Final Friday marked 20 years of Marketoonist. On October 21, 2002, I printed my very first advertising cartoon, then referred to as Model Camp. It was a cartoon on the 8 Forms of Model Managers.
I had simply began as an Affiliate Advertising Supervisor at Common Mills, engaged on Yoplait. I emailed this primary cartoon to 35 co-workers from my cubicle on the 4th ground, linking to a e-newsletter sign-up.
I imagined this advertising cartoon sequence can be primarily for my co-workers within the workplace. However I quickly began listening to from individuals working in advertising in all kinds of firms everywhere in the world. I realized all of us share related tales and experiences on this humorous advertising business of ours (and enterprise generally).
Advertising is continually in a state of flux, with an limitless stream of shiny new issues to distract us. However the extra issues change, the extra they keep the identical.
Over time, I’ve cherished this communal feeling that we’re all figuring it out collectively.
I by no means imagined that this cartoon would have lasted 20 years, and definitely not that it will evolve into my profession. I saved drawing as I labored at totally different firms (Common Mills, Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream (Nestle), Technique Merchandise, HotelTonight) and elsewhere (Minneapolis, San Francisco, London).
In October 2010, I made the leap to deal with Marketoonist full-time, rising it right into a customized cartoon studio and giving keynote talks all over the world. This gave me the chance to satisfy lots of you in individual.
I principally need this cartoon sequence to be a reminder to not take ourselves too significantly. And I believe that laughing at a few of the humorous issues in advertising may also help us turn into higher entrepreneurs.
I’m grateful for all of you who’ve been studying this cartoon over time. Thanks for becoming a member of me on this journey and supporting me alongside the way in which.
Later this week, I’ll share an interview with MarketingWeek on a few of what I’ve noticed on this 20-year journey, and the backstories on a few of my favourite cartoons during the last 20 years.
“If advertising saved a diary, this might be it.”
– Ann Handley, Chief Content material Officer of MarketingProfs
Right here’s my first-ever cartoon on this sequence, and some others that come to thoughts:
