Poetically seen the glass is half full.

A posting from Poetry Café

Michael Conrad is one of the most well known men in advertising. His fine career started 1968 as a copy-writer at Young & Rubicam, Frankfurt. After a few years as creative director he set up the agency “Lürzer, Conrad” together with the recently deceased Walter Lürzer (the founder of the “Lürzer’s Archive”). This agency was merged with Leo Burnett in 1980. In 1986 he moved to Chicago for Leo Burnett and as President and Chief Creative Officer was responsible internationally for global accounts such as for example Marlboro. In 1990 he was promoted to Vice Chairman and Chief Creative Officer Leo Burnett Worldwide. He had a became a fixed member of the jury boards of well known festivals such as “Cannes”, “AdFest”, “Clio” and “Golden Drum”. Since 2006 he is president of the “Berlin School of Creative Leadership”.

We met Michael Conrad in Vienna to ask him our most burning questions and to find the source of inspiration in his life.

How does advertising today differ from the advertising in Marlboro Man times?
The campaign around the Marlboro Man was excellently focused. The positioning of the cigarette as the most “masculine” was relevant in 1954 when it was decided – and still is today. Over 90% of the male smokers in those times preferred cigarettes without filter, although the Winston cigarette had been available for many years.

The „masculinity“ was well and uniquely translated with the Marlboro Man, with the cowboy. The theme never became boring and we re-interpreted it from time to time. Another reason for the big success was “Americana”: the Marlboro cigarette was not only the most masculine, but also the most American.
I think campaigns today are rarely planned longterm. Exceptions such as Red Bull or Hornbach prove my point.

Where do you think advertising will be in 20 years? What will advertising look like in future?
In the last 20 years fundamental changes have taken place. The Berlin Wall was fallen and with it many barriers in the minds of people. This, together with the digital communication technology, has changed much and will change advertising even more. Products and their quality of communication must enrich the lives of people in order to be noticed.

Whoever would like to change future communication and stay competitive longterm, can look to the most recent happenings in North America for best case studies.

2031: Successful advertising claims and owns an inspiring topic, communicates a relevant, innovative product and creatively makes use of all the opportunities of the media, from broadcast to narrowcast.

What inspires you and where to you find inspiration?
Tasks and challenges that deserve a solution.

What is Everyday Poetry for you?
For every person every day is full of small and large challenges, nice, horrible, amusing, tragic. A day is comparable to a half-full and half-empty water glass. Poetically seen the day is half full. Children absolutely adore when the pieces of their play tower lose their balance and collapse. Similar to Ai Wei Wei’s happiness when the storm hit the last Dokumenta in Kassel. As his tower was no more than a pile of rubbel, he commented that his work was much better that way (our comment: his sculptur “Template” which consisted of old windows and doors from old houses that were victims of the construction boom in China, was ruined in a storm).

What do you enjoy most in life?
To discover new things.

How did you get the idea for the berlin school of creative leadership? What made you start it? What do you find most fascinating?
The idea came in the beginning of 2003 after announcing my retirement when I was asked by the Art Director’s Club Germany if I could help with education and training.

They wanted to start up a type of “Miami Ad School” for the German young talent. I declined my involvement in that particular project, did however signal the necessity of training for creative leaders. The rest was good team work with Sebastian Turner: it became an Executive MBA. The faculty and practical training was to work in synergy – academics plus creative minds. The horizon was set for “global” on one hand and for “all creative communication industries” on the other hand, including advertising, media, journalism, the entertainment industry, design and marketing. The ideal class has 25 participants from 15 countries who represent all areas. We are soon celebrating our 5 year jubilee and are delighted about the achievements of our students, who give their recommendation to 60% of the new students.

My incentive of course was to help natural and creative beings in leading positions to realise fresh out-of-the-box norm-breaking ideas and to increase their desire and joy to spend their lives in creative communication industries.

Exceptional achievement fascinate me most and when they come from particpiants of the Berlin-School, my heart misses a beat.

Thank you very much for the most inspiring interview.

Michael lives in Zürich, Switzerland, with his wife Helga. They enjoy their three children’s creative progress: Anja (photographer), Josepha andPhilipp (musician).

A day is comparable with a half full and half empty glass of water. Poetically seen the glass is half full.”