Phil Dusenberry, the former chairman of BBDO North America, died on Saturday, December 29, of advanced lung cancer for which he was treated the past year. He was 71.
For more than two decades, the standard set by Dusenberry became the guiding light for the creative excellence of BBDO agencies throughout the world. From theme lines like GE’s “We bring good things to life,” to Pepsi’s “The choice of a new generation,” Dusenberry created advertising which touched the heart as well as speaking to the head. He was a lifelong advocate of advertising that featured beautifully filmed images, inspiring music, and poignant themes that created emotional attachments between consumers and clients’ brands.
For his creative contributions which helped shape the industry, Dusenberry received assorted accolades, the most recent coming in October when he was inducted into The One Club Creative Hall of Fame. He gained entry into the American Advertising Federation Hall of Fame in 2003. His campaigns over the years garnered such honors as ADDYs, Clios, One Show Pencils and Cannes Gold Lions.
Raised in Brooklyn, the son of a cab driver, Dusenberry attended Emory & Henry College in Virginia on an athletic scholarship but left after the athletic program was cancelled. He worked as a DJ at a local radio station and got into advertising quite by accident when the station’s only copywriter got sick. He joined BBDO New York as a copywriter in ’62; become chairman and chief creative officer of BBDO New York in ’86; and subsequently served as chairman of BBDO North America, a role he retained until he retired in ’02.
When Phil took over at BBDO, the agency took off as a creative powerhouse. Over the course of two decades, BBDO was named “Agency of the Year” on four different occasions by the leading industry publications and the agency enjoyed unprecedented growth, with the addition of such renowned brands as FedEx, HBO, Pizza Hut and Cingular. Dusenberry’s commitment to creativity was underscored by the phrase, “The work, the work, the work,” which became BBDO’s mantra.
His contributions to public service were equally impressive. He spearheaded the team that worked with New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani to create the “New York Miracle” campaign that featured humorous performances from the likes of Woody Allen and Barbara Walters to help raise the spirits of New Yorkers following the 9/11 attacks. He also led The Ad Council’s Freedom Corps effort urging volunteerism as well as the Council’s more recent “Don’t Almost Give” public service messages that ran this year. He served as chairman of the American Association of Advertising Agencies (AAAA), and on the boards of the New York Coalition for the Homeless, Silver Shield Foundation and the Twin Towers Fund.
Dusenberry’s creativity and brilliance extended beyond the advertising industry. He was a key member of “The Tuesday Team” that helped reelect Ronald Reagan in 1984. Subsequently, his 18-minute documentary filmed tribute, “Final Journey” became a permanent addition to the Reagan Presidential Library. A lifelong baseball and die-hard Yankee fan, he co-wrote the screenplay for the Robert Redford movie, The Natural. Dusenberry’s philosophy towards business and advertising can be summed up by the title of his memoir which was published in 2005, One Great Insight Is Worth A Thousand Good Ideas.
“Phil was indeed one of the truly great creative leaders in the history of advertising,” said Allen Rosenshine, former chairman and CEO, BBDO Worldwide. “He had an unerring instinct for the insight that elevates a good advertising idea to an emotional and human experience. He inspired people by example to never give up on making the work better and always shared credit for our successes with everyone who contributed. Our clients, our agency, and our industry were all his lifetime beneficiaries. Having Phil as a partner was one of the things I loved most about being in our business.”
Roger Enrico, former chairman and CEO of PepsiCo and the client with whom Phil worked the longest, remarked, “Working with Phil produced some of the most enjoyable and rewarding moments in my years at PepsiCo. The advertising he did for our brands helped make them icons of popular culture and added significantly to the growth of the PepsiCo enterprise. He was a great ad man and a dear friend. “
Donations may be made in Dusenberry’s name to the Coalition for the Homeless Development Department, 129 Fulton St., New York, N.Y., 10038, or to the St. Jude Children’s Cancer Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, Tenn., 38105.
DGA Feature Nominees: Audiard, Baker, Berger, Corbet and Mangold
The field of feature nominees for the Directors Guild of America (DGA) Awards spanning two categories is set. Nominated for the DGA honor for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Theatrical Feature Film for 2024 are: Jacques Audiard for Emilia Pérez, Sean Baker for Anora, Edward Berger for Conclave, Brady Corbet for The Brutalist, and James Mangold for A Complete Unknown.
The DGA also revealed the nominees for the Michael Apted Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in First-Time Theatrical Feature Film. The first-time narrative feature directors are: Payal Kapadia for All We Imagine as Light, Megan Park for My Old Ass, RaMell Ross for Nickel Boys, Halfdan Ullman Tondel for Armand, and Sean Wang for Diddy.
“2024 has been a truly extraordinary year for storytelling--and today’s nominees have created audacious and unique films that expand the possibilities of cinematic excellence,” said DGA president Lesli Linka Glatter. “I am thrilled to congratulate all our nominated directors for their brilliant work, which is visionary, inspirational and speaks to the depth of the human experience. To be chosen by one’s peers is the true marker of outstanding directorial achievement and what makes these nominations so very special.”
The winners will be announced at the 77th Annual DGA Awards on Saturday, February 8.
Here’s a fuller rundown of the nominees in both DGA Award categories:
THEATRICAL FEATURE FILM
Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Theatrical Feature Film for 2024 (in alphabetical order):
JACQUES AUDIARD
Emilia Pérez
(Netflix)
SEAN... Read More