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.
“Se7en” Turns 30, Gets A Special Restoration From David Fincher For Its Re-Release
For David Fincher, seeing “Se7en” in 4K was an experience he can only describe as harrowing. That or a high school reunion.
“There are definitely moments that you go, ‘What was I thinking?’ Or ‘Why did I let this person have that hairdo’?” Fincher said in a recent interview with The Associated Press.
He’s OK with the film being a product of its time in most respects. But some things just could not stand in high-definition resolution.
“It was a little decrepit, to be honest,” said Fincher. “We needed to resuscitate it. There are things you can see in 4K HDR that you cannot see on a film print.”
Ever the perfectionist, he and a team got to work on a new restoration of the film for its 30th anniversary re-release. This weekend the restored “Se7en” will play on IMAX screens for the first time in the U.S. and Canada, and on Jan. 7, the 4K UHD home video version will be available as well.
The dark crime thriller written by Andrew Kevin Walker and starring Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman as a pair of detectives looking for a serial killer was somewhat of a career-reviver for Fincher, whose directorial debut “Alien 3” had not gone well. “Se7en” was not a sure thing: It was made for only $34 million (and only got that when Fincher managed to persuade studio execs to give up $3 million more). But it went on to earn more than $327 million, not accounting for inflation, and continues to influence the genre.
Fincher has over the years overseen several restorations of the film (including one for laser disc) but decided this needed to be the last. It’s why he insisted on an 8K scan that they could derive the 4K from. He wanted to ensure that it wouldn’t have to be repeated when screens get more... Read More