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Cindy Gallop 10 Questions Advertising

10 questions with... Cindy Gallop, founder of Make Love, Not Porn

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By Doug Zanger, Americas Editor

May 7, 2018 | 4 min read

The media and marketing sector is ultimately about people. In this weekly series, The Drum speaks to professionals across the sector who are bringing something a little different to the industry and talks to them about what little insights they can offer the rest of us. This week's 10 Questions are posed to advertising legend and founder/chief executive of Make Love Not Porn, Cindy Gallop.

Cindy Gallop

What was your first ever job?

Assistant to the director of the Sherman Theatre, Cardiff. It was a temporary placement - only for six months while his permanent assistant was on maternity leave - and it was an executive assistant position, but it enabled me to familiarize myself with every aspect of how a theatre works.

Why did you get into advertising?

After several years of working 24/7 and earning chickenfeed as a theatre marketing and publicity officer, I was over it. I was marketing officer for the Everyman Theatre, Liverpool at the time, and I gave a talk about the theatre to a group of women on Merseyside. After the talk, one of them came up to me and said, "Young lady, you could sell a fridge to an Eskimo." I decided the universe was telling me it was time to sell out to the Establishment and go into advertising. So I did.

What’s the most surprising thing you have learned about the creative sector since working within it?

It's extraordinarily bad at applying creativity to itself - to how it redesigns business models, reinvents working structures and processes, and delivers on equality, diversity and inclusion.

What is your favorite piece of creative work ever from the industry?

Campbell Ewald's 'Footprints' ad for the Navy Seals. It delivers on two of my personal philosophies - radical simplicity, and communication through demonstration. It's product demonstration at its finest.

What have you learned from any mistakes you’ve made in your career?

Fire fast. The biggest mistakes I've made in my career are when I haven't done that.

Best book you have ever read?

Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov.

Gin or vodka? Or something else?

Vodka. Grey Goose martini, straight up with a twist.

Who is your favorite person to work with and why?

Right now - my consultancy client Karen Chong, director of audience and influencer engagement at AARP. She's brilliant, visionary, strategic, creative, pragmatic, witty, entertaining and just gets it on every possible level.

If you could ban one buzzword or piece of jargon what would it be?

Content.

What's the best piece of advice you have ever been given?

Get more sleep.

10 Questions With... will return next week.

Cindy Gallop 10 Questions Advertising

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