Author Archives: David Wojdyla

ANDvertising – what is it?

Ron-Anderson

ANDvertising is a word coined by Ron ANDerson, former vice chairman of one of the industry’s largest holding company agencies.

He encouraged ALL content creators who specialize in connecting brands with target audiences to “make ands, not ads.”

“It’s easy to make an ad that’s strategic,” said Ron.

“It’s easy to make an ad that’s creative,” he continued.

“But making an ad that’s both one and the other?

“THAT’S NOT SO EASY.”

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We love Flipsnack®

After spending waaayyy too much time researching ALL the third-party options for converting a PDF into an HTML5 flip book, we selected Flipsnack. It’s easy to use. Provides above average customer service. And is almost bulletproof.  

 

Graphic Design Career Day 2014 at KCAD

Ron-Anderson-Best-Quote
David Wojdyla, Keynote speaker, shares “Top Three Things Learned Since Art School” including this advice from Ron Anderson, the godfather of Minneapolis advertising.

EVENT: Graphic Design Career Day 2014 at Kendall College of Art and Design of Ferris State University
VENUE: Woodbridge N. Ferris Building Rm. 217
DATE: April 9, 2014
Photo by MATT GUBANCSIK
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An informal history of advertising lecture by David Wojdyla

This iPhoto slideshow was created using key slides from a lecture delivered by the luckiest man in advertising to students at DePaul University College of Communication on 12.02.13.

BACK STORY: Wojdyla, a native Chicagoan, began his career on Madison Avenue. After 15 years in New York, he got homesick. Today, after almost 15 years of owning an ad agency in Chicago, he has a pretty strong opinion about which city is better.

That may be one reason why he was invited to be part of an intense two-week December session at DePaul University College of Communication titled, “The New York Way: In-Person Agency and Media Visits and Analysis.”

This integrated marketing (andvertising) course came about when three forward-looking professors (Ron Culp, Ken Krimstein, Cristina Benitez) all with a different area of expertise (Public Relations, Advertising, Latino Media and Communication) decided to take students into New York City to gain a deeper understanding of the structure, operations and culture of agencies and media in Chicago and New York.

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“All creative work builds on what came before.” ~Austin Kleon

The two farmers in the Ocean Spray commercials have been on TV since 2005.

To me, they’re a pale imitation of Frank Bartles and Ed Jaymes (who were on TV from 1984-1991).

Here’s one of my favorites…

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How-To Book Coming in 2014

How-To Book Coming in 2014

Make room on your bookshelf (or on your Kindle) for a new book about the “Father of Andvertising” and how to “make&s, not ads.”

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Burning the Candle or Burnt Candle? Personal Brand Lessons

busySharing inspirational blog post about “Personal Branding” by author, Don McLean:

“Burning the Candle or Burnt Candle? Personal Brand Lessons.”

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Do you recognize anyone in this picture?

mentor-ron-and-a-few-menteesThat is, besides the guy front and center, Ron Anderson!

Ron, a.k.a. the godfather of Minneapolis advertising, was the mentor who had the greatest impact on my career. (And my spiritual life.)

I recently re-discovered this photo in my basement. Unfortunately, there’s no caption. So if you’re in this pic — or know someone who is — please help!

UPDATED 2013-08-20 at 10.19.17 AM :: THANKS, BOZELL ALUMNI, FOR YOUR HELP!! :: PRESENTING THE WORLD’S FIRST CROWDSOURCED PHOTO CAPTION…
rons-kids

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Actually, it was a nerve-racking declaration

July 4, 1776—The text is unanimously agreed to by the Continental Congress

When Ben Franklin said “Indeed we must all hang together or most assuredly we shall all hang separately,” he wasn’t being flip. 

Every man who signed the Declaration understood he might also be signing his own ticket to the gallows. (Yet not one representative of the Thirteen Colonies refused to do so.)

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Hey Michael, Say It Ain’t So

I just read in the Trib that you’re suing Dominick’s for $5 million b/c they used your name in an ad that ran in a commemorative edition of Sports Illustrated. Really? As I understand it, the subject of that special SI issue was “Michael Jordan and his induction into the Hall of Fame.”

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You can read the full story on page 4 of today’s Chicago Tribune. Or online here.
Is MJ being “greedy?” Cast your vote here.

Apparently, PETA still hates me.

A Campaign for Animal Research

20-some years ago, I volunteered to do a pro-animal research ad campaign for the Foundation for Biomedical Research. It got a lot of media coverage, won a lot of awards, and royally pissed off PETA supporters. (I still have their death threat letters in a scrapbook.)

Recently, I wrote a blog post it. And ever since then, I’ve had the feeling someone’s hacked my computer and installed icky stuff on it.

(It wouldn’t be hard to do. Until last week my password was “password.”)

This afternoon, a time-sensitive business proposal sent to a new client (using Apple Mail) didn’t go through. So I logged in to my Gmail account using Safari.

What I discovered turned a mild concern about malware into full-fledged paranoia.

The message I’d sent from my Mac had been (1) thrown in the Gmail trash and (2) replaced by a new one that was almost the same.

The one small – but important – difference?

The client’s email address had been changed just enough to make my time-sensitive ad proposal undeliverable.

I knoooow. It sounds unbelievable to me too! Kind of like something you’d see on CBS’ Person of Interest. But I grabbed a screenshot of the hack. So I know my 58-year-old mind isn’t playing tricks on me. (And hey, if White House Security can’t keep hackers from getting into Michelle Obama’s account, are any of us really safe?)

Anyway, here’s the point of the longest blog post I’ve ever written:

Does anyone know a Mac security specialist who is pro-animal research and more knowledgeable than this hacker with an allegiance to PETA?

If yes, have them call me asap. To the best of my knowledge, my phone lines haven’t been tapped. Yet.

DAVID WOJDYLA

W: 312-236-3800 | C: 312-545-5883 | H: 847-277-1959

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“You have one new message.”

“You have one new message.”

We’ve always told clients, “There’s no such thing as bad publicity.” But now that our agency is on the receiving end of that advice, well, I’m not so sure. Would you call them back?

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Paralyzed hockey player’s bold prediction may come true.

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“I keep my skates because I’ll use them again.
It’ll be awhile, but I’ll use them again. No doubt about it.”

Read about rats with paralyzed legs learning to walk.
Watch our decade-old PSA for research on animals.
Read about PETA’s reaction.
Read Travis Roy’s autobiography.

Best roller coaster ride in NYC

Best roller coaster ride in NYC

222 West 45th :: A play by Jon Robin Baitz & directed by Joe Mantello starring Stockard Channing, Stacy Keach, Judith Light, Elizabeth Marvel & Matthew Risch.

Leo-Arthur Kelmenson, mentor

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The ad guy who gently persuaded a reluctant car guy (Lee Iacocca) to get in front of the camera was inducted into the Advertising Hall of Fame last night.

Some people do good work. Some people work for good. Leo did both.

View a video tribute by one of his mentees.
Please share your comments and memories with others at the Leo-Arthur Kelmenson Memorial Page.