tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1828158097601815711.post731661407380417223..comments2023-10-28T06:54:44.019-04:00Comments on ad broad: RIP Gene Case who started an agency the Mad Men wayAd Broad, oldest working writer in advertisinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04505122645106322698noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1828158097601815711.post-33874321266296953632013-07-16T22:32:00.695-04:002013-07-16T22:32:00.695-04:00Re: Gene Case
When we were a young fledgling comp...Re: Gene Case<br /><br />When we were a young fledgling company, we were one of Case & Krone’s first customers….It was a great thrill for us to see the creative outcome and the level of perfection of each piece of work that they produced for us. Gene Case and Helmut Krone created our print advertising as well as our first Annual Report in 1969. I can't remember if it was Gene Case or Helmut Krone that said: “We never did an Annual Report before …but I know that when it is finished...It will be the best Annual Report ever made.” Gene crafted the words and Helmut laid them in by hand the old fashioned way with a razor blade. When we courageously issued Cybermatics Inc.'s first Annual Report, it stopped people in their tracks…It won major awards…it was also written up by Time magazine, Newsweek, The Wall Street Journal, Advertising Age, The Bergen Record, and so on. As a direct result of the publicity that it received, we had to reprint it. Requests came in for a copy of it from all over the world.<br /><br />As people enter our lives…some stay, some go…Gene was one striking person that made an impact and his presence quietly felt in any room and any venue. I haven’t spoken with him since the early 1970’s. I always wished that our path would productively cross again…I was doing a search on his name last night and I was stunned to learn of his passing…Godspeed! Gene <br /><br />J. Roy Morris<br />Chairman<br />Cybermatics Inc.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1828158097601815711.post-13820369720013940272011-07-26T00:20:33.255-04:002011-07-26T00:20:33.255-04:00Let's acknowledge that Gene wrote one of the w...Let's acknowledge that Gene wrote one of the worst make-for-tv movies ever aired. I remember Pat sent a memo around the office telling everyone to watch that night and then we never heard a peep afterward. I think we were mostly shocked that our ad copy genius hero was a tv-script-writing disaster. <br /><br />And I had the honor to watch him do a new biz pitch to Disney Co in 1982. Brilliant. Pat was right about that part.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1828158097601815711.post-39329328100934965712011-07-15T13:28:54.725-04:002011-07-15T13:28:54.725-04:00I just recently learned of Gene's passing, I a...I just recently learned of Gene's passing, I am truly saddened. He was one of my early mentors. In 1971 I landed my first job in the agency business at Case & Krone doing mechanicals and the usual "bullpen" work. I was fresh out of school and while I was thrilled to be in a "real" agency, I had no idea at first who these people were. I knew I was damn lucky to be there, at times a baptism of fire. The talent within those walls was truly incredible. Not only Gene and Helmut but Harry Webber, Bob Cox, Julio DiOrio, Pacy Markman as well. Oh, the tales. The ad business was never the same for me after that.<br /><br />Gene taught me that you didn't have to be categorized as art or copy, that you could create utilizing both skills. Gene was as good an art director as he was a writer. A quiet, thoughtful man who when he had something to say you sure listened. I made contact with him a couple of years ago and told him how much I admired his political and social cause work done by his Avenging Angels. Thank you Gene, for the education.<br /><br />To "Anonymous" who posted on April 21 — It was my pleasure to work with your dad. A real "ad man" and a consummate gentleman. And I drove and picked your family up at the airport when vacationing (Utah ski trip?). Gene and your dad had that arrangement with me whereby I would act as driver and then have custody of a company car while they were away. My duties went beyond doing mechanicals. And I loved it.Vince D'Onofrionoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1828158097601815711.post-15531692123918518732011-04-22T07:34:37.191-04:002011-04-22T07:34:37.191-04:00What wonderful memories. Thank you for sharing the...What wonderful memories. Thank you for sharing them. Amazing to have been introduced to advertising via key players in the Mad Men era. Wondering if you wound up in the business yourself?Ad Broad, oldest working writer in advertisinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04505122645106322698noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1828158097601815711.post-81881734697283124282011-04-21T10:33:19.191-04:002011-04-21T10:33:19.191-04:00My memories of Gene and Helmut were that they were...My memories of Gene and Helmut were that they were bigger than life; I was truly afraid of Helmut because he didn't talk much and afraid to look Gene in the eye because I had a secret crush on him. I was all of 11 at the time that my dad (Pat) joined the two of them to begin the making of what Mad Men is all about. The beautiful thing about Gene was that he listened; he listened so intently that he rarely responded. His mind was always creating. He was a master. He will be missed but his "Geneious" will live on . . .Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1828158097601815711.post-10301969529396725862010-11-30T11:10:53.389-05:002010-11-30T11:10:53.389-05:00Hey, thanks for trawling the archive, Paul. Good c...Hey, thanks for trawling the archive, Paul. Good catch. Case didn't invent the phrase, he appropriated it for Mennen. Skin Bracer campaign was based on a line that was already in the culture by then. In an old 50s movie "The High and Mighty" John Wayne slaps Robert Stack who replies "Thanks, I needed that." Heavy media buys for Skin Bracer spots made the phrase so popular, it was part of comedy's lexicon for years. John Belushi picked it up for Animal House and countless SNL skits.Ad Broad, oldest working writer in advertisinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04505122645106322698noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1828158097601815711.post-69182468937507291312010-11-29T23:20:38.369-05:002010-11-29T23:20:38.369-05:00Are you sure about the time frame for Case's S...Are you sure about the time frame for Case's Skin Bracer campaign? I happened to watch a DVD recently of a TV show made in 1970 where a character says "Thanks...I needed that", which suggest the campaign and catch phrase was established in pop culture by that point.Paul Ducanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1828158097601815711.post-44251179036479735002010-11-02T14:03:38.168-04:002010-11-02T14:03:38.168-04:00I was a migrant writer on Bounty @Anonymous. The C...I was a migrant writer on Bounty @Anonymous. The CD I worked for wasn't Vicki, though. Perhaps we're thinking about different eras?Ad Broad, oldest working writer in advertisinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04505122645106322698noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1828158097601815711.post-13357417963249162632010-11-02T12:53:35.018-04:002010-11-02T12:53:35.018-04:00What did you do on Bounty? Vicki ran the creative ...What did you do on Bounty? Vicki ran the creative on that account almost entirely by herself.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1828158097601815711.post-39530493383818426612010-09-19T21:38:48.056-04:002010-09-19T21:38:48.056-04:00Thanks, California Girl. I agree. Mad Men has stir...Thanks, California Girl. I agree. Mad Men has stirred up interest in ppl behind commercials we grew up with. Ironically, public interest about the business is peaking while internal interest is slacking off. Latest Ad Age does a piece about how industry is hemorrhaging creatives who claim business isn't fun anymore. http://adage.com/agencynews/article?article_id=145979<br /><br />Thanks for sharing these observations, JBaker. You were just being a good (ie unobtrusive) neighbor. Funny how often we know so little about those with whom we live in closest proximity.Ad Broad, oldest working writer in advertisinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04505122645106322698noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1828158097601815711.post-84663059241259690752010-09-19T17:16:00.450-04:002010-09-19T17:16:00.450-04:00Gene Case lived across the street from me for more...Gene Case lived across the street from me for more than twenty years. Only today, reading his obituary, did I learn his name and amazing career. <br /><br />Mr. Case was extraordinarily striking in appearance, rather tall in height, a 'man's man', and the most amazing flourish of white hair - it was pure white even in his younger days. <br /><br />Very charismatic, he was obviously an interesting man. Like him, his entire family were also quite stunningly attractive. <br /><br />I am sorry I did not concoct a reason to introduce myself to him. We were, after all, neighbors. I can only be glad for the gentleman that he led such an amazing life. In the end, that is what matters most - that we had a great ride down the road of life.JBakerhttp://www.bakerpianolessons.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1828158097601815711.post-29637008752081661432010-09-19T13:13:46.169-04:002010-09-19T13:13:46.169-04:00Nice tribute Helen. I didn't know him but hav...Nice tribute Helen. I didn't know him but have read quite a bit this past week. It seems "Mad Men" is making ad people more relevant outside of the industry. And the stories are so interesting.California Girlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12582691517303132274noreply@blogger.com