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The Firehouse Salon brings together diverse minds – scientists, philosophers, artists, and innovators – to explore how communication shapes our world. Inspired by Howard Gossage's maverick spirit, each conversation delves into the intersection of ideas, creativity, and effective change-making. More than just discussing advertising, we investigate how different perspectives and approaches can solve real problems and create meaningful impact. Originally inspired by our BBC Radio 4 documentary 'The Socrates of San Francisco'.
29 Episodes
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In this 26th episode of The Firehouse Salon, the focus is on advertising critic Howard Luck Gossage and the ethos of his 'Firehouse Gang.' The discussion delves into Gossage's critiques of advertising, advocating for a more genuine audience connection. The episode explores the vibrant atmosphere of Gossage's 1960s Firehouse parties and how it influences the future of this podcast. It also outlines future episodes inspired by 'The Book of Gossage,' focusing on diverse perspectiv...
This time our highlights one of Gossage's notable campaigns for Blitz Weinhardt Beer during the Oregon centennial, which humorously proposed reforesting Times Square to compensate New Yorkers for the beer's unavailability. The campaign garnered massive attention despite its outlandish nature. Furthermore, Gossage's playful and inclusive copywriting style, often featuring collaborative projects with renowned figures like Stan Freeberg, and his inclination towards creating memorable ...
In this episode, we delve into the lively discussions from the latest Firehouse Salon Live held in London. Host Ashley Pollak brings together three intriguing guests—Oliver Turnbull, a technology consultant and comedian; Ash Bhardwaj, a journalist and author; and Barnaby Cook, a video production expert. The conversation spans a variety of topics, including the importance of asking questions, the concept of eroticism in travel, the motivations behind why we travel, techniques for making a...
In this edition of the pod we discuss the influence of Howard Luck Gossage on modern advertising with guest Johan Gustafsson, Partner at the Swedish creative agency Differ. Johan shares insights on Differ's ethos of creating impactful and sustainability-focused campaigns. We explore examples of their work - 'Gotland's Ugliest Lawn' contest, an initiative to conserve water, and 'Sweden's Oldest Spice,' aimed at reducing food waste. Johan emphasises the importance of creativity,...
Exploring the power of honesty and authenticity in Tech, Business, and Art. Our panel includes Elizabeth - An Olympic athlete with experience combining comedy & tech pitches.Julian - Tech entrepreneur and Immersive StorytellerDee - Talent & HR expert - fromer Amazon/Goldman and now working at UCLAand Ian - story scientist & former Head of Video Strategy at Conde NastKey topics include the impact of honesty on productivity and creativity, corporate culture, and digital re...
Your hosts James King and Ashley Pollak dive into Gossage's legendary work, where he flipped advertising on its head by embracing radical authenticity.Ever heard of an ad that doesn’t even mention the brand? Gossage did just that.Join us as we explore how Gossage’s wild ideas can inspire today’s advertisers to embrace honesty, absurdity, and a touch of chaos.
This episode features a rich discussion on building and sustaining interconnected, resilient communities transitioning from virtual to in-person interactions. Set in The Firehouse Salon at The Hub co-working space, the dialogue includes insights from Amy (PR consultant), Sam (co-founder of The Hub), and Will (head of production at Pasha). Key topics include the significance of capping memberships to maintain intimacy, balancing scaling with close-knit atmospheres, and the role of vulnera...
In this episode, hosts Ashley Pollak and James King discuss the lost art of letter writing. Turning to their patron saint, Howard Gossage, they explore how his letter writing turned ink into conversation and later collaborations with iconic figures like John Steinbeck and Marshall McLuhan.From putting pen to paper to sending voice notes, Ashley and James share how they have used unconventional forms of communication to open doors and forge new relationships.Whether you're looking for a reason...
This episode features an insightful conversation with Andy Pearson, VP of Creative at Liquid Death. Discover how Liquid Death's unique approach to humour-driven, engaging, and purpose-driven marketing parallels Gossage’s philosophy. Andy shares his journey from ad school to building a radically creative brand, discussing standout campaigns and the strategy behind Liquid Death’s success. This episode underscores the importance of entertainment and genuine engagement in marketing.00:00 Introduc...
Our latest monthly online meetup bringing together diverse minds come together to discuss topics aimed at broadening perspectives.This episode host Ashley Pollak brings together a fantastic group of humans - Motorbike Innovator Hugo Eccles, Comedian Pierre Hollins, Creative Craftsman Jamie Bell and my Tediophobe Sophie Whippy We delved into the concept of absurdity, particularly how it can be based on either nonsensical or hardworking principles to effectively communicate serious messag...
In this episode hosts Ashley Pollak and James King explore the groundbreaking work of advertising legend Howard Gossage, focusing on his use of absurdity and humour. They discuss how Howard challenged industry norms with campaigns like the Qantas Airlines promotion, where he offered a live kangaroo as a prize, and his partnership with comedian Stan Freberg on the Contadina tomato paste ads, which helped the brand rise to the top of its market. The conversation also covers Howard's Pink Air ca...
We delve into the multifaceted world of attention in today's digital age, traversing the spectrum of focused obsession and casual consumption, unravelling how attention works, its implications for both content creators and consumers.
Join hosts Ashley Polak and James King as they delve into the inventive world of advertising legend Howard Gossage. In this episode, they explore Gossage's unique approach to capturing attention through the ingenious paper airplane competition, created to entice major airlines to advertise in Scientific American. Discover how Gossage's playful and interactive campaign not only met its objectives but also became a cultural phenomenon, drawing entries from around the globe and securing ext...
Welcome to The Firehouse Salon Live. In this episode Emma Stackhouse, Ashley Pollak, Sam Richardson, Adam Skuse, and Justin Obermann discuss how Gossage’s approach to interactive and participatory advertising is still relevant. The panel explores how modern brands can integrate personalisation and tactile experiences, akin to Gossage's use of coupons, in a digital age. They delve into the impact of social media and platforms like LinkedIn, emphasising the importance of bravery in creative mar...
"This is a story about an ad. It also says a good many implicit things about the ad-reading public...You can take a look at the ad hereThe ad is question sang the praises of a certain make of shirt, and it appeared in the New Yorker. In order to demonstrate the excellence of the shirtmaker's workmanship, a handkerchief-sized piece of shirting mysteriously equipped with buttonhole and pocket was offered free to readers who would write in and say what they thought the thing was for. Suddenly th...
Join us as we recreate the Firehouse Salon that Howard Gossage and his gang ran in the 1960s. This month, we will be discussing a campaign created by Gossage which inspired a fashion revolution, and exploring if that's STILL possible today...
A beer company, classical music radio station and clothes manufacturer walk into a bar... and create a never-seen-before product paving the way for fashion in years to come.You can take a look at the ad that started the story hereBut instead of a bar, imagine an ad agency in the heart of San Francisco.And instead of a bartender fixing the drinks, imagine Howard Gossage (ad-man meets Socrates) fixing all their business problems with one simple ad.
In this live edition of the show join recovering journalist Pia Hinckle, New Yorker journalist Nick Romeo, Radio Producer Jago Lee, Writer James King and your host Ashley Pollak as we explore all things radical, including what it means to 'stir the beehive.' 🐝Hinckle gained his reputation as the radical author and editor of Ramparts Magazine - a spectacular San Francisco muckraker that captured the spirit of the 60s and repeatedly scooped the New York Times, revolutionising American journalis...
In this episode we "uncover the largely untold story of Ramparts magazine, the spectacular San Francisco muckraker that captured the zeitgeist of the '60s and repeatedly scooped the New York Times, changing American journalism forever"You can see a selection of the amazing covers from the magazine hereWe interview Peter Richardson who has written critically acclaimed books about the Grateful Dead, Ramparts magazine, and Carey McWilliams, the radical author & journalist of The Nation magaz...
In this live edition Sherry Horowitz and Neil Davidson join our host Ashley to explore how Marshall McLuhan's predictions have to come to pass in the age of AI, and the role that creative people can play in leveraging the possiblities.About the show - We've now got into a rhythm with our format. New episodes will now be released fortnightly on Wednesdays. The Firehouse Salon live events take place the second Thursday of each month.
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