Title: From Penguins to Paradise: My Life as an Advertising Man
Author: Paddy Hayes
Publisher: Great Writers Media
ISBN: 1954908733
Pages: 164
Genre: Memoir
Reviewed by: David Allen
Hollywood Book Reviews
We live in a perpetual and perfect storm of billboards, television commercials and other forms of advertising – too numerous to mention. The advertising blitz has become such a cultural norm most of us simply take it for granted, even consoling ourselves that our buying and life style choices are in no way influenced by the media.
Wrong! Solid research has shown time and again that consumer choices are significantly influenced by what used to loosely be called ‘Madison Avenue.’ How else could corporations justify six- and seven-figure advertising budgets? Advertising has become not only an accepted part of our culture; it has even become something we positively look forward to. The Super Bowl commercials are an annual topic of conversation and even awards. The statistics on AMC’s series Mad Men, which ran for seven seasons, 92 episodes in all, are revealing: 3.3 million viewers tuned in. Every Sunday night, for seven years, we watched the zany and fascinating antics of ad men and women on a mission to cultivate our buying preferences and tastes.
Paddy Hayes, who was both a managing and an international director of advertising, had a global reach during his career. Hayes was originally based in London, but in this remarkably cogent and funny memoir we follow his exploits far and wide. Hayes had clients in Chicago, in Singapore, clients even as far flung as China and Moscow as they famously entered global markets and became advertising clients. His book, From Penguins to Paradise: My Life As An Advertised Man, is a hands-down winner.
The back stories are fascinating. Readers will be vastly entertained by accounts of how Western-based marketers try to sell chocolate bars and underwear to consumers in advertising-naive nations Hayes was advised to always bring “at least 400 Marlboro cigarettes” with him on his international trips. Hayes’ tales of bribery and buffoonery ring true and provide a hilarious counterpoint to the usually serious business of the marketplace. The book, replete with great asides and anecdotes, hinges on a handful of recurrent themes: the adventures of the bachelor advertising executive women and booze and all-nighters; the never trivial pursuit of making oneself understood in foreign lands; dining for better or worse at various ports of call; and local lore relating to animals, pets and pet food and products. Hayes learned painful lessons while working with penguins and condors literally: penguins bite, and condors not trained to fly fall off cliffs.
The author retired at age 42, a seasoned world traveler and an able commentator on humanity. This book is well written, sophisticated, and fun to read. You will want to visit some of the places Hayes describes – his descriptions are mouth-watering, and you will find yourself much better informed the next time you decide you ‘simply have to have’ that ‘thing’ you saw on a billboard or commercial.