I’m writing this in the clammy heat of Brooklyn, where my eldest son lives. I come here often to see him and my youngest daughter who lives in New Jersey. (Don’t panic – despite their astounding good looks I am not going to show you family snapshots.)

Tomorrow, I’m being interviewed by Clayton Makepeace who may be the highest paid copywriter in the world. Among other things we’ll be discussing the greatest sins marketers make.

The e-on commercial I was rude about is a pretty good example of one: losing touch with your customers – and reality. My comments drew a response from my old partner Glenmore – a copy of one of the most famous advertisements ever. Here it is.
This was aimed at business advertisers, obviously. But it’s peculiarly relevant to the e-on folly. Incidentally, in the very first edition of this rambling monologue, I showed some saucy pictures of Glenmore’s trip to the Royal Enclosure at Ascot. He still hasn’t told me how he managed it.

About the Author

In 2003, the Chartered Institute of Marketing named Drayton one of 50 living individuals who have shaped today’s marketing.

He has worked in 55 countries with many of the world’s greatest brands. These include American Express, Audi, Bentley, British Airways, Cisco, Columbia Business School, Deutsche Post, Ford, IBM, McKinsey, Mercedes, Microsoft, Nestle, Philips, Procter & Gamble, Toyota, Unilever, Visa and Volkswagen.

Drayton has helped sell everything from Airbus planes to Peppa Pig. His book, Commonsense Direct and Digital Marketing, out in 17 languages, has been the UK’s best seller on the subject every year since 1982. He has also run his own businesses in the U.K., Portugal and Malaysia.

He was a main board member of the Ogilvy Group, a founding member of the Superbrands Organisation, one of the first eight Honorary Fellows of the Institute of Direct Marketing and one of the first three people named to the Hall of Fame of the Direct Marketing Association of India. He has also been given Lifetime Achievement Awards by the Caples Organisation in New York and Early To Rise in Florida.

1 Comments

  1. Peter

    Drayton,

    I thought the interview was exceptional. But then, that’s what I expected considering the two involved; you and Clayton.

    Brilliant! Well done and great fun, too.

    –Peter Stone

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *