Roger Sterling is working on a memoir, a copy cat of David Ogilvy’s iconic ‘Confessions of an Advertising Man’ (Basketcases may remember Roger was reading the galleys of this book in the Season 3 episode ‘Seven Twenty Three’). I highly recommend reading ‘Confessions’ – I promise many happy hours of discovering bits of what must have inspired Matthew Weiner and his scriptwriters. Some tantalizing items: in 1937 there was a U.S. ad agency with the first name of Sterling; a discussion of photos being more effective than drawings in ads (the start of Sal’s professional problems), the importance of having copywriting reflect the vocabulary of the average reader (one reason why Peggy is better at her job than those guys with college degrees), and how, when he launched his agency, he invited ten reporters to lunch (the book came out in 1963, giving Don absolutely no excuse for his frostiness with the Advertising Age reporter in 1964).
My dad was a huge fan of Ogilvy’s, and I found the book much more riveting than anything by the Nancy Drew machine. Example: one of his long-ago kin volunteered to be the one to tell Henry VIII that he was dying – but instead of having his head cut off (as was expected), he got a knighthood. Now that’s an ancestor!
A middle-class English kid, he was a scholarship student at Oxford, but flunked out, and spent much of the 1930s as a vagabond, working as an apprentice chef and door-to-door stove salesman (akin to Don’s experience selling used cars). The latter got him into advertising, thanks to an ad man brother. After a WWII stint with British Intelligence and a post-war time-out as a farmer in Amish Lancaster County PA (something I think Don, with his mysterious disappearances, would understand), he launched the U.S. branch of his brother’s agency, with no clients and a staff of two, and became incredibly successful.
Although Roger’s got the best lines in the show, he’s is no raconteur compared to Ogilvy. Although Roger describes the book as “a thousand reasons why I’m so great,” Ogilvy regrets his abortive Oxford career and other missteps. Roger, however, has struck me as one of those guys who was dropped on to third base and thought he hit a triple. I mean – how many times would you want to read: “I took a client to Restaurant X, where we got drunk. Afterwards I blew a wad at an illegal gambling joint, went to a strip joint, and then we were ‘entertained’ by some women.” His publisher probably won’t let him name names for fear of a libel suit. Don’t be surprised if Roger’s book is a flop and he terrorizes Jane and everyone at SCDP, except Joan and Burt Cooper, of course.
Speaking of Burt, I would much rather read Burt’s stories than Roger’s. What was it like to struggle to keep his agency alive during the Great Depression? Did he ever meet Calvin Coolidge (he had a photo of Silent Cal in his old office, gazing grimly at the art collection) or his favorite author, Ayn Rand? Why did he buy that ranch in Montana with the cows he loves so much? (And what’s up with those cows, anyway?) But in the end, I suspect Burt’s attitude towards preserving business history for posterity is (and I quote), “Who cares?”
By JB
11 Responses to “Will Roger’s ‘Confessions’ be a flop?”
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Roger probably could write a book about everything he's seen and done over the years!
I doubt that he will and I think he was just being a little jealous, what with Don getting the spotlight.
You mentioned Ogilvy's time selling stoves door-to-door. I remember reading about that in his book, but at least 20 years ago, I saw a short film on the A&E cable channel about it. (It may have been a training film for the firm, Aga Cookers.)
I don't recall the title of the film. It was one of those little "filler" pieces that A&E would show on an early weekend morning back then. I wish I had recorded it! I've Googled around online in an attempt to find it, without success.
JB… great post! As a marketing consultant, I am a fan of Ogilvy as well. Another "must read" for anyone wanting to dig deeper into this age of advertising is Ogilvy's "Ogilvy On Advertising."
While "Confessions" is mostly text, "Ogilvy On Advertising" features many of Ogilvy's actual ads as well as ads from other agencies that Ogilvy considered great.
Here's another source for Ogilvy ads:
http://www.infomarketingblog.com/category/copywri…
I promise you if you learn a little about David Ogilvy, you will absolutely admire the man.
It occurred to me that Bert Cooper was part of the youthquake of the 1920s (sexual & political liberation of women, Harlem renaissance, "debunking" Victorian values, etc.), so I am curious to see how he processes the youthquake of the 1960s.
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I remember Bert saying something to Don along the lines of “She’d love you” in regards to Ayn Rand, I always took that to mean he knew her at least a little bit, but I could be reading too much in to that.
It's a great book. Also read The Hidden Persuaders and Subliminal Seduction about the creative techniques of advertising. I read each of these in high school in an English class and went straight into advertising. As an account person – not creative though. And now I'm a writer. All because of Madison Avenue.
re: vocabulary
When folks from S-C talk about wooing potential clients at the Rocket Fair, Paul Kinsey utters a sentence including the word "behoove," at which point Don interrupts, looks at Pete, and says, "You do the talking."
Two more observations:
In "Sit Down, Have a Seat," Roger realized he had that "third base" attitude, so maybe he's working on self-improvement (however doomed to failure it may be).
Also, Roger's book furthers the theme of the episode. Ogilvy's book was itself a public relations effort. Ogilvy used it to sell himself and his firm every bit as much as SCDP needs Don to sell himself in the media.
I think that Roger is well aware of the "golden pork-chop around my neck" – great line!
Please note that it's Bert (Bertram) Cooper – not Burt
Count me with the crowd who loved "Confessions."
About Roger's (hypothetical) book, though — how much do we really know about his earlier years? Of course he is the son of one of SC's founders, but maybe there is more behind the man then we know. Either way, he's got wit sharper than a tack. I'm sure it would be an entertaining read.
I would love to read Bert's book. I guess he would never right it, though.