Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Do the Twist

I have a collection of ad agency brochures dating back to the mid-70's.  Yeah, I know, it sounds like I'm a pack rat.  But only when it comes to advertising and baseball cards.  One of my favorite brochures is an odd-shaped piece produced by Carmichael/Lynch in Minneapolis, the ad agency most famous for producing award-winning Harley-Davidson campaigns -- ads that also happens to sell big, noisy bikes like crazy.

Inside was a great ad-making credo, that also applies to other forms of writing -- and maybe to life in general.  It goes as follows: 


"Tell the world a story. Make it simple, honest, relevant, heartwarming. But don't forget to add an interesting twist. That's what gets them leaning forward, thinking, smiling, believing."


From that thought came a little reminder taped to my office wall that simply says: Do the twist.  (Wasn't it Chubby Checker that sang a song about that in the mid-60's?  And didn't the Beatles sing, "twist and shout?") 

Ever since, that mantra has been my simple guideline when it comes to writing ads, teaching or speaking.  So, even though I prefer to waltz with my wife, let's do the twist.


Wednesday, September 23, 2009

About Quantity Breeding Quality

“Nothing is more dangerous than an idea, when it’s the only one we have."
            Emile Auguste Chartier (pseudonym: Alain), 1868-1951

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

A Relevant Blast From the Past


I keep a file of interesting ADWEEK, CA and AD Age articles that goes back to the late 1970's.  At least I deem them interesting.  I like to review them now and then.  I should do it more often, frankly, as the wisdom of earlier decades often remains very relevant to my efforts today at Richter7. 

In the 80's and early 90's there was a certain "red hot" agency that was frequently written about, much like CP&B is constantly covered now.   One of the agency's founders was my "copywriting mentor from afar," although he never knew it.   His name was Tom McElligott, and his agency was Fallon McElligott & Rice -- now simply known as Fallon.  Perhaps they've lost their way of late, from a creative standpoint -- but they're still a formidable shop.  

One particular article about them appeared in ADWEEK's April 27, 1992 issue, and detailed the attitudes and philosophy that fueled their stratospheric growth. I thought the insights were ever-so-applicable to me, to Richter7, and to our industry as a whole -- an industry that now spends a lot of time talking about new media, rich media, lay-offs and CRM strategies, but not enough time talking about the bottom-line benefits of intelligent creativity. Here are some of Tom's comments:



"Competitors rap our agency for being all creative execution and no strategy. We're delighted with that because we're able to keep an element of surprise. We go in as this creative agency, and then we knock you backwards with our business insight."

"Ads can be powerful and memorable and offend a lot of people. I surely want our stuff to work. But I prefer to do it with charm, and a sense of integrity. I'd rather overestimate the public's intelligence than underestimate it."



"FM considers itself a family in a family-oriented town. Children and dogs are often underfoot; no one blinks when art director Bob Barrie walks into a meeting with Fallon carrying his napping one-year-old son."

"Pat Fallon is one of the few account people who is as insightful and sensitive about creative as the great creatives in the business."


"People pay us not to let them rationalize about their business."


"There are two kinds of research: the kind that tells you what to say, and the kind that tells you how to say it. The kind that tells you what to say is terrific. If you don't do it, you're probably going to regret it. We'll test strategies till the cows come home, but we reserve the right to use disciplined imagination to find extraordinary ways to say it."


"The rule, pretty much, is to break the rules. If you break the rules, you're going to stand a better chance of breaking through the clutter than if you don't. The smaller a company is, and the bigger the competition, the more crucial that advice becomes."

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Lose the Fear.


Did you notice the BMW magazine ad that's been appearing of late. It's a two-page spread, nicely designed --although there's nothing stunning about the visuals. Rather, the stunning part of the ad was the copy. (Spoken like a true copywriter, eh?)

The ad's verbiage can just as easily be applied to life as to a car. It's also highly appropo when it comes to creating advertising. Here's what it said:

Lose the fear.
Lose the groupthink.
Lose the yes-people.
Lose the proper channels.
Lose the chain of command.
Lose the safety nets.
Lose consensus.
Lose the happy medium.
Lose the compromises.
Lose Plan B.
Somewhere along the road to success lie the cones of mediocrity, urging you to take the expected route. To this we counter with the counsel to steer clear of the middle of the road.

A fine piece of advice. I will promptly throw away anything that resembles a white flag of surrender. I will perform my duties, as a father and ad man, with more faith, upgraded optimism and a finer finish than ever. Thank you, BMW, for the motivational speech.

Monday, August 17, 2009

Why Did I Check My Doggone Email?

So I'm on vacation in Yellowstone last week, staying at the ancient, timbered icon known as Old Faithful Inn -- a family favorite. It was a final few days of summer with my wife and son, before he heads back to school. The twisting, warm-water chute at Firehole Falls was as exciting (and rocky) as ever. The hot springs, geysers and paintpots were as wonderfully mesmerizing the umpteenth time I saw them as the first. The buffalo were still wandering in the middle of the road. The rainbows remained parked over the dramatic Lower Falls. And the Inn itself was as quaint and comfortable as I remembered from previous visits.

And then I checked my email by iPhone.

Stupid, stupid, stupid. Suddenly I was no longer in a volcanic wonderland, I was mentally at my office confronted by an irate client who was incensed about an estimate for TV production. My heart sank, my stomach wobbled, and my mind became overwhelmed with worry. In a flash, the hot pots weren't so hot, nor the geysers so great.

Modern portable technology had invaded my idyllic getaway. It was my own fault, I realize that. Sure, I have that phone in order to be easily accessible, and to be constantly in communication. But "constant" should not include my vacation.

Fortunately, my wife talked be down off the ledge, calmed my heart, and rehashed Dale Carnegie principles I could use with the client upon my return. But in the process, I learned my lesson: Keep the vacation and business silos separate. A vacation is supposed to refresh me, to make me giddy to return to the Richter7 advertising chores at hand. I almost blew it. Thankfully, I can still hear the Canadian geese honking on the Madison River's banks.










Wednesday, August 5, 2009

A Little Piece of Positivity


I recently heard Alex Bogusky say that every day in advertising seems to come with a kick to gut. That was his summation statement after discussing how difficult the ad business can be -- especially nowadays. That's why he tries to practice what he calls "dilusional positivity." I suppose that's his way of saying that regardless of the often trying circumstances, he endeavors to put an upbeat spin on things. It's a good philosophy.

A man I respect a lot, named Gordon B. Hinckley, was always preaching optimism. "Have faith, be believing, and things will work for the best," was how he put it once.

I'm trying. But after Richter7 has had to reduce pay, lay off people, and cut others back to four days a week, it's been an uphill battle. But I'm really trying.

It helped to stop by one of the most beautiful and peaceful places on earth last week while doing some filming on behalf of the Polynesian Cultural Center, a Richter7 client. The accompanying photos give you a glimpse of this tranquil place of contemplation. I've always had a soft spot for all things Asian, since living in Taiwan for two years while serving as a missionary. So this place, called the Byodo Inn Temple, brings back wonderful memories -- and helped me focus on the positive. There are certainly worse places to have a client than in Hawaii.















Monday, July 13, 2009

It Is Better To Be Trusted Than Loved.


Here are results from the latest Gallup poll showing the percentage of adults who rate people in various professions as honest and ethical:

Nurses – 82%
Pharmacists – 67%
Doctors – 65%
High School Teachers – 64%
Policemen – 61%
Clergy – 54%
Advertising practitioners – 11%
Telemarketers – 7%

Based on my memory of the last ranking, we’re up 2%. Party time. Meanwhile, the clergy percentage fell dramatically based on scandalous revelations over the past handful of years.

To further improve our image, I propose the more we in the ad biz eliminate flowery, cliché adjectives, the better off we’ll be. The more we can avoid exclamation points, the better off we’ll be. In fact, let's shun them altogether. And the more we meet promised deadlines and budgets, the better off we’ll be. If all else fails, maybe we could get a nursing school as a client.

On the bright side, Gallup notes we rated on a par with lawyers (I guess that’s a bright side), and more highly than congressmen and car dealers.


Like my dad would always say, "David, it's better to be trusted than loved."

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Blasts from the Past


What's the first ad you can remember? The second? The third?

Maybe I was destined for advertising at a young age, because I can distinctly remember some classics I saw on the old black and white tube.

First one: Red Ball Jets, a predecessor to Nike. The ads specifically promised what Nike hasn't ever dared say, that being, that I would "run faster and jump higher."

Here's the second one that comes to mind. Salem cigarettes. They used a catchy little jingle, and then in the last stanza of their TV spot, left off the final the four or five words. My mind always automatically filled them in -- and does to this day. Oh, the shame of running cigarette ads during programs a grade-schooler would watch. By the way, the ditty went, "You can take Salem out of the country but...you can't take the country out of Salem."

Number three: Twenty mule team Borax. Oh yeah, Ronald Reagan himself would ad lib how effective Borax soap was during breaks in my favorite cowboy show, Death Valley Days. He was the host of the show, and sounded as believable then as he did when running for President.

But my favorite of all from boyhood days was a bumper sticker that caught my attention in 1963. I pondered over it briefly, and then the light came on. I suppose that's what any good ad does -- invites me to participate mentally, and rewards me for that participation. The bumper sticker simply read: AuH2O. Translated: Goldwater. Barry Goldwater was running against Lyndon Johnson, and if I had been old enough to vote, that bumper sticker would have earned my nod.

Just One of Those Days

At a recent ad conference, I heard Alex Bogusky state that this business (advertising) is a tough one, and many days are rather rough -- often coming with a kick to the gut. It kind of reminded me of this photo.

Credit goes to my beloved grandson, who, by all appearances, had just suffered through a difficult client meeting -- although his mother didn't seem to care. I feel your pain, Graham.

Thursday, June 4, 2009

Taking Detours, Back Roads & Byways


Back in 1928, as I understand it, the Scottish scientist Alexander Fleming was studying bacteria under his microscope and noticed something odd. A strange mold had appeared on his samples, disrupting his experiment. He then noticed something even more intriguing. Bacteria wouldn’t grow near the mysterious mold. Completely by accident, Fleming made one of history’s great medical breakthroughs – he discovered penicillin.

In advertising, especially during my 15 years at Richter7, I’ve seen that same experience repeat itself over and over. You head off in one direction searching for a solution -- be it creative or strategic -- and a smart, fresh solution suddenly appears while taking a side road in the thought process. (The photo in the accompanying Harley ad perfectly portrays what I'm saying.)

I’ve found, however, the side road doesn’t usually appear until after traveling the main highway for while. Sweat and effort typically precede any magical moments I have had in the creative realm. This process was reinforced by a paragraph I ran across in the Harvard Business Review. It was written by a former Disney V.P. who is now co-chairman of a company called Applied Minds. It went like this:

Everyone knows that innovation is risky, and it’s rare that you arrive at your expected destination. But maybe that destination isn’t so important. Maybe what you should be paying attention to are the little detours you take along the way: It’s down those back roads and byways that the real payoff usually is found. Maybe, in fact, the biggest risk in innovation lies in sticking too closely to your plans.”

Good food for thought in a business based on creativity.

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

A Question of Balance


Several months ago, my son's pitching coach assigned him an interesting daily drill. He was instructed to roll up a thick towel, and then balance on it with ball of one foot, while lifting the other bent leg up perpendicular to the body. You know, that classic Karate Kid position. This is intended to help him learn balance, and build leg strength, in order to stabilize his motion while winding up and throwing the ball. I tried it and failed. Tried and failed again. Tried and failed again.

Without balance, a pitcher's throw will go wide, high, low, outside -- anywhere but over the plate. Just the slightest change of angle while throwing, due to loss of balance, creates an unacceptable outcome.

Can you see where this little metaphorical analogy is going? I've always felt balance was crucial to the life of a creative person, as well. That is, if you want to stay fresh and keep the "idea bank" in your brain filled with new experiences and learning from which to draw, balance is key. But it's tough to do that when you regularly work nights and weekends. I know from experience.

To that end, a recent discussion I had with my daughter who works at Crispin in Boulder, was quite relevant. She said her boss call the interactive creative group together and said he would prefer that they didn't work weekends and late nights to the extent they had been because it didn't necessarily make them more productive. She was thrilled with the news because she felt she (and others) would be fresher, more alert and more capable of producing quality work. They would have time to re-charge their batteries, in other words. She's willing to work hard, as most sharp creatives are, but relentlessly long hours can be quite detrimental.

Balance is beautiful. Asian philosophy has promoted the concept for centuries.

I believe top-notch work can be done by working hard, and focusing with laser-like intensity, during an 8-10 hour day...and then enjoying an evening and weekend improving talents, learning, serving good causes, and, most importantly, enjoying your family. In short, that towel drill definitely applies to life.


Wednesday, May 13, 2009

How Not To Do Hawaii


The business trip began with a six and a half hour stamina test on a germ-filled jet with less than ample legroom. I arrived in Honolulu, having added four hours to my day, and immediately hit H-1 traffic as fierce as I find in rush hour on I-15. That shouldn't be the case in laid-back Hawaii, should it?

Upon arriving on the North Shore, I checked into what is lovingly referred to as The Roach Motel. No explanation needed. I then spent the next eight hours, until four in the morning Utah time, reviewing the client's new night show -- in order to write knowledgeably about it for upcoming ads. Long day.

The following day was spent in meetings, in a well-chilled conference room without windows. I then departed for my red-eye flight home, losing four hours of sleep in the process. It's not the way to see Hawaii. Nevertheless, there are far worse places to have a client. (For example, I once had a client in Parowan, Utah -- 180 degrees from Waikiki.) On the road back to the airport, I was able to pause and make use of my iPhone photo capability. So all was not lost, as the following photos will verify. The visit was on behalf of the Polynesian Cultural Center, a Richter7 client since the late 90's. Hence, over the years I've had plenty of chances to enjoy Hawaii the way is should be enjoyed. This particular trip was payback for those previous pleasant excursions.







Monday, April 27, 2009

Maybe It's Worth It. Maybe.


Sometimes I wonder if this blogging thing is really worth the effort. Mostly it appears to be a way to spew forth material that is meaningful to me -- but of little value to others. That being the case, it's simply a self-gratifying activity that is sometimes not so self-gratifying. Nevertheless, in the spirit of offering to the "winds of the Web" my some additional hot air, here goes another thought or two.

Let's Play Nice. A few years ago, while perusing the advertising column in CA's latest Illustration Annual, I was struck - with particular force - by the final sentence of Luke Sullivan’s epistle. It read, “Being great on paper is never as important as actually being a good person.”

His comment was in reference to some famous ad people he knew who were insufferable, arrogant egotists. Luke happens to be one of the most honored writers in the ad world. His opinion comes with some degree of clout. And it was a refreshing opinion.

One of the more eye-opening advertising experiences I've had was the opportunity to enjoy a meal with Tom McElligott (co-founder of Fallon McElligott, now simply called Fallon), one of my heroes in the business. It wasn’t so much what he said that was impressive, it was the fact that he brought along his teenaged son and obviously enjoyed being with him. He was quite deferential to his son while also being polite and cordial to those of us Utah AAF officers in attendance. He also appeared happy to answer my endless string of questions. Pretty decent, I thought, for someone who was king of the hill.

It’s nice of have heroes in the business. It’s even nicer when those heroes are worthy of emulation. Granted, McElligott had just completed alcohol rehab. (Hey, at least he enrolled.) Luke Sullivan talks about an art director with whom he worked named Bob Barrie. Bob may be the most decorated A.D. of all time. He had every reason to be a high-falutin’ jerk, but instead, Luke says, he would quietly keep cranking out great ideas even though clients
frequently killed them. And, according to Sullivan, he never whined. Ever. Instead, he combined unlimited resiliency with class (and a whole lot of talent).

I worked for Bob Love (co-founder of Harris & Love, Salt Lake City) once upon a time. He had that same kind of decency and class. He was kind and gentle even when he was red-lining my copy to smithereens. Maybe that’s one reason why his agency survived and prospered so long. He was a talented writer, and that helped, too. Even when he played the role of "chief judge,” he was a pleasure to work with.

There’s a moral in all of this somewhere. I assume you can figure it out. Whatever it is, it probably has something to do with gracio
usness, humility and gentility.


Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Yuck, Yuck


Due to readership demand (that's the one person that occasionally visits my blog -- typically by mistake), I have included a few more of my favorite ad world cartoons. My collection is sufficient to include many more, but I won't inundate you at the moment.

By the way, these cartoons have proven to be a hit Richter7 PowerPoint presentation about advertising -- for students and professionals alike. Frankly, they're a much more interesting way to introduce key topics that the usual deck of charts, graphs and boring verbiage.

Enjoy. (As usual, you should be able to click on them for enlarged viewing.)






Tuesday, March 17, 2009

What is Heaven?



Heaven is a place where you write advertising about baseball. You therefore combine the two most enjoyable activities known to mankind.

Okay, that's a slightly biased belief. But it's my belief, so live with it. Once upon a time at another agency, I wrote ads promoting Major League Baseball. A swell gig. Spend a week in Florida during Spring Training filming players, then swing over to Arizona and do the same thing. I played catch with Ozzie Smith, interviewed and recorded Cal Ripken, and the list goes on. Picked up a lot of autographed baseballs in the process.

So, not long ago, I went to heaven again -- even if it was just for a few pro bono posters to promote the Salt Lake Community College baseball and women's softball programs. No budget. No access to players. No new photography. Didn't matter. I was writing about baseball. So with the help of ACD Dave Larson and illustrator/intern Destin Cox here at Richter7, we prepared several posters -- designed within the college's brand style guidelines that features drawings, handwritten type and a dusty gold color palette. (Click to enlarge.)

They're simple. But they're ads about baseball. And that means I went to heaven.

Friday, March 6, 2009

Where Ideas Come From


KEY FACT: You can't extract something from your head that's not already in there. That is a particularly important point for those of us involved with conjuring up ideas. Therefore, as one of my early mentors proposed:

Think of your mind as a computer. It's being fed information constantly. Don't put the intake button in neutral and most importantly, DON'T EVER PUSH THE OFF BUTTON.

Thursday, March 5, 2009

Quotes of the Day


Over the years I have kept track of what I judge to be inspirational quotations from leaders, past and present, in the ad business (mostly). I have roughly 250 pages worth, a healthy handful of which are taped to my office wall. Rather than let them simply molder in a file, I thought I'd pass a few along in hopes you might find them as motivational as I have. Even if you're not associated with the MAD MEN society, there still may be something of value. Here goes:

“Train, eat your vitamins, say your prayers, and believe in yourself.”

Hulk Hogan

"Talent alone doesn't really count for much. Success comes from focusing single-mindedly, with the intensity of a laser, on your craft, on your goal. It's not complicated; you just decide what you want to do, where you want to go, what you want to acheive, and then don't let anything or anyone distract you."
Andy Berlin


“An idea that is not dangerous is unworthy of being called an idea at all.”
Oscar Wilde

“Merely to let your imagination run riot, to dream unrelated dreams, to indulge in graphic acrobatics, is not being creative. The creative person has harnessed his imagination. He has disciplined it so that every thought, every idea, every word he puts down, every line he draws makes more vivid, more believable, more persuasive the product advantage.”
Bill Bernbach

“There is no such thing as a me-too product, just me-too advertising.”
Tom McElligott

“Shake the Etch-a-Sketch in your head, start over constantly, and come at the problem from wildly different angles. Don’t keep sniffing all four sides of the same fire hydrant. Run through the entire neighborhood.”
Luke Sullivan

Monday, February 23, 2009

Practice What you Preach


Normally an ad agency promotes itself via direct mail and trade ads, if at all. It's always been surprising to me how few agencies actually advertise themselves. Don't they believe in it? Some might scoff at the thought of using outdoor billboards, with their broad audience reach, to promote an agency. Richter7 has actually had fair success using the medium. It was particularly valuable when we introduced the agency's new name several years ago, and continues to elicit feedback and phone calls whenever we've posted since then. Here are two that were recently posted along the I-15 corridor of Salt Lake City. We created landing pages with the featured addresses, which link to our website. And even if someone doesn't remember the oddball URL, we wanted them to realize that Richter7 offers considerable web marketing skills.




Friday, February 20, 2009

To Write Is To Live



I'm a Peter Principle kind of guy -- promoted beyond my usefulness at Richter7. So every now and then I steal a chance to do what I enjoy most -- writing ads. You are hereby subjected to the end result. This is one in a series of posters for an exhibit of 18th century Native American art. Too bad there are so many little logos at the bottom. Ah, the visual compromises inherent in working with a sponsored exhibition.



Thursday, February 5, 2009

Peace, be still.


I believe inspiration comes in peaceful settings.

Words such as quiet, secluded, still, and peaceable have always been, in my experience, associated with clear thinking and imaginative writing. Little wonder, writers in ceiling-less, wall-deprived office scenarios wear headphones and earplugs. I visited CPB in Boulder last week and while walking through the hallways at 9 PM noticed so many of the creative staffers hunched over monitors with headphones on. Noise blocking out noise. It's too bad offices -- even small ones -- with doors can't be provided to everyone, but that's not the trend these days.

I recognize all writers may not feel the same way. And I realize that walls and doors cost money. I tried to deal with an open-office setting while working for Cole & Weber, and even earplugs didn't always create sufficient quietude. When they did, I couldn't hear my phone ring. Not good. I feel badly for our writers at Richter7 who face the same predicament. When offices were originally assigned, I should have been more wise -- even if the offices they should have received weren't as "cool."

The world grows increasingly noisy. I fear the trend won't abate. As I understand it, the first order issued by a commander mounting a military invasion is the jamming of enemy communication channels. Call it "black noise."

In today's world of communication overload, there always seems to be a TV on in the background -- sometimes the foreground. The radio, or an iPod, constantly blares. As anyone with a teenager will admit, Guitar Hero is not an eardrum's best friend. My son is savoring, at high volume, a YouTube video on a nearby computer as I write this -- or try to write this. I'm just not tough enough to mentally focus when there's non-stop noise all around. And I'll bet I'm not unique.

For me, and many others, solitude and quiet are particularly conducive to idea generation, inspiration and creativity. Since the ad business is built on those precepts, it seems rather critical to orchestrate moments and physical environments that are noise-free. Op-ed over and out.


Monday, January 12, 2009

Advertising Creativity Matters. A Lot.


Don't ever, ever, ever feed me that false, yet oft-repeated advertising motto, "It isn't creative unless it sells." The bold-faced fact is, it won't sell unless it's creative -- simply because it won't get noticed. Period. Exclamation point.

In support of that premise, I wrote a nationally distributed booklet titled "Why Creativity" that offers research-based facts touting the cause of intelligent creativity. (Email me at Richter7 for a free copy.)

It doesn't include, however, findings from a relevant, new study published in the September 2008 issue of the Journal of Advertising Research. I shouted hosanna when I read the title: "Advertising Creativity Matters." The study was conducted by three professors at the Stockholm School of Economics. Here are just a few, quick excerpts:

“Brand interest was significantly higher among consumers exposed to more creative advertisements…revealing a more significant effect on purchase intention.”

“...an extra degree of creativity may send signals about the advertiser that rub off on consumer perceptions of the brand. In our experiment, more versus less creative advertising signaled greater effort on the advertiser’s behalf and was taken as proof of the brand’s smartness, and ability to solve problems and develop valuable products. As a result, consumers became more interested in the brand and perceived it to be of higher quality.”

“Our analysis reveals that more versus less advertising creativity produces a signal of marketing effort that is similar to advertising expense. This is good news, as this revelation implies that the advertising does not need to spend excessive amounts of money to signal confidence in the product. Instead of spending money on bigger advertising spaces or more frequent campaigns, the same effects may be attainable by increasing creativity instead. Thus, the study provides compelling evidence that creativity could be a way to produce greater results per advertising dollar.”

“This study shows that high versus low creativity works as a signal for familiar and established brands…they need to stay interesting to consumers even when they have nothing new to say. Creative advertising does increase consumer interest in brands, not by communicating a new message, but by communicating the same message in another way.”


In short, the authors confirm that advertising creativity is a powerful, positive signal when promoting familiar or unfamiliar brands. Too many creatively inept agencies cop out by saying, "We don't care about creative awards, just about results." In my opinion, that's a cheap excuse for poor ability and/or laziness.

Another research study, quoted in the booklet mentioned above, suggests creativity and effectiveness are inseparably linked, and specifically declared, "Award-winning advertising is four to five time more likely to reach client goals than non-award winning work."

In reality, awards send a clear signal that the work stands out, is memorable, and is meaningful. Any other kind of advertising is a waste of money. In today's economic environment, where fewer dollars have to work harder and where it's increasingly difficult to differentiate brands, that would be a crying shame.

Thursday, January 8, 2009

The Ultimate Creative Effort


Here's a shout-out to my eldest daughter, Farrah, and her husband Jon, for their latest creative (or, more accurately, pro-creative) effort -- 10-pound, 22-inch Graham. Initial indications suggest he will be a world-class copywriter, creative director, baseball player, football player, basketball player and consumer of dairy products.