamOne with Saatchi on an unproven luxury brand. I then left the cozy environment of TeamOne after 15 years to go to Detroit's JWT to dig Ford out of a ditch. That was courageous, actually insane by most people.I contend that every choice you make leads to other choices. After three and a half years and a number of significant Ford client changes they made a choice. In Detroit they don't fire agencies, they fire people. Their choice, me. So, I get a year sabbatical from JWT...they were very good to me in the process.
I spent a year finding out that I was over qualified for almost everything and not that I ever saw myself as a car guy, I was one now.
I talked to a great friend in Lee Clow and he turned me onto Rob Schwartz another great friend who in turn introduced me to Steve Bland. In August of 2007 Steve Bland introduced me to another guy, Bob Farina. He wants to start an agency as an adjunct to Cimarron (they do blockbuster movie trailers and dvd home sales). So, we talk and I'm asked to write a business plan, name the agency and have a positioning for the agency (I'm a freaking art director for chriss sakes).
I said, "go after down-n-dirty retail business (avoid pitching against big agencies)", thus the name 'Traffic', and tag line of "the fierce urgency of now" thanks to the venerable Martin Luther King Jr. In january 2, 2008 we start Traffic.
We pitched the launch of Toyota's credit card and won in January 2008. During the development of that work we got a call from SRI to pitch Mitsubishi. We pitched and won the business on June 11, 2008. I had no idea that the choice to leave TeamOne, going to Detroit would lead to unemployment where I actually considered retiring and the reality of that would lead to owning my own agency.
Am I lucky?... NO! Am I grateful?.... very.
Have I thanked 'Schwartzy'? .... yup (left him a message but don't know if he heard it. I'll kiss when I see him again just in case). Tom
When I was in Los Angeles for the reunion (pictures are coming soon, I swear!) I had the good fortune to have lunch the next day at TBWA/Chiat/Day with Barbara Overlie.
Barbara started out as a "biller." Then she became "Finance Manager." Well, now she is the big cheese of the whole magilla: she is the friggin' CFO!
She has been at the agency for 23 years, which, from my estimate of when I was sitting in the office watching employees walk by, is about the average age of the people who work there!
Barbara is married to Ed Yost, another C/D alum. He was an editor at Midtown Post (aka VBE). She is one of the most endearing people I've ever met. Sweet face, sweet voice, and the sense that she'd adopt any stray kitten that came her way.
The other guy in the photo is Val Maiquez. You should consider yourself special if you knew Val, or, as we used to call him "Disco Bal." He is Accounts Payables Analyst. Val has been there for 29 years!
In the old days at the Biltmore, we used to forward calls from vendors looking for payment to Val. His accent was so thick, the vendor could not understand what he was saying and would usually just give up and wait for their check. (Val probably did more for cash flow at C/D than anyone else.)
Barbara told me that Val is the "caller" at the company bingo parties!
Some of you may have been repeatedly checking the site looking for news and photos of the recent C/D 40th Anniversary Reunion in LA. The problem is, your editor (me) is still on holiday and I am currently in Squamish, British Columbia, headed towards Whistler. A good Internet connection is hard to come by.
But here are two great photos sent to me by C/D Employee #1, Chuck Phillips, who was also one of the hosts of the party.
Hy Yablonka, Chiat/Day's very first art director.
Says Chuck ....
He was one of the 4 founding partners of chiat/day (tom burr was the other). jay and guy were majority shareholders. tom and hy were minority partners. hy was the first creative director of the company. he found and hired lee clow.
Chuck Phillips and me.
More photos (I promise) as soon as I get back to the States.
Steve Alburty
I know you're all chomping at the bit to hear about the reunion. I'll post more later, as I'm on the road right now. But over 100 people attended, including Lee Clow, Laurie Coots, Roger Livingston (former head of Seattle office), Steve Rabosky, Keith Bright, Bob Kuperman, Colette Chestnut, Carol Madonna and ... my personal favorite, Hy Yablonka, who was C/D's first art director!
Andrew Edelstein (Jessica Shulman's husband) took tons of photos and as soon as he sends them to me, I will post them here.
I've been exchanging a lot of email with SuperFan Nancy Ullman recently as we all get ready for the 40th Anniversary Reunion Party ...
After leaving Chiat/Day I worked in the PR/Marketing department of the CaliforniaMart before deciding to stay home and raise my 3 boys, now age 18, 17, and 14. I keep myself busy though. Currently, I am working with the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) to hold a large scale bone marrow drive here in Los Angeles. I am Project Coordinator of the UCLA vs. USC Bone Marrow Challenge, which is set to be held in early November. Looking forward to the reunion! Nancy Ullman
Nancy also wrote up a wonderful reminiscence about one of the best offices we ever worked in, the warehouse:
Dinosaurs, Coronas, and Pink BunniesI was a phone receptionist in the LA warehouse from 1988 to 1990. The experience stayed with me for years, literally. For over a decade, every time I’d see, or hear a 3-digit number, one of your names would pop into my head. It felt like your phone extensions were permanently etched into some dark corner of my brain.
Chiat/Day was my first job out of college and even though my salary was painfully modest: the excitement, the perks, and the access to so many talented people made it worthwhile.
Who could complain? Our Holiday party was thrown under the dinosaurs at the Natural History Museum and every Friday afternoon at 4:00 we had chips, salsa, and Coronas. It was a great job. And, like many of you, I knew it was special.
In the 2 short years I worked at Chiat/Day we were named Ad Agency of the Year, and then, Ad Agency of the Decade—isn’t it amazing what hiring the right receptionist can do?! You can thank Sharon Stanley for the hire and also for this unsolicited trip down memory lane.
So much seemed to happen at 320 Hampton Drive. I remember the agency screening of the first Energizer Bunny ad. Who knew how much longevity that silly little pink bunny would have? I saw it. I liked it, but wouldn’t have guessed it would be around for long as it has. Who would have predicted that twenty years later, our kids would know the Energizer Bunny and I’m confident that our grandchildren will too. Well done Dick Sittig. I hope you are still continuing to amaze.
In the warehouse, creativity was not only encouraged, it was nourished and cultivated. It didn’t take long before I found myself longing to be a copywriter and soon began to take copywriting classes after work. I believe it was Brian Belefant who told us students that the best ideas are so simple you will think; “That’s easy. I could have come up with that.” Yet, it didn’t take long for me to realize that great ideas just don’t fall off trees.
One of the things I loved about our offices was that there was no sense of rank or hierarchy—everyone had the same size cubical. I used to go into Bob Kuperman’s office and he’d appease me by assigning me work on current projects. Unbelievable. The phone receptionist had secret copywriting missions. Some days I would stop by Lee Clow’s office and ask him if he could take a look at what I was working on. He’d always indulge me and never made me feel beneath his great presence—he was always so terrifically unassuming.
I left Chiat/Day in 1990, the same year I gave birth to my first son—unfortunately, I had a terrible case of morning sickness and I knew my boss at the time, Hank Antosz, deserved better. It was an agonizing decision.
In the end, I never had the opportunity to pass under those huge binoculars. My memories of Chiat/Day will forever stay in that magnificent warehouse. It was supposed to be a temporary space, while we waited for the real deal. Yet somehow, I think it was the real deal all along.
I've lost valid email addresses for ...
Evert Eden (a.k.a. Evert Cilliers, a.k.a. "Atomic Ant"), Simon Bax, and Ally Longfield,
A hale and hearty welcome to formerly lost alum Jim McClintock. Jim worked at C/D from 1991-2000. He began as AMD on Nissan Regional, left as National Media Director on Nissan when he departed for a client job at ABC where his currently Senior VP of Network Media.
And Jim will be at the 40th Anniversary Reunion in LA, so he's extra-special.
As Dorothy Gale once said, "My, people come and go so quickly around here!"
As a result of a recent general mailing to all of you, several alums have gone missing. If you know where they are, please turn them in:
Scott Marticke, Mick McCabe, Maria Carmazzi, Ally Longfield
There are two reasons why this happens: 1) most people give me their work address. Hey people, this is ADVERTISING! It's always best to provide a home address instead. 2) A lot of people are finally giving up their old "AOL" addresses. I am never notified about the change to whatever high-speed service you've joined.
Sid Salinger was one of THE original employees of Chiat/Day ...
Hello, Stevan...While searching the Internet for something entirely different, I stumbled across Chuck Phillips' and Mary Beth Neal's postings to your JayDay site, regarding the original Chiat/Day personnel. As I was one of them, I replied, and I see my response was posted, 'tho I don't know whether you (or anyone else) will ever see it, cyberspace being as vastly far-flung as it is.
Nonetheless, it brought back a number of memories, fond and otherwise...some of which I could share with Chuck, 'tho you and most of the other "lost and found" C/D folks wouldn't go back as far. (Hey...I'm an old guy...75 next month.)
No doubt you have Steve Kessler's wonderful volume, "Chiat/Day: The First Twenty Years". I get casual mention in that book...even included in the newspaper article reprint in the front, announcing the merger, and on page 8 with the Western Harness Racing article. (I'm the "horse" in the picture on pages 8-9, and in the ad itself on page 11.)
As you may well know, before there was Chiat/Day, there was Faust/Day. But, did you know that before (and for some time after) there was Faust/Day, there was Carson/Roberts/Inc?
I worked closely with Guy Day, who was an account executive with Carson/Roberts before he joined Tom Faust and Paul Keye to form Faust/Day. (Faust later left the agency business; Paul, Mario Donna and George Perlstein then founded Keye/Donna/Perlstein. But I digress.) He hired me from C/R to Faust/Day, and later, to Chiat/Day.
I'm an amateur genealogist (see www.sidsalinger.com ), which is perhaps why the agency lineage is so fresh in my mind. I was one of the many who couldn't see eye-to-eye with Jay, which is why I left the agency within a year or two after the Chiat/Day merger. But Guy was always an idol of mine...guess he still is, in a way. (Guy's name remained in Jay's firm's name long after his body and soul did.)
In any event, having relived all of this, I thought perhaps you might be interested in a bit more of the "before" history. So, I've attached a copy of a piece on Carson/Roberts that I wrote a few years ago for a writers' group I belong to here in Roseville, California. It briefly mentions Guy, and Chiat/Day.
I'd love to hear from you (and for that matter, from Chuck, Mary Beth, or any others of the "originals".)
Regards,
Sid Salinger
This sad note just arrived from James Doyle ...
Just wanted to let you know that my father, Mark Doyle, passed more or less peacefully on July 6, 2008, around 11 PM.I would like to thank all of his friends and former colleagues for helping to make his last days happy ones. He spent his recent years entirely too isolated, and it meant a lot to him to be reminded just how highly regarded he still is among those who knew and worked with him. It means more than I can say to his family as well.
We've lost a good one, and he can never be replaced. Please keep him in your thoughts.
James
Yet another alum has popped up in my email ...
Hello,
I just saw your C/D alumni site and thought i'd throw my info forth.
I spent two memorable years in the Venice office 92-94 as an account guy, on the Nissan account. I was part of a small entertaining group that (re)started the direct marketing department at C/D. I worked with wonderful folks like: Gary Madonna, Maggie McDermott, J. Shawn Freedberg. Chris Mike, Laura Vielbig, Karen Knowles among many others. I have fond memories of futily trying to get C/D art directors (used to network TV spots), excited to create the new #10 envelope we needed designed ASAP for the new mailer campaign... wonderful years indeed.
My wife diana is an educator in the Pasadena Unified School District and we live in the hills of Altadena. I'm 4 years into working for Oversee.net in downtown Los Angeles, where I manage acquistions of domain name portfolios.
Cheers!
Chris Sivertsen
One of my very own employees has turned up in my mailbox. The lovely and perky Karen Gross worked in the MIS department in NY. Welcome, Karen!
Hi Steve,How are you? I haven't spoken to you in ages. I've reconnected with Rosann Calisi since I moved out to LA for 3 months. Also, reconnected with Scot Blakeley and Lauren Slaff on Facebook.
I saw that you and JP got certified. I'm a diver too and Fishpix is my site for my underwater photography. I just wanted to say hi and see how you were doing. You look happy. I'm VP of Advertising and Sales Operations at Move.com. It's an exciting opportunity for me and I get to live in LA for a while then back to NY.
I just spoke with Yvonne Smith, who was an art director at C/D going back to the days on Olympic Boulevard and I believe was still there when we moved from the Biltmore to the warehouse. (I could be wrong about that.)
At this moment, her contacts are glued to her eyeballs as she is a judge for the Primetime Emmys and she's watching reel after reel of comedies and dramas.
She says she's in the "Witness Protection Program" (she's joking, of course) and living a very happy life in Malibu. She is deeply involved in animal rescue programs, having rescued everything from a thoroughbred horse to a skunk. ("You only rescue one skunk in your career," she said. She says she has so much dog hair in her house, her housekeep blew up their Dyson vacuum cleaner!
This is indeed a sad week here at Jay\Day ...
I regret that I must be the bearer of bad news, but I wanted to let Mark's friends and associates from Chiat/Day know about his current situation.Mark Doyle, former Creative Director and Vice-president of Chiat/Day, my beloved father, was diagnosed with advanced and terminal cancer earlier this month. He is currently in hospice, in reasonable comfort and surprisingly good spirits, but he will not be with us for much longer.
He worked until the very end, turning in his last project for Canon/ UNICEF only days before he left home. We are about to lose a fine talent and a loving, generous man. I hope that those who worked with him and considered him a friend will keep him in their thoughts.
Anyone wishing to drop him a note may send it to me via ...
... and I will make sure he receives it.
Regards,James E. Doyle
This just in from Chuck Phillips ...
tom groener has passed away. tom was, in hy's estimation, the best radio talent ever. hy didn't realize this was the 40th anniversary of the agency which he helped found. we reminisced about the folks who were there when the doors opened. to our list he added the following: doris' last name was bell. dieter's last name was eichleman. blake hunter was there and his name should be put back on the list. add also tom phalert, who nudged his way from production artist to art director and subsequently went on to stardom in cincinnati. hy couldn't remember the receptionist either... i think we got everybody else.
And in today's email came this thoughtful email from an alum who is now in sunny Spain ...
Hello,I was an intern at Chiat/Day New York in 1999 working for Bill Hamilton right when the agency was named agency of the decade by Advertising Age.
Because I was just an intern I never really had the chance to work directly with Mr Chiat, but he was a hero for me at that time and I will always admire him. I was collaborating with TBWA, Madrid when he died and I proposed them to do an ad just like the famous "think different" Apple press campaign an his picture on it, but I think it never went through.
Congratulations for your website.
Regards,
LORENZO BENNASSAR
Chuck Phillips is trying to put together a list of those people who were there at the very start of the company 40 years ago. Here is his memory dump. Can you think of more? If so, please post a comment.
THE CHIAT/DAY ORIGINAL EMPLOYEES
The folks I remember being at 1300 West Olympic Blvd. on Chiat/Day’s opening day, (October 7, 1968) were…
JAY CHIAT
GUY DAY
HY YABLONKA
TOM BURR
MEL ABERT
MEL NEWHOFF
DENNIS JUETT
DALE PENNINGTON
MARY BETH NEAL
LENORE PLOTKIN
IRENE CRAWFORD
TOM GROENER
JERRY BOX
MIKE NOONAN
VIC GAINER
NANCY SALKIN
DICKIE VASQUEZ
SID SALINGER
PAUL DECKER
BLAKE HUNTER
DORIS BELL (traffic bulldog)
HAL PAWLUK
DIETER EICHLEMAN (paste-up)
TOM PHALERT (art director)
Receptionist (name unknown)
BARBARA LOPEZ (jay's EA)
BILL MANNING (CFO)
EMILY AUSTIN (acct. grp sec.)
ME
I know there were some others (including a red-headed secretary/pal of mary beth's whose name escapes me).
Thanks to Paul Greenberg, the indefatigable media planner Scott Munz has been found! He's been working for the last 10 years on the client side, working for the Dr. Pepper/Snapple company.
He has promised to send me photos soon.
One of the advantages of being the MIS Director of C/D was that I got to work in all of the C/D offices. SF was always a favorite destination, because of my great MIS Manager there, Gene Crocker.
Another great friend from SF was MJ Rockers who worked in the print production dept. and was an art buyer. She and Gene happened to run into each other in a meeting after all these years and now MJ is added with great honor to the "found" list.
Visit MJ's website here.
In my 17.5 years of working at C/D, I worked with so many people the number sometimes seems infinite. If I had to choose my Top Ten Favorite People I Ever Worked With, one name would surely appear on that list: Chuck Phillips.
He was Employee #1 at C/D, but I got to work with him most closely when he opened the Toronto office. Adelaide Horton and I went up to Toronto one VERY cold January and helped him get the doors opened. It was one of my favorite experiences.
Chuck has been immensely supportive of this site since the beginning, supplying me with contact information for lost alums and providing great background on the "formative years" at the company. He also made a generous financial donation to the site last week, for which I am truly grateful.
So this is my very personal salute to Chuck.
Since he played so many roles at C/D, I asked him to provide me with a recap, so I wouldn't forget any.
Take it away, Chuck ...
here it is in a nutshell...1. hired October 7, 1968 as account guy on Fairchild Semiconductor, the new agency's biggest client. the rationale was that my previous scientific instrumentation company job implied a technology aptitude which i did not have. A new writer, Paul Decker, started the same day but he was hired two hours after me. hence "badge #1." worked on tons of early fun stuff (e.g. hunt wesson, ontario motor speedway, KMPC, leach "heritage of the air") and became point man on honda cars.
2. promoted to "vice president" director of client services in 1970 which i thought silly because we didn't have titles in those days (one of the things i was proudest about the place). the title meant nothing to me but did to our japanese honda client. when I became a VP i had open access to their senior management whereas before i had to deal with cranky ad managers. a year after we lost the honda i left for a brief 5 month stay at a defector agency (abert, newholl & burr).
3. hired back by Jay to open new san francisco operation in 19'75 as GM to support new client national semiconductor's (Novus) foray into consumer electronics (watches, calculators and video games). National pulled out of the consumer business in 1978 and we folded our tent and slinked out of town
4. Jay had moved into the Biltmore and gave me another snazzy title: executive vice president, corporate director of business development (a.k.a. "new business guy") in 1978.
5. in 1980 Jay bought a San Franciso agency, Hoefer, Dieterich & Brown) and I was dispatched back north to be president of Chiat/Day/Hoefer. while there. i ended up point guy on the acquisition of regis mc kenna, which netted us Apple.
6. Left the agency for 6 years and returned in 1987 to open and be CEO of first "international" C/D office in Toronto (we were there because of inheriting the nissan canada business when nissan's AOR (Bates) resigned the account after being bought by Saatchi over a conflict with Hyundai.
7. got fired in 1991.
Damn.
Many, many thanks to the most cheerful of all alums, Ms. Eve Luppert, for her generous donation to the maintenance of this site.
Eve now lives in Charlotte, NC, in this charming Craftsman house. She is the head of human resources for Landdesign. She also knows where to get the best shrimp 'n grits in the South.
Jon Spurney, A C/D alum, is not only appearing on Broadway, but the show for which he is providing keyboards, guitar, and backing vocals has been nominated for 8 Tony Awards, including Best Musical!
Visit the site for Passing Strange, then go catch Jon on Broadway.
Congratulations, Jon!
Bill McConnel has turned himself in.
I briefly worked in the NY media department at Chiat Day from '90-'92. Which I guess in Chiat/ Day years is really like ten or fifteen years.
Bill now lives in Ann Arbor, MI.
And Marc Klein showed up in my inbox today ...
Worked in the NY office for almost four years in the latter part of the 90s.
Marc has promised me a photo and bio of himself.
Steve
Welcome to Nathalie (Hay) Wilson, who found this site courtesy of Robin Haggard. Nathalie worked at TBWA Chiat/Day, St. Louis, from 95-97.
Rick Boyko says he will be busy on June 21st, as he will be giving away his oldest daughter in marriage!
If you know of the whereabouts of any of the following alums, please send their email addresses to me, alburty(at)jayday.org:
Mick McCabe, Stacey Lippman, Laura Sanchez, Doug Watson, Alfredo Rossi, and Alex Bernstein.
David O'Hare insists he DOES exist! He saw the "Lost and Found" list, noticed the absence of his name, and dropped me a line. He worked in LA from late 1984 until 1989, as a writer. Did all the Calif. Cooler stuff, among other things.
Lauren, her husband, and their two daughters, Mia and Tillie.
One of the great things about running this site is hearing from alums who started at C/D in humble circumstances (such as an assistant) who is now an advertising superstar. Here's Lauren Schiller. Take it away, Lauren!
Lauren Schiller here, class of '95...I hope you remember me... I was Jay's assistant for a while, then Ira's and Marty's, then an account person for Mary Maroun. I like to say everything I needed to know about advertising I learned from Jay (and of course, Ira, Marty and Mary!). And Adelaide and Roseann and I actually crossed paths again at kirshenbaum bond when I was heading up client service in San Fran. At kirshenbaum I worked for Nigel Carr for 7 years--and learned a ton from him.I am now working as VP of Marketing for Elephant Pharm (elephantpharm.com). We are a drug store chain which has completely reinvented the drug store experience, combining alternative with western medicine and lots of other fun, earth-friendly healthy stuff in an environment people actually like hanging out in. Anyway, I was interviewed at Web 2.0 and at the end the question came up: so tell me what it was like working with Jay Chiat. I thought that was pretty cool, so I am passing along the link to the video. Thanks for keeping the love alive!
And here is a video of Lauren being interviewed at Web 2.0 ...
A note arrived the other day from Mark Bilfield, who worked in the LA office on Direct Marketing and Sale Promotion on Nissan and Infiniti. Before that, he worked on Worlds of Wonder, Mitsubishi Electronics, Toshiba, Upper Deck Trading Cards, and Australian Tourist Commission.
Hi. It’s been a long time. How are you? Well everything in life leads back to Chiat: I’ve been at Public Storage for the past three years after a six year stint at Saatchi on the Toyota and P&G business. Neal Grossman’s identical twin brother, Alan is CFO of our Operations Group at PS.. Best regards, Mark
Wow! I continue to be blown away by the recent spate of donations that have made to help with the cost of maintaining this site. First, Jill Howell, then Greg Helm, and now Pen Pendleton ...
Steve,Wow - what a home page today. A lede with the inimitable Tom Carroll (who may actually shift the 4A’s conference to be more than a back-slapping 1950’s-era golf holiday)……to a pin-up poster of the hottest – and sharpest – group of people to ever explain the difference between a gross and target rating point to an AE (Fred, of course, being the hottest)……to then seeing that erstwhile mentor (and the guy who hired me), Greg Helm, donated money to the site. Greg taught me pretty well, so my modest contribution is on the wire.
After a little freelance gig at my other beloved former shop, Ground Zero, I just started a temp stint at Rob Siltanen and Joe Hemp’s place (with a surprise appearance by producer Nancy Dickerson), so there’ve been some great C/D-L.A. stories flying around.Attached are a couple recent C/D-relevant photos: Me & a foamcore cutaway (don’t ask) of brilliant-before-lunch account planner, Cory Pierce, and a shot of the beautiful, talented and recently-returned-to-C/D, Casey Mooney, and the just beautiful Joe Feldman.
Thanks for keeping this all together,
Pen
And thank YOU, Pen, for your generosity.
Greg Helm is my favorite person in the world today because last night he made a very generous donation to the maintenance of this site.
(See that donation button over there on there on the right? Go ahead and give it a push!)
Greg had attended a retirement party for Melanie Steinbach (nee Melanie Axtman) who told him about the site. (See photos from that party in an earlier entry further down this page.)
THANK YOU, GREG!
Greg was General Manager of the LA office and once received, on his employment anniversary, an autographed fire extinguisher.
He now runs his own consulting company.
It does indeed take several thousands of dollars per year to run this sucker, so it's really encouraging to have some of you wonderful alums out there in the dark pitch in to help! You can also help without spending any money by clicking on each of the Google ads above each time you visit the site.
Jon Spurney had an extensive career at Chiat/Day. He was a floater receptionist for nine months in 1987 in NYC! In fact, to this day, he credits it as his only real job.
Jon is now performing on Broadway in an exciting new musical, "Passing Strange."
The New York Times review said ...
A rock ’n’ roll autobiography of an artist in search of himself, “Passing Strange” is bursting at the seams with melodic songs, and it features a handful of theatrical performances to treasure. It is undeniably playing on Broadway, after transferring from a summer run at the Public Theater downtown.But please don’t call it a Broadway musical. You could scare away too many people who might actually enjoy it.
For tickets and info, click here!
Jon himself writes ...
Also, I just completed my first feature film score for a new film from the Weinstein Company entitled Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden. It's the new documentary from Morgan Spurlock, the director of Super Size Me, and details his efforts to learn more about the elusive Al Quaeda leader in particular and the Middle East in general. We premiered last month at the Sundance Film Festival, and the film opens nationally on Friday. More info is available at: http://www.whereisobl.com.
Teresa Evans-Ryan, who was known to all of us as simply Teresa Evans, has come in from the cold ...
Hi Steve, Wow, I didn't realize how many great people I worked with until I saw the lost/found list. I'm Teresa Evans and I work in at C/D from 1990-1995. Started in the Warehouse and then to the binocular building. I started at the switchboard with Jigisha Patel and Liz Molitor and left in 1995 as a Jr. Account Planner under Jeff Blish, Kieran Darby and Clive Witcher, just after Rob White. I also vividly remember many nights with Lori Coots and new business pitches as well. I also worked with Lisa Welch-Nehring, Susan Fisher, Bob Grossman, Carisa Bianchi. Fun, fun times. Keep up the good work. My married name is Teresa Evans-Ryan. I met my husband at the 1991 Chiat/Day Christmas party at the Santa Monica Beach Club. Cheers, Teresa
I must confess that one of my favorite media buyers of all times is (was) Lori Gaffney, whom I referred to as "Gaffee." I got this recent report from her about a reunion of some of her favorite "media geeks" at the Rose Cafe in LA ...
Had a great reunion brunch a couple of weeks ago with Melanie (Axtman) Steinbach, Lily Katz, Terri (Foye) Gray and Fred Sattler at the Rose Café in Venice. Everyone is doing well. Fred just moved back to LA from Detroit and has a big new job at Initiative Media working on KIA/Hyundai, Terri looks fantastic and just returned from the Bahamas, Lily is living and working in Santa Barbara (what's not to love about that?) and Melanie....here is the big news...is turning in her calculator and moving to Oregon. She and her husband John have a home just east of Portland near Mt. Hood. I am thrilled to have her nearby. Anyway, it was a great time! As you can see in the picture we all haven't changed a bit in 17 years!
Click on the thumbnail below to see a large version of the image above ...
Just received this invitation today from C/D NY's favorite copywriter, Jackie End (who now works at McCann.) Try to catch it. Note that it's being held at 79 Fifth Ave., C/D NY's former address.
THANK YOU to C/D NY Planner alum Jill Howell, who make a very generous donation to the maintenance of this site.
She noticed the "Donation" button on the right of this page ...
It now takes several thousands of dollars in out-of-pocket costs to pay for webhosting, bandwidth, etc. Thanks, Jill!
Had beers and dinner last night with Jim Reedy and David Chapa, two former employees of mine.
David started out in LA as the night-time back-up guy for the famous Wang system. He eventually became a full-time system administrator. He's now a big-shot marketing guy in Denver, working for the data-recovery division of NetApp (formerly known as Network Appliances.) He lives in Denver with his two teenage children. [Oop! See correction in comment by David.]
Jim, of course, was the amazing technical genius who kept all of the systems in the New York office running. He was also one of C/D NY's great party animals and all-round favorite guys. He is now managing huge systems and data projects for Citibank. He has a lovely wife, Astrid, and two children. They live in Brooklyn.
This murky photo was taken on a Blackberry camera phone at a restaurant and bar on Ludlow called "Spitzers," a most appropriate place to be on the day the Governor resigned.
This little news item, provided by Lily Katz ...
Ken Pappanduros has returned to TBWA Chiat/Day for the third time.. After spending the last 12 months freelancing, he comes back in the money as Senior Copywriter on the Nissan team.
And today I got an email from Ken ...
Hello Mr. Alburty, Ken Pappanduros, Media Asst. from 1990 – 1992, here. Can’t believe I made Jay/Day. As posted, I’m back at C/D LA for a third tour. Wow. Lots of familiar faces from “the day” along with lots of new ones. There’s still a great energy to the place. It feels good to be back. You can now officially count me as “found.” Take care. -- Ken
Steve Alburty
Welcome Edwin Laguerre back from the land of the "lost!"
This just in from Chuck Phillips, C/D's first employee and one of the most loyal contributors to this site:
one of C/D's more controversial employees. bill moreland was a senior account guy from the late 70's and a driver of the yamaha pitch (chiat/day's biggest win in its young history: the comeback/redemption from the honda setback and the subsequent bridge to nissan). had yamaha not happened....who knows? (anybody remember the "apples/oranges" story?).. bill managed pioneer of america for about 18 months before being hired by that client to be their VP marketing which is never a good idea because ex-staffers always make life tough on their former colleagues (not to mention he was a former marine corps officer who lived the part). bill's perhaps best remembered for being the paramour of one of C/D's greatest treasures ever...amy miyano. we all had to be nice to bill out of respect for amy. perhaps also because, deep inside he was an o.k. guy.
bill's been living in vancouver for 18 years where he remains a chiat/day devotee.
photo taken on my couch friday night.
Here I am, watching the Oscars, and a star alum has just shown up in my email ...
I started at Chiat Day as the account group secretary for Pioneer Electronics in 1977 - then became the "creative secretary" (that always sounded so erotic to tell people at the time) under Lee and Dave, eventually working as Jay's assistant the last few years of my tenure. I left in 1984, had a baby, "retired" for ten years and am now director of Donor Services for MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger. Ironically, it still has the same "sell" feel as advertising - getting people to believe in your product.I live in LA now with my husband & our 23 year old son. I not only changed my last name when I got married from Winkler to Silbert but a few years ago changed my first name as well to Bria (no, this is NOT an LA thing...)
I'm sure that everyone has a favorite "Jay memory." Here's mine:
When we got the Home Savings account, C/D ran an ad in the L.A.
Times. Jay came into the office excitedly and asked if I saw the ad. Triumphantly, I answered, "Not only did I see, the ad, but I cut it out for you."To which he barked, "Well, F***ing cut it back in."
Amen.
For those of you know Michael Hollander and read the past story about his diagnosis with cancer, I thought you'd take heart in this very positive report I received last night from Michael ...
I had my second chemotherapy yesterday and that I'm writing this today indicates that this one went much better than the last one. That time, I was VERY tired, my digestive system was fouled up and I lost 30 lbs. in 11 days. Not so much fun.On the GREAT side, the last "drainage" I had (the cancer was pouring fluid into my abdomen) before the first chemo was 6.5 liters. Each week since then, the numbers have gone down and the last one was only 1.5 liters. I count this as a good sign - so does the doctor!
I also have had my first "outings" other than to a doctor or hospital. Last Thursday, I attended a testimonial dinner at the Wally Parks Museum and my agency presented me with a Museum jacket (big surprise for me!!!). Managed to make it through an hour drive in each direction and about four hours at the Museum. Then Sunday, I went shopping at the grocery store. Again, success.
The name Ari Schwartz is indelibly etched in my memory.
Hey Steve, I don’t know if you remember me but I worked at Chiat/ Day from 1984 (?) or 1985 thru 1987 or 1988. I started as Bob Wolf’s assistant and then moved to media. I found your website while strolling down memory lane (through google). Backer Spielvogel (the agency I went to after c/d) is having a reunion which got me thinking about c/d.
I am now Ari Antonelli. I moved to DC after I got married. I have two girls ages 10 and 7. I started my own media buying shop in 2000.
Since I have contacted you my memories of Chiat/Day and Jay have flooded my mind. I remember interviewing with Jay and afterwards going home and eating about 30 dollars of Chinese food and sitting in the dark (or it least it felt like the dark). I remember getting a call from Valerie the next day or so and she recommended that I interview with Bob Wolf (something like I was too energetic for Jay???). Working at 79 Fifth Avenue when there were only about 30 of us was an incredible time. At that time, we were just on one floor…
Best,
Ari
I just love when people write to me and include photos and miniature bios which help me (and everyone) add another little fragment to the history of the Jay years. Here's a great email from Mary Beth Neal Garber ....
I suppose there are thousands and thousands of us, really. People who ricochet through C/D, people who thrived there. Did you know that John Amos, the actor, once did a stint at Chiat/Day as a writer? It was in the days of Mel and Mel (Mel Newhoff, Mel Abert, and Tom Burr -- Abert/Newhoff/Burr of the 70s and 80s). Paul Keye and Mario Donna peopled the Olympic Blvd offices -- of Keye/Donna/Perlstein fame in the 70s and 80s.
I was one of the founding group of employees (as were Mel & Mel, Tom, Paul and Mario, and Hy Yablonka). We opened the doors in October 1968 with the merger of Faust/Day and Jay Chiat & Assoc.
I was, at one point, the entire media department. We actually won the American Honda Car account with a three person media department and a computer (one of the first of its kind -- would you expect anything less from Jay?).
Penny Wright (now Cunningham) and I were most of the media department until I left in mid 1971. Mike Zuckerman replaced me, then Dave Platt. Penny stayed for some time, then transferred to San Francisco when Chuck Phillips opened the office there.
Jay stayed in touch with me over the years. I probably have some of the last video ever shot of him. I won one of those industry award things in 2000 and he sent me some footage to be included in the "ain't she great" reel. It was full of Jay zingers, as expected. Jay always could deliver insults that felt like hugs.Thank you for being the collector.
Another fun aside -- when I left C/D, my husband's and my best friends were Lee and Ilene Clow. Lee was my husband's partner (they were juniors) at a local ad agency. I kept telling him he'd love working at C/D, and i kept telling Hy he'd love Lee, but that Lee's book was not really reflective of how good he was.
Hy finally agreed to see him, called me and said he saw the promise in the guy, but he just wasn't ready for C/D. So Lee, his friend Blake Hunter and my husband created a campaign called "Hire the Hairy". Eventually Hy capitulated and hired the hairy Lee (must have been the cake shaped like a TV set with Lee's picture on it that Ilene baked that did it).
Here's a picture of me from a series done by one of the trade mags on me. (I'm president of the Southern CA Broadcasters Assn.
And welcome to Stuart Freedman ...
I ran the Art Studio for Chiat/Day in Toronto from opening until 1992 or so. Was a very rich time in my working life. Heaven, Hell and just about all points in between.
A lost alum has been found. Jennifer Wilson!
I've been bouncing around the bandwidth but have landed here, in the climate change carbon emissions market. Still in Toronto, but any who remember us from C/D Toronto, my son, Cameron, who was 3 when we left for Weiss Whitten Stagliano in '94, just finished his first season as a model in Milan.
inter national est (yes, that's how they spell it) is a trade magazine that is dedicated to "the business needs and challenges of international marketing and media professionals as they participate in multinational branding and campaign building."
Every year, they have their own "Oscars," announcing a list of international marketers who are truly the people behind the year’s outstanding marketing achievements.
Paul Greenberg, former media director at C/D NY is on this year's list for his work promoting the Big Apple throughout the world. Read all about it here!
Tom Harbeck has been at Applegate Farms for a year. They produce all those sausage products that are nitrate-free and heatlhy. [Shudder. I'm a Jimmy Dean fan.] His one-year contract is up and he's looking for something new ...
My year appointment at Applegate Farms will end mid February ‘08, so I’m looking for my next challenge. Applegate is ready to hire someone with deeper CPG/retail background with natural to grocery channel experience. This has been a great experience – I made the right impact on Applegate at the right time – and Steve McDonnell, Applegate’s owner/founder, promises to be a strong reference.I established an authentic, competitive and penetrating brand position now being translated into stories for the web and for Sales as the brand moves to mass market. (I wrote a Manifesto entitled We Take the Mystery Out of Meat that I guarantee will get you to stand up and salute something.)
I overhauled lines of packaging, developed consistent product claims integrated across all product lines, found the perfect resource to define/design our new website, and trained a solid and inspired Marketing & Design team now strategically focused on Applegate's Sales Force.
So I’m putting myself on your radar should you know brands/companies seeking help with:
§ Indistinct or poorly positioned brands
§ Strategically unfocused and un-prioritized marketing activity
§ Sluggish but capable teams
§ A derivative or uninspired look and feel
I can jump start any and all of these opportunities.
Thanks for giving this some thought.
Tom
And here is Tom's resume
Received a great email from Karen Vogel ...
Hey Steve, I'm still around. Name now is Karen Cayley (nee Vogel) and I worked for C/D from about 1970-76? (Memory is going fast at this point.) Anyway, I was there when we lost Honda and almost threw in the towel. That's probably when I fell in love with Jay, because he was so smart-assy when he got rejected. Plus, he said to someone that "Karen would throw herself in front of a train for this agency." Finally, somebody appreciated my loyalty.Anyway, it's been a hundred years. I've lived all over the country, had kids, still have a husband (bless his heart) and am in the process of rebuilding the house we just lost in the California Wildfires of October 2007. I would love to hear from Sandy Lovejoy, Manny Rappaport, Hy Yablonka, Amy Miyano, Barry Wetmore and some others I can't think of names for. I can tell that most of the Jayday site are New Yorkers, but WE WERE THE GROUNDBREAKERS! I would love to hear from anyone who worked on Olympic Blvd., in particular. Or the Biltmore, that was when we got classy and I left. Didn't like the fact that suddenly you had to have an MBA to be anybody, and the competition was too tough. So, see if you can find anybody who remembers me. Here are some first names: Regina, Tom, Gene, Elaine, Pam, Monty McKinney (I already know why he won't respond... I loved that guy).
Well, now you have your work cut out for you. Thanks for doing this website, it could bring a lot of good folks back together. And Jay would be proud. (Although he'd never admit it!)
Karen
If you'd like to write to Karen, her address is
Boy, I can remember the name Robin Haggard, but can't form a picture in my brain of what she looked like. Sigh, I believe it's the gradual decline of my left front cerebral cortex due to age.
I was at Chiat/LA from 1988-1992. I was the VP/ senior account planner on Nissan Regional Marketing from 1988-1992. I have been a headhunter for account planners for the past ten years. Until a year ago I lived in Costa Mesa, CA with my husband of 18 years. Last year we moved to Phoenix for his job.
Welcome to Polly Hall, who now goes by the name of Polly Simpkins ...
I don't think you remember me but my name is polly hall, I worked at Chiat/Day in New York for a couple of years with doreen rivituso, jon spurney, peter cline, chris mendola etc... I think it was the late 80's-
I would love to be on the list. Chris mendola married my best friend and they live in amsterdam. I am going to see them in a few days. I often think of the chiat day years and will always be grateful to Jay Chiat for all the good times I had and all the people I met.
Thanks for doing that=just reading the names made me smile. I worked for Mary Maroun and I am sure she is still going strong somewhere!
I hope you are well and peace to you wherever you are:)
Polly Hall
Alums pop up in my mailbox on a daily basis. Here's one from Chris W. King.
I just heard about jayday.org from a former co-worker of mine at Chiat/Day in Los Angeles. I used to work there over six years ago. It was one of my first jobs out of college and loved it so much. I started out working the Greeter's Desk and then became the assistant in New Business Development. I worked alongside Laurie Coots and Karin Herz (I believe she is married now) for about a year and a half. It was a fun and crazy time in my life.I should probably tell all who care what I am doing now. After I left Chiat, I went to work for a reality TV production company..yep, I helped ruin scripted TV as we know it...sorry. I helped develop series and specials for both cable and network television. My biggest show, which is like in its 7th season now is called "Cowboy U" over on CMT...yeeehaaa! I left that company in 2005 and spent time writing scripts on my own. I also went back to my love for acting. While doing this I had to pay the bills so I learned how to make a mean martini. In 2006 I joined a rising new media company called GoTV. There I helped create branded entertainment for Procter and Gamble. Here's where my skills in New Business at Chiat came in handy. My two partners and I created both scripted and realty-type series for a number of P&G brands. Just this January I moved back to my love of film and took a job as Director of Development for Allentown Productions. We are located at the Universal lot - so I love to watch the trams go by my office. We have a number of film and television projects in various stages. It is truly my dream job. Oh, and I also have been acting as well. My latest was playing a high school student and family friend of Rob Lowe's in an episode of "Brothers and Sisters"...the funny thing being that I've attended my 10 year high school reunion a few years back. Next, I will be in a film based on a comic book that goes into production this month. I hope that helped catch everyone up on my escapades. I also attached a picture to help remember who I am.
Cheers,
Chris
I have some sad news to report about a beloved alum.
Michael Hollander, who was Product Information Manager on the Nissan account in the Los Angeles offices from 1987-1994, has been diagnosed with mesothelioma. It is a form of cancer that affects the linings of the body’s internal organs.
It is most likely caused by exposure to asbestos, and as Michael has written to me …
Yes, I was exposed to asbestos in the U.S. Navy (spent 8 years working for Uncle Sam - three tours to Vietnam included). Very likely the cause.
He starts chemo on Tuesday. We wish him well.
The author and paleontologist Stephen Jay Gould contracted this same disease in 1982 and managed to hang on for 20 years. As Michael has said …
I have plenty of work to do in the next 20 years, including raising my 16-year-old and caring for my wife. May you and yours have all the best.
If you would like to write to Michael, his email address is …
And here is a link to a previous entry on this site about Michael.
Many of you forget that in the early days of C/D NY (early 80s), I was head of print production. My staff, at least in the early days, consisted of Scott Salmon and Peter Franke.
We had a code word. When one of us needed to go out for drinks at the end of a hard day, we would just walk up to one of the group, say "shitface," and off we'd all go.
Scott Salmon called me a few weeks ago and suggested a pre-holiday reunion. Peter almost refused to come unless Scott and I promised we weren't going to wuss out and just have a few drinks. Peter wanted a class-A "shitface."
And so we met at Old Town. Scott arrived first and claimed that he had almost died three days earlier from MRSA at some hospital in New Jersey. (Oh Scott, dying the NJ is SO redundant.) So he had a couple of fruity drinks, leaving Peter and I to be the men in the crowd.
I am proud to say that I drank Franke under the friggin' table. He finally had to holler "uncle" and catch the 12:30 a.m. train.
Peter, by the way, is doing GREAT. He is very happily married. However, he IS looking for a job, so if you know of someone who is looking for an expert print production director, here's his resume.
Another alum has come in from the cold. Darcy Stamler workded at C/D from 1980-81 in Los Angeles (at the Biltmore Hotel) in the Media Dept with Hank Antosz, Linda Altus, among others.....
The most amazing thing happened the other night. I was having dinner at Les Halles with Adelaide Horton and she was bad-mouthing her iPhone. ("It sucks...Battery life SUCKS.... Navigation SUCKS too many layers Email SLOWWWWWWWWWWWW and sucks the life out of your battery. Memory deficient and slows down when doing things such as deleting email. It is a GIRLY phone ."
Well, with that, her indignant iPhone leapt out of her purse and took this hideous picture of its unappreciative owner munching on a french fry. The iPhone refuses to apologize until she is nicer to it.
The one thing that saved the evening was that as Adelaide was getting her coat, MY camera decided to cool the vibes in the room by leaping out of my bookbag and taking this lovely photo of her.
Always wanted to know what happened to Dan Krippahne, who was a junior art director during the Bob Dion years. Turns out he's been hiding all this time in New York, where he is now all grown up and is a VP/Creative Director at DraftFCB!. Here is a photo of Dan and his family on vacation last year.
I received these great photos and lovely memories from Jessica Edelstein, whom we all knew as Jessica
Schulman.
I couldn't sleep and after reading through all your great entries to the Jay\Day site, the least I could do is give you a little Jay story and a quick update on myself as well.
My Jay story: I have many Jay stories but my very favorite took place at about 2 in the morning the night before a pitch in NY. I'll keep the client and involved parties anonymous to defend their honor.
I was working as the Designer for New Business at the time, and as such, part of my job description was to hand-write, with a black, blue or red chisel-tipped sharpie, every scrap of paper that went up on a new business project room wall that the client would end up seeing. For this pitch, I was "on loan" from the LA office to the NY office.
Since doing hand-written project room presentations on gatorfoam walls was in its infancy at the time (the first being done for Memorex in which we crashed a glass ceiling down on the client, but that's another story) and had not yet become the mass computerized presentation platform that takes up all the office's free space that it is now it took many hours to make all the strategic thinking look so "organic." For several days planners and account people were buzzing about preparing the presentation, and I built the "walls" to their specifications, making charts pretty and tearing out scrap faces from magazines. I kept thinking that this particular project room was a case of the emperor's new clothes no one wanted to tell the planners and account people that just filling the walls with text and graphs doesn't a smart strategy make.
Anyway, at about 2 in the morning the night before the pitch, after I think being at a fund-raising event, Jay came into the office and asked to see the project room. There were about 15 gatorfoam walls filled with their presentation (and my handwriting) in a line all the way down one of the multi-colored halls of the newly "virtual" NY office. Jay walked down the hall, slowly scanning all the walls - at the end of the hall he pointed to all the account people and planners and said "you, you, you, you, you, start over there's nothing here." He looked at me and with a very stern look and a finger in my face said, "and you... go to the museum."
My own story: I took an account group assistant job on Minit Lube and Taylor Made in the C/D L.A. office in Feb of 1992 "temporarily" while I waited on the results of an Art Direction interview with Ogilvy in NY. That week Ogilvy lost American Express to C/D NY, and I've never left. Well, I did leave about 5 years ago to open projectdesignstudio with my husband and office-romance partner, Andrew, but now together, we are still always at the ready whenever Lee or Laurie call with an interesting project. We have a terrific daughter Abby who is almost four, and who paints with a fervor Jay would love.
Oh, and I'm working to get the first Room 13 in the U.S. up and running in South Central LA, hopefully by January. All people interested in the love of art and kids are welcome to help out! (for more info contact me or see www.room13scotland.com)
I have many more stories from my almost 16 years with the agency... but the birth of the Jack in the Box antenna ball, the working over New Year's wearing surgical masks with Laurie while the warehouse was going "virtual," the $20 xmas bill from Jay, the Lee tap dancing on a logo right before a pitch, the Bob Kuperman Top Ramen, the Apple pitch walls reassembly on the floor of a hanger at LAX at 4 am stories, will just have to wait....for say.... a book maybe.
Thanks for giving me something to do with my insomnia. (And since Kieran Darby shot rubber-bands at me, called me slang british names that I still don't know the meaning of, and made me work until midnight, all on my first day on the job back in '92....I'll have to think about the referral thing.)
All the best,
Jessica
was Schulman, now Edelstein
Anybody know where he is these days? If so, write to me at the address above.
Steve Alburty
This is the back of Ms. Eve Luppert who, under the influence of Thanksgiving spirits and egged on, no doubt, by her niece, Pauline, got herself a tattoo over the holidays.
I've been exchanging email with Chris Nolan, who has gone far since leaving C/D. (He worked in LA and then Seattle from 1977-1982.)
I ve had a commercial production company for 15 years, I also specialize in non-traditional, half-show biz/half-adland campaigns, still do some swat team creative directing and I’ve sold screenplays, had movies produced and directed episodic TV and I’m producing/directing/co-writing an Indie movie about Hendrix that the Hendrix Estate just gave their blessing to. It shoots in Seattle next spring.
Yes indeed, that WAS C/D alum Marian Salzman being interviewed by Morley Safer on "60 Minutes." If you missed it, you can watch it by clicking here.
It's Adelaide Horton's birthday today! Hoorah, hoorah.
Ran across this news item about C/D alum, Robert Horne:
Robert Horne Joins Cellit Mobile Marketing as Chief Marketing OfficerBy BusinessWire
CHICAGO, BUSINESS WIRE -- Cellit Mobile Marketing, the premier provider of mobile marketing solutions, announces the addition of Robert Horne as Cellit's new Chief Marketing Officer. Bob will oversee the development and implementation of innovative mobile strategies and will work with Cellit to develop effective mobile marketing solutions for key accounts.
Bob joins Cellit from Cheil Communications, one of the world's largest agency networks and the marketing communications agency for Samsung Electronics. As CMO, Bob oversaw the agency's North American strategic planning for optimizing brand, consumer and marketplace insights across Samsung's HDTV, digital audio & video and mobile phone product lines.
Prior to Cheil, Bob founded Powderhorn Partners, a strategic marketing consultancy specializing in positioning and strategic planning for advertising and promotion agencies and its clients. Previously, Bob was Executive Vice President, Strategic Integration Director for Cordiant Communications (now part of WPP). Bob also held senior management positions at Siegel & Gale, Griffin Bacal/DDB, and Chiat/Day where he worked on numerous blue chip clients including Proctor & Gamble, Marriott, American Express, Pepsi, Sara Lee and Hasbro.
Former C/D NY studio czar Scot Blakely, looking as lovely and ghoulish as ever! (As I recall, this is what Scot looked like after pulling an all-nighter.)
Says Scot ...
Halloween was always a special time for me at Chiat/Day as everyone can attest to. You might say I'm rather obsessed about it! From body parts strewn on the living room floor to a blown up sex doll dressed like Marion Craine from Psycho in my bathtub with the theme from Psycho looping! Blake as Hugh Hefner was classic! Crazy man!!.
Carol Madonna reminded me that today would have been Jay's birthday. (Remember the code to the security system at 79 Fifth?) I can think of no better "present" to give Jay than this memory of him which arrived the other day from Cheryllynn Carter.
When I started at Chiat/Day I started on the switch board. It was when they decided that the office should be "virtual". My first week of work they were still wiring the hardware and writing the software that was going to make us a cutting age company. In the LA office we were in the Binoculars and I loved the energy and vibe there. Then Jay was all over the place. At one point Jay was in NY and he needed to talk to Bob Kuperman and Bob Grossman and I was the one that need to facilitate that call. The systems had a ton of bugs in it and call were getting dropped left and right. Jay told me if I dropped the call I was fired. Well the call dropped, and Jay was pissed. I went into the bathroom and cried then came back, set up the call and it worked. The next day I came to work. I waited all day for HR to tell me I was fired....it never happened. I worked there for over 13 years. Jay and I became friends and I so enjoyed working there. I never however brought up the fact that he fired me, thank God he forgot.
I went from the switch board to the production department. I became a producer and I specialized in voice over. Now I run my own voice over casting company. I miss Jay days.
Cheryllynn Carter
Precision Talent
I received this email on Oct. 22nd from Shelley Menning Chiat, Jay's second wife.
many may remember karen vogel who worked with jay as early as the olympic blvd. days with guy day, monty mckinney, sandy lovejoy, norman durkee, etc. it's there in 1976 that she introduced me to jay. last year she and her husband moved from their beautiful but empty suburban nest near thousand oaks to her dream spanish rancho on 10 acres in agua dulce. since then she has lost both parents, and yesterday the malibu fires lept the hill, burning her house, barns, etc. to the ground. she lost everything but her family members. i know that as is the case for many c/d alum, the agency and people she knew there remain a treasured memory for her. please keep her in your thoughts and prayers, and drop her an encouraging word if you can at ...
thank you.
xoxo, s.
Scott Salmon worked for me in Print Production at Chiat/Day NY when we were at 666 Fifth Ave. He also hung around 79 Fifth a lot, as he was then married to Judy Zell and sold graphic services to Peter Franke, Bruce Ascher, and John Doepp.
I am fortunate to have a log cabin in the Catskill Mountains near Phoenicia. A couple of weeks ago, when the weather was still warm, Scott brought his son, Shane, up for a visit and we went swimming in the nearby Esopus Creek.
Shane is 5 (or, as he insists, "5-3/4".) Scott is the manager of the Manhattan Plaza Health Club and is married to the lovely Suzan Salmon. And as you can see from Scott's youthful face, he has a portrait in his attic which is decaying at an alarming rate.
If you click on the following link, you can see some more photos of Shane, as well as one of your JAY\DAY host looking as if, on off nights, I haunt Loch Ness.
Earlier this year, I found myself working as Managing Director at a company, the name of which shall not be uttered here. (That's another story.)
Anyways, while looking for an executive broadcast producer, I got a call from a recruiter in LA. Behold and lo, it turned out to be someone I knew from Chiat/Day .... like 20 YEARS AGO .... at the Biltmore Hotel!
It was Frankie! (a.k.a. Francesa Cohn.) She is still as funny and wonderful as I remember her, so I asked her to send me a photo and some text so I could make her famous on JAY\DAY.
A follow-spot from the balcony, please, for Frankie!
After a couple of decades of informally matching up friends with jobs, I decided to take the plunge into recruiting. One of the best parts is finding Chiat friends at the least expected moment. Like bumping into Stevan Alburty just when he started his new gig at [redacted by editor.]
I've joined up with Julie Sandler at Basic Recruiting. Although, some of you probably remember Juli as a copywriter she works with account and planning. I'm concentrating on my passions - new media, production and creative. Glen and I still use the Tiffany champagne glasses Jay gave us for our wedding on every anniversary. We have two teenagers - Austin at College of Wooster and Mackenzie at Malibu High.
Incoming! My inbox contained the following discovery of C/D Chicago alum, Jennifer Huey, who is now known as Jennifer Rosenberg. Now here's the weird part. I have a memory like a colander. I cannot remember what 99.5% of you ever looked like, or what you did. But I remember the name "Jennifer Huey." Who wouldn't, I guess. Anyway, welcome back from the Land of the Lost, Jennifer.
Hi Steve,
Alison Forsyth let me know about www.jayday.org and it’s fantastic. I spent a good part of last evening reading up on old colleagues, friends and acquaintances. Oh, what memories! I was an employee in the Chicago office from 1991-1995. I came there right out of college as a temporary receptionist with a marketing degree and found the opportunity of a lifetime. I left Chiat/Day as an Account Supervisor, and I will be forever grateful for the amazing opportunities given to me (thank you Pete Rentschler!). Please add me to the alumni list (my maiden name is Huey).
After 10+ years in advertising (I left Chiat/Day in 1995 and went to work at DDB Chicago on McDonald’s business), I am now a full-time mom in Elmhurst, Illinois, who dabbles in free-lance marketing projects whenever I can.
Thanks for creating such a great resource.
Regards,
Jennifer (Huey) Rosenberg
This just in from a Chiat/Day alum from the 90s, Jay McPhillips. He was (and probably still is) an art director and self-described "beginning painter/writer/doodler." Well, waddya know, he’s having a gallery show! Put it in your calendar …
I will be having an art show and book signing on October 13th from 6-9pm in Lambertville, NJ at Myles Cavanaugh Fine Art, 12 Church Street, Lambertville, NJ. (map)
Lambertville is a beautiful little town packed with galleries, restaurants and antiques. It's also a short walk over the bridge to New Hope, Pennsylvania. It makes for a great weekend trip from the city.
Here's a little bio of myself and the show. I'd be thrilled if you could post any of it on jayday.org.
Thanks very much.
Jay McPhillips
Newsstand Portraits and book signing by Jay McPhillips:
Jay McPhillips has been a painter, writer and graphic designer for the past 20 years. Most recently, Mr. McPhillips has worked as the graphic designer for Princeton's McCarter Theatre. Previously he worked for Comedy Central Television, TBWA Chiat Day Advertising and a variety of other ad agencies.
Jay McPhillips' Newsstand Portraits and his book Staff Pick are a blend of graphic design, writing and painting. The portraits are inspired by the New York City newsstand. Specifically the portraits include New York writers, artists, personalities, models and brands. Often the images are painted from magazine layouts and include indications of text, headlines, page edges and logos. In some paintings, Mr. McPhillips has substituted current personalities into classic portrait settings. One example is a portrait of author and history scholar Sarah Vowell (National Public Radio) sitting in a John Singer Sargent like environment. Having worked in New York and lived in beautiful historic Lambertville, Jay can't help but see and portray a connection between pop culture and history. McPhillips, book Staff Pick is a hand-made compilation of humorous thoughts and notions all within a screen printed glow in the dark cover. When viewed in the dark a sentence is revealed to exclaim in a pro wrestling-like fashion "In your face, James Joyce! This book glows in the dark!" Again, as with the Newsstand Portraits, McPhillips combines current culture/language with the classics. The results are often humorous and surprisingly elegant.
I've always wanted a part of this site to be dedicated to job-hunting. After all, having worked at C/D is sort of the ultimate credential. I'm so glad Kieran Darby thought to contact me to alert you all that he is a freelance account planner and is looking for assignments.
Says Kieran ...
Kieran Darby- freelance Account Planner
For those of you who have not as yet met me or who maybe have met me but for whatever reason cannot quite remember me, my name is Kieran Darby. I am a Freelance Account Planning consultant who is willing to work with Advertising Agencies or other Marketing Services providers or to work directly with end Clients.
I am based in San Francisco at 415-826-2629 and kdarby@mac.com and am very willing to travel.
I am a planner that is ruthlessly based in achieving business effectiveness and growing a Client’s Business (there’s a business reason for that degree in Economics). I have over 20 years Account Planning experience, which began in the UK at agencies such as Gold Greenlees Trott. I was brought to the USA in 1987 by Rob White at Chiat/Day. I also worked at Goodby Silverstein & Partners and the USA launch of Leagas Delaney. I launched my own consultancy in 1997.
Please call if you need any help on Brand or Business Development matters (and that ‘help’ can go far beyond needing adverts or other forms of immediate communication). I look forward to hearing from and talking to you. Regards.
Kieran
Received this great action shot and an update from C/D NY alum Jon Hartman ...
I've resettled in Minneapolis and am now the Client Services Director at the Falls Agency, a small (25 person) but growing agency here that pretty much did nothing but handle the Kawasaki dealers network for about 20 years. In the past couple of years they’ve started to pick up some decent consumer business: Coleman and Toro being the most known, and we’re launching a new series of waterparks (a huge Midwest phenomenon) for Dave Anderson of Famous Dave’s BBQ. I've enclosed a photo of me getting to understand the competition... It’s actually a great opportunity – 8 account people including me plus I’m bringing in a couple of Planners. We have a whole new crew of creatives from Carmichael Lynch and Martin Williams who really “get it.” So I’m excited.
And Minneapolis rocks!
Hope you're doing good!
Jon Hartman
Welcome to C/D Chicago alum Alison Smela, formerly known as Alison Forsyth. She was at C/D Chicago from 1990-96, the LA office from 96-99, then back to the Chicago office from 99-2001.
One of the truly great Chiat/Day employees of all time, Dave Butler, copywriter extraordinaire, is retiring on September 18th. He was (and I presume continues to be) one of the nicest people I've ever met. He was always soft-spoken, kind, and gracious. And best of all, he and his wife Sue used to give me fudge every Christmas. (Hey Dave, with all of this newfound time on your hands, perhaps this tradition can be revived.)
As the big day has been drawing closer and closer, Dave has been sending out emails to the office containing some memorabilia he has saved during his decades at Chiat/Day. Greg Holladay was nice enough to share some of them with me so that I could post them on this site.
Here are a few samples from the emails Dave has been sending out ....
TBWA\Chiat\Day\Tequila\MAL\Gang--As the days till my retirement on September 18 meander by, I’ve been sifting through the Chiat/Day memorabilia I’ve accumulated over the last 30 years. And suddenly, like one of those ideas you suspect you’d be better off not having, it occurred to me that it might be fun (at least for me) to share some of the things I come across—one a day, or as close as I can come.
They might be memos (the old-fashioned paper kind that are just rumors to most of you), letters, emails, photos, personal stuff. Who knows? A few might give you some insight into how the agency has changed over the years. Other may make you laugh. Or cry. Some might even make you say, “Huh?” (Those are my favorites.)
ITEMS 10 & 11 : As I said above, some of the memories I send you may make you laugh. Or cry, as in the case of the enclosed. But for completely different reasons.The first, an unforgettable memo we all received in July of 1986 regarding a co-worker.
Click on the image to view full-size
The second (two files) an email Lee received shortly after Apple’s “Here’s to the Crazy Ones” Think Different spot began running.
Click on the image to view full-size
ITEM #3 : Lee and I were partners for the first few years of my C/D tenure. Working with Lee was a very rewarding experience, although as with any creative partnership, we had our own unique perspectives on the process. As you can see by the enclosed—a couple of signs I made and displayed next to each other on the wall separating our two offices in the Biltmore Hotel.
ITEM #2 : When the ‘84 Olympics were in town, the Olympic Committee made their headquarters at the downtown Biltmore Hotel, the selfsame building in which C/D had its offices. Everyone who worked in the building was required to wear an ID badge to gain entrance to the building for the duration of the Games. Enclosed is the badge we came up with. (Shortly after the picture was taken for my badge, I made one of my ill-fated attempts to grow a beard. Combined with the ill-considered perm you see in the pic, my scraggly beard made me look almost exactly like an middle eastern terrorist.)
Dave, I can't believe it's been 30 years. That means you and I started the very same year. (I interviewed the day Elvia died.) I hope you have a wonderful retirement. Get busy with that fudge.
Steve Alburty
One of the most difficult challenges of maintaining this site is keeping the mailing list up-to-date. Some of you continue to work in advertising (fools!), which means you frequently change jobs (duh!). Corporate email addresses often bounce back.
AOL members are another problem - when you finally break down and get that broadband connection, your AOL address finks out.
Here are just a few of the people who have come up "missing" as a result of my most recent mailing. If you know where they are, please contact me at alburty(AT)jayday.org.
David Page, John Marco, Jonathan Lee, Fred Rubin, Cindy Heath, Julia Leach, Chuck McBride, Mark Moyer, Marc Chiat, Robert Swartz, Gerard Govaerts, Mark Shoptaw, Bonnie Pisarski, and Mike Dillon.
One of the most famous of all C/D NY alums has been found after several years living as an ex-pat in Argentina and Uruguay!
Robin Castillo, who ran print traffic and then headed up the MIS department in NY, is now living in Hudson, NY, with her husband of 22 years, Orlando. I visited them a few weeks ago, as they’re only about 20 minutes from my partner’s house. (From Uruguay to 20-minutes-uay. What a coincidence.)
Robin and Orlando have opened their own antique store called “Colonia,” after the town they lived in in Uruguay. (Robin just happened to have an old wooden sign she’d transported back to the U.S. and decided to name the store after it.)
The store is located at 528 Warren Street in Hudson, NY, which is about 2-1/2 hours north of New York City, due north up the Hudson River. It would make a lovely day-trip and I know Robin and Orlando would love to see all of their old friends.
Another Seattlite has turned up in my mailbox ....
Hi - I was contacted by another CD alum, Tricia McGinnis Raikes and I see my name is not listed so I thought I would add my info to the infamous.I started in the Seattle office of Chiat Day in 1990 as Roger Livingston's assistant. I was trying to get into the broadcast dept but the only opening in the company was as his admin - and I was a terrible typist!
But he kept me around until the broadcast opening popped up and I worked with the incredible Virginia Pellegrino.
I still have my team softball sweatshirt that reads "Chiat Day is a Sweat Shop".
It was an amazing group of folks -
What a fun site - thanks for creating it.Jonel Stahr then
now Jonel (Stahr) Brown, living in Minnapolis and freelancing as an Meeting and Events Excutive Producer
Click on image to see a larger size.
Wow! A real veteran has come in from the cold ...
I'm Patricia (Patty) Kanan. I was Chuck Phillips' secretary and eventually Account Coordinator on American Honda Motor Co. I was at C/D from 1971 to 1975. I left to join Tom Burr, Bob VanderKamp, Mel Abert, Mel Newhoff and more at Abert, Newhoff & Burr in Westwood. Thought you would enjoy the Abert, Newhoff & Burr business card. I always thought it was great fun.I eventually went to William Esty and after a few years as Account Supervisor I was hired as National Advertising Manage at Nissan Motors. A short lived term of employment. Hated the Japanese corporate structure. Eventually, I consulted to all the Japanese manufacturers. That was through the Stewart Company. I ran a new division for them in Automobile Manufacturer's Merchandising. Very lucrative.
In 1085 a family member was murdered and I returned to my family business where I have remained since 1985. My grandfather founded the City of Agoura Hills. Kanan Road was named after he and my grandmother. I currently own the commercial corridor of the city and run it through a property management company located in Manhattan Beach. My permanent residence is on a 5 acre ranch in Santa Ynez, CA. I raise Cavalier King Charles Spaniels and am as happy as a firefly in summer.
By the way, I lived with and then was married to Hy Yablonka from 1979 to 1996.
Hope this finds all the Chiat/Day survivors happy and healthy.
Patty
Nada Bobrowski – Broadcast Production; Deborah Neubert – Broadcast Business Manager; Pam Monaghan – Media
When I was in my 20s and living in Spokane, WA, I worked in community theatre. (As did Eve Luppert.) Since I directed several musicals, I struck up a strong phone friendship with Deborah Neupert, who worked in New York City for Music Theatre International, one of the big publishing companies that licenses the production rights of Broadway musicals. Fast forward to my 40s, when that same Deborah Neupert would turn up working for Chiat/Day. Here’s the wonderful note, and photos, I received from Deborah a few weeks ago …
Hi Steve,Not sure if you remember me..Deborah Neubert, worked for Chiat/Day in Chicago and Los Angeles from 1990 to 1995. Moved back to NYC in 1995 I now live and work in Cleveland, OH. Moved to Cleveland for a job with Highland Talent.
Some of us from the original Chiat/Day office in Oakbrook, IL held a reunion on Sat., June 23rd in Chicago. It is amazing how many people we have been able to track down. Actually, many of them have not left the Chicago area. (why would you?)
Take care.
All the best,
Deborah
There are more photos of the reunion if you click on the following link ...
Another C/D veteran from the really early days has been turned in by Chuck Phillips, the best bounty hunter this site has!
Hi, Steve - Just had a drink with Chuck Phillipps and Roger Livingston in Seattle. Chuck told me about JayDay.org and I've just logged on. Chiat/Day's first branch office was in Seattle, Washington, opening May 18, 1974. Roger was the first employee (branch manager, obviously), and I was the first employee. I worked at C/D for 10 years, leaving in February, 1984 before heading to Microsoft in November, 1984. My name was (and is), Valerie Newman. Please put me on your list. Sharon Conklin (formerly Sharon Franck, then Sharon Teal) remains a close friend. I have a whole list of Seattle people who were part of it all, too. Let me know how I can help you with them. Thanks for setting up this blog. I'll spend more time checking it out. Chuck is one of your most fierce supporters. Val Newman
From the fabulous Sue Katzen, who is now a publishing magnate!
Hi Steve -
Well, this was quite a day of spontaneous Chiat Day reunions. It all began when I ran into Ed Kim in the cafeteria at Unilever in NJ. I had a meeting (I'm the Associate Publisher of Cosmopolitan now) and caught up with him for a bit. He's a brand manager there.When I got back to the city, I ran out to the corner deli and who was standing outside? Dede Dalton McMahon. She told me about this site and of your exciting personal news! Congratulations on your upcoming marriage. Very exciting.
Next thing I knew I recieved an email from Max Jermone via linkedin asking me to join his network. How funny. I have seen Max and his wife Jenny over the years - they own or owned an amazing wine bar in Brooklyn.
No small coincidence I am visiting Deirdre Donnelley McMurtry at the Jersey Shore this weekend. We also stay in touch with the lovely Dorothy Adams Basso who resides with her husband and 3 gorgeous kids in San Antonio, Texas.
Last I saw the "old crew" was at Jay's Memorial. I celebrated Jay Day in it's first year by resigning from my job at Woman's Day on June 21st and traveling solo to SE Asia for about 6 months. I'll need to set my sites on something bigger and better next year.
Steve, thank you for keeping us all in touch. Wishing you every good thing and peace.
xo
Sue
It's as if someone declared some sort of Alum Amnesty Program! They've been turning up in my mailbox at an astonishing rate!
Hank Antosz who is working at Strategic Insight Media Partners in Santa Monica! (How could he been missing from this list for so long?!? Forgive me, Henry!) Henry was Media Director at C/D LA for (mumble, mumble) years.
Kris Konno
I'm working at frog design as a program manager on GE.
You may know frog because we did early work for Apple (long ago)
Ellen LaNicca Albanese
Patrice Tanaka and I are now part of another agency, CRT/tanaka.
Mary Maguire (then), now Mary Hildebrandt
My sister just told me about this website and I'm so excited. I worked at Chiat/Day (first LA office on Olympic then at Biltmore Hotel) from about 1976-80 as first an account secretary then promoted to jr. copywriter then full copywriter. I actually married a client of Chiat/Day's, Dave Hildebrandt, of Investor's Daily. We celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary on July 16. Jay attended our wedding, along with Hy Yablonka, Lee Clow, etc.
Then, I worked as a copywriter at Chiat/Day/Hoefer in SF from 1980-1981. Many thanks for putting this together.
With fondest memories of Chiat/Day and Night,
Mary Maguire (then)
now Mary Hildebrandt
David Bigman
Senior Art Director in San Francisco on 3M, California Cooler and responsible for accidently breaking Jay's home sculpture valued at 200k when I simply put my drink on it and the 'Domino' effect played out.
Darcy Stamler (1980-81) Media Department, Biltmore Hotel Los Angeles
Linda Altus (1980 - ??) Media Dept Los Angeles
Welcome to Preuit Holland from General Idea in Beverly Hills ...
Just stumbled across your jayday page. I worked for Jay in LA, San Francisco, New York and Toronto. He was a brilliant guy.
Here are some photos I took at Jane Newman's Thorn Tree Benefit back in May. (Sorry for the delay in posting.)
Clodagh and Jane
Roseann Santamaria
Roseann, Stephen Fick (COO of K&B), David Metcalf, and Lorraine Arado
Who else? Neilan Tyree.
Mary Maroun, Bonnie Lunt, and yours truly, Steve Alburty
I'm just catching up on email from jayday fans. This came in a few weeks ago ....
Greetings greetings, and happy Jay/Day!Flying the Skull & Crossbones over my desk and celebrating Jay/Day. Actually, the flag always flies over my desk, I enjoy explaining Jay's point that it's important to be the pirates, not the navy.
I just checked out the site... who knew i was lost?I used to go by Owen Brennan Rounds but now it's just Owen Brennan, it's much easier than having two last names. David Rogers can vouch for me.
I worked in the NY Office (my current office is only a couple blocks from 180 Maiden) ... used to be in New Biz and agency PR @ Chiat.
Anyway ... just wanted to drop you a note to let you know that i am no longer lost.
Have a good one and thanks for having the site up ... i spent a while going through the list of names ... feel very fortunate to have worked with a lot of good people.
Owen
From the irrepressible Evert Cilliers (a.k.a. "Evert Eden", a.k.a. "Adam Ash") ...
I made an album, KIDD RADAR, a rock opera by the Dingbots. The rock opera is a fun-filled sci-fi saga told in 20 songs and narration, studded with surreal events, exuberant sex, and adult wit. You can get a free listen to the first two minutes of every song at
http://cdbaby.com/cd/dingbots
My band, the Dingbots, sound like John Lennon and Abba had a post-modern lolve child who now, in 2007, sings twisted lyrics to catchy hooks that'll rule the off-the-wall parts of your brain.
Attached is a picture of the album cover.
Listen to what happens when an ex-Chiat Day creative person goes wild in a music studio.
Evert
[Ed. note: for a special treat, do a search on this site for the word "Orgasmitron"]
Susan Wands, as you will recall, worked both in Maiden Lane and on Madison Avenue in the IT support department. She is a very talented actress and here is information about her newest gig. It's ONE NIGHT ONLY - this Monday, June 25th, so don't miss it!
Ibsen is Spinning in His Grave!Caught in a romantic farce - where two young lovers
seek escape from the gloom of Norwegian literary
history - Ibsen squares off against his arch rival
Björnson…and only the lovers win!The Ibsen Follies
a comedy by Skot DavisWinning selection of the 9th Annual TRU Voices Play
Reading SeriesWith:
* Evan Buxbaum (Sigurd Ibsen, the intimidated young
lover)
* Dan Diggles (the Nobel Prize winning Björnson)
* Heather Massie (Bergliot, the upflappable young
lover and daughter to Björnson)
* Mort Milder (as Ibsen, himself)
* Michelle Ramoni (Emilie, the inspiration for it all)
* Jackie Reinking (the Maid who’s seen it all)
* Patrick Turner (reading the complicated Stage
Directions), and
* Susan Wands (Suzannah Ibsen, the wife who’s done it
all).Directed by Sonia Gluckman
Presented by R.K. Greene and The StoryLine Project LLC
"Dollars and Sense" Panel featuring the esteemed
theatre professionals Peter Bogyo, James Morgan, Janet
Pailet, Michael Parva and Jack Thomas, with reception
following including all your favorite Norwegian
delicacies.One Night Only!
Monday June 25th
7:00 pm – sharp
The Players Theatre
115 MacDougal Street (below West 3rd Street)
FREEReservations: (212) 714-7628
The Ibsen Follies
TRU Reading Series June 25
That's our sweet little Eve Luppert, enjoying a ride on a camel in Egypt on a recent vacation.
Wow. Here's an email from a woman with the most musical name I've heard!
I came across your site totally by accident! ? It put a big smile on my face.Here's my story:
While sitting in a bar in South Street Seaport in the Spring of 1988, I was talking to a charming bartender and happened to mention that I was looking for a job after working at Y& R in Buenos Aires.? ?He said, "oh, I can help.?Call Jane Newman and tell her I sent you"? (my vague memory is that his name was John...).? So I called Jane and when she heard how I got her name, she said, with her perfectly lovely accent "well, I don't talk with John anymore.? Merry Cutler does.? Call her" So I asked Jane if I could use her name with Merry.? Merry sent me to MT Rainey and although there was a "hiring freeze," I got offered a job in the planning department and paid by the hour!? It took someone in the accounting department over a year to figure out that I was getting paid a small fortune because of the time and a half for hours over 40 worked per week.? I was 25, living in NYC, working at a crazy and fabulous agency and enjoying life.
In the NY office, there was a workout room.? I used to go and sweat with Jay, during lunch breaks.? We rarely spoke two words while we worked out.? One day, he got in the elevator and said "hi, Francesca."? He knew everyone's name.
Now I have my own company "Integral Researchers" and mostly moderate. I'd love to hear more from other Jay/Day alum!
More stories in the future.? Time to rest my head.
And this just in from Deborah Neubert, who worked for Chiat/Day in Chicago and Los Angeles from 1990 to 1995
I moved back to NYC in 1995 . I now live and work in Cleveland, OH. moved to Cleveland for yet another job. Some of us from the original Chiat/Day office in Oakbrook, IL are planning a reunion on Sat. June 23rd in Chicago...it is amazing how many people we have been able to track down..actually, many of them have not left the Chicago area. (why would you)
Carolyn Goodman writes about her experience at C/D, one that will stike many of you as awfully familiar!
Don’t even ask me what I was searching for on Google, when I came across this website… amazing!I worked at C/D in San Francisco from 1983 – 1984. I basically fast-talked my way into an account executive position with Fred Goldberg (I called him during lunch hour when his assistant, Rosalynda Estes (sp?) was at lunch and he picked up his own phone! Luckily I had written a “script” and got an interview.) He hired me on the spot after making me spend the day with 5 different C/D senior managers – Greg Somebody (DCS), David Yates(?) (Media), MT Rainey (Account Planning), Tom Tawa (Creative) and some research guy.
I don’t think any of those folks will remember me at all – let alone with fondness. Fred didn’t really know what to do with me at first. I had some experience as a copywriter, some media experience and some account service skills. I think he envisioned me “dropping in” and “helping out” when required. I was too young to appreciate that opportunity and focused, instead, on finding a “fit” where I could claim a position in the agency. I finally found one as an AE on the BusinessLand account (whew, am I old) and Holland America Cruise Lines. I worked for Marty Wenzell, who had just moved out from the NY office and Pat Somebody who ran new biz. I had no clue what I was doing and after 9 months took the few weeks pay that Fred offered to me to go away quietly.
Thank god I survived and even stayed with the business after that… went on to work at DDB Needham/SF, client side at Bank of America and 1st Nationwide Bank, Ogilvy & Mather Direct, Cohn & Wells, 360 Group… until I finally opened my own direct marketing agency in 2002. I’m still in the SF/Bay area, remarried (I should have seen the writing on the wall when Fred told me I should “take my own apt. in SF and give up the BART commute home every night because after all, with all my late nights at C/D, what was the point?”), with 3 kids.
As you can see I can barely remember peoples names from those early ‘80’s, but MT Rainey made a huge impression on me…
Gretchen Rollins, about whom I blogged back in March, has provided some photos and some more information about her glamorous new life!
Gretchen Rollins (1986 – 89, NYC studio) — Found in Marina del Rey, not too far from the original scene of the crime, and a few ticks away from the current CD/LA offices. For the past decade I’ve been a freelance art director around Los Angeles, started my own company with a partner (www.bigorangeq.com) and have recently landed at Deutsch, where Rosann Calisi runs the creative department. In the interstices I paint in my tiny garage studio, occasionally sell a piece (at silent auction, attached), and can often be spotted at Hal’s on a Friday evening.In a nod to Jay's significant art patronage, here's a shot of me with my painting that was actually selling at a silent auction for the Venice Community trust "Almost Famous and Infamous" show.
C/D alum and Indy fan Michael Hollander turned up in my inbox this very morning!
I so appreciate seeing old friends again (and some not so old). In case you don't remember me, I worked as Product Information Manager on the Nissan account in the Los Angeles offices from 1987-1994.I first met Jay on my very first day on the job. I was working late to get information transferred from the old agency's database into our "new" one and most of the lights in the place were already out. In walks Jay, fresh from New York, with a quizzical look on his face. "I'm Jay Chiat," he said. "I'm pleased to meet you, I'm Mike Hollander." "I've heard of you," he said. "I've heard of you, too," I stammered, and we both smiled.
I've attached a photo of me, taken at last year's Indy 500. I'm down about 35 lbs., but it's still the best photo of me in years.
I continue to edit The Motor Sports Forum (www.motorsportsforum.com) as I have online since 1983, and work as Manager, Information Resources at PCGCampbell with former Chiat/Day'er Shane Smith. My job is an amalgam of account work and IS.
Ah, Peter Franke. Print Production manager extraordinaire, who worked for me and managed not only to survive triple-secret probation, but went on to inherit my department when I joined MIS (what we now to call "technology.")
Pete's looking for a job and I just love using this website to help out friends like this. So take a look at his resume, and if you know of anything, let him know.
Sez Pete ...
Hi Steve! Here’s a picture of me and my two kids, Debra & Danny. I'm sure you remember meeting them as kids back in the 80's.They both graduated College last June. Debra double majored in Education & Psych at Seton Hall and Danny majored in Marketing and computers at Wagner.Debra is teaching a mixed age Med/Special Ed class on Staten Island and Danny is an Asst Media planner at Mindshare. I begged him not to get into this crazy business but.....
My wife Diana and I are living on Long Island?in Long Beach. We love it here and are living pretty happy lives.
All the best, Peter.
Tom, his wife Virginia Pirie (management supervisor on Reebok) , and their two sons, Cole and Conor.
Just got this email from account management phenom Tom Harbeck ...
I am pleased to share that I have accepted the position of Chief Marketing Officer of Applegate Farms, a natural and organic meat company based in Bridgewater, NJ. AF is a private company with @$60+MM revenues, with many leading skus in the major Natural Food chains. I was brought in as part of a newly formed Executive Management Team, and will oversee Marketing, Sales Support, Corporate Communications and Product Packaging as the company expands into mass retail outlets.If I have done my homework correctly, we are about to grow very rapidly.
I have been remiss in sending this having started at the beginning of the year, and then up to my eyeballs in getting up to speed/getting things going here. Last year was a satisfying range of consulting projects but sensing I could play a key management role in a rapidly growing company, shape and build its brand, and be motivated by its core values made the decision to join Applegate easy.
Many thanks to all of you who helped make this happen.
Tom
And a howdy from Michael Robinson ...
Hey - hey, fellow Chiat-Day & Nighters...Haven't looked at the 'JayDay' site in a while, but did recently and loved seeing some of the gang (Lily Katz, Melanie (Axtman) Steinbach and Teri (Foye) Gray) in a photo posted in January '07 celebrating Melanie's B-day.
Happy belated birthday, Melanie !It's great to know that a lot of us have managed to stay in relative contact over the years, myself included with Lily Katz, Susie Fogelson, Monika Miller and a few others. BTW - ladies, (Lily, Melanie, Teri and Susie - - you guys look fantastic in those photo's!)
If any of you C-D'ers are ever in San Francisco, give me a holler.
Would be great to see you all and catch up !Until then,
Michael
From Carolyn Goodman ...
Don’t even ask me what I was searching for on Google, when I came across this website… amazing!I worked at C/D in San Francisco from 1983 – 1984. I basically fast-talked my way into an account executive position with Fred Goldberg (I called him during lunch hour when his assistant, Rosalynda Estes (sp?) was at lunch and he picked up his own phone! Luckily I had written a “script” and got an interview.) He hired me on the spot after making me spend the day with 5 different C/D senior managers – Greg Somebody (DCS), David Yates(?) (Media), MT Rainey (Account Planning), Tom Tawa (Creative) and some research guy.
I don’t think any of those folks will remember me at all – let alone with fondness. Fred didn’t really know what to do with me at first. I had some experience as a copywriter, some media experience and some account service skills. I think he envisioned me “dropping in” and “helping out” when required. I was too young to appreciate that opportunity and focused, instead, on finding a “fit” where I could claim a position in the agency. I finally found one as an AE on the BusinessLand account (whew, am I old) and Holland America Cruise Lines. I worked for Marty Wenzell, who had just moved out from the NY office and Pat Somebody who ran new biz. I had no clue what I was doing and after 9 months took the few weeks pay that Fred offered to me to go away quietly.
Thank god I survived and even stayed with the business after that… went on to work at DDB Needham/SF, client side at Bank of America and 1st Nationwide Bank, Ogilvy & Mather Direct, Cohn & Wells, 360 Group… until I finally opened my own direct marketing agency in 2002. I’m still in the SF/Bay area, remarried (I should have seen the writing on the wall when Fred told me I should “take my own apt. in SF and give up the BART commute home every night because after all, with all my late nights at C/D, what was the point?”), with 3 kids.
As you can see I can barely remember peoples names from those early ‘80’s, but MT Rainey made a huge impression on me…
Carolyn Goodman
Gary Madonna - "I worked at Chiat starting in about 1991 ending in 2002. I was in account management (MS, AD) on Nissan and Infiniti Direct, then alternative media towards the end of my career. I'm still in LA, but working abroad in Luxury real estate."
Robert Morello who is now Director of Graphic Services at Merkley + Partners
From Pam Den Hartog, who as a Producer from 1972-1975 and Exec Prod/Dir of Bcast from 1979-1982 ...
Hy Yablonka mentioned your website to me. What a great idea! We do all feel like alumni, though I'm from the real early days.I 've been primarily in nonprofits, and mostly in the arts for the last 7 years, with some ad business consulting for a couple of those years.... getting training now in global logistics, too...I still see Elaine Hinton and Hank Hinton,occasionally and, of course Hy...and was able to catch up with a number of people - Steve Hayden, Chuck Phillips, Bob Matsumoto among them - at one of the memorials for Jay.
There was a little cocktail get-together in NY the other night for Jane Newman and Merry Baskin-Cutler ... and your reporter was there to catch all the action ...
Jane and Jerry Croghan, who is Tom Carroll's father's cousin.
Graham Turner and Robin Hafitz
Lorraine Arado
Nick Cohen
Jane and Jerry
Nick Hafitz
Lauren Turner
Dede Dalton and Merry
Emanuel Rappaport - Los Angeles office 1976-1984
Manny worked at Chiat/Day when I first started in 1977!
Gretchen Rollins
I was at Chiat New York from '86 - '89, reception, then the studio. I'm out here in L.A. and am freelancing at Deutsch and Rosann turned me on to you. Fun! I may have been under the radar but I loved every second of it! When I wasn't put of my mind from overwork, that is.
Pam Monaghan
Shira (Friedman) Bogart
... and living in NYC!
I recently put out an all-points-bulletin trying to locate one of my favorite suits, Marty Wenzell. (He’s one of the favored few for whom a jayday flashmob has been organized.)
I figured one of you would still be in touch with him and could identify his whereabouts. Who should turn up in my inbox but Marty himself! And Toto, he’s in Kansas! At an agency named Barkley.
I left Goodby last spring to take a job here in Kansas City....most people ask why, my only answer is I was actually bored after 18 years in the same place and I needed to get out before they found out I was dying there and threw me out. (Goodby was cool about it, he knew I had to reinvent myself).
Good job, decent clients and the challenge is much the same as it was when I started on Olympic Blvd. for a relatively unknown fellow named Jay. Except this time we are starting with 300 people.
Some family news....the twins started college this fall...Derek at American U. in D.C., and Collin at Wittenberg U. in Springfield, Ohio. So I guess my lively and lovely wife Margo is happier that we are closer to them.
Haven’t sold the house in Half Moon Bay, but not for a lack of trying....I’m drowning in mortgages.
My folks both passed away just recently, 7 days apart at Christmas...it is weird but true about couples being so connected.
I’m getting grey, or more grey....and it’s odd to be the “senior” guy that is supposed to have the wisdom to pass along. But as usual I start with my extensive knowledge of drinking establishments and go from there.
Hang in there, life is too short to piss it away.
M
Many of you remember, no doubt, the irrepressibly upbeat C/D NY planner, Heather Harris. What you may not know is that for the last 15 years she has been a dynamic Personal & Professional Performance & Effectiveness Coach. You can visit her website, Red Resource, here.
I myself have availed myself of her services and I am a changed man!
This being a new year and all, isn't it time for you to "Bring Your Best Self To Life?"
C/D alums and still friends for over two decades! Lori Gaffney, Terri (Foye) Gray, Lily Katz, and Melanie (Axtman) Steinbach at Melanie's birthday party on December 16th in Welches, Oregon. Says Lily ....
We worked together in the media dept. of Chiat/Day L.A. and after leaving C/D, we're still all working as Media Directors at various agencies now... we've stayed friends since C/D 20+ years, started at the Biltmore hotel, then on to the Warehouse, the Binocular Blg. and Terri and Mel were at Playa Del ray location.
You all look wonderful! And happy belated birthday, Melanie!
[Ed. note: my pet name for Lori was "gaffee!"]
This seems to be Artistic Alums Week on jayday. First we have Nat Whitten writing a book. Now we have John Morrison, appearing in New York doing standup. You can catch him at the Cornelia Street Cafe on Tuesday, Dec. 12th. Details by clicking on this little poster:
John writes ...
I was an art director at Chiat/LA from 1985 through 1987, I moved out to LA from Minneapolis where I was an AD at Fallon McElligott.I was hired by Lee to work on Porsche, but I composed my acceptance letter on a Mac, so that was that... I worked on Apple the entire duration of my time there. (When I left Fallon, they raffled off my Mac, the only one in the agency at the time. They thought it a curio.)
After the we lost Apple, I went to Goodby until Steve Hayden talked me back down to BBDO/Slightly Further West to work on Apple again with ex-Chiat writers Ken Segall and Robert Chandler. When the Apple group was merged with BBDO/LA, I headed back east to NY.
After pledging allegiance to an increasing number of dumb and dumber agencies (lifetime total as a staffer: 23), I've been freelancing in NYC days and doing political comedy nights for the last 4 years... my response to 9/11... see pic.
Most nights I'm on stage at either the New York Comedy Club, The Improv or The Laugh Lounge on the Lower East Side. I put on a monthly comedy showcase the second Tuesday of every month at Cornelia Street Cafe in the West Village.
My oldest son, Jay, named after I wonder who, is now an art director at Carmichael Lynch in Minneapolis. My baby Ben is an editor for Periscope in Minneapolis.
That's my story, and I'm sticking to it. --J
Nat and his 6-year-old son, Jack.
A few weeks ago, I received an email from Nat Whitten, a former copywriter at Chiat/Day NY. I hope you were lucky enough to work in the New York office when Nat was there (’85-’89) because he was one of the nicest people you’d ever want to work with. He had one of those personalities you wished you could figure out how to bottle. Turns out you sort of could, for Nat had a secret to generating that irrepresibly happy personality which he is now able to philanthropically share with the world.
Before I tell you more about that, I asked Nat to fill in a few biographical blanks for those of us whose memories these days sort of work like New York City alternate-side-of-the-street parking:
In answer to your question, I believe I was considered a "senior writer" when I left C/D to start Weiss, Whitten (with fellow alumnus Marty Weiss) in 1989. Worked on Trump Casino Hotel, Gaines Cycle Dog Food, NYNEX Yellow Pages, and Reebok, to name a few. Started as secretary in media department for Bob Zach and fill-in receptionist. I was not very good at either, but Valerie Laskos took pity on me and moved me to creative department, where I hounded Jay for a year to give me a job as a writer. He finally did to shut me up. Also published the "Chiat/Daily", a short-lived underground paper about all-things C/D.
Nat and his co-author, W.R. Morton, have written a book. It's called "Secrets of the Superoptimist: The Classic Guide to Success. In Any Situation."
And now you, too, can own your very own copy, as I now do. (Hint: it would make a lovely holiday gift for yourself or someone you know who needs some "wisdom transmissions.")
I goaded Nat into providing me with his thoughts about working at Chiat/Day ….
I will forever be grateful to Jay Chiat for teaching me the meaning of the term "work ethic", as well as "@$*%# late car service", "where's Adelaide", and "not enough".
In fact, there's rarely a creative project where the V.O.J. (Voice of Jay) doesn't speak to me and prod me to do better. At least, I think it's Jay. I get Jay and God confused a lot.
A recent conversation Jay and I had involved a project outside of the realm of advertising. In addition to being a freelance copywriter and creative director for the past 10 years, I've always nibbled around the edges of other creative endeavors, the latest being a pop culture oddity entitled "Secrets of the SuperOptimist." We sold this book to a mass market publisher who proceeded to redesign it and dumb it down (something that never happens in advertising). Instead of "going with the program" and letting them destroy the soul of the book, I heard Jay say "Don't let them f... it up." So we bought back the rights and have signed on with the ferociously independent Vitally Important to put it out in a smaller, but more honest way.
Should any of my mates be looking for that special holiday gift, I encourage them to visit www.vitallyimportant.com, or one of our distributors --- the fantastic underground SF institution Last Gasp or SPD. And yes, it's available at Amazon.
While some of the secrets might contradict the Sayings of Chairman Jay, I believe he would approve of the effort nonetheless. Sure, he would grouse a bit about the contrarian take on our rampant consumer culture. And point out the time it took could have been better spent creating something truly significant. Like a great ad. But I think he would have supported the anti-authoritarian viewpoint which made working at Chiat such a kick-ass experience.
And don't worry, Jay. I'm not quitting my day job.
SECRET #40: When the Lord is ready to speak to you, have a pen and paper handy.
SECRET #34: While you may make mistakes, you yourself are not one.
SECRET #47: Have interesting answers to questions, even if you have to make them up.
SECRET #69: Whatever you're thinking of charging, add 30%.
Every time I send out a mass mailing, I get a lot of “bounce backs” because of email addresses that no longer work. Here are the latest alums to vanish into the land of the lost. If you know of them, have them send me their current email address:
Marty Wenzell, Ann Lundquist, Jennifer Wilson, Craig Lambert, John Kerr, Gary Nelson, Patrice Tanaka, Ellen LaNicca Albanese, Kris Konno, Bianca DiSalvo, Simon Bax, Phillip Lopez, John Krass, David Murphy, Steve Cohen, Brian Belefant, Jon Spurney, George Logothetis.
Added to the "found" list today ...
Maria Szakacs
Fred Goldberg, who used to run the SF office. Last seen having dinner with David Wiener in Hawaii.
Bill Delaney, who started working at Chiat/Day 25 years ago, turned up in my mailbox a while back ...
I worked in the Chiat-Day SF office from 1981 - 1984. I managed the Paris, France, office of Regis McKenna Inc. when Jay acquired Regis' agency. I launched Apple in Europe and worked with them from 1979 - 1981. Jay called one day (2:00 AM Paris time) and simply said - "Bill, Jay Chiat. We just inked a deal with Regis and decided we don't need someone in Paris. If you're interested in staying with the Apple account and working in the San Francisco office, plan to meet with me in New York on Thursday." This was Tuesday when he called.I didn't know what to expect, but the next two years were very interesting. Dealing with Steve Jobs, Jay Chiat, Steve Hayden, Lee Clow, Dick Cavett, Fred Hoar and others made life interesting. The 24/7 schedule was a real treat as well! ;-) I used to love hanging out in the office late at night until Jay would fly in to SF and review the work for Apple. He would cut 25% of the work and change 50%. The client meeting was the next morning at 8:00 AM, at Apple. Nothing like wearing the same clothes for two days! But, I would not have changed any of it.
Working with Jay, Lee, Tom, Steve, Chuck, Greg, Dave, and others was a real treat. I met my wife there as well. June Murakami. She and I dated for 8 months before we got married and we will celebrate our 25th anniversary in February. The entire gang from Creative attended the wedding and Jay sent us a wonderful gift. He supported our relationship when the policy was "no dating or married couples at Chiat-Day." We are forever grateful to him for his kindness.
One other name that you may not have is Maurice Goldman. He was also from Regis McKenna. He was an account director with me on the Apple business.He died a number of years ago in SF, but he is still remembered with fond thoughts by those of us who knew him. He was one of the nicest people you can imagine and was a loyal and dedicated Chiat-Day employee. His name should be included on your list.
As for the photos, those are my two daughters. The one on the right was our first and born while June and I were still at Chiat-Day SF. She just graduated from SDSU and was on a womens golf scholarship there. The younger one is in 8th Grade here in Alameda and is into performing arts.
Paul Greenberg (alum/NYC ‘84-’99), and his partner Gary Damiano were joined in Civil Union at their home in Guilford, Connecticut on Dec. 17th, 2005.
Paul is interested in knowing if he is the first CD alum to enter into a gov’t recognized domestic partnership.
An invitation from Jackie End to see her new jewelry collection.
See the large version of the invitation by clicking here.
Jon Hartman, who is now living in Minneapolis.
Kaz Endo. "I interned from 88-90 (LA) - I learned so much!"
Brian Belefant. "Worked in LA from '86 to '89."
Craig Martin. "I was at C/D SF from 1983-1985 and worked in Media (for Dave Yoder and Camille Johnson) and Account Management (for Fred)." Craig is now working in executive development.
Kristie Shields. "I was in the class of 1991-1994 (sometime in there). I now live in Seattle and am a freelance Media Director. I was at a party and saw John Kerr was and he told me about this site. While at C/D, I worked in the warehouse and then in the binoculars with Lily katz and Mike Rose in the media department. I loved those days and I think fondly of the Charles Chips guy who used to bring big barrels of pretzels and drinking alot on the job - but that is a whole other story!"
Cheryl Doose (Hotra). "I worked at the Venice (LA) office from 1995-1999. Chiat/Day was quite the matchmaking agency from what I have heard. I married Todd Hotra who also worked at the Venice office during the Jay years."
Bill Delaney. "I worked in the Chiat-Day SF office from 1981 - 1984. I managed the Paris, France office of Regis McKenna Inc. when Jay acquired Regis' agency." (More on Bill later as soon as he sends me a digital photo.)
The alums are coming out of the woodwork here at JayDay Central. This time it's Robert Chandler!
I was a copywriter and co-group head in the L.A. office from '77 to '81.I was partnered first with Bob Dion, whom I had known back in my Interpublic days when he was a bigshot CD serving down in South America for part of his tenure. Main client with Bob was Pioneer Electronics, National Semiconductor, and Suntory.
Then I was partnered with Yvonne Smith. She and I have stayed friends to this day. We worked on Mitsubishi electronics, Midori, Allstate Savings, and a buncha others stuff.
In the mid 80s we worked together on Apple at BBDO/LA, Steve Hayden having recruited us. (Steve and I were good friends at Chiat, both starting there about the same time.) First thing we did, though, was pitch Northrop. Which we won, and I stayed on to run, eventually becoming CD on Apple.
Jay had hired me directly, originally on a retainer basis because I had been on my own for several years when he and I met. Mal Sharpe, (the droll radio real-people-interview-commercials guy) referred me to Jay in '77 when Jay was looking for someone to do movie campaigns.
Ray Stark had approached Chiat to do some cmpgns for him. Which project Jay immediately accepted. Then asked, who the hell do we know who knows how to do movie ads? That, it turned out, was me.
Later, when I was on staff, Jay would always come to me with all the oddball things like political campaigns. And movies, of course, including the ridiculous, but thanks to us very successful, The Blue Lagoon. Of Brooke Shields almost naked but it was somebody else fame.
Anyway, there are a lot more adventures to tell, naturally. But, I'm going to skip forward to many years later.
I have my own agency (www.robertchandler.com) which has been medium size sometimes and small at others, but we've always accepted subcontracts from our large agency brethren.
In early 2002, because I had so much tech in my b.g. (Apple, Microsoft, IBM, etc) Lee brought me in to head up the Cisco pitch for him and also do some self-promotion work for the agency. (My outsider-insider status being useful for perspective on such tasks.)
I had last seen Jay the previous December when a tribute dinner was thrown for him by Lee at a gallery--I believe LA Louver-- in Venice.
All his friends knew Jay was ill and I was afraid this would be the last time my wife, Wendi, and I would see him.And so, as circumstances (and to me, fate) would have it, when Jay died in April, I was in the L.A. office in the midst of a four-month project.
Because I was one of the few in the office from the old days, Lee asked me to write a memorial piece for the man who had been such a great influence on so many people. (In every conceivable way, of course--love, hate, fear, adventure, laughs, parties, or all of the above, depending on who it is you're asking).
It was meant to be a memorial ad to be run by the agency, and a short piece. (My standard was no longer than the Gettysburg address.)
I've never worked harder or more meticulously to get every word as right as I was capable of and stayed up all night to do so.
Lee approved it the next day with a few judicious and heart-felt edits.
Attached is a PDF of the ad. It ran in Ad Age and maybe AdWeek.
It should also have run in the New York Times, but you'll have to ask Omnicom about that. Times were tough in ad biz in 2002.
Take care, Steven. Excellent of you to be running this site.
Ken Youngleib - "copywriter at Chiat LA from 93 to 98. I worked on Nissan, Infiniti, Apple (the Think Different years)."
Irina Lapin - "I''ve been in NYC now for almost 5 years. Came back to TBWA/Chiat, but have been at Grey for the last 2."
Click here to see larger sized format.
A few weeks ago, after posting a "Hey, has anybody run across Tom Harbeck" alert, I received an email from Tom which simply said ...
Remember "ugh ugh" ?
Were my brain a seive, it could not adequately strain rigatoni these days, so I had to confess I did not remember "Ugh, ugh," although I suspected it might be the punchline of some embarrassing story Tom had been harboring for years about me getting sick after drinking one too many Maker's Marks, my post-work beverage of choice.
It turns out, "Ugh, ugh" is the story of a t-shirt. Here it is, in Tom's own words ...
"Ugh Ugh" is not something you did when you were drunk (not that I witnessed). It was the evolution of the "Good enough is not enough" T-shirt. First some taped over the "Good" and the "not" and created "Enough is Enough." Then someone taped over all but the "ugh ugh." Brilliant as the brit planners used to say.
I have a handful of the old shirts -- the best one "God, Guts and Creativity" I think generated during the last Apple pitch looks like a hell's angel's knockoff complete with skull and crossbones -- it's so worn it's full of holes. And I think I have a Chiat/Day/Mojo one somewhere too.
I'm well. As you might recall I married Virginia Pirie (management supervisor on reebok) -- 16 years ago -- we have two boys now: Cole age 13 and Conor age 11. Life is good.
I've attached a family photo -- from the Great Sandunes in Colorado -- a trip we took not last summer but the one before.
I recall everything (except the names of the streets in my town despite having lived here for 10 years). My head is full of Chiat/Day memories. I worked with Butler Shine while at my last job and was good to so John and Mike again -- and they did great work for me.
I am glad to see that Tom has once again been "found" and is not, despite the photographic evidence above to the contrary, wandering the desert. (Or, at least, when he is, he is doing so in such beautiful company.)
Ed Collins has turned himself in. "I worked as an Account Supervisor at Chiat/Day on the Nissan account for about a year in 1989."
He also provided whereabouts for Mark Shoptaw, who worked at C/D for a few years in the late 1990s.
And hello to Lisa Rosenstein ...
I had a very brief but fun career at C/D in the 80s. Worked as assistant to Steve Bayer next to John Spurney.I am in touch with Paula Dombrow and would love to stay connected to the alumni. Was friendly with Carey Zeiser, Julia Platt. Linda Schneider and Spurney et al. Went on to a film career producing indie films in NYC and Philadelphia.
I now own a children’s clothing company based in NYC that caters to kids with sensory issues. chickchatclothes.com - Wewere shown in Timeout NY Kids this month.
There was nothing like woking at C/D in the 80s- like working in a frat. Our entire salaries - $17,000 for assistants - were spent at the Old Town and an occasional martini at Union Square when we won an account. I worked on Reebok UBU- a fine moment in advertising.
Cindy Clements, courtesy of Mediaweek
Alums of C/D keep cropping up in my email ...
Hilary Cochran (Rubens) 1989-1995 is currently in the California Bay Area and is a creative recruiter for FILTER talent.Pam Monaghan worked at Chicago office of Chiat/Day for 10 years and is now at OMD.
Susie Vye, a.k.a. Susie Mason and Susie Breen. (Oh, the nights we spent together at the bar at the Biltmore!)
Dorcas Dvorak, who worked at Chiat (Chicago) from 1988 - 1992 and 1994-97.
Rommel Cinco worked on the Infiniti National account from 1999-2000.
And finally, Cindy Clements ... "Annette Lanotte passed along your website address and I thought I’d drop you a line. I started at Chiat in 1988 in the Spot group in the Dallas office working on the Nissan business when Chiat regionalized. I remember when I moved over and the other agencies said it wouldn’t last and the Chiat office would close within 6 months. HA. Oksana Glass hired me, and shortly after Stacey Lippman came on board. I’m currently at OMD as US Director of Local Broadcast overseeing the regional offices. Still working on the Nissan business after all these years. (along with many other OMD accounts as well as with TBWA, BBDO and DDB) Love your website. It’s great to see all the updates from the alumni."
Max Colgate, son of "Tedster" Colgate, former C/D Mac guru, now CIO of TBWA, is born!
See exciting photos here
Says Ted ...
Little Max had an email address before he was born, and sent out his first email when he was only 1 day old!
Got a note the other day from David Thall. (Actually, it was the other week - I'm way behind in my jay/day hosting duties.)
Hi Steve,I'm an alumni of C/D NY from the 80s and 90s. Third staff AD Jay hired... and then fired at 666 Fifth Avenue in '82. Then I returned to freelance there many times over the years. I guess it was about finding the right relationship.
I just got my website online, so I'm actually kind of excited that I finally have a way to show my work without shlepping the book around!
Our own Robin Rotenier who was in the New York office first in accounting and then account services has been granted the Mortimer Ritter award at Radio City Music Hall this June. It's a big deal. The award is presented each year to an FIT alumnus who has shown excellence in the fields of design and design. Previous recipients include Calvin Klein and Norma Kamali. Neither of which can hold a candle to Robin in the lovely dreamy accent category.
Robin left the firm and while the worlds of client billing and accounts receivable grieved, he began his own jewelry design business. Last time I saw him he was having tiny trunk show. Next thing I know, he's calling Adelaide and I while drinking champagne at lunch and celebrating his big award. He always had class.
Here is a snap of Robin receiving the award.
And don't forget to pick up some of his amazing work next time you are in Bergdorf's, Bailey Biddle & Banks, Neiman Marcus or one of those other lowbrow joints...or see his work online.
A jay/day welcome to Tom Schumacher, who worked in the NY office in the mid-90's and again in 2003 or so, says he.
... to the following alums, who have found themselves:
Cindy Galler "(Wigoda when I first started at Chiat/Day). I worked there for 4 years - 1989 - 1992."
Josh Van Steenbergen. "I worked at Chiat/Day Los Angeles from 1989 - 1993 on the Nissan account."
I'm in Charlotte, NC, on business, and am here with the former C/D NY Account Planner, Ted Nelson. Ted is doing focus groups for a secret website project for which I'm the creative director. I also had dinner last night here in Charlotte with the lovely Eve Luppert, who is head of human resources for Landdesign, a big landscape architectural firm.
I hope you have a lovely jay/day!
What's jay/day you ask? Read this: http://www.jayday.org/jayday.html
Steve
When I sent out the last mass mailing, the following alums turned up missing. If you know where they are, have them contact me and provide me with updated contact information:
John Shrair, Alex Lyus, Mike Sweeney, Joe Calabrese, Hilary Cochran, Chris Tallman, and Jon Hartman
This lovely photo of Alisa Cohen-Kesller and her son was enclosed in a newsletter from her health consulting company, LifeBerries. Here's her recipe for steamed spring vegetables ...
Recipe of the Month: Spring Sprouting Steamer Prep Time: 3 minutes Cook Time: 5 minutes Serves: 4Ingredients:
1 zucchini
1 summer squash
1 package mixed crunchy sprouts (lentil, adzuki, mung, garbanzo)
3 tablespoons of freshly chopped tarragon
1 tablespoon of ghee (clarified butter) or butter
4 lemon wedges
salt to taste
Directions:
1. Slice zucchini and summer squash in circles, about 1/4 inch thick and steam with
sprouts for about 5 minutes or until desired tenderness.
2. Toss with tarragon, ghee and salt in bowl.
3. Serve with lemon wedge.
Try fresh herbs like parsley, dill, cilantro, or mint for a totally different taste.
from the Dede Dalton McMahon collection
There, on the far left - it's that bubbly British redhead, Heather Harris! Did you know that Heather is now a big-time personal and corporate coach? She bounces back and forth between the U.K. and NYC. And there's Dede right next to her. Dede/Heather - do you know who else is shown in this photo? If so, add a comment ...
C/D NY alum Bradford Briggs. I can't remember what Bradford did (besides look good at parties!) As I recall, he was a former West Point cadet.
As a result of this week's mass mailing, I've discovered that the following alums have vanished (i.e., their email addresses no longer work.)
Nancy Hill, Marty Weiss, Steven Landsberg, Sarah Ibsen, Jack Ginsberg,and Phil Lanier.
Thank you to Scott Marticke for informing us of the passing of John Upton, who worked on the Nissan account at Chiat/Day Los Angeles for many years. Here was the email Scott received announcing John's death.
Dear Friends,In case you haven’t heard the horrible news, I am devastated to report a great friend of us all, and the advertising community, has passed away. John Keith Upton died Friday night, 2/3 of a heart attack. He was 55.
A great group of friends his ski team buddies, Kevin Mize, Rick ONeill, Gene Backer and myself were with him for our annual ski trip. This year in Telluride. He died after dinner at 10 p.m. Thankfully, it was immediate he did not realize what he was going through. He was on his way to the rest room downstairs in the restaurant. He had coronary arrest and died even before falling in the landing. Paramedics worked tirelessly to revive him, but to no avail he was gone immediately. Many people already have heard this tragic news. If I have inadvertently left any close friends off this list, please forward. It's difficult, but...he died caring for you all and doing the things he loved most: mountains, friends, wine, fun. We are all sorry we couldn’t enjoy his love and zest for life for many more years. I know all of you to whom I send this loved John as I did. Our blessings and Gods graces to a great person, John Upton.
John
John C. Seibel
VP Director of Brand Initiatives
Colman Brohan Davis
Here is a copy of the invitation to John's memorial, which was held February 25th, and here's a lovely piece by Scott about that memorial.
As I've mentioned before, I'm working on a consulting project in Cambridge, MA. My client needed somebody brilliant to help them with research and branding, so I suggested C/D alum Ted Nelson, who is one of the founders of Mechanica in Newburyport, MA. Here are Ted and I in a meeting at my office last Friday. And no, we did not call each other that morning to coordinate our wardrobe.
As long as I'm playing rainmaker, let me tell you that Allurent, the software company I am consulting for is looking to ramp up its design staff. Many of you have contacts in the realm of interactive design. If so, please alert them to this job opportunity. This is one great company. The founders all came from Art Technology Group, one of the most renowned software companies in Boston.
FLASH DESIGNERWe are seeking a full-time Flash designer / engineer with strong graphics and user interaction design capabilities.
Responsibilities:
* design and develop Flash and AJAX based consumer-facing user interfaces
* produce and present sketches of conceptual design ideas and static graphics deliverables to internal audience as well as clients
* collaborate with developers and use developer-orientated tools to merge design deliverables into product
* work with clients to incorporate brand and feature requirements into the design deliverablesQualifications:
* minimum of 7yrs of interactive design experience
* minimum of 4yrs of experience in Flash, strong working knowledge of ActionScript
* strong communication and presentation skills
* proven abilities to work efficiently in a start-up environment
* strong typography skillsPreferred:
* experience creating motion graphics
* experience creating e-commerce user experiencesIf that sounds like you, please send your resume to careers@allurent.com
Douglas Atkin, Val Laskos, and Jane Newman
Jay/day cub reporter Adelaide Horton filed this report from the recent benefit for Jane Newman's Thorn Tree school program, hosted by Clodagh Design.
It was a successful evening. Jane gave a very interesting presentation and she was trying to raise $25,000 for a well for the schools.The current well was dug by hand and because of the draught, it is called a 6 deep well. That means it takes a chain of 6 warriors passing up water to the top. The water is contaminated at night by the baboons and other animals seeking water. It is also 2km from the school!
After 5 years there are more than 700 children in school.
Continue reading "Jane Newman's Thorn Tree Project Benefit" »
Thought I'd lost Doug Kim, but he turned up in my mailbox the other day. Doug was a writer at Chiat NY from 1992-1993. He is now working behind this doorbell in New York City.
Also heard from Tom Cordner: "I was at Chiat 1980-1983 and 1984-1986 art director working with Penny Kappousouz and Brent Bouchez."
And last, but certainly not least, is Scott Marticke.
Hey Steve…doing fine-I ran the Nissan Regional account in NY for four years and then became GM of the Atlanta office-decided to stay in Atlanta when the office closed. I’m Director of New Biz for Grey Worldwide Atlanta… Still married to Adele-two kids, Emma 16 and Sam 10 3 dogs and some fish living in Roswell Ga since ’92.
Former C/D NYer Mary Maroun has been named to head Arnold in New York. (Thanks, Adelaide, for the tip!)
Mary Maroun Named President of Arnold New York
Was Y&R North America Managing Partner
By Matthew Creamer and Lisa SandersPublished: May 08, 2006
NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- Y&R North America Managing Partner Mary Maroun is leaving the WPP Group-owned agency to run Arnold, New York, effective June 5, the Havas agency said in a statement.
Arnold has been searching for a president for its New York operation for a few months, following the appointment of Fran Kelly to president-CEO of Arnold's U.S. operations. He had been overseeing New York operations since the departure of Mary Baglivo to Saatchi & Saatchi in 2004 and splitting his time between New York and Boston, where the agency is headquartered.
Joined Y&R in 2004
Ms. Maroun joined Y&R in July 2004. A veteran of WPP's Grey Worldwide in South Africa, and also Omnicom Group's TBWA/Chiat/Day, New York, where she was president and managing director, Ms. Maroun had run a consulting business, Combustion, as well as a small advertising firm, Love Collective, immediately prior to joining Y&R.Though Ms. Maroun was Y&R North America's managing partner, as the the agency's needs changed and her superiors shuffled management duties, she focused largely on activities within Y&R's New York office.
Gord McLean, CEO, Y&R North America, said an announcement regarding a successor to Ms. Maroun will be made "imminently."
At Arnold, Ms. Maroun will run an office that has shown some new-business momentum of late, having picked up work from marketers like Hershey Co. and Lee Jeans. The move reunites Ms. Maroun with Chief Creative Officer-Managing Partner John Staffen. The pair had worked together at TBWA.
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It's "upfront" season again, which means life is very, very busy for Annette Cerbone, who was Network Supervisor for Chiat/Day NY and is still buying network advertising today!
It's Roseann (McNulty) Santamaria's birthday today! Here she is with her pride and joy, D.J. (David Joseph) who is 3-1/2 years old.
A jay/day howdy to lost alums ...
John Kerr ….“I stumbled across your site, and it put a huge grin on my face. I was with C/D from 1987-1995 (end of the Biltmore era, the warehouse and the binocular building). I’m currently with Copacino+Fujikado in Seattle.Jon Spurney … whose name I happened to run across in Time Out a few months back. The ad was for a screening of a silent film, with piano accompaniment by “Jon Spurney.” When quizzed by email, Jon said this was indeed him.I've been providing improvised piano accompaniment for silent films at MoMA and AMMI in Queens for over ten years now. Playing for "So Long Letty" at the New York Public Library was a thrill, as it was just re-discovered; half of all films made before 1925 no longer exist, and no one had seen this film since 1924!
A jay/day howdy to lost alums …
Jennifer Wilson …. who worked in the Toronto office from 1988 to 1994, where she became a planner under the guidance of both Steve Hancock and Hugh Duthie.
Steve Gordon … who worked in the art studio in New York.
Merritt Walters, now Merritt Hiles ….
I was a NY C/D alum in the late 90s starting on 5th and then moving to Maiden Lane. Now, after much sound and fury, I am settled down in Austin with my husband and working for Whole Foods Market. Can't be further from the advertising industry but, in a strange way, still enjoying the counter-culture industry factor Jay and the amazing agency introduced me to.
A few weeks ago, I put out an "all points bulletin" asking the community to find former C/D NY account planner Ted Nelson. I had nothing particular in mind. It just occured that he'd dropped off the map when he left Mullen a few years ago and I always remember Ted as being particularly bright and funny.
Within days, he turned up in my mailbox. Turns out he's running a strategy/branding company in Newburyport, MA, called Mechanica.
Just two days later, a client of the company I am consulting for in Boston asked me if I could suggest a strategy/branding company for his new product launch. I called Ted immediately and said, "Hey, Ted. I think I have a client for you!" I am organizing a new business expedition to Newburyport on Tuesday.
It pays to jay/day.
Gene Crocker, formerly of the SF office, sent me this article from the archives of the San Francisco Examiner. Besides reminding us of the tremendous contribution of SF Media Director Dave Yoder, the article provides some interesting "backstory" on the famous 1984 Apple ad.
P.S. David Yoder is on our "alumni" missing list, so if you have his email address, please send it to me.
Thursday, August 6, 1998
SF ExaminerAN ADVERTISING ICON
When Apple Computer launched the Macintosh with its now-famous "1984"
Super Bowl TV commercial, the buzz the morning after was about the ad's shrewd use of Orwellian imagery. The trudging automatons in thrall to Big Brother (technology as oppressor) were set free by the Mac (technology asliberator) suddenly, totally and dramatically.
"We wanted people to look up and say, "What the hell was that?' " recalls David Yoder, a prime mover behind the iconic Apple ad.
Yoder is a long-time San Francisco advertising-business wiz specializing in technology campaigns. He did not create the "1984" spot, but was instrumental in scheduling it during the Super Bowl telecast and ensuring it went to a full 60 seconds - not 30 seconds or 15 seconds - to expand the narrative and help the ad cut through the clutter. Shown just once, "1984" became one of the most memorable ads of the past 15 years.
"I still get the shivers when I see it," Yoder says.
"Ever since then, everyone has tried to duplicate it."
Yoder, a trim 60, recently retired as vice president and media director in the San Francisco office of Anderson & Lembke. Widely considered one of the best minds in high-tech branding and positioning, Yoder has exchanged the fast-lane life associated with Microsoft and Apple accounts for hikes with his wife, Elizabeth, in the hills of Tuscany.
Although Yoder is gone, he is not forgotten.
This just in from Denzil Meyers ...
April 13, 2006.Hello, Three anniversaries are in the air...1 - Next week on Tues 18 April at 5:13:59 am is 100 years since the 1906 earthquake and fire that destroyed much of San Francisco. Every year, the city has a ceremony at Kearney & Market at that time, starting with a handful of fire engines blasting their sirens, then a song, then interviews with anyone they can find who was alive in 1906 and is still alive today. Its a colorful San Francisco event, with people in period costumes, vodka drinks by the Fire Department Ladies' Auxiliary, men and their 10 year old sons in wide-brimmed felt hats, and plenty of cigars. I'll be riding my tall bike, and everyone is invited. You can be at work on time, easily, so that's no excuse, even if you take a detour immediately afterwards to 20th & Church in the Mission to spray paint the fire hydrant gold with the mayor, fire department, and some real old-timers. Unless you live in another time zone.2 - 13 April 1906 is the birth date of Samuel Beckett. Info on the rabid international Beckett centenary. My favorites are his first novel Murphy; the plays Krapp's Last Tape and Happy Days; and the story collection More Pricks Than Kicks. Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead is a Godot/Hamlet mashup, clever in a way that could only come from Tom Stoppard. The first lines of Murphy are — "The sun shone, having no alternative, on the nothing new. Murphy sat out of it, as if he were free, in a mew in West Brompton...". But I digress...3 - Sometime in April 2006 will mark my own 20 years in advertising. Wow, it's been the most fantastic thing I could have never imagined. If you're reading this, thank you. And I look forward to many years more. Whatever I've achieved has been due to a total lack of planning — I've been busy enough trying to figure out where I am. Sometimes, its felt like 100 years, but only for very short periods of time. I've been lucky when it comes to timing & teachers & clients over the years. What a great way to make a living.4 - Ok this is just a shameless plug for the annual Twilight Zone series at the Darkroom Theatre in the Mission, and for you to come see me on stage in "Escape Clause" (1963) on May 25, 26, 27 (Thurs-Sat). Its a great series — 2 different shows each weekend, 8 different directors & casts in the full run. And 4 Rod Serling impersonators. Its all in the eyebrows...More info about all these topics on my blog. Hope this finds you thriving.Denzildenzil j. meyerswidgetwondermoderating • strategy • workshopsorganizational culture & consumer brands415.643.6728 (voice)www.widgetwonder.com (blog)
A request came in today from Chuck Phillips for any knowledge of the whereabouts of two of the people who helped Chiat/Day in its infancy ...
when chiat/day was founded in 1968 there were two minority partners: hy yablonka (jay's side) and tom burr (guy's). both were very special people in my life. i'm aware hy suffered a stroke about 15 years ago that took him out of the business (last i heard he was living in manhattan beach, california). tom was a founding principal of abert, newhoff and burr which went defunct in the late 80's. he took a job in new york for someone like dentsu and then totally disappeared. tom was my first c/d boss and a damn fine one. (some chiat/day trivia): tom was once a kid actor who sang a duet ("high hopes") with bing crosby in "going my way." he left the movie business after losing the starring role to claude jarman jr in "the yearling." do you know either of their whereabouts? (at this time of life i'm getting gun shy of asking questions like this). - chuck
[Editor's note: I remember Hy Yablonka merelly because his name was so fun to say!]
Since I was fortunate to travel from office to office for Chiat/Day, I got to know so many great people. One of my favorites was a receptionist at the warehouse, Pete Kearney. He had a wicked sense of humor, as this photo of him sitting on the potty at his daughter’s school testifies.
I got this great note from Pete the other day and, at my request, he provided me with these great photos of him and his wife, Melanie.
i stumbled across your website a few days ago and thought i would try to get in touch.not sure if you remember me. i was a receptionist at the old warehouse in la and then a broadcast assistant in the binocular building. i believe you were out there for the chrysalis meetings when i met you.i started at c/d in february of 1992 and left at the end of 1995. i had wanted to be a writer and have since done so, working at places like deutsch, mcann (ny and seattle) plus a few other freelance places. right now i'm at hill holliday ny writing, working on verizon wireless, aol and aer lingus.
it's been a long time since those wondrous days at c/d la. but there isn't a week that goes by that i don't talk fondly of that time and place.
you know i have worked many places, and learned many things along the way. in all honesty, i can still say that c/d, more importantly the people i met there, taught me how advertising is SUPPOSED to work.
pete Kearney
I'd like to interrupt our usual programming for a word about me. Since leaving Chiat/Day in 1995, I have become a professional writer, with my work appearing in the New York Times and Fast Company. I even won a writing award from Ernest Hemingway’s granddaughter. I have an oeuvre. And I have been working for what seems like an eternity on a novel. But I have also kept a toe in technology, helping a variety of companies discover that information they have always thought of as "back office" has strategic value; that in a world where margins are wafer-thin, the delivery of smart data, pushed through email and intranets, can not only improve workflow, it can improve profits.
An opportunity arose a few weeks ago to work with some old friends at an e-commerce software company in Boston called Allurent. I am commuting from New York City and living in Cambridge four days a week, acting as creative director for the design of a website that will change cyberspace as we know it. I can tell you nothing about it because of client confidentiality, but it is soooo cool.
Steve
From the Dede Dalton McMahon collection.
Former C/D NY copywriter Robin Raj.
The Wagers, Russell and Dawn
A jay/day howdy to an alum who found our happy little website, Russell Wager.
I started in the Dallas office from 90-94, then moved to the Venice office from 94-96, then moved to the DC office from 96-97, then back to the Venice/Playa office from 98-03. All the time working on either Nissan or Infiniti on the account side.
A jay/day howdy to alum Andrew Greenberg, a planner from the San Francisco office, who has turned up running his very own brand marketing agency.
Thanks to Gene Crocker for reporting his whereabouts.
Every time I send out a mass mailing, some emails bounce back, meaning that the email address I have for one of our alums no longer works.
Jack Ginsberg and Phil Latcholia have vanished.
Surfer dude and creative genius, Lee Clow, from an article in the Los Angeles Times Magazine long ago.
Jackie End, photographed once every five years for the last two decades.
I was dining out at Steak Frites the other night with some C/D alums, one of whom was the everlastingly lovely Jackie End. I accused Jackie of having some sort of pact with the devil goin' on, because she looks as youthful as ever. We all begged to know her beauty secrets and I asked her to email them to me. Here's what Jackie uses ...
Natrol Alpha Lipoic Acid - 300 mg. capsules - one or two a day. good for skin and weight loss.Solgar Co Q-10 - 100 mg. Softgels one or two a day. helps prevent aging. combats effects of smoking.
Natrol Green Tea - 500 mg. good anti-oxidant. acts as a diuretic.
Solgar Natural Vitamin E - 400 IU softgels - one a day.
Natrol Melatonin - 1 mg. tablets (don't go above this) take before bed. excellent anti-oxidant also said to prevent aging.
Taking a B complex and a C complex is good, too.
VASELINE TREATMENT
Wash your face (it's best if you really get soaked so I usually do it after an evening shower.) While your face is still wet, smear Vaseline all over. Blot your face with tissues. Actually just stick tissues all over your face and then peel them off. Then go to sleep. If you've got really nice bed linens you should use an old pillowcase when you do this.
The name of the hydroxy I've been using - Paul Begoun Beta Hydroxy 2% - the lotion, not the gel. The Paula Begoun stuff is sooo much less expensive and since she's the original debunker of the costmetics industry she tends to keep things simple.Also, check out physioage.com. I now take bioidentical hormones which is hormone replacement compounded specifically for the results of your blood tests. You have to take blood tests every 3 months for the first year then just once a year. I've never felt better. Even if you're not interested the downloadable info on the site is excellent.
from the Dede Dalton McMahon collection
Here is Carol Madonna (Jay's LA assistant) and Dede Dalton (Jay's NY assistant) with what I must presume was a Rutger's yearbook photo of Jay.
And while we're on the topic of Scot Blakely, check out this email exchange between Scot and Jay. Jay must have complained about the smell of spray mount coming from the studio. Here's Scot's explanation on the dangers of spray mount and his assurance that he was looking for an alternative:
View Scot's email to Jay. [Close pop-up window after reading.]
And now here's Jay's reply.
By the way, do you know that if you click on all four of the ads at the top of the screen, your clicks will help pay for this website. Just don't look at 'em, click 'em!
I have been extremely remiss in not posting this news I received from Scot Blakely.
A special event he spearheaded, along with his employer DIESEL Canada, won the Best Special Event award showcased during the Toronto International Film Festival in September. This annual event will benefit DATA (debt, AIDS, trade, Africa) co-founded by BONO and Bobby Shriver). Its mission is to eliminate poverty in sub-Saharan Africa by raising awareness of the crisis plaguing the region.
It will also benefit The Lou Adler Foundation (a Canadian based not-for-profit organization) that supports Canadians who suffer from catastophic illness, under privileged children and poverty. And also a percentage of the proceeds went to Hurricane Katrina relief.
Visit the website.
This is a chance of a lifetime. You, yes you, could have former C/D NY Account Planner Denzil Meyers as a tenant! Denzil lives in San Francisco, but spends a lot of time in New York. Says Denzil ...
Do you know anyone who is moving, or wants to sublet for 12-18 months? I'm in NYC once or twice a month, for a few days at a time. An apt is sooo much better than a hotel, even with my usual hotel being the Algonquin... I don't require much vermin-free, some light perhaps, proximity to the subway. Small & cheap is perfect. I know, that's what everyone wants.
If you know of something, contact Denzil at ...
And now for a list of "lost alums," people whose email addresses are bouncing back with a "not found" message. If you see your name here, you are, to paraphrase Steven Colbert, "lost to me." Please report your location. If you know someone on this list, please have them get in touch with me ...
Corey Weiss, Phil Latcholia,Doug Kim, and Jack Ginsberg (who wrote me on Friday that he was leaving his current job, but forgot to give me a forwarding address!)
Irina Lapin, who was lost and now is found again. (Thanks, Wes!)
Vanesa Lopez (Alcazar), who worked for Chiat/Day in Venice 88-91 then C/D/M-NY and back to TBWA\C\D SF. Vanesa is now running a fitness center for new moms in Peninsula, California. www.babybootcamp.com
Christine Corden. Sr. Business Affairs Manager in LA office from 1994 - 1999. "I worked for Dori Schiller, Elaine Hinton and Richard O'Neill. I left Chiat in 1999 to become a recruiter in LA and I work with Gilly Taylor (formerly Taylor Chiu)."
And the fabulous Amy Ward! "I was in billing in NY at the time of Jon Spurney, Janet, Yu Ling, etc...then as an account person with Mark Shafer, Annette Mcconnell, and Monica Burnick and Susan Goodman....etc."
from the Dede Dalton McMahon collection
Tom Harbeck, an account supervisor at Chiat/Day New York, in a new business promotional piece. I have no idea where Tom is now (if you do, please contact me), but from what I can Google, he is the former SVP, Sundance Channel and Nickelodeon Television, and currently serves on the Board of Advisors for iFilm.
I owe my whole career in technology to Steve Hunt, who was Chiat/Day's CFO back in the Biltmore days. He and his wife, Leslie (a.ka.a "Leslie Sullivan," who worked for me supporting the infamous Wang system) have become real estate magnates!
Writes Steve ...
I think I mention to you some time ago that, having failed at retirement, Leslie and I have embarked on new careers in Real Estate. We have selected two special locations in which to specialize. First, May - October at the Jersey Shore, more specifically the northern shore in eastern Monmouth County, which offer easy high speed ferry access to Manhattan, for those who can't do without the stimuli of the City.Second, November - April (more or less) in Sedona, AZ, a uniquely beautiful location for vacation, second or retirement homes. We even have Vortex's for the more spiritually inclined.
Providing a superior level of informed, professional real estate services to buyers and sellers in the Sedona and Verde Valley area. Sedona was voted the most beautiful place in America by USA Weekend. Whether attracted by the stunning Red Rock scenery, mild four season climate, the culture & arts, golf, hiking, the legendary cowboy films & vortexs or some combination of these, Sedona is truly a unique location for a vacation, seasonal second, or year round home or investment property. Surrounded by National Forests, Sedona is destined to remain a special place with special value.
To learn more go to...www.Homes-Sedona.com.
Providing a superior level of informed, professio
