I saw George Lois being interviewed on one of the first Jimmy Kimmel shows at his new 11:35 pm time slot. Jimmy Kimmel is the “New,” “Fresh,” “Young,” face of late night and thus, is positioned by cable programming, to “own” the younger, late-night viewers. So, what was this late night star doing with one of the original Mad Men, George Lois?
I watched the interview and for further insight, reread two of Lois’ popular sellers: Damn Good Advice, about the sources of success in talented individuals and What’s the Big Idea?, on marketing tactics and buying habits. My take-away is that Lois was an original idea man and is still big time with creative thinking and new ideas.
George also had a great business mind taking PKL public in 1962, making it the first agency to do so. This was huge since the buzz, at the time, was that they were crazy, PKL could not succeed, no one would buy the stock, clients would leave, staff couldn’t be recruited and that it simply couldn’t work. PKL’s success story paved the path for those to follow. This past Sunday, a mega merger combined two advertising agencies to form a $35 billion mammoth firm, whose stated purpose was to be able to compete with Google and Facebook: Two companies younger than everyone on the new agency’s board of directors.
Things change, but sometimes stay the same. Idea creation is an age old process, but to grow and succeed you need new ideas and need the means, desire and ability to apply the ideas to get positive outcomes.
Ideas are currency in today’s world – Intellectual Capital! You need to be creative to get ideas, but you also need to want to get ideas and be willing to work at it. Surrounding yourself with creative people of all ages, reading and thinking about what can be, and examining everything to understand how it can be done better, easier or as a springboard for a more ambitious use and then doing something – that is how ideas are born, hatched and developed.
Dream, fantasize and imagine. Think, try and work at it – it works!
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