He Was A Friend Of Mine

A couple weeks ago, my old buddy and fellow adman John Garvey called when he heard that Jack Connors, founder of the legendary Boston ad agency Hill Holliday, had died at 82. Jack was an old friend of mine and John thought I should say a few words about him.

 

I heard Jack speak at a Boston Ad Club session before I started the agency. And he was a big inspiration to get this outfit going. On day one, I sent him a handwritten note that said, “Hey Jack, I just started an ad agency in Springfield. I want to let you know that I really don’t think there’s room in Massachusetts for two Irish ad guys, so when are you leaving town?” Jack had a lot of swagger and a cocky sense of humor so I thought he’d appreciate it. He called me laughing and said, “Hey, get the hell down to my office and let’s have lunch together.” We did. And we stayed friends for 44 years.

Jack had a great story. When he and his three sidekicks started Hill, Holliday, Connors and Cosmopulos, they each chucked in about a thousand bucks and built one of the most successful and creative agencies in America. On the first day in the office the goddamn phones didn’t work, so they filled their pockets with dimes and quarters and paraded to a bank of pay phones and started making new business calls.

Jack always pushed the creative. When his crew was headed out the door to make a client presentation he’d say, “Sell it or don’t come back.” In a more recent Boston Magazine interviewew, Jack was asked what he thought of advertising today. He said, “Almost all of it is bad.” His reasoning was that it’s because creative people are undervalued today. He got that right. 

 

Last story. Years ago, I tipped off Kevin Cullen at the Boston Globe about the bullying and suicide of South Hadley High School teen Phoebe Prince. All hell broke loose when his column ran. The first call I got early Monday morning was from Jack Connors. ”What can I do to help? Does the family need a lawyer? Fundraising? Anything you need, call me.” That was Jack. I’m gonna miss the guy.

Keep your dukes up.


 

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