Foxhole Blues

One of the many humbling lessons you learn in advertising is that YOU are not the smartest person in the room.

If you're a copywriter, you have a certain gift for twisting words, assembling them in the right order and composing a compelling, persuasive case that results in a purchase or a brand consideration.

If you're an art director you have within your possession certain skills that allow you to seamlessly mix commerce with design and concept, in a way few others can.

But when the shit hits the fan, as it does in business and in the real world, like the pandemic we are living in, there are other people, not exclusively possessed with the gift of gab or the gift of art, who can do what none of us can. They are the thinkers, the leaders, the strategists. They're the ones you want in your foxhole when the firefight exceeds anything in Michael Bay's wheelhouse.

Throughout my career I have been blessed to be surrounded by industry luminaries. Brilliant, not for their ability to ride the wave of good times, but because they were built to survive and flourish through the rough times.

I watched and observed Lee Clow maneuver the tricky joining of Chiat/Day and TBWA. It was a merger of masterful proportions.

I watched and observed my former writing partner Rob Schwartz, tackle the impossible, and through relentless grit and determination forge a plan to keep our $900 million Nissan account from leaving the agency.

I watched a trio of leaders at Team One, including Scott Gilbert, Tom Cordner and Mark Monteiro, navigate the swirling, choppy waters of the mid 90's when Lexus sent a CMO to the states who spoke barely 30 words of English.

And even on a more personal level, I've watched my wife and her friends coordinate grocery exchanges, supply swaps and errand runs with neighbors and friends, in order to cut down on our collective exposure to Covid 19.

In all cases, the approaches taken were characterized by an inner calmness, a willingness to listen, careful planning, thoughtful strategy and precise execution.

In other words, the exact opposite of what we see Precedent Shitgibbon demonstrating on a daily basis during his White House Mini-rallies, including:

* Dishonesty

* Finger Pointing

* Desperate Straw clutching

*Grievance airing

* And Dangerous Dissemination of misinformation

Ask yourself America, "Can we afford to be in this turd-filled foxhole for four more years with this sniveling, responsibility-shirking cockwomble?"