As anyone with a passing interest in Mad Men will be able to tell you, advertising was once a sexy industry, populated by creative talent with the ability to transform the way we think about whole industries. If this was the rock'n'roll end of the business world, its superstars were the creative directors.
In the UK, John Hegarty—a co-founder of BBH and TBWA London—shines as bright as any. This is one of the most eagerly awaited books on the sector since the "father of advertising" David Ogilvy put pen to paper. And Hegarty doesn't disappoint.
As an ad man, he knows how to deliver his key messages. He teases us early by kicking off his own story and then deviates into a manifesto for advertising. There are chapters on the power of ideas and the role of a creative director. And as readers cry out for a return to his own fascinating journey, he obliges.
Anyone looking for gossip on the Saatchis or other key players will be disappointed, but the book still entices. The balance of personal story and business text is well measured. There's better content here than in a whole bookshelf of Dragons' Den biographies.
