Craig McNamara writes

A big inspiration to me in the later stage of my career  (why did it take me so long?)  has been George Lois , advertising legend and self-described creator of "The Big Idea." (And it's not just his ideas. Everything about George Lois is larger than life.) About 10 years ago, I put together a short presentation on some of his notable "Big Ideas" that looked beyond just an ad and made greater impacts on consumers and the marketplace. Take a look; maybe you'll be a fan, too. George Lois and the Big Idea.pdf from Craig McNamara

“How many words on Minneapolis? Twenty-thousand? Sure, no problem.”   One of the most important things I learned during my years as a freelance writer was to never define my scope of work too narrowly. I’d agree to virtually any writing project offered, as long as I could reasonably assume I could do a good job at it. That led to some interesting projects for both ad agencies and clients that went beyond the usual ads, commercials, and marketing materials that were a staple of my business. Most notably,  Twin Cities: Heart of the Lakes, Star of the North , a glossy coffee-table book for the Minneapolis Chamber of Commerce. Working with the publisher’s editor, on a tight deadline, I wrote those 20,000 words detailing the history of Minneapolis and St. Paul, the business climate, and the cultural, educational, and recreational opportunities the metro area offers.  My preface connected the task to one of my more vivid childhood memories:   When I was growing up in St. P...

It’s become a legendary example of how writing with truth and candor can make a powerful appeal. When Ernest Shackleton was seeking crew members for an expedition to the South Pole, he was said to have run this small ad in   The Times   of London:   MEN WANTED for Hazardous Journey. Small wages, bitter cold, long months of complete darkness, constant danger, safe return doubtful. Honour and recognition in case of success. – Earnest Shackleton.   Talk about painting a bleak picture. But as first recounted by Carl Hopkins Elmore in his 1944 book,  Quit You Like Men  (a biblical phrase exhorting one to be courageous), “so overwhelming was the response to his appeal that it seemed as though all the men of Great Britain were determined to accompany him.”    Wow, great story. Sadly, the ad likely never ran. Despite historians and amateur historians combing through all the publications of the time, no one has ever found the ad’s appearance. ...