Comment from Phil Peppis
Time April 17, 2010 at 3:03 pm

Finally we hear from someone who actually was there. Nice job, unlike the MadMen crap. Your stuff is the best thing I’ve seen since Architectural Digest showed us Mary Wells and her
nice little boat.

Comment from Mad Mensch
Time April 19, 2010 at 9:21 am

Hey Phil, thanks for the kind words. You have the distinct honor of being my very first comment!
This week is the official launch of madmensch and I want to include stories
from all the great people who “were there.” Please send me any funny, provocative, insightful, menschy
stories you’ve got and I will post them with attribution.

Comment from Jerry C
Time April 20, 2010 at 4:00 am

What great reading and remembering the past. I love it. Keep writing and I’ll keep reading!

Comment from Mad Mensch
Time April 20, 2010 at 9:23 am

Thanks. The memories are propelling my fingers. I’m writing as fast as I can. :)

Comment from Hank Shaw
Time April 21, 2010 at 10:12 am

What a great read! I can hear Howie’s voice telling the story. Of course — having worked with him for the past 12 years — that isn’t always a good thing.

Congratulations on a great start, partner! Keep ‘em coming.

Comment from Mad Mensch
Time April 21, 2010 at 10:27 am

Hey Hank, wait til you see an upcoming post with me on my BSA 650cc badass bike in ’66. Were you riding then?

Comment from Nancy Shonka Padberg
Time April 21, 2010 at 11:57 am

Howie, Congratulations! My favorite meetings at The Phelps Group were with you – I knew I would learn something insightful and find a nugget of wisdom. Thanks my friend, I look forward to your blog stories! Hello to Carol – nice photo of the two of you in ’74! Cheers! Nancy

Comment from Mad Mensch
Time April 21, 2010 at 2:19 pm

Thanks Nancy, I’m having fun! Hope all is well – send my best to David.

Comment from Jill Atkinson
Time April 22, 2010 at 4:15 am

Howie – I *wasn’t* there until the late seventies, but thought I had heard most of the stories from some of the greats who were. Until I read your blog, that is. What a find. What a read. What a wonderful discovery. Thanks for sharing your stories … please keep ‘em coming. Cheers – Jill

Pingback from Tweets that mention » About Mad Mensch — Topsy.com
Time April 22, 2010 at 9:03 am

[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Sharon DeVellis, Leslie Ehm. Leslie Ehm said: Back in the 'ad' day. Check out this blog by a guy who was there http://ow.ly/1BFZY [...]

Comment from John Johnson
Time April 22, 2010 at 11:36 am

“drug days and Hollywood haze of the 80′s and 90′s”? Golly, I seem to have missed out on all the fun. Must’ve been at the beach with my metal detector. Looking forward to reading more of your blogs, Howie, and would pay big bucks to know who that blonde copywriter was that you rescued during the big black-out.

Comment from Mad Mensch
Time April 22, 2010 at 12:09 pm

Hi John, I’m about to become a blogging fool. Follow me everywhere. I wish I could tell you who the blond was, but it was dark.

Comment from Mad Mensch
Time April 22, 2010 at 12:12 pm

Lots more to come, Jill. Can’t wait to share. And thanks for following.

Comment from Ed Chambliss
Time April 22, 2010 at 4:05 pm

Congrats, Howie. Who knew you could write copy this long? ;)
Looking forward to the stories about the PETCO years.
Cheers!

Comment from Mad Mensch
Time April 22, 2010 at 5:19 pm

Thanks Ed. I’ll get to Petco in about 3 decades. Just kidding. I’ll be skipping around through time. Appreciate the support.

Comment from bob uhl
Time April 23, 2010 at 10:12 am

I still like Jerry better.

Comment from Mark Johnson
Time April 23, 2010 at 2:20 pm

I’ve had the cosmic experience of working with this gifted storyteller since January, 1979. If you want the REAL inside scoop about the MadMensch for the past 31 years, you only have to ask. (Cash donations wouldn’t hurt either.)

Comment from Mad Mensch
Time April 23, 2010 at 5:35 pm

Hey Markie, don’t tell lies about me and I won’t tell the truth about you. :)

Comment from al hampel
Time April 24, 2010 at 7:05 am

Just lucked on to Mad Mensch and loved it. Im shopping a memoir, “Sticking My Ads Out” the story of my life and how I too became a Mad Man. So much Yiddish it’s driving my goyeshe editor crazy.

Comment from Mad Mensch
Time April 25, 2010 at 2:15 pm

Hi Al, I love your title. As for the editor, Just tell him if it isn’t yiddish it doesn’t sell. Thanks for the kind words.

Comment from Eric Abromson
Time May 5, 2010 at 10:51 am

Good stuff, Howie! Here’s to creating some new memories together in the near future…

Comment from Mad Mensch
Time May 5, 2010 at 11:06 am

Thanks man, the best is yet to come!

Comment from Joe Buhler
Time May 13, 2010 at 1:50 pm

Great stories, Howie! But admit it, nothing beats Amadeo and his line “why do I do it? I do it for YOU…!” still brings a smile to my face, ten years after.

Comment from Rob Schwartz
Time May 15, 2010 at 8:39 am

Howie, you’re a legend. And your blog brings our business to life. Keep it up.

Comment from Andy
Time May 15, 2010 at 10:21 pm

I’ve read some of it. Cool. Lots of ‘back stories’.

Comment from Mad Mensch
Time June 8, 2010 at 4:05 pm

Thanks Andy, lots more to come. Back stories, front stories, all stories.

Comment from Olivia Trager Altschuler
Time June 10, 2010 at 7:20 am

Hey, I like Mad Men. Also like your comments.

Comment from Mad Mensch
Time June 10, 2010 at 12:17 pm

Thanks, please keep coming back.

Comment from Barry e
Time July 5, 2010 at 3:03 pm

I’m sitting with brother Jerry having dinner reading about Adolph. Very funny. Love the stories
Barry e

Comment from Peter Adler
Time August 31, 2010 at 11:42 am

Re: MadMensch. Love the name and your stuff Howie. I was there too, graduated Cooper Union in 1954.

Comment from Barney Melsky
Time November 4, 2010 at 11:46 am

There’s nothing better then getting a tribute that’s not postumous. Barney

Comment from Steve Congdon
Time November 22, 2010 at 11:22 am

Hey there! Glad to have found this site. And I look forward to a story… or dozens.

Comment from Mona Liebers Tenedine
Time December 20, 2010 at 9:01 pm

Howie,
Charlie Moss is my father’s cousin. Thanks for the stories and for recognizing his talents. My grandmother would appreciate it.

Comment from Mad Mensch
Time December 20, 2010 at 10:29 pm

Thanks, Charlie is one of my great mentors!

Comment from Dennis Horlick
Time December 22, 2010 at 1:04 pm

Hi Howie-
Last time we were together in N.Y. we were buying suits cheap at Barneys. That’s before it was cool to go to Barney’s. We were with Howard Silverman.

Funny, I’ve been putting these stories on paper for 30 years. Never did anything with them, but I got a million of them. I got in the business in 1962 at Smith/Greenland. Those certainly were the days. We’ll never see them again.

Louie Musachio was my mentor and believe me I could fill a book with only Louie stories. George Lois was and is my God and I have been in touch with him fairly recently.

Now I’m gonna read some of your stories and I hope they’re as funny as Bob Tore says they are. If they’re not, I’ll send you a few of my own. Louie and the hooker comes to mind.

Thanks for the site. Dennis (The Ace)

Comment from marguerita bornstein
Time January 28, 2011 at 10:51 pm

Hello Howie,
I have a vague memory that we have met in the last century…. yes or no??????
Let me know
Marguerita
the poignant frog

Comment from Tony Zamora
Time May 10, 2011 at 6:11 am

Love the story, only people in business would believe it.
They were great days, even the sad outcomes don’t
Diminish the fun we all had. Thanks.

Comment from Aaron Rosenblatt
Time May 19, 2011 at 3:49 pm

Brilliant! You brought back great/vivid memories; made me laugh all over again. And again.

Thank you.

Comment from Bonnie
Time June 18, 2011 at 7:01 am

Love the stories! I was just a young account exec finding my way on Hills Bros Coffee, Carnation Hot Cocoa and DEP (just blooowww drry). You and Mark were great thought leaders who passed down much wisdom. Kept Mark’s agency perspectives for years and years until they got lost in a move. Not many agencies get together will all their staff and keep them off the treadmill. Thank you (both)!

Comment from Aaron Royer
Time July 22, 2011 at 1:26 pm

Howie,

I’m working on a project for Google, and we are trying to reach you to discuss Alka Seltzer. Please email me at aaronr@johannesleonardo.com. Thanks,
Aaron Royer, Content Producer, Johannes Leonardo

Comment from Lauree Berger
Time August 16, 2011 at 12:31 pm

Hi Howie, met you sunday nite at bill vogel’s birthday bash. remembered doyle dane days in late 60′s when I was hired as american airline stewardess for them. it was fun meeting you and Carol. Looking forward to the shitock. (s?)
best to you both,
lauree

Comment from Mad Mensch
Time August 16, 2011 at 12:55 pm

Nice meeting you, too, Lauree. With Carol on the case, I’m sure there’s a Chorus Line of eligible J-men in your future.
Best,
Howie

Comment from Dan Ferrara
Time October 11, 2011 at 1:31 pm

Howie, I enjoyed your stories, the best story that I remember about you is when you elected to take the famous speech class at NYU and in the beginning as you read your assignments to us you were very unsure as the term progressed you became more and more confident until you did not bother to practice with your captive audience.

Comment from Tony Adamich
Time October 29, 2011 at 6:19 pm

Howie, I was told that you died years ago…is this an apparition?

Comment from Mad Mensch
Time October 29, 2011 at 7:07 pm

I am the ghost of Howie Cohen. Same guy only a little less Jewish.

Comment from Burt Purmell
Time November 16, 2011 at 5:17 am

Great stories that I enjoy reading!!

Comment from AllyH
Time November 17, 2011 at 3:50 pm

A shout out from Calgary, Canada…love the stories – its my insight into a world that is so far from home but so close in kind.

Comment from Steven Gilder
Time November 23, 2011 at 9:10 pm

Did you work with Howie Lazarus on the Alka Seltzer spots? He was an editor in NYC. I’m a producer in LA and lived next door to Bob Pasqualina. Loved his Blue Porsche

Comment from Larry Rogers
Time April 15, 2012 at 11:16 am

Howie,
Can you help me identify an actor who appeared in a b/w late 60′s DDB Volkswagen TV commercial?
The ad (approx. 1 min.) featured a “big spender” and his date at a fancy restaurant. He was buying furs and expensive champagne for his bubbly blonde. The moral of the ad implies that you can afford to splurge on frills when
you economize on your car. Here is a link to a page of old VW television ads:

http://www.youtube.com/user/beetlejuice150?feature=watch

The ad in question is titled “Classic Volkswagen ad with David Niven.” The individual who uploaded the ad
(beetlejuice150) is confusing the big spender with Niven. I know it’s not DN and I’d simply like to identify the actor
correctly. The VW beetle that appears in the ad is vintage 1968 or ’69, based on the blade-style bumper of the car,
so I’m guessing the ad was produced in that time frame, or perhaps 1967, in anticipation of a new model year.

Perhaps you could forward this to someone who used to work at DDB. My web search turned up an article on a reunion of DDB creative staff in June 2011 (including you) who were reminiscing about their work at DDB in the 60′s.

http://www.letlifein.com/articles/where-are-they-now-ad-creatives-re-unite/

Any help will be much appreciated, so thank you!

Larry Rogers (VW nut in Albuquerque, NM)
lanlguy@yahoo.com

Comment from Mad Mensch
Time April 16, 2012 at 4:08 pm

Hi, it’s definitely not David Niven, but I don’t know his name. I’ll try to forward your comment to some friends at DDB who might know. Stay tuned.

Comment from Bruce Handler
Time July 14, 2012 at 3:31 pm

Hi,
My first job out of parsons School of Design was at DDB in 1974 at their Promotion Plus Division. At the time, it was the only job they had for a hungry kid from the Bronx dying to work for the best creative ad agency in the country. I lied my way into the job as a package designer just to get a job. During my time their I had met some great people who moved on to run their own agencies and would never forget Helmut Krone. Helmut attended A&D in NYC (like me) and had his year book which I discovered in one of the classrooms. Years later, I arranged a meeting with his wife to meet the great one. I did and it was an honor and I had chills presenting him the yearbook and taking in his work and office environment.
The floor near his drawing table was covered with bits of type proofs from one of his Audi ads. This was his final review of the mechanical after his assistant worked on it for a week. Over the years, I absorbed everything about DDB and was proud to have worked their with some talented people.

Thanks for the great story.

Comment from Mad Mensch
Time July 19, 2012 at 2:47 pm

I was a 22 year old copy trainee when Helmut was creating advertising history. Even though we were there at different times, we share that in common. We learned from the best!

Comment from Sarah Hersack
Time July 30, 2012 at 5:50 pm

Hello Howie. I enjoy your stories and everybody in Google Project Re:Brief. So when I saw this, I thought you’d find it interesting: http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/07/27/web-site-offers-advice-on-how-to-get-ahead-in-advertising/

So many of us find ourselves in the position to look back at stuff we’ve done as we move forward creating new work. I know, it can really make your neck sore — but can also result in some smart ideas and cool executions.

Keep on truckin’!
Cheers,
–Sarah Hersack

Comment from Mad Mensch
Time August 1, 2012 at 8:47 am

Thanks Sarah, I think it’s a great idea! I’ve been sharing my war stories for a couple of years now, right here on madmensch, but maybe I’ll add a video or two at hindsightproject.net. Best, Howie

Comment from Ira Meyers
Time August 27, 2012 at 10:13 am

Hi Howie, This Sunday I jumped out of my chair when I read the artical. I remember you from Pelham Parkway, you were always so funny as a kid. I too moved to So. Cal and got into the surf business early in the 70s. Working with the L.A. Clippers.

Continued success.
Ira
Ira

Comment from Mad Mensch
Time August 27, 2012 at 3:23 pm

Hi Ira, it’s been a good career, but what could ever compare to Pelham Parkway? Maybe we should get together some time and share some memories.

Comment from Ira Meyers
Time August 29, 2012 at 7:38 am

I would enjoy that. I live in Beverly Hills, so we are not that far away. Anytime.

Ira

Comment from gary fisher
Time September 1, 2012 at 2:02 pm

howie, serendipity, that i came upon your blog while trying to recall the ’60s client roster at ddb. as a traffic mgr, i assigned those vw radio spots to you, marv, hal silverman, steve august and a few other novas. i was the tall guy in the suit. i remember your bsa 650cc, happy hours @ teheran with helmut, gene case, al robinson, gomes, grace, more suits…unknown elaine’s, unknown tiny tim singing over the deafening din @ harry hamburg’s studio party, walking down 26 flights with pauline featherstone during the blackout and winding up in a strange place, joe daly wore blue suit, white socks and brown shoes, a wwII ace who lived off the polaroid acct, ” ddb,where, in less than 3 minutes, “bill” named the new vw 1500 models, “squareback sedan and notchback sedan” in the 26th flr conf rm, where he happened by our vw group meeting. just these few memory bites spawned by your blog. remember you well. all that talent, energy, confidence, hair.

Comment from Mad Mensch
Time September 16, 2012 at 7:45 am

Thanks Gary, I love your memories. Did you have a chance to read my post about the blackout? We were probably on those 26 flights of stairs at the same time – only the rest of that night turned out quite well for me. :)

Comment from gary
Time September 17, 2012 at 9:14 am

yes, howie, and i enjoyed it. i suppose more than a few of us got the brass ring that night. this might amuse you, even it predates you a bit, you knew the players.
i was baptized in the traffic dept in ’62, christened with the american airlines acct. reider & taubin were lead creatives; nebushy, pouty, both usually wore tweed jkts, dave wore grey, bill wore brown…precious. one day an AA 747 went down in jamaica bay, 95 perished. at ddb, it was “code blue”, cancel ALL advertising STAT!. all day i’m phoning hundreds of nsprs, magazines, radio stations. AA went to the mattresses to assess the fallout. kerry sheeran, ddb mgmt supvsr on AA acct, (grinding an unlit stogey in his clenched teeth), snapped his suspenders, growled “we gotta face this head on”, get me cr smith” (aa ceo).
by 3pm, he convinced smith that “fear of flying” would hurt the airline business. (what he really meant was, “fear of flying” would hurt ddb business…no airline service, no ads, no media commissions, oy gevalt). i was dispatched to reider/taubin with the new campaign input. dave was staring blankly out his window through tears that stained his tweed lapels, he almost seemed catatonic, so stricken with grief. then i understood why sheeran, merklein and pickett (ddb’s aa acct team) pushed me out the door toward the 25th floor. i was the canary. reider was non-responsive, the assignment i brought lay on his lap. i went to taubin, he was arranging his magic markers by colors, size (as he was wont to do). he was pensive, but approachable. i briefed him on reider. he picked up the phone…”davee?, davee, ok davee..i understand.” taubin began sketching the silhouette of a 747 on his layout pad, he looked up, shrugged, murmured, “get me another writer”. i got dan bingham (not nebushy) , they produced a dozen tissues in a day or so. acct exec merklein waffled on all of them. exasperated, taubin turned on bingham, whining to us, “i can’t work with him”, “i need davee”. jack dillon, (steely jack) saved the day, wrote an all copy full page nytimes ad, hdl “afraid to fly?”. it was uplifting (pun). as Lilly Tomlin’s “edith ann” would say “and that’s the truth”. la shana tovah, howie

Comment from gary
Time September 19, 2012 at 6:00 am

re: my previous post, fact check. it was a AA 707, not a 747. the first ever AA air crash, which made AA’s years long campaign theme of “first in safety” irrelevant. which may also explain why dave reider, author of the safety first campaign, felt a personal connection and perhaps, some jewish guilt in persuading people to fly AA. how he suffered during those days. while taubin, though himself profoundly saddened, was able to “climb back on the horse”. they were heroic.
cancelling the AA advertising that day was imperative because it was all “first in safety”. there were no non-safety ads to plug the holes. jack dillon’s “afraid to fly” ad scored very high in Starch reports. he followed with “the itch, some of our pilots have had it since they were young”, ie yearning to fly. i believe dave asked jack to replace him as lead writer on AA. taubin left the AA acct for general mills acct to work with mary wells. but that’s a wild story for another day.

Comment from lrscomedy
Time October 2, 2012 at 12:34 pm

Hey Mensch! Thought you might enjoy this new video starring Vincent Kartheiser of Mad Men! We all know this how people really talk in an ad agency. http://youtu.be/1PWN68COUms

Comment from Mad Mensch
Time October 16, 2012 at 10:39 am

Sad event well told, thanks.

Comment from Mad Mensch
Time October 17, 2012 at 3:20 pm

Very funny, very cool, thanks.

Pingback from The four i’s of Creativity | Online Digital Marketing and Web Design Consulting | SimplyStorm
Time March 8, 2013 at 8:00 am

[...] This is a quote from the documentary (Project Re: Brief by Google) by Howie Cohen. [...]