Neal Arthur is managing director of Wieden & Kennedy New York, the east coast arm of Ad Age’s Agency of the Year for two years running. The shop is responsible for making Bud Light’s “Dilly Dilly” a household phrase and for igniting the “corn wars.” It’s also created new work for Duracell and Ford.
In this episode of the “Ad Block” podcast, Arthur shares stories of his time as a teacher. His classes included kindergarten, 4th grade math, ethics, and 8th grade sex education—at a Catholic school. “There’s a weird sort of faux confidence in 8th grade that you have to have to make it,” he says. “You walk around acting like you’ve got it all figured out, yet you know nothing.”