Dimensions
125 x 187 x 19mm
Sag Harbor, NY: A box of the rare book Sterling's Gold: Wit & Wisdom of an Ad Man by advertising pioneer and visionary Roger Sterling, Jr. has been found in the basement of the home he once shared with his wife, Jane. Though it has been out of print for many years, Sterling's groundbreaking book gave readers a unique look at the burgeoning advertising world of the 1960s when it was first published in 1965, and was noted for its unconventional approach to the memoir. As Sterling wrote in his introduction 'I' m not a writer. On some level, that's a point of pride because it steered me away from the cliche of autobiography. I had no desire to waste your and my time trying to turn a list of events into a campaign of triumph.'
In celebration of this discovery, Atlantic will bring the book back into print this Christmas.
During his long and illustrious career, Sterling came into contact with all the luminaries and would-be luminaries of the advertising world, and acquired a reputation among his colleagues for his quips, barbs, and witticisms. A few 'sterling' observations included here:
Being with a client is like being in a marriage. Sometimes you get into it for the wrong reasons and eventually they hit you in the face.
You want to be on some peopl' s minds. Some people's you don't.
Do' t you love the chase? Sometimes it doesn't work out. Those are the stakes. But when it does work out - it's like having that first cigarette. Your head gets all dizzy, your heart pounds, your knees go weak. Remember that? Old business is just old business.
When a man gets to a point in his life when his name's on the building, he can get an unnatural sense of entitlement.
Remember, when God closes a door, he opens a dress.
Upon its initial publication, Sterling's Gold was widely praised. The Saturday Evening Post wrote 'Sterling's musings are morsels of his vast wisdom that act not only as business lessons, but a life guidebook.' Even Sterling's competitors lauded the book; Lawrence Hubbard of Needham, Harper, and Steers remarked that 'Sterling's Gold is an essential primer in advertising for all newcomers. Pour yourself a scotch, light a cigarette, kick back and in just one hour learn more about the crazy world of Madison Avenue than you will in any internship.' And Shepherd Mead of Benton and Bowles said 'In a world filled with glib, fast-talking, 'experts' more proficient at entertaining lunch guests than creating successful campaigns, Roger Sterling is unique.'
