Faxes.
Magic Markers.
Hard copies of Campaign.
Offices.
Grant projectors.
PMTs.
U-matics.
Scalpels.
Memos.
Information Departments.
Flash.
Spray mount.
Chinagraphs.
Secretaries.
Pinboards.
Foamboard.
Lightboxes.
CS10.
Lighter fuel.
Paintbox.
Dupes.
10x8s”.
Contact sheets.
Proofs.
All gone.
Replaced by something that did the job better.
But what about all those great creative agencies, why did they vanish?
Like Collett Dickenson Pearce, Gold Greenlees Trott, Howell Henry Caldecott Lury, Simons Palmer Denton Clemmow & Johnson.
And Fallon.
From ’98 to ’08 they seemed to rule the world with ads that appealed to the public as much as awards juries.
They certainly haven’t been replaced by something better.
Maybe if you hit it big in a certain decade it defines you as much as you define it, when that passes you go with it?
Like Disco, Mike Myers and Pokémon GO.
Or maybe it’s chemistry, that weird substance created when the founders are stuffed into the same test tube, maybe it evaporates when they leave?
Laurence and I talk about this and more.
Hope you enjoy it.
FALLON.
Innocent.
Ben & Jerry’s.
Skoda.
Fallon.
BBC.
Lee Jeans.
Timex.
United Airlines.
Umbro.
Velvet.
Sony.
(The making of Sony ‘Balls’.)
(The making of Sony ‘Play Doh’.)
Tate Modern.
Cadbury’s.
Dairy Milk.
Creme Eggs.
101.
Bailey’s.
Suburu.
French Connection.
Drench.
BBC.
Kettle Chips.
Avios.
Art Fund.
MORE LAURENCE …
Fallon at 5.
Fallon at 10.
Terrific. Really enjoyed part one & two with my morning coffee here in San Francisco. Your ref to tools that have been replaced reminded me of starting out as a Studio Messenger / Paste-up Artist / trainee typesetter in London (1985).
Ten years later I arrived in San Francisco with a portfolio of ads made by creatives like the Marshall Brothers (I freelanced with Bean MC as I prepared to emigrate). While doing the rounds in SF – telling people that this is the kind of work I admired – I met Justin Holloway at Hal Riney.
Took my 16 year old son to his first Arsenal game(s) – Brighton and Villa – over Christmas 2025 and met up with Justin and his son.
Having started my own shop on July 4th 1999, during the time SF became the “first wired city” I found some of your reflections in this podcast especially interesting. I remember having a drink with Tim Delaney in North Beach when he and Bruce Haines set up an outpost to service Adidas. He was quite amused that I got my start out here flogging ads that Paul & Gary M had produced for him. I often feel like the last creative account man standing over here, so I must say I was inspired by where you and Laurence wound up. My two cents: I think the industry needs to hire more creative people who possess a little old fashioned chutzpah. Thank you for sharing! And thank you for keeping AI out of your chat!!!
Hey Mark,
Glad you enjoyed it, glad to be of service.
San Francisco 1999 – good place and time to start an agency.
I was going to transferred there in ’96 to work at Leagas SF, but my wife got pregnant.
Best,
Dx
It’s not often I see a useful aphorism, but I quite like “Let’s not allow the urgent to drive out the important.” Sometimes you just recognize wisdom that could have helped you decades earlier. I enjoyed this episode! Thanks very much from Fiona in Miami, Florida.
No Timex please. England to win.