REMEMBERING

One morning a few weeks ago, I was reading a newspaper article about a scandal, involving a director of an organization, and it brought back some memories.

It was the early 70’s, and I was a pup designer for a well-know world-class advertising agency, and we had a bread and butter account, which was an airline. The fact is we had two large airline accounts, one foreign and one domestic.

The domestic account was keeping us busy, designing new logos and brochures, travel plans, etc. My life was one of high-octane glee and pride. I was literally on top of the world. Working on the top floor of a 32 story skyscraper, across from the Seagram building, I could see forever, I was meeting a lot of famous people like Alexis Smith and the Postmaster General of the United States. Lunch was everyday on one client or another, and my bosses were showing great confidence in my ability to design and talk to clients. I was about to become a father for the first time, and life was beautiful. “La vita e’ bella” as the movie said.

There was an account representative for the airlines who was unctuous, slick and very handsome. He was oozing with success and glamour, and seemed to be evil in my eyes. He was in his early fifties, with blond wavy hair, nice suits and jewelry everywhere you looked on this guy. He had an after-shave that made ME want to kiss him! He was our go-between to the airline, in charge of special promotions.

It turns out my sense of the S.O.B. was right on. He was forcing kickbacks from my boss, and two other companies, in the tune of millions of dollars, and suddenly, the whole world was under indictment, as the news hit the papers and radio that the airline was involved in a scandal. My boss called a few of us into the conference room, closed the door and explained that it was an indictment, not a conviction, that we would cooperate and do whatever the government warranted us to do to rectify this situation. After all, we were victims. If we didn’t contribute to the kitty as this crook demanded of my boss, he would go elsewhere, to a more cooperative agency. We were in a position where we had hired more staff, had invested in the business based on his direction, and now we were stuck with this guy.

Turns out the guy escaped the government by going to Spain, with a young airline stewardess (sorry Mary Ann, but that is what they were called in those days), where I think he died. My boss had to pay a fine that destroyed his business, and I was looking for a job!

Today is St. Joseph’s day, and I miss those cream puffs.