I GET POLITICAL

One of the real world things I had to deal with as a young advertising executive was politics. There were people that ran for city council, there were organizations looking to reach the masses, there were publications that needed to survive and circulate. They were some of the types of accounts that were assigned to me. I on the other hand didn’t care much for them.

He said he  was not a crook

One day Larry Chait himself comes into my office, his long cigar punctuating his large massive frame, looking across the desk says to me that he needed a visual statement for a left wing magazine, but it had to leave people wondering. I was being asked to design a cover for this magazine’s newsstand editions, and have it ready by late afternoon to discuss. Washington D.C. was in turmoil at the time, and Richard Nixon was the cause. Scandal was about to break in Washington D.C. A young writer was assigned the job initially, but didn’t have the fire to ignite what Larry wanted, and time was running out. Could I come up with something? I said I could and when Larry left my office I said to myself: “WHAT THE HELL DID I JUST SAY?”

Getting hold of the writer I asked him what he had already, did a quick read and then it just fell into place. The whole concept of coming up with something that would fly according to the criterion stated by Larry was being met. Scandal was about to break in Washington D.C. and I had a visual, that needed very little else.

This is NOT the actual art work

Grabbing my coat I ran down to the NY Public Library and borrowed a black and white photo of the Capital building. Rushing back to my office the cab leaves me off a block away, and I run the rest of the way. I order a rush Photostat of the picture and create the cover, the dome, being lifted off the building with some smoke coming out. It was perfect, the boss was happy but more importantly the client loved it.

Tomorrow: WE MAKE THE DEAN’S LIST