The Enduring Appeal of Old Porsche Ads: A Look Back at Fallon McElligott’s Iconic Campaigns

Fallon McElligott Bruce, an advertising agency renowned for its creativity, left an indelible mark on the advertising world, particularly with its work for Porsche. This interview delves into the agency’s early days and its groundbreaking approach to marketing the iconic German sports car brand. We explore the insights of a content creator who witnessed firsthand the magic behind those memorable campaigns for what many consider to be the epitome of classic automotive excellence: the old Porsche.

From Minneapolis to Madison Avenue: Joining Fallon McElligott

“I got there very early,” the interviewee recalls, hinting at being present near the agency’s inception. His journey began with a connection to Tom McElligott at the University of Minnesota. McElligott, then at Bozell and Jacobs, initially sparked his interest. After a brief stint at another agency and inspired by Fallon McElligott Rice’s bold “Outsmart” manifesto, the interviewee found his way to this burgeoning creative powerhouse.

Fallon McElligott's Early Days with Tom McElligott and Nancy Rice

He reflects on the early days, admitting, “Tom knew he was opening the agency when he was interviewing me at B&J and I always suspected he was looking for a decent cheap copywriter. And I was cheap!” He acknowledges the role of Jarl Olsen in the agency’s initial copywriting efforts. His career path then led him to Duffy, Knutson and Oberpriller (DKO), a strong creative agency where he honed his skills under Gary Knutson and collaborated with designer Joe Duffy, even crafting lengthy, visually striking ads for menswear. DKO also facilitated his meeting with Tom Lichtenheld, a future creative partner at Fallon.

The connection with Joe Duffy proved pivotal. When Duffy was invited by Pat Fallon to establish Duffy Design, aligned with Fallon McElligott Rice, the interviewee became Duffy’s first hire. The agreement was set: after Duffy Design’s establishment, a move to Fallon McElligott was on the horizon. He emphasizes Duffy Design’s immediate success and its legacy of producing design luminaries. Joining Fallon McElligott as employee number twenty-nine, he felt immense fortune, likening it to “being invited to join The Beatles.”

Presenting to a Creative Legend: The Tom McElligott Experience

The interview shifts to the experience of presenting work to Tom McElligott himself. “Of course, Tom was a brilliant writer but also an incredibly shy and, well, socially awkward man,” he describes. McElligott’s feedback was sparse but impactful. “He wouldn’t say much, but what he did say mattered.” His standards were exceptionally high, focused on the core elements of effective advertising. The interviewee mentions McElligott’s famous idiosyncrasies, recalling the nervous neck-rubbing that signaled proximity to a strong idea.

Fearlessness was a defining trait he admired in McElligott. He illustrates this with a story about his first commercial at Fallon, a low-budget production shot on ¾” videotape. Despite the limitations, McElligott insisted on using a top-tier national voiceover, elevating the perceived quality of the spot. “It made this cheap spot feel rich. I took that boldness with me through my entire career.”

He notes McElligott’s relatively short tenure at the agency after his arrival. He recounts a chance encounter with McElligott at a Timex shoot in London and his subsequent departure from Fallon. He underscores the often-overlooked contributions of Nancy Rice, praising her artistic direction and discerning eye. He also acknowledges the collective brilliance of other Fallon giants like Dean Hanson, Bob Barrie, Luke Sullivan, and Mike Lescarbeau, highlighting the agency’s collaborative creative environment.

Porsche Among Giants: The Allure of the Account

When asked if Porsche briefs were the most coveted at an agency known for award-winning clientele, the response is nuanced. “Obviously, Porsche was a very sexy brand,” he concedes. However, he emphasizes the agency’s commitment to producing exceptional work across all accounts, even for less glamorous clients like The Wall Street Journal. “Every account offered the potential to do something amazing.”

His initial projects at Fallon involved crafting long-copy ads for Bloomingdale’s, a prestigious New York department store. He began by assisting McElligott and later took full creative control. He credits Mark Johnson, the art director, for his refined taste, particularly in his lead role on the Porsche account. He also mentions John Jay, the client, known for his design and fashion background before his move to Weiden and Kennedy. He affirms the timeless quality of their Bloomingdale’s ads, suggesting they would still resonate today.

Small Ads, Big Impact: The Porsche Dealer Campaigns

The conversation turns to the distinctive small-space Porsche ads, often considered more impactful than larger ads for other car brands. He clarifies the roles within the creative team. Tom McElligott and Mark Johnson laid the campaign’s foundation with larger spreads and TV spots, with Johnson bringing his BMW advertising sensibility and photographer Jeff Zwart. McElligott’s passion for cars, particularly Porsche, is highlighted.

Following McElligott’s departure, John Stingley took charge of the major national campaigns. The interviewee and George Gier focused on dealer ads, with significant creative freedom. Legendary art directors like Bob Barrie, Tom Lichtenheld, and Bob Brihn contributed to these campaigns. He explains the concept of “dealer kits,” common in the automotive industry, providing local dealerships with pre-made ad templates. Porsche’s dealer kits offered creative opportunities, which the team fully embraced. “We just dug in and killed it on every ad. Literally, we’d write dozens of ads in a sitting, and then ruthlessly edited ourselves.”

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He shares a personal anecdote connecting his early fascination with advertising to these dealer kits. Recalling visits to his father’s VW dealership during the Beetle era, he describes being captivated by Doyle Dane Bernbach (DDB) dealer kits from the 70s, which profoundly influenced his young mind.

Premium vs. Mass: Crafting the Porsche Message

The discussion shifts to the distinction between advertising premium brands like Porsche and mass-market brands. He expresses a preference for premium brands, including BMW, Nikon, Bloomingdale’s, and high-end spirits and menswear. He attributes this preference to a more sophisticated audience, allowing for elevated language and more intelligent concepts. He emphasizes that premium brands are often passion-driven rather than commodity-based, providing richer emotional and historical depth to tap into, making the creative process more engaging than advertising everyday products like “laundry detergent.”

Wit, Not Jokes: The Humor in Luxury Advertising

Addressing the common misconception of humor cheapening premium brands, he clarifies Fallon’s approach as “wit, instead of humor.” He emphasizes the sophisticated wink and deliberate cleverness, distinguishing it from broad, jokey humor. He believes overt humor can undermine luxury brands. Drawing from his extensive experience with BMW, he contrasts Fallon’s witty approach with other agencies’ attempts at humor for the brand, which he found cringeworthy. He cites Tom Lichtenheld’s brilliant “U.O.U.” billboard for BMW’s 6-series as an example of effective wit, not humor.

The Ones That Got Away: Unseen Porsche Headlines

When asked about memorable rejected lines, he laments his inability to recall specifics, attributing it to the agency’s rigorous self-editing process that resulted in a high “sell rate.” He shares an anecdote about a fabricated, inappropriate Porsche ad headline (“Small penis? Have we got a car for you.”) created for an award submission, firmly stating he would never present such work to a client. He underscores his deep respect for the Porsche brand and his client, Jim McDowell, who later championed BMW Films.

From Motion to Stillness: Evolving the Visual Language of Porsche Ads

The conversation explores the shift from dynamic, action-oriented Porsche ads to more static, sculptural representations of the cars. He explains that while Mark Johnson’s early spreads featured a mix of studio and dynamic shots, the dealer ads necessitated static photos for simplicity and directness.

However, he and Tom Lichtenheld later spearheaded a full-color magazine campaign for international markets (excluding the UK and Germany). They aimed for a different aesthetic, employing striking studio shots, concise headlines, and minimal copy, striving for a print-like quality suitable for framing. They collaborated with Leagas Delaney and Jung Von Matt, incorporating some of Leagas’s existing photography and tasking Shawn Michenzi to emulate the style for budget efficiency. He articulates a preference for studio shots, believing they convey a sense of latent power, comparing the car to “a predator about to pounce.” He references a similar approach he implemented for Cadillac, citing the “A china shop in a bull” headline for a CTS-V ad as an example of a concept that could have seamlessly fit a Porsche campaign.

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Friendly Rivalry: Competition and Collaboration at Fallon

He confirms the competitive atmosphere among writers working on Porsche ads, but emphasizes its positive nature. “Oh, God yes. But only in the best way.” He highlights Fallon’s unique culture, where competition coexisted with mutual support and a shared goal of enhancing each other’s work and agency success. He contrasts this collaborative competition with the divisive approach of pitting creatives against each other, which he personally avoids.

Defining a Legacy: Favorite Porsche Ads and Enduring Influence

Choosing his best Porsche ad proves challenging. He ultimately selects one of the international spreads created with Tom Lichtenheld: a 911 Turbo image with the headline “Product Benefits: Too fast. Doesn’t blend in. People will talk.”

Porsche Ad – Product Benefits

He also mentions another widely shared ad: “Honestly now, did you spend your youth dreaming about someday owning a Nissan or a Mitsubishi?”

Porsche Ad – Honestly Now

He connects this ad to a personal experience visiting Porsche’s Weissach research center, observing German engineers scrutinizing a Mitsubishi 3000 GT, highlighting Porsche’s enduring competitive spirit and unique brand appeal. He reiterates his gratitude for the opportunity to work at Fallon and on the Porsche account.

When asked about the best Porsche ad by someone else, he immediately cites “It’s like children. You can’t understand until you’ve had one.”

Porsche Ad – Its Like Children

For the best car ad overall, he chooses Doyle Dane Bernbach’s “Think small.” for Volkswagen.

Volkswagen Ad – Think Small

He identifies the collective talent of early DDB, including pioneering women, and later figures like Tom and David Abbott and Tim Delaney as his major influences, admiring their intelligent, observational, and subtly clever writing style.

Lessons from a Creative Giant: Tom McElligott’s Enduring Impact

Reflecting on lessons learned from Tom McElligott, he acknowledges the greater influence of Pat Burnham and other Fallon creatives due to McElligott’s early departure. However, he emphasizes McElligott’s fearlessness, intelligence, and craft. He highlights McElligott, Burnham, Rice, and the agency founders’ boldness in establishing Fallon in Minneapolis and taking on the advertising world. McElligott’s insistence on top-tier voiceover for a low-budget commercial cemented the importance of fearless ambition. This same boldness, he believes, attracted top directors like David Fincher and Ridley and Tony Scott to BMW Films.

Advice for Aspiring Copywriters in the Luxury Market

His single tip for young copywriters entering the luxury market is to “Dig deep and then go deeper.” He stresses the importance of thoroughly understanding the product’s history, manufacturing process, and the passion it inspires. He argues that true luxury brands warrant deep passion and that a copywriter’s mission is to amplify the perceived value, regardless of price.