Leo Burnett, a giant of the advertising industry, always kept a file he called “Ads Worth Saving,” ads that struck him as effective for some reason. It was his portfolio of ideas. He explained that he would go through that file, not looking for ideas to copy but because these great ads would trigger thoughts about how to solve some problem. So, throughout this book, we will invite you to start your own portfolio. In some cases, the assignments will ask you to find examples of good (or bad) work and explain why you evaluate them as you do. In other cases, we’ll ask you to actually do something—write, design, or propose—or create something that you could take to an interview that demonstrates your understanding of the principles we talk about in this book.

For this first assignment, choose one of the people from the historical discussions in this chapter (or some other advertising history article or book), someone you believe you would like to have met. Research this person on the internet and build a personal profile, including samples of work if you can find some. Present your report as if it were a Facebook page. Make sure your presentation explains why you believe this person was important.