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.”
Netflix Series “The Leopard” Spots Classic Italian Novel, Remakes It As A Sumptuous Period Drama
"The Leopard," a new Netflix series, takes the classic Italian novel by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa and transforms it into a sumptuous period piece showing the struggles of the aristocracy in 19th-century Sicily, during tumultuous social upheavals as their way of life is crumbling around them.
Tom Shankland, who directs four of the eight episodes, had the courage to attempt his own version of what is one of the most popular films in Italian history. The 1963 movie "The Leopard," directed by Luchino Visconti, starring Burt Lancaster, Alain Delon and Claudia Cardinale, won the Palme d'Or in Cannes.
One Italian critic said that it would be the equivalent of a director in the United States taking "Gone with the Wind" and turning it into a series, but Shankland wasn't the least bit intimidated.
He said that he didn't think of anything other than his own passion for the project, which grew out of his love of the book. His father was a university professor of Italian literature in England, and as a child, he loved the book and traveling to Sicily with his family.
The book tells the story of Don Fabrizio Corbera, the Prince of Salina, a tall, handsome, wealthy aristocrat who owns palaces and land across Sicily.
His comfortable world is shaken with the invasion of Sicily in 1860 by Giuseppe Garibaldi, who was to overthrow the Bourbon king in Naples and bring about the Unification of Italy.
The prince's family leads an opulent life in their magnificent palaces with servants and peasants kowtowing to their every need. They spend their time at opulent banquets and lavish balls with their fellow aristocrats.
Shankland has made the series into a visual feast with tables heaped with food, elaborate gardens and sensuous costumes.... Read More