I have to admit that I was a bit late discovering the tv series Mad Men but after receiving the box set for my birthday I am firmly hooked. The intriguingly flawed, charismatic and amoral characters set it well apart from most of the rubbish that can be found on the 100+ TV channels we get these days.

While browsing in a bookstore recently I was very interested to discover the book that inspired the whole series. The book is "From those wonderful folks who brought you Pearl Harbour" and is written by the great Jerry Della Femina, one of the few surviving Mad Men from the 50s and 60s. Jerry mentions that there aren't many of his contemporaries around and if you've seen the way they drink, smoke, work and live in Mad Men then you won't be too surprised.

Jerry writes about the advertising world he moved in during this golden era, a time when the industry was much more accomodating of the various eccentric and sometimes, deranged characters that were attracted to it. This was still the case in Dublin up until the mid 90s in my opinion but sadly things have tamed down a lot since then.

Some of the anecdotes are unbelievable - the book's bizarre title relates to a headline that Della Femina came up with as an icebreaker during a fraught meeting to discuss Panasonic televisions. Some of the other stories he discusses involve nearly breaking a client's kneecap with a projector during a presentation and practically getting chased from a pitch meeting with potential clients in the hotel industry.

I'm not going to give anymore away but if you have any interest at all in the Advertising industry you really need to check this book out.

Posted in Television, Madmen, Jerry della Femina, creativity, advertising

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How to be a graphic designer without losing your soul by Adrian Shaughnessy is a book that every graphic designer and would-be graphic designer should read. The tongue-in-cheek title alludes to the main theme of this book; how to work professionally as a graphic designer while at the same time staying creative and enjoying yourself.

The author was himself a designer for many years and set up the very successful Intro agency. This experience leaves him in a prime position to outline the trials, tribulations and triumphs of modern designers. The advice is always practical and even when Shaughnessy delves into some of the more esoteric questions involving modern design he still relates it to real life experience.

There are plenty of interviews with some of the biggest names in the industry John Warwicker, Rudy VanderLans, Neville Brody) and they frequently offer a different, and often unexpected perspective on this career. The book is one to dip into time and again - as you can tell from our well-worn copy in the photo!

Posted in scapology, design, creativity, branding

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