DDB. The Flame May Have Burned Out, But the Influence Still Remains.

Happy 77th Anniversary!

June 1st marks the marriage of art directors and copywriters. It's also a birthday—the birth of advertising's creative revolution.

After graduating from the School of Visual Arts with an art director portfolio at 21, I was lucky to land my first job there -- A 12-year gig and constant learning experience.

Bill Bernbach. Helmut Krone. Roy Grace. Bill Taubin.

The legends were still vital, inspirational, and hard at work. Just being at Doyle Dane Bernbach was inspiring enough, let alone being on the 8th floor at 437 Madison Ave alongside people I've studied and admired ever since SVA turned me on to advertising.

Here's some of what I learned:

The best way to get better is to work around people who are better than you.

(In this case, much better.) And to work with a bunch of creative friends who push each other to get better and have fun doing it.

Also, never stop - even when you think you've nailed it. To quote Jack Mariucci, another DDB boss and friend of mine 'MAKE IT BETTER!' (Even if you didn't know how to, eventually, you did.) And work late. Caution: These things tend to lead to long careers.

Students, if you don't know their work, start here: Helmut: VW ‘Think Small’, Avis ‘We Try Harder.’ Roy: ‘Spicy Meatball’, American Tourister Gorilla. Taubin: ‘You Don't Have to Be Jewish To Love Levy's Rye.’ Jack Mariucci: Michelin 'Because so much is riding on your tires.'

Who else remembers every time you passed Helmut's office, he was standing hovering over his iron pedestal drawing table, leaning on it with his fists, for what seemed like hours just to move type 1/16 of an inch? And then move it back again :-)

Cheers to my DDB friends and all DDB alumni!