Andrew Robertson is President & CEO, BBDO Worldwide. He's also the co-chair of this year's Advertising Week. The Huffington Post caught up with Robertson to discuss the week ahead, what he's excited for, and tips for surviving the frenzy.
1. What does Advertising Week mean to you? It's a chance to be informed, and inspired, by what is, and could be, in the world of advertsing.
2. What do you want people to take away from Advertising Week this year? The business is kicking. There are more new things happening than ever before.
3. What have you been surprised to learn while serving as co-chair? The most gratifying thing to see is how committed the industry is to make the week work. People are giving their financial support, yes, but almost more importantly, their time and their talent, to make it successful.
4. What panels are you excited to see? "An Uncommon Sense of the Consumer," "The Wired Social Media Summit"...any panel with Colleen de Courcy, Benjamin Palmer, and David Sable will be interesting, and, even though it really doesn't qualify as a panel, the roast of Rick Boyko.
5. Favorite party every year? Drinks with Chuck Porter at the 21 Club. Or any party that Chuck goes to.
6. What topic do you think deserves more attention/investment? There are no duds. Everything that is being discussed and presented is really important to someone. That's how the agenda is put together.
7. The work, the work, the work. What recent work are you particularly proud or admiring of? I won't brag about ours, but it has really cheered me up to see the Darth Vader Volgswagen spot back on air.
8. Even for veterans of Advertising Week, the pace can be overwhelming. Any advice on keeping up with it all? We decided not to have the week coincide with the UN and Clinton Initiative, and to limit and concentrate the venues geographically. That should help a lot. This isn't a week for curiosity diets. Eat as much of what the week has to offer as you can.
9. Best burger in New York? Easy. Shake Shack.
10. Favorite website? Accuweather.com