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Ad Age Ad Block

72 episodes - English - Latest episode: over 3 years ago - ★★★★★ - 22 ratings

Introducing Ad Block, a new Ad Age podcast. Hosted by Ad Age’s own I-Hsien Sherwood and Alfred Maskeroni, Ad Block features personal, casual chats with big names in the industry. We’ve got one rule on this show: no guests can talk about their company or their clients. Get to know the people behind the ads you love—as they talk about anything but.

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Episodes

Uber's VP of global marketing on winging it

December 18, 2020 18:09 - 36 minutes - 50.6 MB

Thomas Ranese, VP of global marketing at Uber, talks about how a lack of planning can sometimes blow up in your face, at least until you figure out how to make the best of it. He also weighs in on the wisdom he'd like to bring back from the mountaintop and how to avoid running into walls at work.

YouTube Gaming's global head of marketing on digital dinner parties

December 11, 2020 10:01 - 49 minutes - 67.7 MB

Elizabeth Del Valle explains how to plan and host a great gathering, even over Zoom. She also weighs in on catching up on peak TV and Caribbean coffee culture.

Xaxis' U.S president on life as a rabbinical spouse

December 04, 2020 10:01 - 40 minutes - 55.2 MB

Gila Wilensky never expected to marry a rabbi, but she's settled into duties much like those of a first lady—and adapted to long-distance religious life during the pandemic. She also weighs in on trying out for MasterChef and the lessons we'll all take from forced digital sabbaticals.

Google's VP of global marketing on loving fast food

November 30, 2020 10:00 - 41 minutes - 57.5 MB

Marvin Chow talks about his love of chains like McDonald's, Shake Shack and In-N-Out, especially outside the U.S. He also weighs in on working in his mother's 7-Eleven, being married to a chef and the social impact of brands at scale.

TwentyFirstCenturyBrand's Neil Barrie on playing in indie bands

November 20, 2020 10:01 - 45 minutes - 62.9 MB

The consultancy's global CEO spent his younger years touring Europe playing indie rock for a share of the door take. He also weighs in on disappointing The National's Matt Berninger and why drummers have so much baggage.

Lippincott's 'Carrie Dragshaw' on drag, 'Bake Off'—and the personas we all create every day

November 13, 2020 10:01 - 48 minutes - 67 MB

Brand innovation and strategy partner Dan Clay talks about creating his 'Carrie Dragshaw' persona, meeting Sarah Jessica Parker and the drag we all wear every day.

Tool of North America's founder on driving in the pro racing circuit

October 09, 2020 16:00 - 50 minutes - 70 MB

Erich Joiner, founder of Tool of North America, talks about his side gig, driving a Porsche 911 GT3 R on the professional racing circuit. He also weighs in the benefits of learning filmmaking before digital, running a coffeeshop and crashing into a concrete wall at 120 mph.

B-Reel's CEO on running a microbrewery

September 25, 2020 09:01 - 43 minutes - 59.3 MB

Anders Wahlquist, founder and CEO of B-Reel, ran a microbrewery in Sweden in the '90s—the first in the country to produce an unfiltered beer. He also talks about '70s cinema, running a nightclub and performing as a DJ.

CRWN Magazine's founder on gardening

September 18, 2020 09:01 - 44 minutes - 60.8 MB

Lindsey Farrar, founder and editor in chief of CRWN Magazine, planted her first garden this year. The collard greens flourished. The tomatoes weren't so lucky. She also weighs in on conscious consumption, buying dirt and realizing she was conditioned out of a birthright.

RQ's CEO on interior design and running a hotel

August 28, 2020 09:01 - 43 minutes - 59.4 MB

Brian Salzman, CEO and founder of RQ, has an eye for interior design. He's also one of the owners of Dive Palm Springs, a boutique hotel he helped renovate. He also weighs in on painting parties, office environments and explains how to spruce up a room for $5.

Pornhub brand ambassador Asa Akira on why everyone should go to therapy

August 21, 2020 09:01 - 45 minutes - 62.8 MB

Asa Akira, brand ambassador at Pornhub and adult film actor, talks about the benefits of mental health counseling and couples therapy. She also weighs in on wilderness survival, general anesthesia and how empathy can solve the world's problems.

Taboola's founder on building with LEGOs

August 14, 2020 09:00 - 47 minutes - 64.6 MB

Adam Singolda, CEO and founder of Taboola, talks about his love of building and creating with LEGO bricks. He also weighs in on Hebrew television and the triumph of obsession and curiosity over genius.

The&Partnership's president on egg freezing

August 06, 2020 21:23 - 42 minutes - 58.9 MB

Agnes Fischer, president of The&Partnership, is also the author of a book on egg freezing, a process she undertook after a divorce in her mid-30s. She also talks about her love of traditional Hungarian foods like head cheese, dark dramas and how the pandemic has shifted calculations for many people about having a family.

Dagger's CCO on stand-up comedy

July 17, 2020 17:38 - 48 minutes - 66.2 MB

Al Patton, CCO at Dagger, is an amateur stand-up comic who’s played shows in New York City and Atlanta. He talks about the similarities between pitching and stand-up, not being able to embrace Michael Jordan’s Bulls just yet—and Ron White’s advice for success.

Foursquare’s Dennis Crowley on fixing motorbikes

July 14, 2020 20:11 - 47 minutes - 64.7 MB

Dennis Crowley, co-founder of Foursquare, talks about the vintage Honda CT90 motorbikes his father-in-law gave him for a wedding gift. They break a lot. He also weighs in on running a Division IV soccer team and the ultimate hot dog condiment.

Dave Edwards of BeenThereDoneThat on not being the smartest guy in the room

July 03, 2020 09:01 - 42 minutes - 58.5 MB

Dave Edwards, global head of growth at BeenThereDoneThat, talks about navigating rooms full of brilliant (and some not-so-brilliant) people. he also weighs in on his alter ego Weather Edwards, movie trivia and the worst song in history.

Frog's Andrew Zimmerman on traveling with the circus

June 26, 2020 09:01 - 40 minutes - 56.2 MB

Andrew Zimmerman is president of frog—a design and innovation consultancy. He talks about the year he spent traveling through Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union with one-ring circuses. He also weighs in on designing with empathy, finishing novels and  the dangerous life of a knifethrower's wife.

Badger & Winters' Madonna Badger on coping with grief

May 29, 2020 09:01 - 41 minutes - 57 MB

Madonna Badger is the founder and chief creative officer of Badger & Winters, the agency behind the Women Not Objects campaign, No Kids in Cages and Olay’s 2020 Super Bowl ad. In 2011, her three children and her parents were killed in a fire on Christmas Day. Badger escaped by crawling out a window, clad only in her pajamas. Now, as the country faces 100,000 deaths from COVID-19, she talks about dealing with grief, both personal and public, on this episode of the “Ad Block” podcast.

Cashmere's chief creative officer on hip-hop

May 22, 2020 09:01 - 50 minutes - 69.4 MB

Ryan Ford, CCO at Cashmere, talks about the music that influenced him when he was young and how it continues to impact his work now. He also weighs in on lullabies for his new daughter (who guest stars for a bit), music distribution before the internet and how the pandemic is already changing the music people to listen to.

Co:collective’s founder on flying planes

May 15, 2020 09:01 - 48 minutes - 66 MB

Ty Montague, founder co:collective, talks about being a licensed pilot who has been flying for nearly 20 years. He also weighs in on pandemic binge watching, aerobatics and the dangers of unstoppable artificial intelligence.

Code & Theory's CEO on parenting 5 kids during the pandemic

May 08, 2020 09:01 - 48 minutes - 66.5 MB

Dan Gardner, co-founder and CEO of Code & Theory, talks about quarantining with his family of seven—along with his wife and their five kids, ages 4 to 11. He also weighs in on the failures of structured learning, the benefits of accidental hoarding and how co-sleeping became a way of life for his family.

Thinx CEO Maria Molland on pregnancy during pandemic

April 10, 2020 09:01 - 46 minutes - 64 MB

Maria Molland, CEO of underwear and period care brand Thinx, talks about facing a global pandemic while 9 months pregnant. She also talks about how the pandemic has changed her media diet, her reluctance to end work-from-home protocols and why prospective parents may want to reconsider right now.

Johannes Leonardo's Jan Jacobs on trading surfing for advertising

March 20, 2020 09:01 - 38 minutes - 52.4 MB

Jan Jacobs, co-founder and chief creative officer at Johannes Leonardo, talks about his love of surfing. He also weighs in on the allure of F1 racing as both a sport and a design challenge, how art may have helped kill off the Neanderthals and why he likes to read creative briefs as early as possible.

T Brand's Amber Guild on growing up as an activist

March 06, 2020 10:01 - 47 minutes - 65.8 MB

Amber Guild, the president of T Brand at the New York Times, talks about growing up as the child of political activists. She also weighs in on life with her British husband, questioning authority at work and the lies ads tell kids.

Wieden+Kennedy Amsterdam’s Mark Bernath on psychedelic rock

February 28, 2020 10:01 - 51 minutes - 70.2 MB

Mark Bernath, ECD at Wieden+Kennedy Amsterdam, is a musician that records psychedelic rock under the name 'Necessary Explosion,' illustrating the tracks with hand-drawn animations created on his smartphone. He also weighs in on the benefits of having an agency radio station, why he likes awkwardness and why it’s always better to ask for forgiveness than permission when Netflix-cheating on your partner.

Edelman's Judy John on getting by as an introvert

February 19, 2020 16:32 - 40 minutes - 55.4 MB

Judy John, global CCO at Edelman, talks about making it in advertising as a shy, socially awkward person who hates small talk and public speaking. She also weighs in on her favorite football team, her love of Kanye West and what she would eat for her last meal.

Cosmopolitan's Jessica Pels on growing up in the ballet

February 12, 2020 10:02 - 46 minutes - 63.5 MB

Jessica Pels, editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan, she talks about growing up as a ballet dancer. She also weighs in on the ways her training has made her a better editor (high pain tolerance, for one), the joys of mass transit and skin care tips from presidential candidates.

Makers' Dyllan McGee on running her first 5k

February 06, 2020 10:01 - 45 minutes - 62.3 MB

Dyllan McGee, founder and executive producer at the women-focused media company Makers, talks about getting off the couch and finally becoming a runner. She also weighs in on her favorite things about Peloton, exercise as therapy and the lies people tell about the runner's high.

Work & Co's Derek Fridman on street art

January 29, 2020 10:01 - 49 minutes - 68.3 MB

Derek Fridman, design partner at Work & Co, talks about his background in street art, specifically wheatpasting—poster graffiti applied with a homemade glue made of flour and water. He also talks about a close shave with Lucasfilm, the failings of the InstaPot and how “The Mandalorian” succeeds as episodic, appointment television.

Jeff Sweat on leaving Mormonism

January 24, 2020 16:35 - 48 minutes - 66.6 MB

Jeff Sweat, founder of Sweat & Co., the public relations and consulting firm previously known as Mister Sweat, talks about growing up Mormon and leaving the religion with his wife and family as an adult. He also talks about his disappointment at being sent to Iowa for mission work, his proclivity for climbing tall objects and his thoughts after seeing Broadway musical “The Book of Mormon.”

Mother's Joe Staples on growing up with undiagnosed dyslexia

January 17, 2020 10:01 - 42 minutes - 58.1 MB

Joe Staples, executive creative director at Mother Los Angeles, talks about growing up with undiagnosed dyslexia and dealing with a school system that didn’t understand him. He also weighs in on the similarities between advertising and Brazilian jiu-jitsu, the joys of driving in Los Angeles traffic and shepherding his young son through his own diagnosis of dyslexia.

Ad Block Encore: OKCupid CMO Melissa Hobley on in vitro fertilization

January 07, 2020 10:01 - 54 minutes - 74.5 MB

Melissa Hobley, CMO at OKCupid, describes the obstacles facing people who are undergoing in vitro fertilization. She is currently pregnant with her second child conceived using the technique. The process is stressful, time-consuming, painful and expensive, and it involves plenty of uncertainty. “It’s one of those things that so few people talk about, for obvious reasons.” She also weighs in on the best and worst couples, the allure of live TV and mixing politics and family.

Ad Block Encore: Wieden & Kennedy NY's Neal Arthur on teaching 8th grade sex ed

December 31, 2019 10:01 - 44 minutes - 61.6 MB

Neal Arthur, managing director of Wieden & Kennedy New York, shares stories of his time as a sex ed teacher at a Catholic school. “There’s a weird sort of faux confidence in 8th grade that you have to have to make it,” he says. “You walk around acting like you’ve got it all figured out, yet you know nothing.” He also weighs in on his love of Nike’s “Mars Blackmon” ads and admits that he doesn’t like The Beatles or one particular Golden Girl.

Ad Block Encore: Joan CCO Jaime Robinson on knitting

December 24, 2019 10:01 - 35 minutes - 48.4 MB

Joan Creative CCO Jaime Robinson keeps both a spinning wheel and a loom in her closet so she can spin yarn and knit blankets and sweaters, “like the lady in Rumpelstiltskin.” She also reveals her favorite Joan and goes deep on the allure of “Russian Doll” and her childhood memories of the Sears Wish Book.

The Ms. Foundation's Teresa Younger on a lifetime as a Girl Scout

December 17, 2019 10:01 - 49 minutes - 68.3 MB

Teresa Younger, president and CEO of the Ms. Foundation for Women, is a lifelong Girl Scout who earned every possible merit badge. She also talks about the appeal of local talk radio and weighs in on the very best flavor of Girl Scout cookie.

Optimist's Toygar Bazarkaya on hitchhiking

December 10, 2019 10:01 - 41 minutes - 56.5 MB

Toygar Bazarkaya, global chief creative officer at Optimist, talks about hitchhiking across Europe in the ‘80s and ‘90s, thumbing rides from his home in Stuttgart, Germany to art museums around Europe. He also also talks about growing up the child of Turkish immigrants in Germany, the excitement of finally owning the work of artists he’s admired for decades, the legendary exploits of Peggy Guggenheim and a diet he swears by that he says lets him lose weight and still indulge his sweet tooth.

Terri & Sandy's Terri Meyer on getting away from it all

December 03, 2019 10:01 - 36 minutes - 50.5 MB

Terri Meyer is co-founder and co-CEO of Terri & Sandy, the agency she runs with her best friend Sandy Greenberg. She talks about how she gets away from the pressures of agency management to recharge, as well as the dystopian allure of “The Handmaid’s Tale,” the bright nostalgia of “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” and the acquired taste of gefilte fish.

Ad Block Rewind: Jeff Goodby on his tequila business

November 26, 2019 10:01 - 37 minutes - 52.1 MB

In this classic episode of Ad Block, Goodby Silverstein & Partners founder Jeff Goodby talks about his tequila importing business—a small-batch, high-end liquor aged for 5 years in three kinds of barrels. “It makes you do your other job better to have things on the side, whether it’s fishing or painting or playing soccer or whatever you take seriously,” he says. He also chooses the best vandals throughout history, recommends alarming audio books and takes a milk-based pop quiz.

Assembly’s Michael Fanuele on Oxford debate, the persuasive power of U2—and having Ted Cruz as a nemesis

November 19, 2019 10:01 - 44 minutes - 61.8 MB

Michael Fanuele, president of MDC media agency Assembly, talks about competing in formal debate in high school and college, including against future Texas Senator Ted Cruz. He also weighs in on the best Italian comfort food, why the data says country music is better than rock ‘n’ roll and handicaps the persuasive messaging in the Democratic primary.

Funworks' Paul Charney on sketch comedy

November 12, 2019 10:01 - 44 minutes - 61.4 MB

Paul Charney is CEO and founder of Funworks, an agency that incorporates sketch and improv comedians into the creative process. He talks about founding Killing My Lobster, a sketch comedy troupe in San Francisco. Charney also weighs in on the trauma-inducing laughs of Netflix’s “Big Mouth,” the tight storytelling of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and drafts a “Saturday Night Live” fantasy cast.  

Instagram's Kay Hsu on living with cancer

November 06, 2019 17:20 - 59 minutes - 81.4 MB

Kay Hsu, global director at Instagram Creative Shop, talks about living with stage IV metastatic breast cancer, an incurable form of the disease that has spread to her bones. “People always say you’re going to fight it, but it’s not one of those things,” she says. Someday, the doctors tell her, “the medicine will stop working.” She also weighs in on the sheer volume of fascinating content on YouTube, what to wear to chemo (loose, comfortable clothing) and her ideal meal at McDonald’s.

Effie's Veronica Parker-Hahn on DIY tutorials

November 05, 2019 10:01 - 46 minutes - 64.5 MB

Veronica Parker-Hahn, SVP, growth & innovation at Effie Worldwide, talks about how she and her husband learned how to renovate their home—and even prepare for having a baby—all from do-it-yourself videos on YouTube. She also geeks out about “Star Trek: Discovery” and its predecessors, explains why Miles Morales and “Into the Spider-Verse” are the best incarnations of Spider-Man and sings a local jingle from Philly.

Gale's Winston Binch on transcendental meditation

October 22, 2019 09:01 - 45 minutes - 62.6 MB

Winston Binch, chief brand and experience officer at Gale Partners, talks about transcendental meditation, which he has practiced for several years. Each morning, he closes his eyes and silently repeats a short, secret phrase for 20 minutes. He also weighs in on Pink Floyd’s homage to “The Wizard of Oz,” the enduring power of U2 and growing up with the same name as a popular brand of cigarettes.

Betches Media's Aleen Kuperman on growing up with immigrant parents

October 18, 2019 09:00 - 39 minutes - 53.9 MB

Aleen Kuperman, co-founder and CEO at Betches Media, talks about growing up the child of Russian immigrants who escaped the Soviet Union in 1988, a year before the Berlin Wall fell. It was a struggle to explain what “Betches” was to her parents. She also talks about the joys of Café Bustelo instant coffee, the pressures of planning a vacation and the relief she felt when she was finally able to hire someone else to write about "The Bachelor."  

Cannabis evangelist Mary Pryor on the marketing of climate change

October 03, 2019 09:01 - 43 minutes - 59.6 MB

Mary Pryor, chief marketing officer at Tonic CBD, talks about more effective ways to market the climate crisis, in order to motivate skeptics or people who don’t grasp what she says is the full extent of the issue. “We literally had the top oxygen source on fire, and that didn’t work,” she says. She also weighs in Kieran Culkin’s masterful turn on HBO’s “Succession” and the strange resilience of villains in anime and opines at length on the evils of pumpkin spice.

Giphy’s Alex Chung on art hacks

September 24, 2019 09:00 - 43 minutes - 60.2 MB

Alex Chung, founder of Giphy, talks about the intersection of art, experimentation and technology. He also talks about his favorite street in New York City, the evolution of language and culture and the benefits of working with your friends.

BBH's Sarah Watson on home birth

September 17, 2019 09:01 - 50 minutes - 68.7 MB

Sarah Watson, chairman of BBH NY and global chief strategy officer at BBH, talks about giving birth to both her children at home in her apartment, without anesthesia or painkillers. She also admits that she plays the flute, though not as well as Lizzo (yet), sings a famous beer jingle and actively tries to recruit more users to Foursquare.

SS&K's Lenny Stern on political campaigning

September 10, 2019 09:01 - 42 minutes - 58 MB

Lenny Stern, founding partner at SS&K, talks about working on political campaigns for Democratic candidates, from Mondale in 1984 to Obama in 2008 and 2012. He also weighs in on Trump's chances at reelection, his love of multitasking and why ‘mainstream media’ is a lazy phrase.

Bloomberg Media's Anthony DeMaio on ultramarathons

September 04, 2019 09:01 - 36 minutes - 49.9 MB

Anthony DeMaio, head of U.S. sales at Bloomberg Media, talks about running a 100-mile ultramarathon. After dropping out after more than 85 miles the first time he attempted the race, he completed it on his second attempt, in 97-degree weather. “Life and running have similarities,” he says. “They’re about peaks and valleys, about being in the hole and coming out if it. If you keep moving, you’re going to feel better.” DeMaio also weighs in on his love of Madonna and the importance of maintain...

Firstborn's Dave Snyder on skateboarding

August 27, 2019 09:00 - 43 minutes - 59.9 MB

Dave Snyder, chief creative officer at Firstborn, talks about his lifelong love of skateboarding and his new role as a skater dad to an 8-year-old with sponsorships. Skating “forces you to see the environment different and use it differently,” he says. He also tells the story of how he got a gnarly scar and weighs in on Donald Trump’s golf skills and people who ride longboards.