GEORGE, BE CAREFUL: Adventures of a Greek Florist's Kid on Madison Avenue

by George & Bill Pitts Lois ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 20, 1972

Creative advertising agency whizbang of the firm of Papert, Koening and Lois (PKL), George Lois tells how he made it from florist's son to the Floradora business. Lois' smart-aleck recap of his life as the only Greek boy in an Irish Bronx neighborhood has the prime-time punch of an innovative ad man with a knack for visuals: ""Homemade Greek sausages aged on cords from the wooden rack for drying clothes. . .while vinegar-drenched lentil soup. . .simmered endlessly. . ."", visions which stunned his non-Greek guests. A ""busy fight schedule"" with hostile peers was inevitable, and Lois relates years of upholding Greek pride through school and the Army, the latter a gala of company punishment with oases of communion with occasional Greek brothers. The remainder of the book is a minnow-by-trout account of clients landed by PKL -- from airlines to politicians -- and a few big ones that got away. Lois, incidentally, is the one responsible for putting Sonny Liston in a Santa suit for Esquire and collecting those Pontiac dealers into a choir. He is proud of his profession, particularly his image work for Javits, Bobby Kennedy, and Senator Scott, who introduced the PKL trio as ""the boys who did it for me."" It's a hard sell all the way.

Pub Date: Oct. 20, 1972

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Saturday Review Press

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 1972

Categories: NONFICTION