Indiantelevision.com Team

(2 January 2008 2:00 pm)

MUMBAI: Phil Dusenberry, the legendary US ad wizard, passed away on 29 December of advanced lung cancer. He was 71.

Advertising Age named Dusenberry one of the "Top 100 Advertising People" over the past century.

BBDO US says that Dusenberry who was its chairman leaves the legacy of helping to create what has become simply the most creative agency network in the world. For more than two decades, the standard set by Dusenberry became the guiding light for the creative excellence of the BBDO agencies throughout the world. From theme lines like GE's "We bring good things to life" to Pepsi's "The choice of a new generation," Dusenberry created advertising that touched the heart as well as speaking to the head.

He was a lifelong advocate of advertising that featured beautifully-filmed images, inspiring music and poignant themes that created emotional attachments between consumers and clients' brands.

He pioneered the effective use of celebrities in the drama, not just pitchmen, and the use of user-imagery. His work for Pepsi with celebrities like Michael Jackson, Michael J Fox and Madonna is among the industry's most famous campaigns and contributed to his long list of awards including ADDYs, Clios, One Show Pencils and Gold Lions at Cannes.

In recognition of his creativity and achievements that helped raise the standards in the industry, Dusenberry was inducted into the American Advertising Federation Hall of Fame in 2003 and The One Club Creative Hall of Fame in October in 2007.

He joined BBDO New York as a copywriter in 1962, became its chairman and chief creative officer in 1986, and
subsequently served as chairman of BBDO US, a role he retained until his retirement in 2002.

Over the course of two decades, BBDO was named "Agency of the Year" on four different occasions by industry publications, and the agency enjoyed growth, with the addition of such brands as FedEx, HBO, Pizza Hut and Cingular. Dusenberry's commitment to creativity was underscored by the phrase "The work, the work, the work," which became BBDO's mantra.