How I gatecrashed my way into advertising

Important Note: always use the front door.

^{By Rainmaker}

I pushed my way into the advertising industry in a case of mistaken identity. It seems all turbans are one and the same.

My friend Malkeet Singh was working as a Copywriter at Ogilvy & Mather and McCann Erickson had expressed their interest in hiring him.

Malkeet told me this and told me to try my luck. I showed up at McCann Erickson bent on getting my foot in the door.

They didn’t bother checking my background (4 years as a bartender and occasional 12-string pub folkrock singer) and I got hired as a ‘Creative Assistant’ for RM250 a month.

I operated a bulky 35mm projector, made coffee, listened carefully to job briefs and basically hung around volunteering snappy headlines to anyone who would listen or eavesdrop.

In four months there was a massive exodus of creative staff who followed the Creative Director to a new independent shop.

The creative heart of the agency was reduced to two Art Directors and me in the middle.

There was no stopping after that.

At my first industry creative awards night at the Hilton, I had my name on over 20 awards.

When Malkeet came over to congratulate us, my boss did a double-take but it was too late to get rid of me!

*This article is taken from the book Rainmaker: Making brands and people famous and furious for three decades. To get your copies, email [email protected]. Copyright © 2021 Sledgehammer Communications (M) Sdn Bhd.

_{This piece was the Editor’s Note for MARKETING WEEKENDER Issue 315}

APPIES Asia Pacific 2022 is happening in Malaysia!

Submission deadline has been extended to January 31, 2022.

Visit appies.asia for details, registration and submissions NOW!

After 20 years of evolving technology, shifting market trends, and adapting to changing consumer behaviour, the media landscape has nearly reached saturation.

We’ve optimised to the fullest, providing advertisers with abundant choices across technology, platforms, data-driven marketing, CTV, OTT, DOOH, influencer marketing, retail, etc.

Media specialists have diversified, but with more options comes the challenge of maintaining income growth. The industry is expanding, but revenue isn’t keeping pace.

Now, we’re at a TURNING POINT: time to explore and harness new sustainable revenue streams. While GroupM forecasts a 7.8% global ad revenue growth in 2024, challenges like antitrust regulation, AI and copyright issues, and platform bans persist.  

Collaboration is key: partnerships that thrive on synergy, shared values, and aligned goals are becoming increasingly essential.

Hence, the Malaysian Media Conference, in its 20th year, has assembled the partners and players under one roof on October 25 for a day of learning, sharing, and exploring.

 

REGISTER NOW