It was late last century, and I was in my sophomore year at Western Michigan University. It was the third day of spring break back home in Wilmette, Illinois. I was lounging on the couch, engrossed in a Good Times marathon, while my mind wandered to summer plans. Should I take up my old gig as the AV guy at New Trier, my high school? Or perhaps work landscaping with Horticare by Herbster for my best friends’ dad? I was uncertain, but I had faith that J.J. just might lead me to the answer.
As another Victory Auto Wrecker ad blasted from the TV, promising "cash for that old car," my mom’s voice echoed from two rooms away: “You’ll never get a job watching TV!” It was her subtle nudge to get off the couch and find a summer job more aligned with my Communications major.
A few hours later, having a catch with my brother David out front, our neighbor strolled by on his way home from the El. I recalled that he worked in advertising, and a lightbulb went off. Communications majors work in advertising! I asked him if there were any internships available at his workplace, Leo Burnett. Little did I know that Leo Burnett was one of the top ad agencies in the world—I was just drawn to the fact that my neighbor’s casual attire of shorts and a t-shirt seemed so cool and fitting to my own style.
He directed me to contact a specific person at Leo Burnett and promised to give her a heads-up. A few weeks later, while I was back at school in Kalamazoo, I received a letter (yes, a real letter) offering me an internship in Leo Burnett’s Creative Exchange Department. The letter explained that my role would involve viewing top TV commercials from around the globe, writing brief but detailed synopses of these ads, and organizing them in a database for the creative teams to draw inspiration from.
I could hardly contain my excitement as I fumbled for my MCI long-distance calling card and dialed my mom. Before she even had a chance to say hello, I blurted out, “Mom! I got a job watching TV!”
I knew J.J. would come through for me—DYN-O-MITE!
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