Bill impacted my life from the day I was lucky enough to become
his partner at Chiat/Day. He was a terrific writer who, like most
creatives, did not believe he was as good as he was and, of course,
made sure I did not believe I was any good as well. Both born of
middle class working families, we shared a similar work ethic,
constantly pushing each other to never settle, and in doing so
succeeded beyond our wildest dreams.
Bill, to quote an old advertising line, was "hard on the outside
but soft on the inside." He was tough, demanding, and his sometimes
quick outbursts could intimidate, yet were always served up for the
betterment of the work. To him, only the work mattered. At the same
time, he was also a caring, inspiring, supportive, champion of all
he led. And that was Bill's real genius, he challenged and inspired
everyone around him to passionately pursue greatness because he
embodied the Chiat/Day philosophy that "Good enough is not good
enough."
While I was fortunate to have a front-row seat to his genius,
there were hundreds, if not thousands, whose lives Bill changed as
well. Because whoever came into Bill's orbit came out with a deeper
understanding and passion to strive for greatness. Here's just a
small sampling of those whose lives were affected by Bill.
Shelly Lazarus, Chairman Emeritus Ogilvy & Mather
I loved Bill Hamilton. He was my partner, and he was my friend.
Bill challenged everyone. He was provocative. He created work that
was quite different from the Ogilvy "canon." Bill could take a
small, simple idea and put it forth in a way that made it huge. He
was a remarkable developer of young talent. They flocked to him
because he was a great teacher and because he made what they were
doing exciting. One of my favorite Bill Hamilton expressions was
"Let's dirty some paper." He made a mark. He made a difference to
clients, to Ogilvy, to me. He will never be forgotten.
Lee Clow, Chairman TBWAChiatDay
Bill Hamilton. He was smart, stubborn, angry, happy, funny,
thoughtful. And creative. He's probably fishing right now. Loved
him.
Gary Johns, Founder/Director Johns+Gorman
Films
I was lucky. In my first job I found myself in a group led by Bill
Hamilton at Ketchum/Pittsburgh. Bill taught me what it
meant to understand a client's needs and to solve problems
creatively. The emphasis was always on thinking. Not art direction.
Not copywriting. Bill would say that art direction and writing
could be learned, but thinking was a rare commodity and should be
embraced. Over the next four decades Bill never deviated from the
initial principles he related to me as a novice in the business. It
was always about the thinking. For that, I will be eternally
grateful.
Rich Russo, chief creative officer, Havas
Adrenaline
Bill simply made every one and every agency he led better—a
lot better. For me, he was the best, most brilliant and inspiring
creative director I've ever worked with. His depth of passion and
knowledge for music, art, photography, acting, comedy, movies,
architecture, everything creative was endless. And he brought
pieces of it all with him when he talked about advertising. Bill
was a creative soul like no other and when he married his creative
side to his unsurpassed sense of the business world, you had the
ingredients needed to make one hell of an advertising creative
director.
Sherri Levy, Head of Production
Adam&EveNYC
I spent a lot of time with Bill Hamilton, first as a babysitter for
his son Scott, and then as a young producer at Ogilvy. We grew very
close and he ended up being a mentor and father figure to me. I
loved being around Bill, whether it was in a pre-pro meeting, or
listening to the Allman Brothers at 1a.m., I invariably learned
something and came away smarter and more curious. He taught me to
be brave (around him you had to be), and to passionately care about
the work. Bill was toughest on those he loved most, and I was no
exception. But it was always worth it.
John Butler, chief creative officer, BSSP
Bill Hamilton gave many of us our shot. Mike Shine and I got
together and talked about our time at Chiat/Day New York in the
late '80s with Bill. In no particular order, here are some of the
byproducts of that era. Buckley DeCerchio; Carroll, Raj, Stagliano;
Weiss Whitten; CAA Advertising (via Len Fink);-
DaVinci Einstein; Hempel Stefenides; Merkley Newman Harty; Mad Dogs
& Englishmen; Hungry Man and Butler, Shine & Stern.
Bill had a natural talent for finding talent. He built a creative
department in the '80s that spawned a wave of influential creative
startups in the '90s. We spilled a bit of scotch for Bill. Rest in
Peace.
Rick Boyko, Co-President chief creative officer, Ogilvy
North America, Retired
Simply put, Bill changed people's lives, he changed people's
careers, he changed agencies, he changed brands, he changed the
business, and he changed me.
David Ogilvy said "Our business needs massive transfusion of
talent. And talent I believe is most likely to be found among
non-conformists, dissenters, and rebels." Bill Hamilton was that
talented, non- conformist, dissenter, and rebel who will be sorely
missed.
