Ad agency self promotion ad — perhaps the best ever

On a recent episode of Mad Men in an acquisitive attempt to extend a lunchtime tryst, Don Draper asks Dr. Faye Miller, market research consultant, what she's doing the rest of the day. Turns out she has two meetings. One at Grey. The other at Erwin Wasey.

Never heard of Erwin, Wasey and Company? Consider this your introduction. The ad is from an old Fortune magazine. (As a rule, I detest long copy ads. This one's the exception.)

"WRITTEN AFTER HOURS"

It is after hours and most of the people have gone home. There is a chess game in the office of the production manager and a light still burns in the cashier's cage. From the outer room comes the untutored click of a typewriter—an office boy is taking the Y.M.C.A. course in advertising. Across the areaway a man bends over his desk, writing. A green visor shades his eyes. From his twenty-eighth story window as he glances up from time to time he can look down on the jewelry of lights. It is after hours, but he works on. He will whip his copy into finished form before he leaves. One of the layout men has put his drawing board aside and is going out to the elevators. Under his arm he carries a tissue pad. A new idea is stirring in his mind. It will be roughed out in pencil before morning comes. Six months from now you will feel it tugging at your purse strings.

It is after hours and most of the people have gone home. But out in Bronxville and Great Neck, in London and Paris, in Chicago and San Francisco—in hotel rooms, on Pullman cars, on speeding planes and ocean liners this company's people are thinking about other people's businesses, working for men who are all unaware such work is going on. A few hurried notes scrawled on the back of an old envelope tonight may be the key to next year's most productive advertising campaign. Between the acts at the theatre an idea may come that will make sales history. At home beneath the reading lamp a man may solve a merchandising problem. Once a famous trademark came back from a camping trip.

These are the phases of our service that perhaps not even our own clients have ever thought of before.  There is no mention of it in our Terms and Conditions. But all our clients have been the gainer for it and will be many times again. Why such devotion on the part of men who have already given us their day? Of no one here is asked more than he can do. The client does not require it. Again, why? Anyone who deals regularly with men will tell you this is the kind of work that money alone cannot buy. It is work done purely of free will and its real pay is pride in work well done. Those who understand the creative mind will know just what we mean by that. They know that the good workman, in advertising as elsewhere, asks no question save, how well can this be done?

Most of our men turned to this organization because they felt that with us they could approach their work in just that spirit. All of us here hold that good advertising is advertising which is seen, is read and is believed—advertising which makes friends, builds good will—advertising which returns to the advertiser his investment with a profit. To contrive with words and pictures advertising which can do these things is a challenge to men of fine talent and quick imagination who like to write and like to draw. It is not an easy thing to do, and if we have been unusually successful at it, that is because we love the job and have given it our best. The men who write advertisements for the clients of this firm would succeed in any branch of journalism. Some of them have been on university faculties. One has edited a newspaper. Others are contributors to the magazines. They know how to appeal to the public in the printed word. They know how to sell. The men who lay out and design our advertising are men at the top of their profession. They are men who, were they not advertising men, would be well known illustrators and artists. They know how to catch the public's eye by picture and design. They know how to sell.

The men in charge of merchandising and contract responsibilities are seasoned business men. One of them headed a great selling organization for many years. They know how to fit the wings of advertising to the fuselage of business. They know how to sell. Research department? Expert media men? Direct advertising department? Merchandising department? Export facilities?—We have them all. We have them all developed to a degree not equaled by any other organization that we know. And these departments are all essential in the rounding out of the service this house has made its own. But quite the finest thing we have to give to those who come to us for counsel is the high enthusiasm of our men and a devotion to their work which is measured neither by the dollar nor the clock.

This, too, was written after hours.

ERWIN, WASEY & COMPANY, INC., Advertising
420 Lexington Avenue, New York

how to get a job in advertising (conclusion)

Luke Sullivan says you do NOT need your first job in the agency business to be at some creative powerhouse. What you need first and foremost is to get a job where you can - and start working on adding good work to your book.

I disagree. (I started my ad career at a crappy agency and it took me years to climb out of that hole.)

The three examples I'm sharing today demonstrate that old saw, "when life gives you lemons, make lemonade." The first one is for all the art directors who write better than their partners...

LLOYD WOLFE'S BODY COPY: I'm an art director and I wrote most of the headlines in my book. That's not the way advertising is supposed to work. (Imagine if copywriters did all the layouts.) I'm looking for a place where I can work with good writers and do great work. If I were working with a good writer right now, he'd probably know how to end this.

Inspiration for those who are stuck in an account-driven shop... 

OUTSIDE: Whoever said you can't do creative work at a Chicago agency? 

INSIDE: I, for instance, have the chance every couple of weeks. VISUAL: Timesheet. 

Finally, some food for thought for anyone who wants to switch careers...

HEADLINE: Lee Clow thought my work was terrific. Phil Dusenberry wanted to see my ideas for Pepsi. Bill Westbrook told me I was the best he'd seen in years. Tom McElligott said I was destined for greatness. Jay Chiat was so impressed he offered me a job on the spot. Of course, I was in Account Management at the time.

BODY COPY: Chiat/Day, BBDO, Earle Palmer Brown. Even for a suit, they were great places to learn to write. And now that I'm writing, I'd like to show you what I've learned. Kevin Roddy, Copywriter.

how to get a job in advertising (part 2)

Once you've identified the ad agencies you'd "give anything to work for" (Step 1 in yesterday's post), find a memorable way to express that feeling.

BODY COPY AS SEEN THROUGH MY LOUPE: Okay, part of me wants to go to Fallon. But an even bigger part of me wants to be at Chiat. So if you'd like to see my work, give me a call and I'll be happy to hop right over. Mark Slatko, Copywriter

Before Jelly Helm was famous, he was sending prospective employers mailers like this.

A week after mailing this to Ron Anderson (he's the guy who taught Fallon and McElligott everything they know), I was working for him.

Remember, you're not the only person looking for a job. Which is precisely the reason you have to set yourself apart from the rest of the pack.

Tomorrow: Just a few more examples to help inspire you.

how to get a job in advertising

I'm not looking for a job in advertising, but if I were, here's how I'd go about it:

1. Make a list of the top three (or five or ten) companies I want to work for;
2. Create a separate resume and cover letter for each;
3. Send;
4. Follow-up.

Assuming you've successfully completed the first three steps, here's what you should know about step 4: Do not call -- I repeat -- DO NOT CALL the prospective employer and say, "I sent you my resume. I'm calling to ask if you received it." (It's a waste of your time and theirs.)

Instead, consider doing something unexpected. Something unconventional that will help set you apart from all other job hunters.

"Like what?," you might ask. To which I'd reply, "Something like this."

Yes, she landed a copywriter job.

Art director’s mailer to Chiat/Day.

One frustrated copywriter’s approach.

Tomorrow, three more examples to help inspire you.