The greatest “ad guy” to ever live. A tribute to Louis Slotkin

My dear friend Louis, who is now watching me from heaven, as I write this tribute to him titled "the greatest ad guy"... is either smiling or sending down an angel to slap me across the face.

See - When I first met Louis six years ago, he shared a story about a time when a client referred to him as an "ad guy," and he explained why that was the most insulting thing anyone had ever called him.

At that time, I didn't quite understand why that was an insult. After all, he had worked in advertising for 20 years, and he was… a guy.

But over the course of the next six years, as we built Highdive and our agency culture, and as I got to know Louis, it became clear why he loathed the words ? ? ? "ad guy."?

To Louis, the label "Ad Guy" was reserved for the Pete Campells (From Madmen) of the world, sleazy account people who did the bare minimum and contributed to the mediocrity in advertising/marketing.?

In other words, he felt like "ad guys' ' were limited to helping solve advertising problems only, and Louis believed in helping people so, so, so much more.

He once preached to our people that we needed to "elevate the understanding of the business, and the relationships across the organization should be such that he/she could step in as CMO at any time." As lofty as it sounds, he did all that… and more.

But what made Louis truly special went far beyond what you'd find on a Highdive keynote or an account job description.

Louis' true hidden magic was that he cared about people, deeply.

Louis and Pete Campell-types were extreme polar opposites not just in what they said but… also and more importantly… how they made people feel.?

No one I ever met had a bigger impact on how they made people feel. Louis was a nuclear explosion of positivity.

If you were a client, Louis was in your corner. He provided not only a brilliant strategic mind, but he also became a friend, a very good friend, fast. He would stay up late to help you prep for a big meeting that had nothing to do with the agency responsibilities. But he was also a shoulder to cry on for problems way bigger than work, such as life, marriage, kids, feeling like an imposter, and… you name it.

If you were an employee, he was the world's greatest coach. With tough love and just love, he taught you how to simply become better. A better person, a better spouse, a better friend, a better human.

And in my case, as one of my business partners, he became my big brother. A big brother who helped me grow from a creative director into a true leader of a company. A big brother who pulled us out of dark times (if you ever start an agency, you’ll understand). A big brother who let me win in fights because he knew an hour later, I’d come to my senses. A big brother who helped me when my wife and I struggled getting pregnant with my first son. A big brother who always, always, always puts others first.

There are a million things I could tell you about Louis, but needless to say, he wasn't your typical Pete Campbell "ad guy."?

He was the greatest “ad guy” to ever live.

And who knows, maybe he's up there watching me write this and now likes the "ad guy" label after spending a lifetime changing the definition of what that means.

Or maybe he’s about to throw a lighting bolt from the heavens…?

But in the spirit of being his annoying, pushy little brother, there's a part of me that hopes he's doing a little bit of both.

I miss you. I love you.

-Chad