My Grandpa was an Ad Man. He worked for Leo Burnett in the so-called “Golden Age of Advertising.” My mom would often tell me stories about growing up in a home where houseguests might include Colonel Sanders, a man for whom Grandpa came up with the phrase “Finger Lickin’ Good." He was a man who—in a time of big ideas, three-martini lunches, and larger-than-life personalities—instead relied on his compassion, humor, and dedication to become the success that he was.

I never knew him this way, of course. To me, Grandpa was a man for whom bad jokes and funny impersonations of classic car horns were a second and third language, and whose life’s purpose seemed to be a rather quixotic quest to find the worlds hottest salsa. He was a man who could befriend even the worlds prickliest characters, a man who listened to—and genuinely valued—people’s opinions.

He died when I was still pretty young, and so I never got to talk about his advertising career with him. At many times over my career, I would often wonder what he would say if he could see what I was doing now.

It’s been almost half a decade since my grandpa left advertising, and in that time the marketing world has changed completely. It’s faster, more complicated, more individualized, and—in many ways—there is much more opportunity. It’s a different animal, sure, but at its core great marketing still relies on those same values—compassion, humor, and dedication.

Leo Burnett ran an ad on their 25th anniversary that I think perfectly embodies that idea, and they chose my grandpa to be the face of the campaign. I have that ad hanging in my office to remind me every day that cutting corners isn’t an option.

At Good Bear, we strive to be a creative partner for the businesses and agencies we work with. How? Easy—we start by listening. We want to understand your business, brand, needs, and goals, so we get a complete picture from the get-go. From there, we bring together some of the brightest minds in the industry to make it happen. We staff every project with the best crews, use industry-leading equipment, and bring the best talent in the business to every video we make. We believe there’s no such thing as a cushy creative gig. We’re here to work—for you.

So let’s make something together.

Sincerely,

Frazer Lockhart
Good Bear In Chief