INDIVIDUALISM SQUELCHERS(1)
by
HERB LUBALIN
"idea magazine" July, 1966 Seibundo Shinkosha
We live in a society, here in the United States, that acknowledges a man's most priceless possession to be his individuality.
Yet, American Industry and the advertising profession that promotes it (with a few notable exceptions), look with jaundiced eye upon any attempt at self-expression that attracts as much attention to the creative individual as it does to themselves.
It is unfortunate that the advertising designer and writer, unlike his less commercial counterparts, the novelist and the painter, often must remain anonymous for fear of superimposinghis own, sometime stimulation image over his advertising agency's sometimes stodgy one.
To carry this a step further, his agency then finds it expedient not to impose its carefully created, and sometimes stodge image over that of its client equally carefully created and almost always stodgy one.
Creative individualism is resented by the people who lack it.
Like, for instance, creative plans boards.
No group of individuals can be individual for the simple reason that they are middot; agroup.
Plans boards are, of necessity, a "team effort", because there usually isn't an individual contributor in the crowd.
What eminates from one of these" group thinks" is a little bit of an individual contributor in the crowd.
What eminates from one of these "group thinks" is a little bit of everybody's opinion, each of which is valueless and adds up to nothing.
This is the group of men that takes the chicken fat out of the chopped liver, because it's too rich for their chronic gastritis, little realizing that without it the ingredients fall apart. The plans board is the buffer estate between client and agency.
Its job is to keep him always in great expectation of the great things to come which it then keeps from ever materializing.
It is surprising how many talented art directors and copywriters are employed by our mammoth agencies.
It's not surprising how little of their excellent work gets out of that room.
The prescription for creative plans boards is group therapy.
"Black ans White" on Eros magazine. Editorial Design by H.Lubalin
Here's another rugged individualism squelcher.
The average account executive, of which most of them are.
He is the interpreter who translates to the client, the creative ideas of the copywriter and art director.
But.. .. he doesn't speak] their language.
To me, a great salesman is one who is continuously demanding a better product to sell and will go down in flames selling it when he gets it.
He must have the ability to recognize the subtle differences between good and great.
The average account man is satisfied with mediocrity. He believes everything to be great if he thinks it's what the client wants, and everything stinks if it isn't.
He is a staunch supporter of the creative plans board and is often invited to participate since he rarely has a creative suggestion.
He creates himself in the image of his client.
If he happens to have more than one client, he becomes schizophrenic.
He wears a number of hats and talks out of the both sides of his mouth.
His aim in life is to become an average account supervisor.
"Black ans White" on Eros magazine. Editorial Design by H.Lubalin
An Interview with Mr. Herb Lubalin INDEX
>>about "Eros" magazine
>>Family and Cooper Union
>>Best friend --- Mr.Louis Dorfsman
>>I love to create advertising. But...
>>about "un-graphic", "non-graphic"
>>"I'm just beginning to do professional work."
interviewed in 1969
MY GRAPHIC LIFE HISTORY
| Designed exhibitions for the N. Y. World's Fair. | ||
| In 1941 | --- | Designed classified real estate and job opportunity ads for a small agency. |
| In 1942 | --- | Specialized in Book and Book Jacket designs. |
| In 1943 | --- | Art Director of Men's Wear Magazine for Fairchild Publications. |
| In 1944 | --- | Art Director for Industrial and Electronics agency. |
| In 1945 | --- | Joined Sudler & Hennessey, Inc. and specialized in pharmaceutical advertising and promotion. |
| In 1952 | --- | SH&L-Became partner and name was incorporated into company title. |
| In 1954 | --- | Started consumer agency for Sudler, Hennessey & Lubalin. Functioned as Creative Director responsible for both art and copy. |
| In 1964 | --- | Became fed up with advertising. Opened design organization, Herb Lubalin Inc. |
Heading my own organization affords me the opportunity, as an individual, to functio;;' in any area of design I choose. At present I am occupied in these areas: TV commercials, advertising campaigns, packaging, trademarks, corporate identification programs, film titles, architecture, interior design, point-of-sale, promotion, etc.
During the past ten years I've written many articles and delivered many speeches about advertising, design, typography, etc. I have judged almost every advertising and Art Directors show in the U. S., have lectured in most of our art schools and universities and taught many design classes.
Since 1953 I've received numerous awards in recognition for his work from the New York Art Directors Club, The Type Directors Club, the American Institute of Graphic Arts, Direct Mail Advertising Assoc., and others.
In 1962-was awarded the highest recognition in the field by the National Society of Art Directors-" Art Director of the Year".
