Seisser changes orbit at Saatchi
This was pretty interesting, so going to post a good portion of the article in this blog entry:
“Early one October morning, Tod Seisser, in London for the production of Saatchi & Saatchi’s first campaign for Beck’s beer, received an excited phone call. Richard Pels, an executive creative director on the New York agency’s Delta Air Lines account, had an idea for a spot celebrating John Glenn in orbit aboard the space shuttle Discovery.”
Seisser appreciated Pels’ enthusiasm, knew what it was like to be seized by creative inspiration. After nearly a year on the job, Seisser said he was pleased with the ads his 70-plus creative staff has produced–whether for cereal, aspirin or beer–and he boasts of an agency without “creative ghettos” that aspires to award-winning work. “I’m amazed and proud of how far we’ve come,” says Seisser.
Seisser himself credits his management success to Paul Schulman, the former general manager at Wells BDDP, who joined Saatchi in April as manager of creative resources, tackling production budgets, recruitment and scheduling.
“Seisser manages by giving direction and not by sitting through every last detail. He doesn’t look over your shoulder,” says executive creative director Roger Rowe, a 10-year Saatchi vet partnered with Pels, an award-winning copywriter and key Seisser hire, on the $100 million Delta account. Indeed, thanks to the Rowe-Pels alliance, the agency has produced five Delta spots–some, like Glenn, with a short shelf life–while developing the next phase of the campaign, due to break this spring. The new ads will retain the familiar chorus of “Adiemus,” Christine Lahti’s voiceover and the “On top of the world” tagline, sources say, but their focus is still being hashed out.
From his first day at Saatchi, Seisser has encouraged open dialogue among staffers. Seisser’s macro touch, coupled with Schulman’s managing the less glamorous aspects of the job, has enabled him to get closer to clients and push for more entertaining advertising. Even conservative clients are listening, owing to Seisser’s frank but accessible approach. Yet a key question remains: How much can one man influence a behemoth like Saatchi?
Last January, Seisser said he was there for the “long haul.” A year later, he feels the same way: “I want the buzz on the street to build. I want this to be a place people who aren’t here want to work at, and people who are here want to stay at.”
