I have just finished the book ‘It's Not How Good You Are, It's How Good You Want To Be’ by the advertising legend Paul Arden.
Paul Arden was a creative genius whose extraordinary drive and energy is allied to a kind of common sense that just isn't, well, common. Paul Arden began his career in advertising at the age of 16. Formerly Creative Director at Saatchi and Saatchi, he is responsible for some of Britain's best known campaigns including British Airways, Silk Cut, Anchor Butter, InterCity and Fuji and famous slogans which include 'The Car in front is a Toyota' and 'The Independent - It Is - Are You?'. In 1993 he set up the London-based production company Arden Sutherland-Dodd where he is now a commercials director for clients such as BT, BMW, Ford, Nestle and Levis. Sadly Paul Arden died in April 2008, but he remains a legend.
"It's Not How Good You Are, It's How Good You Want to Be" is a handbook of how to succeed in the world - a pocket "bible" for the talented and timid to help make the unthinkable and the impossible possible. Advertising guru Paul Arden offers up his wisdom on issues as diverse as problem solving, responding to a brief, communicating, playing your cards right, making mistakes and creativity, all endeavours that can be applied to aspects of modern life. This book provides an insight into the world of advertising and is a quirky compilation of quotes, facts, pictures, wit and wisdom, packed into easy-to-digest, bite-sized spreads. And you can read it it an hour.
It is a very good book indeed.
I've read it in May, and since then I won't say that "my life has changed dramatically", yet I think I have more determination to complete the tasks that I have, do them well, and to not fear to take on the tasks that are new to me - and do them well too.
There is no limit to what we can achieve, creativity and quality-wise, and Paul's book reinforces this point really well.
Posted by: Anton | August 20, 2009 at 01:30 PM