Last night the Ad Club of Boston held its first ever Ad Club Reunion, and event that brought together over 500 Boston area advertising professionals from across the years. The event was held from 6P-10P at Cyclorama, a large, cavernous space perfect for the event and allowing for attendees to wander and mingle with those they haven’t seen in years.
As someone who has a history in the Boston ad community, it was great to see some faces from the past. I was pleased to run into Keith Lane, the creative director of Emerson Lane Fortuna, my first agency gig. Emerson Lane Fortuna was long ago sucked into the vortex of Arnold but Dick Emerson, Keith lane and Michael Fortuna will always be my advertising super heroes. The agency was an amazing place to work. So full of energy. Every client was awesome and that tiny little sandwich shop across Canal street rocked.
Apart from bringing together the ad community, the event also honored a handful of Most Valuable Players including Larry Weber Chairman W2 Group, and founder, Weber Shandwick; John Verret former President & Vice Chairman, Arnold; Steve Sullivan former SVP, Communications, Liberty Mutual; Jack Rossin former President & Chief Executive Officer, Rossin Greenberg Seronick; Dick Pantano former Vice Chairman, Hill, Holliday; Judy Neer President, Pile & Company; Tom Monahan former Partner, Leonard/Monahan; Amy Mizner former Executive Producer, Humphrey Browning MacDougall; Scott Miller creative legend and formerly, of Humphrey Browning MacDougall.
Terry MacDonald former Partner, Pearson & MacDonald; Ron Lawner, former Chief Executive Officer and Vice Chairman, Arnold; Keith Lane former Partner, Arnold Fortuna Lane; Paul LaCamera General Manager, WBUR; Fran Kelly Chief Executive Officer, Arnold; Lance Jensen Co-Founder, Executive Creative Director, Modernista!; Rick Hooker Chief Executive Officer, Pile & Company; Pam Hamlin President, Arnold Boston; Joe Grimaldi Chief Executive Officer, Mullen; Andrew Graff Chief Executive Officer, A&G Bink Garrison former Chief Executive Officer, Ingalls, Quinn & Johnson; Bob Curry former Partner, Wallwork Curry; Elizabeth Cook former President, The Ad Club; Terry Clarke former Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, Clarke Goward; Edward Boches Chief Creative Officer, Mullen. All were not in attendance.
Kathy Keily, president of the Ad Club told me how she landed her first Boston advertising job (Oops, not really but she worked it all out with Ralph last night). She was interested in working for Hill Holiday and was told by then creative director Ralph Moxcey, “Well if you want to see me, I get here at 5AM.” Keily was waiting for Moxcey at 5AM just outside the Newbury Street offices of Hill Holiday. She got the job (retroactively, so to speak). During the evening, there were endless stories similar to this.
PR professional Rebecca Sullivan got to hang with her former Arnold friends. Gary Greenberg got to show off his new buttons. And everyone got to reminisce about the days oif old when advertising was fun and cool and easy….before all this internet crap came along and turned it into actual work.
See all the event photos here.
