Every now and again you meet a client whose marketing “director” or “manager” can astound you into asking: how did this person get to where he or she is today? How can someone stubbornly cling to their MBAs or Bachelors or some flimsy papers from decades ago and NOT GET IT? How does anyone (especially in this day and age of social media and instantaneous / intravenously fed information) not get the timeless gists of all gists and the über importance of the singular idea? You might know someone who makes you want to wash your hands off of or shoot them. Or both.

Then comes along a book like The Special Brand, by my former boss and now mentor David Shanks who has decided to put in writing, lessons and experiences distilled through the ages (in advertising years) and present us in a handy book of advice for those yet uninitiated in the business of ideas or just plain jaded. For us veterans it is an inspirational piece much like a prayer book for the pious pro-ideationists that is rich in humorous anecdotes and timeless metaphors. Garnering international praise from New York to London, it recently even stole the attention of the editor of The Economist. My own personal view is that the book can be further incarnated as a palm sized hardcover replete with funny cartoons and typeset in anything BUT Palatino so then it can be given as presents to clients. David if you’re reading this…

So if you’re in the advertising or design industry and from “the client’s side” you might want to make this a priority purchase. If you’re (like me) are in “the receiving end” you might want to get the affirmation that I’ve been thankful to receive in person in my formative years. Buy The Special Brand, you will thank me later.

And if you still don’t value the importance of The Good Idea in The Special Brand then maybe your brand isn’t quite so special after all. Or maybe you should be shot.

Purchase here.

David’s profile here.