My first agency job began during 1973 at N.W. Ayer & Son in Philadelphia. It was the first advertising agency in the US, founded April 1, 1869. That’s not an April Fool’s joke.
Headquarters at 210 West Washington Square was, and still is, an Art Deco masterpiece. To enter, you walk through amazing cast bronze doors with signs of the zodiac. Soaring lobby walls were clad in marble, dramatically impressive in grandeur.
Nearly fifty years ago, there was only one elevator for people. The passenger elevator opened and closed with an internal a gate. There were no buttons to push yourself. All was operated by professional attendant who handled everything safely and easily. Her name was Betty. We greeted each other in the morning, and bid farewell at night.
Some folks did not greet Betty in a personal way, but merely stated the floor they wanted. She would nod politely and proceed. Over time I noticed that people who did not offer a personal greeting were treated to seeing extra floors before arriving at their destination. For being friendly with Betty, I was lifted to my floor without delay.
There’s an important life lesson to be learned there for anyone who cares to derive it.
One day, I entered the elevator from the 7th floor where I worked, greeted Betty, and asked her to take me to the “executive floor” at the top of the building. Exiting the elevator, I was amazed at the sight of magnificent oriental rugs on the floor, chippendale furniture, mahogany walls, and a hushed atmosphere overall. I delivered a package to the CEO’s secretary and returned to the elevator.
When Betty opened the door, I walked in and expressed a “wow” at what I’d seen. Betty smiled, nodded, and commented, “The 14th floor is like no other.” I replied that I’d only counted 13 floors on the outside of the building. She chortled and said, “There is no 13!”
Next, Betty continued, “We go straight from floor 12 to floor 14, because Mr. Ayer considered the number 13 to be unlucky. And he was the boss.” It’s good to be boss.
There’s a life lesson there, too. But maybe only if you build your own headquarters.
Adman Emeritus 