Gerety Talks
Last week WPP hosted a session of Gerety Talks at our New York campus in the World Trade Center - and I went to see what it was all about.
It was time well spent.
It felt like we were hearing Mary Frances Gerety’s voice through a new generation of agency leaders. Like she was there in spirit.
So, what is Gerety?
The aim of the Gerety Awards is to reward advertising originality in thought and execution, through a female lens. Not just advertising made by or for women, but all advertising. The competition is named after Mary Frances Gerety, the agency copywriter who coined one of the 20th century's most memorable tag lines 'A diamond is forever' for DeBeers.
What are Gerety Talks?
The talks are an ongoing series of panel discussions designed to engage the Gerety community on topics and concerns of the day. Some are recorded, which you can replay on the website below. "Gerety Talks" is a great name for it because these truly are her professional heirs.
Who participated in the event?
Emily Sander, Executive Creative Director, VML
Emma Armstrong, Chief Executive Officer, FCB New York
Harsh Kapadia, EVP, Chief Creative Officer, MRM New York
Laura Maness, Global CEO, Grey
What did they talk about?
They opened with “what makes creativity in NYC" unique to this place and time. They talked about the impact of AI on advertising agencies and their work. They talked about the cultural mood of the present. And the closed on 'this year, 2024, what's in/what's out?'
Why did it make such an impact?
I hate to say it, but lately I haven’t met so many agency people who care about our work and who are good at it. Who inspire.
In this regard, two panelists really stood out.
I loved Emily Sander's take on what happened to Bud Light (paraphrasing here) - 'first one side hated them, then they reversed course and the other side did too'. And her follow-on point about why brands need to think deeply about what they stand for and then stand for it - 'say it, mean it, do it.' Sander's smile and warm sense of humor were so disarming. She talked about serious things, but still had the whole room on her side.
I also learned something important from Laura Maness's read-back of Chat GPT scripted answers to the moderator’s questions. The following day I kept thinking about how unexpectedly good the AI's answers were. Comprehensive and concise. Structured in full sentences. It confirmed something I I already believe, which is that it is our generation’s obligation to apply AI to shape the work and agencies of our time.
You can learn more about Gerety the organization, and Gerety the person, here and here:
