Lights, Camera, Madison Avenue

This inside look at the production of 20th century television commercials begins with a review of advertising’s beginnings going through the 1960s and early 1970s. The author, a career “Mad man,” recounts lightheartedly his experiences on commercial productions—both live and film—in theaters and studios in New York City, at LBJ’s ranch, on the White House lawn, along Rome’s Appian Way, in Lady Astor’s dining room and on the Tryall Golf Course in Jamaica, among other places. The technical (and people) challenges involved in producing high-end commercials for major corporations are given in often funny detail.

Robert Naud is a native New Yorker with live television experience at ABC, NBC and CBS and an extensive background in commercial production at McCann-Erickson and Young & Rubicam. He is the founder/director of a commercial production company in New York City and a professor of commercial production at the School of Visual Arts in New York City.

Robert Naud
Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 208
Bibliographic Info: 17 photos, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2016
pISBN: 978-1-4766-6233-6
eISBN: 978-1-4766-2256-9
Imprint: McFarland

Table of Contents


Preface 1

1. Midstream in a Career 5

2. Advertising and Its History 9

3. Adapting to Financial Change 16

4. Commercials at Their Best 23

5. Back at the Dorchester 26

6. England and Guild Visitors 34

7. Land’s End and Career Objectives 36

8. The Edit, Marilyn Monroe and Dina Merrill 41

9. A Xerox Machine 46

10. Nepotism 101 48

11. Scandalous Behavior 56

12. The Name’s the Game 64

13. Good Luck in Multiples 71

14. Lamp Repair 76

15. Pursuit of Young Viewers and the Moon 88

16. An Established Producer 92

17. Farewell to Milkshakes and Ice Cream 106

18. National Drivers Safety Test 111

19. Wilshire Boulevard to Cliveden on Thames 113

20. Filming at the LBJ Ranch 117

21. Actors’ Revenge and Ravioli 124

22. The White House Lawn and Applause from the Secret Service 130

23. A Collection of Thoughts 137

24. Senta Berger: A Dazzling Beauty 145

25. Howard Zieff: An Exceptional Talent 153

26. Weather Permitting 156

27. See the Nice Man; or, A Talent to Remember 162

28. Real People and Real Change 165

29. Back to Modeling—Well, Sorta 167

30. Look Out How You Use Proud Words 171

31. Rome and Grindelwald 173

32. Cars and Midgets in Space; or, Stuck in Beverly Hills 179

Chapter Notes 189

Bibliography 191

Index 193

“this book is the personal story of the author’s career in the world of advertising…he worked for several ad agencies and the three legacy broadcast networks in career dating to the 1960s…producing commercials around the world leads to some wonderful stories concerning people and changing technologies as well…in all, a fun read about an exciting period in the world of advertising”—Communications Booknotes Quarterly.