By Mary E. Warlick
324 pages, softcover, $58
Distributed by Itasca Books
itascabooks.com

Even with the recognition and honor that comes from having your work appear in this Communication Arts Advertising Annual, there is still another pantheon that you can strive to reach. Winning a Cannes Lion? Sure, that’s a good one. The D&AD? Another wonderful accolade. But those are not as lofty as being named one of the 50 greatest professionals to ever grace our industry. That distinction is reserved for those who’ve truly made a legendary mark.

Throughout Selling Creative: Advertising Men and Women in the Hall of Fame, author Mary E. Warlick offers up incredibly informative and engaging bios of these famous 50. She details important moments from each person’s background and the impact they created, but also tells a larger story around the evolution of the creative product within our industry. Warlick cleverly organizes the 50 into smaller subgroups and provides a chronological tale of advancement from James Webb Young’s early 1900s era, to the Bill Bernbach/DDB creative revolution of the 1960s, to the Wieden+Kennedy impact that began near the end of the 20th century.

We’ve all been told how important it is to appreciate the great ones who came before us in our industries. By learning about the pioneers and innovators that Warlick profiles, you’ll enhance your knowledge of how the industry has evolved and where you fit into it today. Could you enter the hallowed pantheon of legends one day? Create a truly memorable influence like those profiled in this book, and anything is possible. —Dave Kuhl