When I was in graduate school earning a degree in Direct Marketing, my thought about an ideal first job was to work for Lester Wunderman, the person considered the father of direct marketing (he didn’t go by “Direct Marketing King” although he could have). As it worked out, when I graduated in 2004, I was hired as a Project Manager (and then later promoted to New Business Associate) at Wunderman, the company founded by Lester Wunderman and a part of Y&R Brands.
I was going through some old emails yesterday and I found the email I sent to colleagues announcing that I was leaving the company to start a new position at AIG. I thought I would share it here because I think it’s somewhat humorous.
Hi Everyone,
As many of you know, today is my last day at Wunderman. My life-long dream of becoming a professional basketball player has finally come true. After years of practice, I have officially been signed by the New York Knickerbockers of the MBA – not the National Basketball Association, but the MBA – (Midget Basketball Association). For those of you who are unaware, we play Tuesdays and Thursdays at Madison Square – the Park, not the Garden. I know that the life of a professional athlete is one filled with money, alcohol and groupies, but I certainly will not forget all of you.
All kidding aside, I wanted to take a moment to tell you all how much I have enjoyed working with you. I have learned so much from all of you, and am lucky to have had the opportunity to work with you….
Working at Wunderman was a great experience for me, and it allowed me to work on the agency side of the advertising business, which was helpful in my next job. Some days I actually miss working for a fun company like Wunderman, but the advantages of self-employment certainly are great!
Hi Elliot:
Funny post.
I too worked at Wunderman (in SF). Fantastic company, and Lester Wunderman is truly a genius. However, I agree with you that at some point it is good to get off the agency track and fly solo.
Learned a lot though.
Best,
Mark
I read his biography, or autobiography a while ago. It was a good read, he pioneered a lot of direct marketing techniques still used today, plus he was one of the first to seriously track and measure the response of ad campaigns (before the internet, when it was harder to do). A good book for anyone into marketing.