As we enter the new year, it’s tempting to look ahead, envisioning what might unfold and identifying key areas that will help to determine the course of 2008. To be sure, that brand of forward thinking was sprinkled throughout our first issue of 2008 as reflected in our Agency Creative and Edit & Post surveys, and in our report on “Labor Pains Or Gains?” relative to what might be in store. And this week we report on how the intellectual property (IP) debate is starting to heat up. Clearly IP will be a prime topic of ’08 and beyond.
But our present and future have also been shaped by the past and it’s in this spirit that we pause to pay respects to the contributions of a couple notable ad agency artisans who passed away during the latter stages of ’07 without being duly noticed.
These pioneers from what many regard as being the “Golden Era” were Joseph D. Lamneck and James Carroll. The latter was head of production at Benton & Bowles, New York, for 10 years before becoming an executive at Kenyon & Eckhardt. Under his aegis and guidance at Benton & Bowles, classic campaigns were produced for Crest toothpaste and Charmin bathroom tissue. Carroll also served as the liaison for the advertising industry labor committee.
A native New Yorker, Carroll served in the U.S. Army for the 101st Regiment, 26th Yankee Division, during World War II, after which he studied at Iona College in New Rochelle, N.Y. where he earned a Bachelor’s degree and later returned to serve as a trustee on the board of his alma mater.
Meanwhile Lamneck was a trusted friend of New York Giants football team owner and NFL pioneer, the late Wellington Mara. Lamneck rose from live television art director to award-winning commercial producer for Warner Bros., Leo Burnett and Kenyon & Eckhardt. His breakthrough campaign featuring Lee Iacocca telling America, “If you can find a better car, buy it” in the early 1980s proved to be an influential factor in Chrysler’s recovery in the marketplace. The campaign also helped to shape the CEO spokesman genre and turned Iacocca himself into a trusted brand name.
Lamneck also wrote and directed the film Champions of Life featuring many NFL athletes, which led Mara to create Life Athletes Inc., an organization that continues to promote virtuous life values with the help of more than 300 professional and Olympic athletes.
Both Lamneck and Carroll had the ability to tap into the audience zeitgeist, creating enduring pieces of communication in the process. And while we sadly report on their passing–just as we did in our prior column this month on the late great ad industry legend Phil Dusenberry of BBDO–it’s important we remember their contributions and learn from their philosophies, successes and setbacks.
Indeed the lessons learned by Dusenberry over the years yielded relevant advice from him on today’s ever evolving new media landscape. He recently noted that the more things change, some things remain constant. So much, he stressed, still comes down to creativity based on strategy, connecting with an audience and being true to the brand.
“Mufasa: The Lion King” and “Sonic 3” Rule Box Office For 1st Weekend Of 2025
The Walt Disney Co.'s "Mufasa: The Lion King" claimed the No. 1 spot on the North American box office charts over the first weekend of 2025.
The photorealistic "Lion King" prequel earned $23.8 million in its third weekend, according to studio estimates Sunday. Paramount's "Sonic the Hedgehog 3," which has dominated the past two weekends, wasn't far behind.
"Sonic 3" stayed close with a 3-day estimate of $21.2 million, bringing its total domestic earnings to $187.5 million and helping the overall franchise cross $1 billion worldwide. "Mufasa's" running total is slightly less, with $169.2 million.
In third place, Focus Features' "Nosferatu" remake defied the fate of so many of its genre predecessors and fell only 39% in its second weekend. Horror films typically fall sharply after the first weekend and anything less than a 50% decline is notable. "Nosferatu," which added 140 screens, claimed $13.2 million in ticket sales, bringing its running total to $69.4 million since its Christmas debut. The film, directed by Robert Eggers, already surpassed its reported production budget of $50 million, though that figure does not account for marketing and promotion expenses).
No new wide releases opened this weekend, leaving the box office top 10 once again to holdovers from previous weeks. Several have been in theaters since Thanksgiving. One of those, "Moana 2," claimed the No. 4 spot for Disney in its sixth weekend in theaters. The animated sequel earned another $12.4 million, bumping its global total to $960.5 million.
The Bob Dylan biopic "A Complete Unknown," dipped only slightly in its second weekend, bringing in $8.1 million. With $41.7 million total, it's Searchlight's highest grossing film since Disney acquired the company in... Read More