Information this week that Ted Bell, famed Advert Man who was an much more well-known creator, died in January on the age of 76. I labored with Ted for 3 years once I perma-lanced on Xerox and different accounts at Y&R, New York, and he was Inventive Director.
To be sincere, I used to be not a fan of Ted’s, regardless that he had made his status at DDB and Leo Burnett with some good work. However these days have been lengthy gone, and it was apparent that he was extra involved in pursuing his writing profession because the creator of spy thrillers that includes Alex Hawke, a British billionaire undercover agent, which was an apparent “Homage” to Ian Fleming’s James Bond, regardless that Bond was by no means a billionaire, however he actually pulled the birds.
Considered one of Ted’s favourite quotes was… “The one cause we’re on this enterprise is to promote.” One other homage, this one to David Ogilvy. The members of the inventive division used to check with him as “Commodore Bell.” (To not his face) This as a result of he was a member of the uber-expensive Greenwich Yacht Membership, and sure, he had a yacht.
His workplace was adorned with photos of him shaking fingers with everybody from President Reagan to the Pope. Maybe an homage to Inspector Clouseau’ s workplace. We at all times suspected, as within the motion pictures, these had been photoshopped. On the finish of 1999 he instructed Ed Vick, then the Chairman and CEO of Y&R he was taking a few months off to do a bit of non-public writing. He by no means got here again and shortly thereafter; his first of fifteen Alex Hawke novels was revealed by Simon & Schuster and he trousered thousands and thousands.
Which matches to show, you don’t should be Salman Rushdie to make the swap.
