Last night there was a ceremony in New York held in a grand old bank building, honoring five men by inducting them in the One Club's Advertising Hall of Fame.
I went which is unusual for me.
I usually shun socializing.
And an event such of this, I guessed, would be just the kind of affair I usually avoid.
Still, I was invited as a friend of Steve Hayden.
And Steve Hayden did more for me than any other man in my life, perhaps including my father.
Steve was introduced by former Ogilvy Chairman Shelly Lazarus.
Shelly made this post easy for me to write.
She summed up an essential part of Steve's greatness in a sentence.
He always gave credit to others and he made the people around him better.
Steve taught me confidence.
He taught me persistence.
He taught me patience.
I had the best years of my career at Ogilvy, under Steve's tutelage.
I had someone in a high place who gave a shit about my career.
This post was written quickly and is not a fitting tribute to Steve.
I'm not good enough a writer to write that tribute.
All I can say is, like a few hundred other people at the induction last night, I love Steve Hayden.
And thank you.
As another one fortunate enough to have worked under Steve I can attest to what you write, and what Shelly said in her introduction. He is a rare breed. And so are you George. I'm sure you could write a tribute even Steve would approve. It was a great party. Especially the after party at the Harvard Club.
ReplyDeleteWithout question, Hayden was/is one of the major players in our business. Those are some BIG shoes to fill. Regardless of what anyone says about offline advertising, Hayden's work will stand the test of time.
ReplyDeleteHipsters take note.
Mark