The Ad Man Answers #58

Thursday + Gregory Huffstutter = The Ad Man Answers

This week, The Ad Man brings you the first half of a Q & A with Steffan Postaer, author of “The Happy Soul Industry” (Inkwater Press).  Steffan’s currently Chairman and Chief Creative Officer of EuroRSCG Chicago, part of the global advertising conglomerate, Havas. 

To those in the advertising industry, the name “Postaer” is akin to “Earnhardt” for NASCAR fans.  His father founded Rubin Postaer & Associates, the long-time agency for Honda, and his mother and brother both worked in the biz.  But Steffan didn’t skate on his family’s coattails, he’s won a slate of advertising awards for his work on Altoids, Heinz, and General Motors.  So without further ado, let’s bring on our guest!

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Advertising seems to be a natural petri dish for novelists -- James Patterson, Elmore Leonard, Libby Fischer Hellmann, Toby Barlow, and, of course, our own MJ Rose.  Coincidence?... or is there something about advertising that creates frustrated writers?

I'm not frustrated at all. I have loved to write (and read) since grade school. I wrote for my high school paper and three different college papers.  I dreamed of becoming a scribe for Rolling Stone -- changed my mind about half way through college. All the while, I wrote fiction as well.  In the early ‘90s, I won a couple short story contests.  We won’t get into my one act play (terrible!) or the screenplay I wrote about a murderous Santa Claus.  In terms of copywriting, I adore the craft but as Chief Creative Officer, I'm not doing it that much.  Writing novels is my version of gardening or golf.  In the end, a writer writes.

 

You seem to wrestle with the soul of advertising... on one hand it's a family business for you, on the other hand, you write about faith and your blog's tagline is:  "We make you want what you don't need."  Is this an ongoing struggle for you, or have you come to a happy place with your career and conscience?  How does writing novels play into that dynamic for you?

You’ve asked a major question – for me anyway.  In advertising we do indeed make “you want what you don’t need.”  We are playing with fire.  From a Judeo-Christian perspective, most all the 7 deadly sins are utilized in the formation of copy:  lust, envy, greed…

We are taught that coveting material things is wrong.  On some level we all accept this.  Yet, popular culture goes the other way.  Advertising is “hell bent” on turning people into consumers.  I don’t agonize over the matter but I’m deeply curious about it (obviously) and I find the tension well worth exploring.  Exciting even.  The Happy Soul Industry is driven by it.  God hires an ad agency and all hell breaks loose.  What a concept, right?

 

Two of the advertising campaigns you're most known for -- Altoid's "Curiously Strong Mints" and Matt Le Blanc's classic Heinz's TV spot -- both take a possible product liability and flip it on its head.  Did you initially set out to exploit those points of differentiation... or did that come from creative testing and/or product research?  Were the clients nervous about focusing on their potential shortcomings?

When Bill Bernbach turned a VW Beetle into a “Lemon” he essentially turned the advertising business on its head.   It was a revelation – that people will forge an emotional bond to a product despite its technical “flaws.”

Altoids are “so strong they come in a metal box.”  There’s “pleasure in pain.”  Once we opened Pandora’s Box, the Altoids campaign became a gift that kept on giving.

If you look at Heinz Catsup, they were making its slowness magical well before I got to it.  Remember Carly Simon’s “Anticipation?”  We merely contemporized the concept.  I wrote the Matt LeBlanc commercial in a bar, the whole storyboard.  God, how I wish I’d saved that cocktail napkin!  You can find the commercial on YouTube. It’s still great, despite the hopelessly dated special effects.

 

Who handled your excellent website for "Happy Soul Industry"?  Did you pull in favors with your designers at EuroRSCG? 

A former employee created the art, Justin Cox. The website was made by Inkwater Press: Masha Shubin & Rob Goodwin.  Inkwater also did my first book’s website: lastgeneration.net.  Both sites are wonderful.  Readers can find excerpts, press, blog reviews and even videos on them.  Most importantly, they link to all the online booksellers!

 

Why did you decide to create unique websites around the book titles, instead of the traditional author homepage?  Is that a strategy you’ll continue around future novels?

In retrospect, an author page would probably be wise.  However, my first book came out in 2003 and I had no idea about another.  Ergo a separate website. Lastgeneration.net was developed primarily as a place for people to buy the book.  I approached my second novel much the same way.  (After all, the subject matter was so different.)  As a site, Happysoulindustry.com is more robust, but so is technology and my experience with it. Adding music, voice-over synopsis, videos, press and blog reviews (including this one!) is an obvious improvement.  I have a third novel ready to go.  Maybe it's time for an author page!

 

What do you get out of blogging?

I created Gods of Advertising to explore the provocative themes found in the book.  It quickly took on a life of its own.  Writing for my blog has become a Godsend.  It keeps me writing.  It teaches me about social networking.  And yes, every so often, it sells a few books!

 

Next time, we’ll continue our chat with Steffan, discussing his marketing campaign for “Happy Soul Industries” and getting his inside take on TNT’s ad agency drama “Trust Me.” 

Trust me, you won’t want to miss it!

 

Gregory Huffstutter has been punching Ad Agency timecards for the past dozen years, working on accounts like McDonald's, KIA Motors, Suzuki Automotive, and the San Diego Padres. His first mystery, KATZ CRADLE is on submission while he's working on the sequel. The first 100 pages of his novel are linked here. For general advertising questions, leave a comment or send e-mail to katz @ gregoryhuffstutter dot com with 'Ask The Ad Man' in the subject line.

Comments

[SueB]

Stef knows the Trust Me team well. I look forward to this section.