Good morning! Welcome to MF/TS. If you are new here, MF/TS is a newsletter focusing on culture, advertising, running, and performance. In the last MF/TS dispatch, we explored the philosophy of pain as it relates to mental + physical growth.
In the April Brooklyn Half-Marathon, I hit a new Personal Best time, which prompted a question: is there a connection between physical pain and mental frustrations? Are frustrations and friction clues that a breakthrough might be on the other side? Is the exhaustion by the end of the training cycle worth it? If you missed it, click in to give it read.
IN THIS WEEK’S MF/TS
Gather around kids and let me tell you a story.
The year was 2009. I was escaping LA and Showbiz and I was making a leap to move to NYC to get a crack a Madison Avenue advertising.
Help companies crack big ideas and leverage media to sell more products than the year before?
SIGN ME UP!
After watching Pete Campbell muck it up on Mad Men, I thought how hard could it be?
I share that story because we’re now in 2025.
And that little leap has led to an awesome journey hustling in NYC living (and getting ambushed by) the ad agency dream at Giant Spoon. Delivering great ideas, partnerships, emergent processes and systems, while guiding ambitious brand marketers.
The type of marketers that want to stick out.
That want to create work that moves hearts.
And win awards.
I share that story because in this week’s MF/TS I want to share new Ad work that I’m incredibly proud of—but also share little ad history.
LEGENDARY AD PIONEERS
Thanks to Ashley Rutstein's Stuff About Advertising, I discovered five pioneers who didn't just work in advertising—they revolutionized it.
Their impact was felt beyond the work they touched. They set new ways of doing and making the Ads; and as a result the entire industry shifted it’s mindset because of their approaches.
Caroline R. Jones - The first African-American copywriter/creative director at JWT. Caroline helped companies grow with creative that had human moments tied to culture versus just the product. Her work got so popular that families would print out her ads and put them up in their homes.
Helen Lansdowne Rensor - The very first known Ad executive of the modern era, she believed in convergence of good copy and great design and was known to be at master at both.
Mary Wells Lawrence - MF/TS wrote about Mary because, quite frankly, not only is she heavily influential, but her life and career were just flat out iconic. She was quoted as saying: “great ads should make you nervous about what you're not buying.” And she came up with the iconic I ♥ New York campaign, among many other triumphs.
Phyllis Robinson - One of the first copywriting-art directing powerhouses at DDB, pioneering the creative model that is now standard practice at every creative shop. She was mentored many creatives, one of which was Mary Wells Lawrence.
Jane Newman - Titled the queen of Account Planning (aka Strategy / Comms Planning). One of her big ideas was making sure every team was integrated and with an Account lead, and prioritizing account planning, idea sharing, and research in order to bring out the best ideas. This sounds a whole lot about what we emphasize and do at Giant Spoon!
An interesting observation, each women must have faced obstacles, friction, and man-led world that tested their wit and yet, they stuck to their craft, pushed through the friction and on the other side….their work broke through, breaking the entire way in how marketers can shift culture and value.
SPEAKING OF LEGENDARY ADS: STAY READY x MASSMUTUAL
This past year I had the honor of partnering with a MassMutual and Deep Blue Sports & Entertainment to make a revolutionary Ad campaign. It aired on major networks in tentpole sport moments like NCAA Tournament, NBA Playoffs, and in other major video outlets. Even had a little print execution in the New York Times! You might still see it out there on the big screen near you soon. 😉
Why does a 174 year old insurance/financial services company embark on this type of brand marketing effort?
BIG FACTS ON WOMEN’S SPORT & FINANCE 📈
If you have been living underneath a rock then you might not know that Women Sports has seen significant growth the past few years. A few examples:
In 2023 1.1 million+ people tuned in to watch Coco Gauff win the U.S. Open vesus the men’s final.
In 2024, the NCAA Women’s Final saw 4.3 million more viewers than then mens, seeing a total 24 million viewers for the final.
Ashley did a great video about it here if you are more an audio type of person because those two bullet points are just 2 of many proof points on a paradigm shift.
Now, if you look at the huge trends (and gap) in the world of women in the economy and women in the financial advisor space you see two fascinating trends.
Women control $10 trillion in US household assets (heading toward $30 trillion by 2030) (Per McKinsey)
Only 10% of financial advisors are women
Research shows that when women start picking up investing and partnering with Financial/Insurance Coaches who teach them now to make their money work, women gain confidence in their financial futures.
Madison Keys 🎾, Flau’Jae Johnson 🏀, and Christen Press ⚽️ partnered with us to bring not just an amazing campaign together, but to also launch the right infrastructure building for the next generation of female investors and athletes.
As MassMutual’s CMO, Jennifer Halloran stated:
‘Stay Ready’ is the next step in MassMutual’s commitment to closing the financial confidence gap for women. “Financial confidence is female empowerment,” when women are equipped with the right tools and surrounded by a supportive team, they can take control of their finances and their future—unlocking opportunities and new possibilities.
And it was so well received!
It’s so great to put new campaign work into market that people really love but better yet, the entire platform addresses a genuine need (and enormous opportunity).
A FINAL NOTE
Turns out that little leap I took years ago was worth the jump.
I love helping brands transform into entirely new spaces we never could have imagined just a few years ago.
And despite the cynicism of this business, I still love advertising. We can shift culture and change marketplaces one idea and a million little efforts at a time.
VISUAL OF THE WEEK
Thinking of vibes and good weather as the team heads to Cannes next week! This was from Possible in Miami a few weeks back.
Go forth. Stay safe. Ride the wave.
-Mitch