He just wrote a book about creativity (which you can pick up here), and now we get to talk to him about how creativity and Austin play into his own life. 2-time Adweek All-Star and Creative force behind the Chili's "I want my babyback" jingle, we are pleased to talk with Guy Bommarito.
Guy Bommarito
So, what do you do again?
To most people in Austin, I'm the former Executive Creative Director at GSD&M. Since then, I've been different iterations of an ECD at various agencies in Chicago and San Francisco. But, the best title I ever had was copywriter, so I've come full circle and that's what I am again. Really. Email me at guybom@comcast.net, and see how fast I jump at the chance to freelance some copy for you.
What inspires you?
Any place where creativity and humor intersect: The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, The Book of Mormon and, of course, those guys who figured out how to play Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean" by blowing into beer bottles.
How lucky are you and why?
Very. Because I achieved what I set out to achieve in advertising by the time I was in my mid-40s and have had the luxury of using the personal and professional equity I built up during those years as a means to fund a number of experiences that currently have me living in the San Francisco Bay Area.
What do you love about Austin?
Austin continues to amaze and concern me. I've seen it go from one double-lane highway, six movie theaters and a single TV station to where it is today. (Yeah, I go way back.) The city and its residents have always worried about unfettered growth, about turning into another Dallas, about pricing out the people who make it special to begin with. So, when I see Lake Travis water levels or hear about the fourth worst traffic in the country or read another "fastest growing city" story, it makes me wonder if those fears have come to pass. On the other hand, I miss the hell out of not having a Central Market where I live now.
What were the major turning points that got you where you are?
1. When I was a young copywriter in Austin, I relied on a number of excuses to get me off the hook for delivering less than stellar work, e.g., "the deadline is too tight," "the budget's too small," "the client is a jerk," "the account people are idiots." After using one of these not-my-fault lines one too many times, my creative director said to me, "You know, at some point in your career, you're going to have to accept the responsibility for the work you do." That was the slap in the face I needed to get my act together.
2. After years of freelancing in Austin, Tim McClure invited me back to GSD&M where I soon became ECD, helping grow the agency into a national player and leading it to it's first creative recognition in major international and national awards shows.
3. In 1996, Jean Coyne invited me to judge CA's annual advertising competition. The moment I hung up, I said to myself, "Good, now I can quit."
What helps you access your creativity?
Funny, you should ask. I just wrote my first and, I suspect, last book on that very subject. It's called Creative Bones, and you can get your very own copy on Amazon (paperback or Kindle), in Apple's iBook store or at BarnesandNoble.com, if you're one of the twelve people in Austin who owns a Nook.
What are a couple of your most memorable experiences?
Too many to mention: having pizza with Neal Young on a Coors TV shoot, trading jokes with Jay Leno while shooting a TV spot for RC Cola next door to his Bel Air mansion, meeting with President and Mrs. Clinton in the White House to present concepts on their healthcare initiative, doing Chili's pepper animation at George Lucas's Sky Walker Ranch, piloting a Boeing 777 flight simulator when I was working on that account, having my name appear in the credits at the end of the second Austin Powers movie. Not necessarily in that order.
What’s the most fun part of your job?
The best part of doing what I do has always been coming up with ideas and working with a group of talented people to make those ideas better than anyone imagined.
What do you think Austin needs most to help its advertising and production community succeed nationally, internationally?
In an effort to prove they're every bit as good as the agencies and production companies in New York or LA, people outside those markets have a tendency to mimic that work. So, best-case scenario, they prove they can deliver a similar product, when what they should be setting out to prove is that they can deliver an actually better and completely different product. Listen to your voice. Find your own way. Create something that NY/LA want to rip off.
Best Austin experience?
I can't begin to choose one experience. I went to UT. All but one of my children were born in Austin. I met my wife in Austin. It was great being part of GSD&M's rise to national prominence. So I've been lucky to have a lot of great moments there. And even though I've been gone for ten years now, it's nice to be able to look back and know that some of the people I brought to Austin (by hiring them at GSD&M) are still leaving their marks on Austin's advertising community: Wally Williams, Brian Jessee, Rich Tlapek, Tom Gilmore, Rob Buck, Clay Hudson, Carlotta Eike Stankiewicz, Scott McAfee, Mike Woolf, Mike Coffin and I'm sure a host of other names I can't remember right now.
What do you wish someone had told you when you first started out?
The problem isn't that people aim too high and fail. It's that they aim too low and succeed.