Tag Archives: Gene Klavan

Those ’70s Ad Campaigns

It was circa 1974. Over the previous two years, I had worked as Promotion Manager for fledgling UHF TV stations in Boston and San Francisco. My job was to promote re-runs of old TV series and movies. I wanted to work at a radio or TV station that broadcast live content.

I moved to NYC without a job and interviewed at a number of stations. John V.B. Sullivan was instrumental in hiring me.

I was 26 years old, and enthralled by the caliber of the staff, both the deejays, and the news reporters. (But, the music they were playing was NOT geared to my demographic.)

I still remember the ad campaign I created for the Gene Klavan morning show, which was starting to get stiff competition from WNBC’s Don Imus. It was geared to attract a younger demo that was commuting to Manhattan for their jobs.

The print ads and billboards carried the double entendre headline,

Klavan Gets You Off in the Morning

Which was clarified by a big photo of guys in suits getting “off to work” (as if on a race track).

Sincerely,
Stuart Zuckerman

PS- after leaving WNEW, I moved to the ad sales side of the  business, and mid-career switched to PBS, getting sponsors for national programs.