Speaker: by Mrs. Lore Parker
Vice President & Copy-Supervisor, DDB
(Oct.15,1966)
Thank you all for honoring me with your presence.
I am sure many of you heard a Bill Bernbach, when he was here a few months ago, tell you about the philosophy of his agency.
He told you what DDB looks like from the top. I thought perhaps you might be interested to know what DDB looks like from inside.
You heard from the captain on the ship's bridge. Today you will hear from one of the stokers in the boiler-room.
If this sounds as if we work very hard at DDB --- that's absolutely right. It comes as so surprise to many people who think that the creative life at DDB is one round of fun-and-games.
We often get applicants for copy or art directors' jobs who tell us, "All my life I've dreamed of working at your agency. Here I could really let myself go and do all the crazy, far-out, funny, charming, entertaining things I really want to do."
And, they show us some sample ads they did especially for us that are crazy, far-out, funny, charming, entertaining --- and don't sell a thing.
The truth is that in the Creative Department at DDB we observe stricter disciplines and pour forth more blood, sweat and tears over each campaign than in any other agency I know.
Some agencies concentrate on searching out a strong selling argument. And they stop there.
Other agencies --- especially some of the young "hot" ones --- concentrate on attention-getting, entertaining execution.
And they stop there.
Bill Bernbach demands of us that we do both.
Say something meaningful --- and say it in a fresh, provocative way.
Now, how does a DDB campaign come about?
When I told Bill Bernbach that I had been invited to give this talk to you, I asked him if there was any aspect of the agency's work that he wanted me to avoid. I said I didn't want to give away any secrets. He laughed and said, "You know very well that our only secret is Ideas. Go ahead and talk about anything you like."
So I'll tell you exactly how we work.
First of all, how is the Creative Department set up?
Under Mr.Bernbach, who has the title of Creative Director, there is a Copy Chief and a Chief Art Director. Under the Copy Chief there are several Associate Copy Chiefs, then the Copy Supervisors, the Assistant Copy Supervisors, the Copywriters and the Junior Copywriters.
The set-up is similar in the Art Department.
The interesting thing is that all of us below the level of Bill Bernbach --- all of us including the Copy Chief and Chief Art Director --- carry a full load of account, a on which we write. and art direct personally.
Our supervisory work is a second responsibility.
So that, at DDB when people get promoted for doing good creative work, they don't get promoted out of that creative work, into some administrative job.
On the contrary, they are assigned more and more important accounts to handle personally.
When a new account comes in, or a new product is given us by an existing client, a team of copywriter and art director are assigned to it. Very often Bill Bernbach will make his own choice of creative team.
Sometimes creative people come to him and request to be given a particular account in which they are interested. But mostly assignments are handled by the Manager of the Copy Department and the Manager of the an Art Department.
These jobs are distinct from those of Chief Art Director and Copy Chief.
The Chief oversee the creative output. The two Managers oversee the practical aspects like assignments, raises, vacations, etc. However, they are both creative men themselves, and Vice-Presidents besides, and like the rest of us have their own accounts.
The work of Lore Parker
We picked 3,000 fragrant red rose petals to make one small bottle of Yardley Red Roses Cologne for you!
with Art Director: Bert Steihauser
