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The Firehouse Salon
Exploring big ideas through honest conversations to share insights for those who want to change the world. Inspired by the maverick spirit of 1960s adman Howard Luck Gossage, we bring diverse minds together to discuss not just how to make things, but make things that work. Join us as curious, iconoclastic, and obvious ideas collide at the Salon. Accompanies our BBC Radio 4 show 'The Socrates of San Francisco' - check it out on BBC sounds.
The Firehouse Salon
Ep 16 - A Kangaroo, Tomato Paste & Pink Air
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 campaign for FINA, where he humorously promoted the fictional "pink air" for tires, creating engagement and community around the brand.
Ashley and James explore how the trauma of World War II led to a surge in absurd, anarchic comedy, particularly in Britain with shows like The Goon Show, featuring war veterans like Spike Milligan, Peter Sellers, and Harry Secombe, who used humour to process their experiences. This post-war comedy, born as a reaction to the serious and repressive atmosphere of the time, provided escapism and influenced global humor, paving the way for Monty Python. The hosts discuss how this shift in humor eventually made its way into advertising, with Howard Gossage pioneering the use of wit and absurdity in his campaigns.