Key Moments
Unlocking Your Creativity and Persuasion: A Master Ad Man on Tricks of the Trade
Tim FerrissKey Moments
Master ad man Chris Beresford-Hill shares creativity, persuasion, and career insights.
Key Insights
Early career hustle and persistence, like becoming an unpaid intern and cold emailing Mark Cuban, are crucial for breaking into competitive fields.
Cultivating taste and developing a strong personal standard, often learned from great mentors, is essential for creative work.
Creativity thrives within constraints; framing challenges and 'making it easy to buy' an idea are key to persuasion.
Embracing 'naughty' or unconventional ideas and knowing when to push boundaries can lead to groundbreaking creative work.
The process of creative execution involves embracing failure, learning from mistakes, and trusting one's instincts.
Collaboration, rigorous self-questioning, and a commitment to continuous learning are vital for sustained creative success.
THE UNPAID INTERN AND THE BILLIONAIRE
Chris Beresford-Hill's entry into advertising began with an unpaid internship at Modernista, secured by literally looking up agencies in the phone book. He convinced them to take him on for free, writing early web copy for General Motors' Hummer. His break came when he cold-emailed Mark Cuban for permission to use his name in an ad for the Dallas Mavericks. Cuban's incredibly quick 'go for it' response, coupled with Chris's proactive approach to problem-solving, not just the assignment, ultimately led to a job offer. This highlights the power of initiative, persistence, and finding creative solutions to obstacles at the very start of a career. It also demonstrates the impact of a well-crafted, concise message in capturing attention.
CULTIVATING TASTE AND LEARNING FROM MASTERS
Beresford-Hill attributes much of his foundational 'taste level' to his first boss at Modernista, Lance Jensen, a renowned copywriter. He emphasizes that taste isn't innate but a muscle that can be developed, learned through exposure to high standards and excellent work. This mentorship provided him with a benchmark for quality, teaching him to make work feel fresh, interesting, and compelling. Transitioning to Goodby, Silverstein & Partners opened his aperture to a wider range of creative approaches, from comedic to profound, while still maintaining core principles of freshness, interest, and succinctness. Good taste, he argues, is critical in navigating the vast landscape of ideas.
THE POWER OF 'GETTING AWAY WITH IT' AND CREATIVE RISK
Chris shares compelling stories of pushing boundaries, like the "drink your milkshake" Mountain Dew ad concept that evolved from a hypothetical Daniel Day-Lewis endorsement to a Will Ferrell parody, and then to a Shining remake with Brian Cranston. He also recounts the near-disaster with the Foot Locker 'Week of Greatness' campaign, featuring Mike Tyson, Dennis Rodman, and Brett Favre, which was initially deemed too complex and expensive but ultimately championed by a forward-thinking client. These examples underscore the idea that the most compelling ideas often feel slightly 'naughty' or risky, providing a 'physiological quickening' and a signal of potential success. The willingness to take calculated risks, even when facing legal or client pushback, is key to innovation.
REDUCING COMPLEXITY AND THE ART OF EDITING
Drawing from the wisdom of Apple's CMO, 'reducing things' is a core tenet of effective advertising. Beresford-Hill explains that clients often have a jumble of desires, and an agency's role is to strip these down to a compelling, core truth. This process of subtraction and distillation, exemplified by slogans like '1000 songs in your pocket' (for iPod, not Apple's direct claim but illustrative of reductive messaging), is crucial. It's about finding the magical essence rather than overwhelming the audience with features or facts. This art of editing, both in messaging and in post-production, is vital for clarity and impact.
NAVIGATING CONSTRAINTS AND THE COLLABORATIVE EDGE
While big ideas might seem unconstrained, Chris explains that creativity often flourishes within constraints. He notes that in large agencies, if an idea is strong enough, budget and resources can often be found. However, he also advises covering one's bases and understanding limitations. The key is to balance ambition with practicality. He contrasts the perceived allure of solo influencing with the power of collaboration, highlighting its role in broadening perspectives and fostering innovation. Experiences like the challenging production of the Budweiser "Made of More" ad, where internal fights and resistance overshadowed the core message, taught valuable lessons about collaborative spirit and the importance of focusing on the larger objective.
THE LONG GAME: LEARNING FROM FAILURES AND BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS
Beresford-Hill emphasizes the importance of a short memory for failures, noting that while he has experienced many, dwelling on them is counterproductive. He learned from the failed Napster 'Crash.com' campaign, where legal clearance was obtained, but the board vetoed it last minute. This experience reinforced the lesson to 'get the hell out of the room' before momentum is lost. He recommends 'Hey Whipple, Squeeze This' for aspiring creatives, and documentaries like 'South Park: 6 Days to Air,' 'Metallica: Some Kind of Monster,' and 'Conan O'Brien Can't Stop' for insights into creative process, team dynamics, and resilience. He also advocates for Alan Carr's 'Easy Way to Quit Smoking' and Daniel Coyle's 'The Culture Code' for personal transformation and understanding high-performing teams.
Mentioned in This Episode
●Products
●Software & Apps
●Tools
●Companies
●Organizations
●Books
●Concepts
●People Referenced
Common Questions
Chris landed an unpaid internship at Modernista in Boston by finding them in the phone book and offering to work for free. His initiative in cold-emailing Mark Cuban for an ad approval ultimately led to his first paid position.
Topics
Mentioned in this video
An NBA team for which the speaker created an ad in their program magazine.
The speaker's favorite movie as a child, whose real Mill Valley Town Center set was seen at Universal Studios.
The venue for New York Comic-Con where the speaker met Rob Liefeld and other comic creators.
A musician whose Spike Jonze-directed music video (Weapon of Choice) featuring Christopher Walken was an inspiration.
A type of shoe that was custom-painted in the Adidas campaign and garnered attention for being defaced.
A TV host and creative animal whose post-Tonight Show documentary 'Can't Stop' is highly recommended for inspiration.
A very cool, trendy ad agency in Boston where the speaker got his first unpaid internship and later a job.
A prospective client for whom the speaker would cold email with ideas.
A player whom the speaker played basketball with at a New York Knicks practice.
A player whom the speaker played basketball with at a New York Knicks practice.
A client for whom the speaker developed a Super Bowl ad for their Zero Sugar variant, initially involving Daniel Day-Lewis.
The specific product for PepsiCo for which a Super Bowl ad was created.
An actress who starred in the Mountain Dew Zero Sugar ad, remaking a scene from The Shining.
A then little-known comic whose live interview was interrupted by interns as a test for the Napster 'crash.com' campaign.
A gym in New York City offering intense workouts that the speaker uses to manage anxiety and improve focus. It's considered his best investment under $100.
The author of 'The Culture Code,' who extensively researched high-performing teams and cultures.
An NBA team cited as an example of an incredible high-performing culture studied in 'The Culture Code'.
Another Netflix special by Darren Brown, also about social engineering.
A sports media outlet the speaker considered contacting with the humorous anecdote about Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers.
The late-night talk show Conan O'Brien famously departed from, leading to his comedy tour.
A book by Allen Carr that helped the speaker quit smoking effortlessly and is highly recommended to others.
A soap company whose cluttered 'unibomber ransom letter'-style branding is an exception to conventional art direction rules.
An advertising agency where the speaker worked, noting their connection to Apple's ad agency.
An Image Comics artist, creator of Deadpool, whom the speaker called daily and later met at Comic-Con.
A comic book character famously created by Rob Liefeld.
An Image Comics co-founder and artist the speaker met at Comic-Con.
A music band that the speaker became a pen pal with after finding their recording studio.
The parent company of Mountain Dew, which did not purchase the initial Daniel Day-Lewis ad idea due to legal concerns.
Apple's Chief Marketing Officer, who emphasized agencies' role in 'reducing things' to their core message.
A design firm cited as an example of an incredible high-performing culture studied in 'The Culture Code'.
A holding company whose Chief Creative Officer, Rob Reilly, advised on bringing 'extra ideas' to clients.
The NBA team the speaker loved in the 90s, leading him to sneak into their practice.
A brand whose 'The Man Your Man Could Smell Like' campaign, created by Eric and Craig, is cited as a great example of linking a bat-shit idea to a rational strategy.
A hero director mentioned as a prompt for creative brainstorming: 'What is the ad my hero David Fincher would make?'
A mentor of the speaker and former Chief Creative Officer at TBWA in Los Angeles, known for the saying 'clients buy words'.
A basketball player who appeared in the Foot Locker 'Week of Greatness' ad, buying a one-way ticket to North Korea.
The NBA team the New York Knicks were playing against the day after the speaker's impromptu game with Knicks players.
An acclaimed actor who was initially conceived to star in an 'impossible' Mountain Dew Super Bowl ad without his knowledge.
A prospective client for whom the speaker would cold email with ideas.
A director mentioned as a prompt for creative brainstorming: 'What is the ad Peter and Bobby Farrelly would make?'
A legendary tennis player quoted for his empowering advice: 'Start where you are, use what you have, do what you can.'
A football player mentioned in a humorous anecdote related to Brett Favre's appearance in the Foot Locker ad, as Favre's starting quarterback in fantasy football.
A movie whose actual house was seen by the speaker on the Universal Studios tram tour.
Referenced as a basketball icon, whose Chicago Bulls the Knicks were playing against the day after the speaker's unexpected pickup game.
A military special operations force cited as an example of an incredible high-performing culture studied in 'The Culture Code'.
Chief Creative Officer of WPP, who taught the speaker the value of bringing extra, seemingly crazy ideas to clients after fulfilling the initial brief.
A person whom the speaker chose not to discuss in detail, but implied a difficult professional interaction.
One of the Hummer truck models for which the speaker wrote web copy during his first internship.
A movie for which water scenes were filmed in an empty water tank on the Universal Studios tour.
A city where the speaker got his big break at Goodby Silverstein agency.
A famous advertising campaign created by Goodby Silverstein & Partners, highlighted as an example of great creative work.
The iconic crooner and singer cast as an 'afternoon poltergeist' in the speaker's award-winning Super Bowl ad for Emerald Nuts.
A director whose music video for Fatboy Slim featuring Christopher Walken was an inspiration.
A client for whom the speaker's agency developed a US Open campaign involving custom-painted shoes, leading to a calculated ethical risk.
A documentary about the creation of South Park, offering insights into creative pressure and team dynamics.
A Metallica album whose creation was documented in 'Some Kind Of Monster'.
An East Coast sports store where Jed Berger started, giving him a non-traditional marketing background.
A movie about wheelchair basketball, referenced for its intense depiction of the sport.
A client for whom the speaker created a Super Bowl ad, focusing on peanuts as a source of energy.
Worldwide Chairman and Chief Creative Officer of BBDO, the speaker's best boss who taught him the importance of clear, consistent, and fast decision-making.
A fashion and sneaker culture publication that reported on the Adidas custom shoe campaign.
The fast-food chain whose 'extra value meal' Trey Parker used to bribe himself to write for South Park.
A book by Anne Lamott, recommended for its titular story about breaking down overwhelming tasks into small, manageable parts ('Bird by bird').
The author of 'The Easy Way to Quit Smoking,' known for his effective method.
A client whose ad agency (TBWA\Chiat\Day) the speaker referenced in cold email subject lines to increase response rates.
A player for the New York Knicks team mentioned (implied).
A book by Daniel Coyle on high-performing cultures, recommended for understanding what makes people feel they belong and can do their best work.
A Netflix special by Darren Brown, exploring social engineering to compel someone to commit murder, raising ethical questions.
A football player who appeared in the Foot Locker 'Week of Greatness' ad, making a joke about his frequent retirements.
A theme park in California visited by the speaker and his father, where they used a unique method to gain re-entry.
A book by Luke Sullivan, described as a 'micro-apprenticeship' for understanding the advertising agency world and creative roles.
A documentary recommended to understand high-performing creative team dynamics and chemistry in the face of conflict.
A TV show where Mark Cuban is a prominent figure.
An Image Comics artist and co-founder, mentioned as someone the speaker admired.
A comic book publisher whose office the speaker called daily in an attempt to speak to Rob Liefeld.
The legendary comic book writer and editor, who made an appearance at Comic-Con.
A magazine whose back cover the speaker aspired to have an ad on.
An actor featured in the iconic Fatboy Slim music video that inspired the speaker's ad.
The platform where the Robert Goulet ad achieved viral success, becoming the number one comedy video for a period.
An actor who starred in the Mountain Dew Zero Sugar ad, remaking a scene from The Shining.
A type of shoe that was custom-painted in the Adidas campaign and garnered attention for being defaced.
A boxer who appeared in the Foot Locker 'Week of Greatness' ad, receiving his ear back from Mike Tyson.
An advertising agency where the speaker worked for eight years under David Lubars, known for being one of the most awarded agencies.
The location where the Brett Favre segment for the Foot Locker ad was filmed.
The author of 'Bird by Bird,' whose advice on tackling overwhelming tasks by focusing on small steps is influential.
One of the Hummer truck models for which the speaker wrote web copy during his first internship.
One of the greatest creative ad agencies in the world where the speaker got his 'big break' and learned to be a chameleon with his writing voice.
The author of 'Hey Whipple, Squeeze This', a foundational book for aspiring advertising creatives.
An underrated documentary about Conan O'Brien's comedy tour after leaving The Tonight Show, showcasing his creative animal nature and obsession with craft.
A client for whom the speaker wrote website copy for the Hummer truck during his internship.
The location of a new development where the speaker's father attended a 4-hour time share meeting to get free Universal Studios passes.
Referenced as the 'old school' comic publisher compared to Image Comics.
The duo who created the 'Old Spice: The Man Your Man Could Smell Like' ad, cited as an example of effectively executed absurd advertising.
A film whose iconic scene was remade by Brian Cranston and Tracy Ellis Ross for a Mountain Dew Zero Sugar ad.
A software used by the speaker in the early days to design his own print ads.
A software used by the speaker in the early days to design his own print ads.
A basketball magazine founded by Jed Burger, demonstrating his cultural interests beyond traditional marketing.
A boxer who appeared in the Foot Locker 'Week of Greatness' ad, returning Evander Holyfield's ear.
The location where the Image Comics office was based.
A director mentioned as a prompt for creative brainstorming: 'What is the ad Peter and Bobby Farrelly would make?'
A competitor brand mentioned in the context of the Adidas campaign, implying that defacing Nike shoes to look like Billy Jean King's would garner attention without legal repercussions due to the positive message.
A file-sharing and later streaming platform that was a client of Modernista, for which the speaker developed an ill-fated viral marketing campaign called 'crash.com'.
A band featured in the documentary 'Some Kind Of Monster,' highlighting creative team dynamics under pressure.
The founder of Ton House gym, a former D1 and pro football player.
An illusionist and visual artist whose Netflix specials (e.g., 'The Push') explore social engineering and human manipulation.
A client for whom the speaker's agency created a campaign called 'The Week of Greatness,' aimed at making the brand cultural.
The country Dennis Rodman 'traveled' to in the Foot Locker ad, referencing his controversial real-life trips.
A client for whom the speaker created a wheelchair basketball ad, almost removing their names due to internal production struggles.
The outspoken NBA owner of the Dallas Mavericks, whom the speaker cold-emailed to get approval for an ad, leading to his first paid job.
The actor who ultimately starred in the Mountain Dew Zero Sugar Super Bowl ad, mimicking Daniel Day-Lewis's 'I drink your milkshake' monologue.
The arena where the New York Knicks were scheduled to play the Chicago Bulls.
An ad critiquer for Ad Age who ranked the Robert Goulet Super Bowl ad number one, despite his past head-to-head with Jeff Goodby.
A sports apparel company, referenced as a metaphor for the intense type of commercial the Ton House gym workout feels like.
A restaurant in Manhattan where the speaker regularly goes for breakfast meetings, considering it his best weekly $100 investment.
A film referenced for its set design, which was incorporated into the conceptual Mountain Dew ad pitch.
The co-creator of South Park, whose writing process (including bribing himself with McDonald's) from '6 Days to Air' resonated with the speaker.
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