Is Advertising Still Fun?

Dec 16, 2015

It seemed like every time I changed jobs in the advertising world I would hear how fun it used to be before I got there. How many times have we heard about the “good ol' days?"

I would always end up feeling like I missed the best of everything. Looking back, I remember my experiences of “back in the day” and there were great times.

There is so much pressure on us as an industry to be hip, fun, cool, trendy. Some agencies definitely do a good job of making it look that way, but is it really that great once you get there? I’m going to give it to you straight.

Yes! Advertising is still fun! It is not the same as it was 20, 30, or even 40 years ago. But then again, what is? In a lot of ways things have evolved for the better. I spent many years in corporate America and here’s what I can tell you makes advertising fun. We get to wear jeans. We get to brainstorm ideas. We usually have cool offices. We use Mac computers at work. We work with artistic, fun and crazy individuals like us that make us laugh. We roll into work between 9 and 10. Did I mention jeans?

No, we are not like the characters in Mad Men. We do not drink all day, snort lines, and sleep with each other. If that is what you are looking for, I’ll bet you can find it at a local strip club.

We work hard. Harder than anyone in advertising ever has. The world has changed–for every industry. We are still the lucky ones. We are the ones who do what we love every day. And that, my friends, is fulfillment. How many people do you know that can say that about what they do?