When a person works in an advertising agency, this person has the opportunity to work with probably the most intelligent and creative group of people in an office environment. I had that opportunity: at Cargill, Wilson and Acree, a subsidiary of Doyle Dane Bernbach (DDB), New York.
When I was working at Cargill, in Atlanta, I started something that turned out to be more far-reaching than I had intended. Eventually, an article was written about it in Adweek.
This far-reaching act on my part was called The Wall.
I set up “The Wall” as a place where coworkers, passersby and friends could come into my office and write one or two line quotations on the large blank pieces of paper I had tacked up on my office walls.
These large drawing papers on my office walls soon grew in numbers, enough to cover my entire office. Every time I changed offices, so did The Wall.
The “quotes” were not those of famous people. But some funny anecdotes. Things that happened during the day. Things that had made everyone present laugh. The agency would talk about The Wall in terms of “having a wallie.” (Then they would come rushing into my office and scribble it down.)
The Wall was so popular among everyone, including the principals of the agency, showing it off was a part of agency tours. (Even to perspective new clients.) The Chairman would stand there and read off selected lines and everyone on the tour would laugh.
A book containing quotations from The Wall was published.
When I left the agency, The Wall was taken down and rolled up. It is now yellowing in my basement. Vibrating with good times, stress relief, brilliant creativity and sometimes things that just don’t make any sense; I am absolutely positive that those folks who were working at or associated with Cargill, Wilson and Acree during those years remember it fondly.
This is a brilliant example of advertising at its best..
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Thank you, Pan! Well, I don’t know if it’s Advertising at its best………..but it surely shows the people in Advertising to be a very fun bunch to work with!
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Love hearing about all the interesting things you have been involved with. Fascinating!
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Thank you, Lorraine! Yes, that was my way of earning a living for 13 years. And a fun one at that!
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Impressive! Better than tweets
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Yeah, maybe the forerunner of Twitter!
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I remember this well, not as an employee but as a tourist; how innovative it was! Thanks for sharing and reminding again. The Wall was the first place I ever heard the expression, “some days you’re the statue, some days you’re the pigeon”- it cracked me up completely! But when I tried it at my own job back in Philly soon after, everybody just gave me a blank stare..it took them a minute to get it.
But now, after many years, that saying and its variations are still common remarks.
Good work then, and still a part of who you are.
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Thanks Kathy for commenting! I really appreciate it. I think you wrote this one: “Still water runs deep.(already up there) But the big waves are on the surface.”(Your contribution)
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I love this idea and reckon it could be put to good use where I work now – in a school! We could let the kids vent their frustrations – have a wallie – without prejudice. Fantastic.
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Glad you like it, Jenny! I think your kids would really enjoy seeing their thoughts up on” a wall.” It also has, as I said, long-lasting effects…to be enjoyed over and over!
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I’m priviledged to still have my copy of “The Wall”. You brought a lot of happiness!
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What a sweet person you still are. Yes, your quotes are up there too! We had a lot of fun. I admire and respect you more and more as the years go by. I know that sounds corny, but you had to hear it from me somehow.
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