On Dec. 29, advertising legend Phil Dusenberry, former BBDO North America chairman, passed away at the age of 71 after battling advanced lung cancer (SHOOT, Jan. 2). I have several remembrances of him over the years but perhaps the most telling doesn’t require me to go all that far back. I connected with Dusenberry for the last time in October 2007 shortly after he had been inducted into The One Club’s Creative Hall of Fame.
He offered some valuable lessons for creatives today who are trying to navigate an evolving world with a mix of commercialmaking and new forms of media content.
“No matter what the channel of communication is, creative has got to be based on a good, sound strategic underpinning–and that applies to the Internet, outdoor, print or TV, you name it,” he affirmed. “Otherwise you end up with creative that isn’t relevant, that doesn’t do the job for your client.
“You can’t take your eye off that ball, of having a strong strategic foundation. That has to be your way of going forward and generating great concepts and creative.”
Dusenberry added that while new media prospects are exciting, there’s the temptation to get too engrossed in new outlets and forms in and of themselves. “Work is proliferating across a great many avenues of communication. It’s great to be able to reach consumers across different platforms, across all levels but you can’t get too obsessed with the platforms and lose sight of what’s important. You can’t take your eye off the ball in terms of image building and brand building–and making sure to give consumers something of value such as real entertainment.”
Indeed entertainment was a hallmark of Dusenberry’s work, a prime example being his Super Bowl endeavors over the years.
“First and foremost we were fortunate that we had clients at BBDO who wanted to be in the Super Bowl. There was one game where we literally had about 30 percent of the spots that aired during the game. I think we pioneered the way in terms of creating Super Bowl commercials that were entertaining and that people were looking forward to watching.”
While there are too many to mention, Dusenberry said he was particularly fond of his agency’s Pepsi work that aired on the Big Game. He cited as an example the classic “Archaeology” spot directed by Joe Pytka. The commercial takes us to the distant future where a learned archaeologist identifies assorted objects unearthed in an archaeological dig–that is, until he is finally stumped when presented with a dusty old bottle of Coca-Cola.
Dusenberry noted that he and his colleagues had fun in the business–something he’s not so sure his creative counterparts today can say. Noting that there are more restrictions on creatives now than during his tenure, Dusenberry related, “The unfortunate circumstance is that it’s not as much fun today as it was back in my day. I keep hearing that from my contemporaries and my friends in the industry. It’s just become a more dollars-and-cents, bottom-line business.”
“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