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After 44 years in the business, creating some of advertising’s most iconic work, David Lubars deserves to do nothing for a while.
Lubars is set to retire from his post as chairman and chief creative officer of BBDO Worldwide, and he told ADWEEK that as he starts his retirement, he’s going to do nothing, “and then after I do that, I’m going to rest.”
Lubars said that BBDO has been on a 20-year sprint that has been “mostly great,” but now feels he needs to walk, and this industry doesn’t know how to slow down.
He has been part of many memorable and award-winning campaigns, from the “Herding Cats” Super Bowl spot to the “You’re Not You When You’re Hungry” Snickers platform to M&M’s campaigns.
Andrew Robertson, president and CEO of BBDO Worldwide, who persuaded Lubars to rejoin the agency in 2004, said in a statement, “There’s no question that David is one of the world’s most talented writers, but his real gifts are his ability to catch ideas and see the potential in other people’s work, then to help them take it from good to great. That’s why so many amazingly talented people have wanted to work with him, both in New York and across our network.”
A legacy of ‘unlearning’
Most industry legends want to leave a legacy of great work and learning to the industry. Lubars has that catalog of exceptional work, but he’d like to be remembered for the concept of “unlearning.”
“Instead of being stuck in the tropes and the things that everybody does over and over again, what is the uncharted territory that a client can show up and really surprise and delight? You have to learn everything, but then unlearn and cut a path,” said Lubars.
The industry has taught him a few things as well, from being patient to staying even keeled.
“Don’t ever get too high. Don’t get too low. Just stay even no matter what’s going on. As many songwriters [have sung], ‘Keep on keepin’ on,’” Lubars said.
Part of Lubars’ legacy will be what he leaves at BBDO: a creative department buoyed by Chris Beresford-Hill. Lubars noted the legacy left at BBDO during the “creative revolution” of the 1970s with Allen Rosenshine as CEO and Lubars’ predecessor Phil Dusenberry.
He then built up the next wave of creativity at the agency with Robertson. He now sees Beresford-Hill, who recently rejoined the agency from Ogilvy, leading up the next wave of creativity at the network.
Beresford-Hill worked at BBDO from 2010 to 2018, and Lubars always pictured him coming back. “This next 10 years, I think he’s really going to lead the next renaissance with BBDO,” said Lubars.
Beresford-Hill, who was named chief creative officer of BBDO The Americas in December, will succeed Lubars as chief creative officer for BBDO Worldwide.
“Based on the work alone, David has a place on advertising’s Mount Rushmore. If you’ve been fortunate enough to work with him, you’d probably also consider him the most reductive, decisive and supportive creative leader in the world,” said Beresford-Hill in a statement. “If it weren’t for David’s leadership, I wouldn’t be here.”
Changes in the industry
Lubars has seen many changes over the course of his career, from the longtime mainstays of print, television and radio to the digital revolution to the current state of multiple channels and platforms and near endless tactics. He said he wouldn’t have stayed in the industry if it hadn’t morphed over the years.
“It’s new and different, zero sum every day, as opposed to defined channels. Now it’s confusing and kind of messy and foggy, and for somebody who’s ADD and constantly bored like me, that was a good reason to want to wake up every day and go in and figure it out,” said Lubars.
Lubars said that figuring out what’s new and what’s going to stick around is an ongoing challenge, and, of course, AI is a tool that the industry is still trying to get a handle on. He sees good uses in the technology, including one where BBDO was able to use AI to replace dialogue in a film.
“AI copied his voice, and nobody knew the difference,” said Lubars.
Favorite work
Lubars is a believer in the big idea that moves a campaign forward.
“It’s like a pyramid of marbles. What holds it together? A big idea. But if you don’t have a big idea, all these things scatter on the floor as unconnected, random dots that don’t make sense to people,” said Lubars.
Some of his big ideas have resonated for decades, and he counts plenty as favorites. To him, people respond to a good story no matter if it’s movie-length or a six-second video on TikTok.
At BBDO, the work his team did for Mars, Snickers, GE, FedEx, HBO and AT&T are all highlights.
He also counts his work for BMW Films with Fallon as some of the highest quality, as well as his early work with Apple under Lee Clow and Steve Hayden.
“I’ve had some great clients, and we got to make some great things for them,” said Lubars.
Lubars had many mentors over the years, from Tom Monahan of Leonard/Monahan, Jon Goward at Clarke Aronson Goward, and copywriter Penny Kapasouz at Chiat/Day, who did Apple’s “1984” Mac ad.
“She taught me the most important thing ever, I think. She said, ‘You have a nice book [of work], but it all sounds like you wrote it. And on Apple, it’s got to sound like Steve Jobs wrote it,’” said Lubars, adding that since then, he has excelled in writing in the voices of his characters and clients.
Lubars has imparted plenty of wisdom of his own over the years, and he has advice for the younger generation of creatives.
“Pursue the work, not the money, at the beginning. Because if you pursue a little more money, and then the work is mediocre, then that’s really a wall, you become sort of a commodity. And then once you do, it’s hard to undercut that,” said Lubars.
Also, having a healthy sense of paranoia helps.
“I don’t know who said it, but it’s brilliant. ‘The best people are always terrified they’re about to be fired, and the mediocre ones are always shocked when they are,’” he said.
Lubars departs his role having won over 600 Cannes Lions, 700 One Show pencils and seven Emmy awards.
