By Robert Goldrich

In April, Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, San Francisco, will enter its 25th year in business.
    But we’re not commemorating that in this installment of Chat Room.
    Instead our focus is on Elizabeth O’Toole, who’s been on hand for all but five of those Goodby years. O’Toole recently celebrated 20 years at the agency–the first 10 as a producer, and the rest in her continuing role as an executive producer.
    O’Toole broke into the business as a broadcast department secretary at Ogilvy & Mather, San Francisco, which then became Hal Riney & Partners (now Publicis & Hal Riney). She served as a coordinator there and eventually got the chance to produce some work although she didn’t have the formal title of producer.
    Then O’Toole was one of many laid off at Riney after a business downturn in 1988. But in retrospect, the layoff proved fortuitous as O’Toole heard of an opening at this then fledgling shop named Goodby, Berlin & Silverstein. Debbie King, Goodby’s head of production, hired O’Toole as a producer.
    “It was a major step for me to become a producer,” related O’Toole. “The difference is that I wasn’t with this big established agency but instead one that was scrambling about. I first took on some homemade production for clients like The San Francisco Examiner and the Golden State Warriors [NBA team]. I remember the Warriors stuff being directed by Rich [Silverstein] and Jeff [Goodby].”
    During her tenure, O’Toole has seen the ad shop with the at times run-by-the-seat-of your pants production become a world-recognized creative powerhouse.
    She reflects on that ascent as well as her constantly evolving role at Goodby, Silverstein & Partners.

SHOOT: Tell us about your early work as a producer at Goodby?

O’Toole: The initial work consisted of guerilla-style, agency homemade commercials we first did for The San Francisco Examiner, the Warriors, for Skippy Dog Food. I remember our agency crew going up to people in the street and asking them questions about dog food. We even went to the airport and put dog food through the security screening scanner. I have a fond recollection of this early work because it was like advertising film school. How are we going to make this concept work with no money? It was all about the creative here–and still is.

SHOOT: And then you “graduated” to other, more high-profile executions. Does any work in particular stand out for you personally?

O’Toole: One of my favorites was the black-and-white Norwegian Cruise Lines campaign directed by Carlton Chase [then of Ritts Hayden Films] and shot by Vilmos Zsigmond. It was cruise line advertising done without being on a ship and without dialogue–but with a Cowboy Junkies soundtrack [their interpretation of the song “Blue Moon”]. We weren’t showing people aboard a ship having fun on the deck or in the gym. The brief simply called for beautiful destinations. The film looked and felt elegant, capturing people in beautiful destinations with the theme being, “It’s different out here.”
    Meeting and working with [the now late Negro League Baseball star] Buck O’Neil also stood out for me. We did a Hewlett-Packard [HP] spot with him talking about change. Buck was a totally inspirational person.
    When I was executive producer on HP, I also oversaw all the +HP Brand Partnership advertising. It was beautiful work coupling partnerships with companies such as Toys R Us, Federal Express, Formula One and the U.S. Postal Service.
    I’m also gratified by the long running campaigns for Foster Farms with the talking chickens and the Emerald Nuts stuff we did on the Super Bowl, including last year’s Robert Goulet spot. We’ve continued with that client on a different creative path this year, the newest Nuts stuff being directed by Brian Lee Hughes [of Furlined].

SHOOT: How has your role as an agency executive producer changed over the years?

O’Toole: When I first became an executive producer, I was responsible and accountable for TV. Now my responsibilities encompass much more–all aspects of print, interactive and TV. And you have to know about all aspects so that you can better produce the TV. You’re integrating and communicating constantly with all people–clients, planners, creatives, account people, other producers, interactive producers.
    But what’s great is that while I’m executive producer on some business, I still get to hands-on produce other business. I just wrapped a Hyundai campaign as a producer, working with our agency’s executive producer on that business, Tod Puckett.
    We also now have an interactive department, which didn’t exist for most of my time here. The producers there are learning from the broadcast producers and we are learning from them. We’re working together on shoots to get the maximum on the broadcast and interactive sides during filming. We strive to make all the work feel right and work together as an integrated campaign. I love the fact that I am still learning new things.

SHOOT: What about your role has stayed the same during your lengthy tenure at Goodby?

O’Toole: When I came here, the agency had about 30 people on staff. Now, counting some freelancers, we’re at around 600. There are 39 full-time people in the broadcast department alone. Yet even with the growth in numbers, the feeling is still the same as when I first joined. The work still feels very homemade, very hands on. There’s the same attitude of let’s figure out how to do complete justice to the concept. Not too long ago many people here came together to make a really fun pitch video for the Comcast business. It felt just like the homemade work we did when I first came here. And Jeff [Goodby] and Rich [Silverstein] are just as accessible as they were from the very start here. I can walk into their offices, call them on the phone and count on their help.

SHOOT: Who are your mentors?

O’Toole: I learn everyday from Cindy Fluitt, our director of broadcast production. I’ve known her for 25 years, dating back to when I was at Riney. I had the good fortune to learn from the best in Debbie King, our director of broadcast production prior to Cindy. Debbie retired a few years ago. And then there’s Barbro Eddy, another executive producer here. I used to be her coordinator at Riney. I’ve been lucky to be surrounded by these great icon producers. They’ve all helped me to grow.

SHOOT:  And in turn you look to help the younger producers.

O’Toole: I love to teach the younger producers here. But it’s not so much them learning how to produce. It’s more about their learning how we work at Goodby. The culture here is so home grown.

SHOOT: Define that agency culture.

O’Toole: I work for Jeff and Rich. And it’s all about the work. If the work is in danger of being compromised, you do whatever you can to preserve it. That’s all I know. I will always fall on my sword for whatever the creative is. I’m told that’s not the way it is at many other places.

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