“Hey Whipple, Squeeze This.”

It was required reading back in my AWARD School/uni days, and it still should be.

I'm finally getting around to setting up the study properly, and opening a box of old books quickly turned into a long afternoon re-reading Hey Whipple, and then my personal favourite, "From Those Wonderful Folks Who Gave You Pearl Harbor” by Jerry Della Femina.

These weren't just textbooks, they were love letters to an industry that felt alive with possibility.

Jerry was a working-class guy from Brooklyn who broke into the elite world of Madison Avenue in the 1960s with nothing but talent and nerve. Luke Sullivan took that same spirit and turned it into a masterclass, showing us students how the magic actually happens, one brilliant insight at a time.

Reading these reminded me of other legends I discovered later. George Lois and his wild stories (the man literally threatened to jump out a window to sell matzoh). John Hegarty's "Hegarty on Advertising" with his unforgettable launderette, and stories of Mary Wells Lawrence painting planes (is that where David Droga borrowed the idea from?). And there's plenty more.

There was a joy to it all back then. A beautiful recklessness.

These books captured something I feel we’re losing (if it’s not already lost). The understanding that great work comes from trusting your gut and remembering that creativity borrows from everywhere.

Maybe instead of spending so much time worrying about the future that hasn't happened, we should spend more time learning from the past. Because advertising back then sure as hell sounded like “the most fun you can have with your clothes on”.