The spot that made me want to go into advertising was the Volkswagen funeral procession spot DDB did in the 1960s. Perfectly written, cast and produced. I love the fact that Uncle Max left his entire fortune to his Volkswagen-driving nephew. Seems like you could run that spot today and make a whole new generation of ad geeks want to go into this business. —Steve Bassett, creative director, The Martin Agency, Richmond, Va.
Nike’s “Revolution.” Any job that pays you to turn one of the best anti-establishment songs ever written into a branding vehicle for a pair of sweatshop shoes, and stay at The Four Seasons, well… —Glenn Porter, creative director, Grey, New York
Oddly, it was a 1970s Arm & Hammer television spot where they told me I needed their baking soda to deodorize the freezer and clean the bathroom. I remember thinking, “These guys have a product nobody bakes with anymore and they have convinced me I need to buy this anyway, just to freeze it and flush it.” I knew advertising would be a perfect place to be creative. —Alan Eskew, creative director, The Loomis Agency, Addison, Texas
When I was 16, we had “career day.” I chose to listen to a doctor, a lawyer and a creative director. The doctor confused me, the lawyer told us that it’s okay to defend someone even if you know they’re guilty, and the creative director showed up 15 minutes late in a T-shirt and jeans. He went on to tell tales of how he created that tiny Purina Chuck Wagon that ran around kitchen tables trying to avoid that dog. That was always the commercial I remember seeing first when I was around 5 years old. What a sad career inspiration. Still beats being a lawyer. —Jay Russell, group creative director, TM Advertising, Irving, Texas
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