Lobotoscopy

I mean, seriously. It’s not me being a kiss ass or anything… Well, maybe a little.

They asked me in class to interview the person I wanted to be like when I grow up. Indubitably, I chose the Bogu.

1.    What were your aspirations when you first got into advertising?

B.     Wanted to be a fighter pilot.

2.    What was it that got you hooked to advertising?

B.     Fell into it. Parents had a design studio and they taught me the trade. Then their friend Chuck Porter hired me.

3.    How did you perceive advertising before working in it?

B.     Something to read on the side of a cereal box or in between cartoons.

4.    What is the most important virtue you think led you to your success?

B.     The willingness to work hard.

5.    Is there an advertiser/s you remember looking up to when you started?

B.     Lee Clow.

6.    Which advertisers you currently admire, if any?

B.     David Droga of Droga 5.

7.    Do you still have a passion for advertising? Or do you think that passion has evolved to another thing?

B.     I would say I never had a passion for advertising. I had a passion for the potential to change culture.

8.    When did you notice you were done with advertising? Was there any specific event or events that drove you towards retirement?

B.     Giving a presentation when I was asked a question I realized I could not answer honestly (about a product I would not use).

9.    Now that you’re working with a revolution towards the better nutrition of the population, especially children, do you ever feel bad about leading such huge sales to BK? Do you ever feel bad about something you did in advertising?

B.     (Good question) I would say that I do feel bad, but you can only act on the things that you know, and I used to be pretty ignorant about some things. So I mostly feel bad that I didn’t work harder to know and understand more.

10.  What is Fearless Cottage and which are your goals with it?

B.     Fearless is an experiment/think tank/consultancy/art project to explore new capitalism.

11.  What is Common and which are your goals with it?

B.     Too much to say here, but Common is one of the ideas that came out of Fearless. It focuses on accelerating social entrepreneurship.

12.  Is there anything else you’re doing right now besides leading Fearless, Common and being a dad? Do you still do consulting or something in the ad world?

B.     I speak at conferences and forums where I think I will make an impact, and random art projects like getgutz.com and ads2art.com

13.  I grew up in a house of hippie commies. Advertising was always an instrument of Big Brother who wants to manipulate you. That view obviously stayed with me, and I actually hate advertising, I really do. I mean, I hate being exposed to ads, but I can’t help loving to make them. Guess it’s a thing about power, about being able to shape minds. I know it sounds kind of tyrannical, but it’s true. Anyway, seeing your work and reading you, made me think that you probably saw advertising as just that, a way to influence people’s minds. Sometimes it would had to be bad influence (‘cause of business you know), but the good things you could do, in your case campaigns like Truth, maybe made it worth it. Do you relate to that thought?

B.     Exactly. You’re the only other person that I’ve ever heard that from. And definitely, Truth was one of the best things I’ve done.

14.  Speaking about “Truth”, do you think that is the most important work you’ve done? Do you have the same expectations for Common and Fearless? What is the difference?

B.     Yes. Maybe even on a larger scale. Because the lives at stake with climate change go way beyond the lives at stake with tobacco.

15.  Is there something else Bogusky needs to do?

B.     I still would like to write a novel.

16.  My daughter will be 5 years old in about 5 years, and I would love it if she could then meet you and your family for dinner. I’ll cook. I promise awkward conversations and delicious mofongo.

B.     Sounds nice. We are in! Would love to come to Puerto Rico someday as a family.

Thanks to @boguskyswife for all the help. ;)

In the picture: Bogu, me and @wazirongo.