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June 2025

We helped put down a Dan Rather uprising at CBS and got fired the same day.
Insurgent affiliates at their annual conference wanted Dan Rather's head on a spike. Our TV spot nailed the "Rather defense" for the CBS bosses, but we…
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Tom Cotton
Larry Tisch wrested control of CBS, and the rot set in. I had a front row seat...it was nuts.
Carl Spielvogel cut a deal with Tisch to replace 13 agencies and also take over their LA in-house shop. It was doomed from day one, but a hell of a…
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Tom Cotton
3
Beware the smart billionaire at your pitch
I had just wrapped our AOL pitch when Ted Leonsis asked me a fatal question I didn't have on my bingo card. And the worst thing was, he was right to…
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Tom Cotton
A quick reality check on WPP
Lots of news swirling about WPP and its peer group this week. I have history and a few thoughts to share.
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Tom Cotton
2
Teachers, mentors, and role models
I've been lucky to have multiple versions of all three along the way, including some advertising legends. What's the difference, and why do you need all…
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Tom Cotton
2
Work your content like a comic
Comedians set the standard for content optimization ages ago. Advertising's answer was "copy testing," and it sucked. I've moved on.
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Tom Cotton
1

May 2025

I started in the mailroom...is that even still a thing?
An ad agency legend took a shine to my dad, then hired his underperforming high school kid, sight unseen, for a job in the mailroom. White privilege…
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Tom Cotton
3
Part 2 on real vs. fake innovation and consumer demand: how to tell the difference, and how to get real
Last week we covered shelf-stuffing and flavor fluffing. Now let's look at what real innovation is made of, authentic consumer demand, and having the…
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Tom Cotton
“Don’t you ad people just convince us to buy stuff we don’t need?”
A criticism old as time. But let's remember that "buying stuff" is what keeps the country's lights on. So let's get smarter about what we make how we go…
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Tom Cotton
2
GenAI is fast becoming the world's therapist. "How does this make you feel?"
Explosive global growth in AI-generated emotional support is troubling. The financial upsides are clear...but the upsides for humanity? Not so sure.
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Tom Cotton
© 2025 Tom Cotton
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