Paging Mr. Steckler

I love this letter.

I know it's been floating around the inter webs for ages now, but it resurfaced last week and I was reminded how much I love this letter.

In three short paragraphs, Mick Jagger, an accomplished songwriter, manages to encapsulate the entire drama of someone who finds themselves at the crossroads of art and commerce.

If we allow ourselves the assumptive leap to advertising, it's clear that Mick Jagger would be the ideal client. One who understands that great breakthrough thinking demands time, freedom and, most importantly, commensurate remuneration.

Think how different the airwaves would look and how little the Skip Ad button would be clicked or the DVR fast forward button utilized if we were given the same parameters.

The same parameters that produced this iconic piece of work.

That is not the case.

Nor is the most difficult part of our job creating such eye-popping material.

The hardest part of our job is convincing the Al Stecklers' of this world to take the leap forward with us. Something I learned quite recently.

Last week, an ad industry legend offered this choice piece of advice to students:

"Create as if you want to get fired."

We did that with one of our clients.

Mission accomplished.