Friday, January 10, 2014

An advertising lesson from J.R. Smith.

The Knicks, my woeful New York Knicks, have a roster of players who have the collective maturity of a third-grader. One of those players, the supremely-gifted J.R. Smith, is probably the least mature of all of them. Despite all his physical gifts, he has been floundering this season. Last night while the Knicks we playing the defending-champion Miami Heat, Smith rode the bench, the team's coach punishing him for his immaturity just hours after the league fined him $50,000 for untying an opponent's shoelace. You can see Smith here in flagrante delicto.

Smith's mischief, I think, provides a lesson we all can learn from.

Like Smith, we in advertising work in a very small community. Once you get ten or 15 years in the business, it seems you pretty much know everyone, or know of everyone. You use the same headhunters, editors, directors. You go to the same parties, and cavort in the same circle.

Further, like basketball players, our careers are short. For every ad person who has a 30 or 40 year career, there are dozens who leave or are forced out of the business in much less time.

Small community, short time span.

That means, don't be an asshole.

Words and reputations get spread way too fast.

In other words, J.R., be a mensch.

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