Marketing Moments Introduction: Ad Club New York president Gina Grillo
To celebrate the 120th Anniversary of The Advertising Club, we asked our industry to identify the most significant and transformative moments in advertising over the past 120 years. The response was astounding.
Gina Grillo
As you turn the pages of this book, which commemorates a wide range of creativity and impact on the industry, I think you will be struck by a few things.
First, the talent of the people in our industry. It’s their innovative thinking that continually leaves us asking ourselves things like: “How did they come up with that?”, “Where did they find an actor who so completely personifies that brand?”, “Who edited that spot?”, “Where on the planet is that location?” and “How did they come up with such great placement?” The craft of advertising and storytelling has been honed over the years and the level of sophistication we are seeing today through different media outlets and technology is mind blowing.
The partnership that takes place between marketers and creatives demonstrates that advertising is most definitely a team sport. As you will see in this book, the trust and collaboration needed to be able to tell stories and create theatre in a meaningful way, if done well, can be magical, and brave — and bravery is at the heart of innovation and those blazing a trail to the future.
The ability to move people to act on something and create movement for a product or a cause, to change and affect culture, is unique to our business. The power of communication should never be underestimated and its connection to pop culture is unmatched. There aren’t many industries that can have an entire world singing a jingle or a generation wearing the same shoes. Think about that. The connection we have to consumers, and the ability we have to influence culture, is truly remarkable. No matter how much technology comes into play, as things like VR and AI quickly become part of our daily lives, talent will always drive this business and gifted people remain our greatest asset.
The marketing community has embraced The Ad Club from its inception, and made it a part of our industry’s fabric — and we look forward to seeing what the next 120 years holds for all of us.
Gina Grillo, president & CEO, The Advertising Club of New York
Thanks to all of our founding subscribers who made this book possible: BBDO, Digital Pulp, Facebook, IPG, Ogilvy & Mather, Rocketfuel, Stillwell and Partners and Wieden + Kennedy.
The Marketing Moments book is available to purchase online.
