David Lubars is Chairman and Chief Creative Officer of BBDO North America, and this year’s Titanium Lions Jury President at the Cannes Advertising Festival. He started his career in 1981 and has since won every major creative award out there several times over, including a Cannes Titanium Lion, an award especially created to honor the outstanding achievement represented by the internet films for BMW produced during his time as President of Fallon Worldwide and Executive Creative Director of Fallon North America. He has also won 17 “regular” Cannes Lions and the Emmy for Best TV Commercial in America no less than three times. He has been named Creative Director of the Year 2000 in Adweek, and his BMW films are now part of MoMA’s permanent collection in New York City. David Lubars answered questions put to him by Michael Weinzettl for Lürzer’s Archive, covering everything from his career and future plans for BBDO, New York, through to his views on advertising today.
This interview was first published in L[A] issue 3 2006.
L[A] So, David, where do you come from originally?
DLI grew up in Brooklyn, New York. A black, Jewish, Irish, Puerto Rican, Italian neighborhood – a good mix.
L[A] Were your parents an influence in terms of doing creative work?
DL My dad was in advertising for a five-year span during the late sixties and early seventies. He was, and still is, a great writer. Worked at Doyle Dane, then Thompson. Did the only brilliant campaign ever done for Listerine, in my biased opinion. The line was “The taste you hate twice a day.” A smart way to explain how the ingredients that made Listerine taste bad were the same ones that made it effective. The uglier aspects of the business annoyed him, so we moved to Boston, where he became a teacher and, later, dean of the school of communications at Boston University. So I was around writing and creativity from the beginning.
L[A]Meaning you also got interested in advertising at a very early age?
DLWhen I was seven or eight, I’d go to work with my father on school holidays. He’d sit me on the floor with markers and a pad. It seemed like such a cool way to make a living. People smoked in offices back then, and I remember once walking to the men’s room, passing by someone’s office and smelling a weird type of cigarette smoke I didn’t recognize. This was at Doyle Dane in 1968, I think. In my teens, of course, I realized what it was. It was a different industry back then.
L[A]Who were some of your heroes in advertising when you started out and why?
DL Early on, there were people like Jon Goward, Mark Deschenes, Tom Monahan, Ernie Schenck, Penny Kapousouz, Steve Rabosky, my father. People working at the highest level of freshness, masters of their craft, but who also somehow found time to teach. Impossible to express the gratitude I feel. There was Lee Clow, too. I was very young when I worked for him, so we didn’t have too much conversation. I absorbed a lot by watching him, though. Chiat/Day had open seating and I didn’t sit too far away from him. He had a booming voice, so I learned a lot by eavesdropping. I’d listen to him dissect problems. Of course, you can’t learn how to create from anyone, that’s innate. But I liked how he could put his head in a place that would allow inspiration to come through.
L[A] You were creative director at Fallon for several years. Now, for more than a year, you’ve been at BBDO, New York. Can you tell us about the differences between these two agencies and agency cultures?
DL Both cultures are about the work, so they have much in common. But if there is a difference, it’s this: Fallon was nimble, quick and ready to sprint in whatever direction. If it had a weakness, it’s the same one inherent in any smaller agency, which is not enough mass, whereas BBDO has the richest depth of talent I’ve ever seen. But, like many big agencies, it came to rely on too much process, too many meetings, took too long to get stuff done. This type of environment makes it difficult to push beyond 20th century answers for client problems. We’ve reinvented ourselves as a faster, more responsive agency. Yes, we’re big, but fast and innovative. A global boutique, if you will. Not many large agencies can make that claim with honesty.
L[A] What was BBDO like when you first arrived?
DL Actually, I’ve worked at BBDO twice. I had been at BBDO West in Los Angeles before Fallon, so the agency wasn’t totally new to me. When I rejoined, it felt as creatively driven as before, but seemed to have lost some of its swagger. The challenge was to find ways to harness its creative energy and turn it loose in new ways.
L[A] What, upon your arrival, were some of the changes you found it necessary to make?
DL Our goal is to be a 21st century version of a kick-ass 60s agency, 21st century in the sense that we’re creating across all media, in all shapes and sizes. We’re asking our people to create forward. The 60s part is simply about a time when agencies focused on the right things.
L[A] You were involved in one of the major advertising coups of the past years, i.e. the BMW commercials that were to be seen on the internet only. (Commercials for these spots that were aired on TV came in the form of “trailers” for the main event, which took place on the web.) Can you tell us about the thinking behind this?
DL A coup? No. It was a clear-cut problem we solved with common sense. BMW was in a bit of a panic because they were having trouble reaching their customers, guys about my age who were using TiVos, DVDs, video games; who were traveling, working, raising families – everything but watching much TV. Desperation is the friend of creativity, and Jim McDowell, our lead client, told us not to just bring commercials, but something game-changing. I’ll always be grateful and full of admiration for the challenge he laid down. As I remember, we were sitting around a conference table one day and someone mentioned that 90% of our audience went online to look at cars when they were ready to buy. We thought, well, if our guy is going there, we should be there, too. It was that simple. Didn’t seem like an outrageous thought at all.
L[A] How did this campaign differ from the “virals” that are now all over the web?
DL Because it was five years ago, and it was fresh then. This was the first one that asked the viewer to seek it out voluntarily. Viewers made a decision to spend their precious minutes with our client, as opposed to the client imposing itself. That was different.
L[A] I read that there were actual plans for a feature film, a full-scale theatrical movie based on the BMW commercials? Can you tell us about this and why it never happened?
DL Yes, there were plans for a film. One that would be more like the original Ian Fleming, hard-assed James Bond novels, not like the dopey Roger Moore movies. We had a deal outlined with Paramount Studios. But, as sometimes happens, new executives who had different goals and plans for the brand joined BMW. Fair enough, you move on.
L[A] You received the first ever Titanium Lion in Cannes for this campaign. Was this award especially created for you at the time?
DLThe first year we entered BMW in Cannes, they sent the materials and the money back. We were, like, “Huh?” They said the judges asked, “Is it an ad?” I thought it was the wrong question. It should have been, “What is an ad?” If you’re using a new medium and you’re asking people to voluntarily seek you out, your ad has to be different. We were frustrated because the show supposedly rewarded out-of-the-box thinking, yet we were being penalized for thinking out of the box. But the next year Dan Wieden was judging chairman. He believed the work deserved to be recognized and so created a new category, the Titanium, to honor work that defied conventional headings.
L[A] And you’re the Jury President for the Titanium Lion this year. Can you tell us a bit about this award?
DL This year, the Titanium is returning to its original charter of rewarding work that breaks the rules, even ones created by famous award shows.
L[A]What do you think of advertising festivals in general? Are there too many of them nowadays? Is there a danger that creatives might be working too much in a direction they think will find favor with international juries?
DL There are too many, yes. It’s become like the Hollywood festivals here in the States. The Oscars, the Golden Globes, the People’s Choice, the Emmys, the this, the that … The result is, everyone in Hollywood wins something, which diminishes the idea of rewarding excellence. I like Cannes, One Show, D&AD, a few others. They are the real deal, difficult to win. The pieces in these shows usually reflect something purely human. No cultural or regional or linguistic references, just a universal, reductionist truth. For this reason, I think it’s probably good creatives seek approval from international juries.
L[A] You said earlier that, at some point, your father got annoyed with the uglier aspects of the advertising business and became a teacher. These “uglier aspects” … would you say they were the same ones as they are today? How would you describe them, and how do you yourself deal with them?
DL When you think about it, the ugly stuff has nothing to do with advertising – creating the advertising is the fun and easy part! Doing dumb work for dumb reasons is where things get ugly. It happens for the same reasons it always did: internal politics or a disunited group, or an agency only concerned with money or relationship issues with a client, etc. The only answer is to stay extraordinarily focused. At BBDO, it’s about the work, the work, the work – period! We focus on creating things that will help people fall in love with our clients. Things that’ll enhance the culture rather than pollute it. Things people will voluntarily seek out. Pursue this path and the ugly stuff sorts itself out.
L[A] So far, what would you say were your high and low points in advertising?
DL I’ve been fortunate in that I’ve enjoyed many more highs than lows. But I’ve certainly had some lows. Anyone reading this knows all too well that ours is a business of emotional extremes. My approach has been to just stay steady and not get too happy about successes or too suicidal about disappointments. My best advice for sustained creativity is to “Keep on keepin’ on.” Smokey Robinson, Dylan, John Lennon and others have written songs using this line. There’s wisdom in it.
L[A] If you hadn’t gone into advertising, what career would you have chosen?
DL I don’t know. At school, I majored in history but couldn’t see myself as an academic. I switched to journalism but found it – with all due respect – boring. Then I thought about pursing something to do with music. Doing what, I’m not sure, as I’m a fantastically mediocre musician.
L[A] Where do you get the inspiration for your creative work? Popular culture, books, movies?
DL Yes, from all those things. But, for me, the best thoughts come right before falling asleep, when you’re in that in-between ether. I keep a pencil and pad on the floor by the bed for when it happens. My wife stepped on the pencil the other day and poked her foot. Being Jewish, I felt maximum guilt.
L[A] How do you view the state of advertising in the US at present as compared to, say, 15 years ago?
DLA couple of months ago, Peter Souter of AMV/BBDO flew to New York to work on a project together. Unfortunately, he came down with a nasty flu on the plane so, instead of going to dinner with us that evening, he stayed in his hotel to recover. The next day, he felt better and came into the office. The first thing out of his mouth: “I watched primetime American television for 6 hours straight last night, the first time I’ve had the opportunity to do that. The hotel had 50 channels and I flipped back and forth between them all. I didn’t see one brilliant commercial the entire evening. In England, I’d have seen five or six.” Depressing, but he’s right. We and our clients must constantly remind ourselves that brilliant creativity will bring disproportionate results, that it is an economic multiplier. Creativity is the best tool we have, in whichever medium we apply it.
Desperation is the friend of creativity
L[A] Which of the campaigns (that have been developed at BBDO, New York, since your arrival there) are you proudest of?
DLI could point to FedEx, eBay, GE, Pepsi, HBO, Guinness, and a few others. But, truthfully, I get excited about things larger than campaigns. First, I like the fact that we’re giving clients bigger, more upstream ideas than we ever have before. Ideas that don’t just translate into great television but any medium – even ones that haven’t been invented yet. The new eBay idea is a nice example. “It” has found its way into TV, print, outdoor, packaging, digital, viral, guerilla, posters, installations, street art … everywhere that’s cool and appropriate. The idea is bigger than any single medium. Second, we’re able to come up with these bigger, smarter ideas because we have some great account people and planners who actually give the creatives real stuff they can use. The agency is coalescing around the idea of thinking and creating forward for our clients. Three, we’re getting quite good at print, a traditional medium that BBDO, New York, hasn’t been known for. We’ve just heard we have three finalists in the Kelly Awards, the important U.S. print competition, a good sign of our progress. Also, we did well in the One Show and D&AD in several print categories.
L[A] How has the BBDO culture changed to accommodate this shift in approach?
DLThis is an odd metaphor, but we’ve evolved into chefs rather than waiters. In other words, instead of writing down the client request and returning with what they ordered, we also bring sumptuous meals with amazing sauces our clients didn’t know they could have – but are extremely happy with once they get a taste. I’m getting carried away with the metaphor thing but you get the point. It makes us more valuable to our clients, and makes it exciting for our people to work here. We’re asking them to come in every day to create something that will change the game.
L[A] Is advertising an art form?
DL Interesting question. I’m not sure it is. I have a lithograph poster by Leonetto Cappiello from the 1930s, the one with the floating derby hats. No doubt it’s art. But I don’t know if he started out trying to create art or if he was using creativity to sell derbies. Those are two different things. Maybe it became art with the passage of time. If anything BBDO creates is eventually viewed as art, that would indeed be rewarding. The reality is, however, that we start out trying to sell derbies. The BMW films are now in the Museum of Modern Art in New York but they were created to sell cars.
L[A] Do you feel that “classic” advertising (print and TV) has lost some of its power as a result of the internet and the possibilities it affords for advertisers? In 1997, you were quoted in The Wall Street Journal as saying that consumers are like cockroaches. You spray them again and again and they become resistant. That doesn’t exactly sound as if you believe “classic” advertising can still deliver.
DL
L[A]What are some of the dangers facing these “timeless” ideas in advertising today?
DL I don’t really see any dangers facing great ideas. No one will argue that a brilliant idea, well-applied, can be worth millions on top of millions to a client. The problem I see is how to get paid for these ideas. Case in point: last year, we were invited to a pitch where the prospect proposed giving us a stipend in exchangefor owning our ideas – regardless of whether we were hired or not. The stipend was enough money to cover hours and maybe some foam core. We thought, why would we agree to give away million-dollar ideas for hours and foam core? We declined to participate in the pitch. The prospect was stunned. He came back and said, “We’ll throw another $10,000 on top of the original stipend.” We still declined. The client didn’t get that our ideas were for sale only if we were hired on fair terms. But this isn’t the part that bothered me about the episode. The thing that really gave offense was, the other agencies who were invited happily took the stipend and gave away their ideas. These are the same agencies having tantrums in the press about how they’re not paid enough.
L[A] It has been said that advertising nowadays is more art direction-based than concept-based. Would you agree? And, if so, do you have any explanation for this?
DL It’s not necessarily more art direction-based, but it is more universal idea-based. The U.S. has always been a melting pot, with different cultures and languages, and never more so than today. Now, with globalization, other countries are experiencing this for the first time. So you need horizontal messages that can reach out to all kinds of people – the human truths we were talking about earlier. I lament the death of skilled copywriting as much as the next person but, clearly, language can get in the way of communicating to different constituencies. That’s why you see more visual messages. Doesn’t mean they’re any less conceptual, though.
L[A] What, in your opinion, makes a good advertising creative?
DL Extraordinary natural talent, of course, but also an almost, but not quite, debilitating insecurity. The best people have trouble living in their own skin because nothing is ever great enough, nothing is ever smart enough. They worry someone else is doing something better, they’re afraid of disappointing the client, and on and on. It’s a tough way to live but the best ones are like that. I once heard a saying to the effect that the best people are afraid of being fired, whereas the mediocre ones are always shocked when they are.
