Steve Hayden (copywriter)
Encyclopedia
Steve Hayden is a well-known figure in the field of advertising
. He is currently the Vice Chairman and Chief Creative Officer of Ogilvy Worldwide
.
where his father was the first internist in the area and eventually ran the O'Connor Hospital there. At 14, Steve was sent to boarding school at the Interlochen Center for the Arts
where he studied cello (and where he now serves as chairman of the board of trustees). After graduating from high school at Interlochen, he moved to Los Angeles, California
to go to school at University of Southern California
. He graduated in 1968 with a degree in English.
corporate account. When he returned to California, he divided his attention between advertising and TV scriptwriting (for Welcome Back, Kotter
), eventually focusing on advertising. After honing his craft at a number of agencies on a variety of accounts, Steve was recruited to Chiat-Day where he and Lee Clow
made advertising history as co-creators of the breakthrough 1984 Orwellian take-off campaign for Apple Inc..
Hayden is one of the most important figures of the late twentieth century advertising, leading creative teams at both Chiat/Day and BBDO on the Apple Computer account. In the late 1970s, when Chiat picked up the Apple account through the acquisition of Regis McKenna's advertising practice, computers were widely considered to be obscure and expensive machines for use by technical professionals and large organizations. (Ken Olsen
, the former CEO of Digital Equipment Corporation
, is reputed to have said "What would anyone do with one?" when asked about the potential for home and personal computers.) Apple evangelized a very different world where personal computers would allow "ordinary people to do extraordinary things."
Apple, with its mythic origins in the garage and its charismatic entrepreneurial founders, captured the public imagination as few technology companies had ever done before, spending vast sums of money on advertising, events and promotions, and cheekily taking on industry leaders like IBM in championing a world of one person, one computer.
Under Hayden's leadership, Apple hired New York talk show personality Dick Cavett
as a spokesman and put Apple commercials on mass-audience television programming.
In 1986, Steve moved to BBDO
to become the Chairman/CEO of West Coast operations. Apple had fired Chiat/Day not long after Steve Jobs was tossed out after an attempt boardroom coup. Hayden said that the management team led by John Sculley
"loved the advertising but hated the agency," and Sculley encouraged BBDO head Phil Dusenberry
to hire Hayden away - which he did. The Hayden-lead BBDO managed to hold on to the tempestuous Apple account for more than a decade, winning hundreds of awards for creative excellence and dozens more for effectiveness (including the Grand Effie for the launch of the Apple Powerbook.)
BBDO helped Apple become the #1 manufacturer of personal computers in the world, reclaiming the lead from IBM and Compaq in late 1992. The agency tripled in size during Hayden's tenure.
Eventually, the success on IBM propelled Ogilvy to a decade of growth and prosperity. And Hayden contributed to award-winning work for such diverse clients as American Express, Kodak, Motorola, Dove, Cisco and SAP.
-- of Apple Inc.'s 1984 commercial that launched the Macintosh
.
He also led the team that created and launched IBM
's award-winning e-business
campaign.
He is the voice of "Hello Moto", a ringtone and a campaign he and his team at Ogilvy created for Motorola
.
Advertising
Advertising is a form of communication used to persuade an audience to take some action with respect to products, ideas, or services. Most commonly, the desired result is to drive consumer behavior with respect to a commercial offering, although political and ideological advertising is also common...
. He is currently the Vice Chairman and Chief Creative Officer of Ogilvy Worldwide
Ogilvy & Mather
Ogilvy & Mather is an international advertising, marketing and public relations agency based in Manhattan and owned by the WPP Group. The company operates 497 offices in 125 countries with approximately 16,000 employees.-History:...
.
Early life (1947-1968)
Stephen Edward Hayden was born on May 21, 1947 in St. Louis, Missouri. His father was an internist and his mother was an opera singer. He was the youngest of four sons. In 1949, when Steve was 2-years-old, his family relocated to San Jose, CaliforniaSan Jose, California
San Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay...
where his father was the first internist in the area and eventually ran the O'Connor Hospital there. At 14, Steve was sent to boarding school at the Interlochen Center for the Arts
Interlochen Center for the Arts
Interlochen Center for the Arts is a privately owned, 1,200 acre arts education institution in Interlochen, Michigan, roughly 15 miles southwest of Traverse City...
where he studied cello (and where he now serves as chairman of the board of trustees). After graduating from high school at Interlochen, he moved to Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
to go to school at University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
. He graduated in 1968 with a degree in English.
From first jobs to Steve Jobs (1969-1994)
Steve launched his career in Detroit as a copywriter on the General MotorsGeneral Motors
General Motors Company , commonly known as GM, formerly incorporated as General Motors Corporation, is an American multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Detroit, Michigan and the world's second-largest automaker in 2010...
corporate account. When he returned to California, he divided his attention between advertising and TV scriptwriting (for Welcome Back, Kotter
Welcome Back, Kotter
Welcome Back, Kotter was an American television sitcom starring Gabe Kaplan and featuring a young John Travolta.It originally aired on the ABC network from September 9, 1975 to June 8, 1979.-Premise:...
), eventually focusing on advertising. After honing his craft at a number of agencies on a variety of accounts, Steve was recruited to Chiat-Day where he and Lee Clow
Lee Clow
Lee Clow is currently the Chairman and Global Director of TBWA\Worldwide, and was formerly its Chief Creative Officer. Advertising Age referred to him as "advertising's art director guru".-Career:...
made advertising history as co-creators of the breakthrough 1984 Orwellian take-off campaign for Apple Inc..
Hayden is one of the most important figures of the late twentieth century advertising, leading creative teams at both Chiat/Day and BBDO on the Apple Computer account. In the late 1970s, when Chiat picked up the Apple account through the acquisition of Regis McKenna's advertising practice, computers were widely considered to be obscure and expensive machines for use by technical professionals and large organizations. (Ken Olsen
Ken Olsen
Kenneth Harry Olsen was an American engineer who co-founded Digital Equipment Corporation in 1957 with colleague Harlan Anderson.-Background:...
, the former CEO of Digital Equipment Corporation
Digital Equipment Corporation
Digital Equipment Corporation was a major American company in the computer industry and a leading vendor of computer systems, software and peripherals from the 1960s to the 1990s...
, is reputed to have said "What would anyone do with one?" when asked about the potential for home and personal computers.) Apple evangelized a very different world where personal computers would allow "ordinary people to do extraordinary things."
Apple, with its mythic origins in the garage and its charismatic entrepreneurial founders, captured the public imagination as few technology companies had ever done before, spending vast sums of money on advertising, events and promotions, and cheekily taking on industry leaders like IBM in championing a world of one person, one computer.
Under Hayden's leadership, Apple hired New York talk show personality Dick Cavett
Dick Cavett
Richard Alva "Dick" Cavett is a former American television talk show host known for his conversational style and in-depth discussion of issues...
as a spokesman and put Apple commercials on mass-audience television programming.
In 1986, Steve moved to BBDO
BBDO
BBDO is a worldwide advertising agency network, with its headquarters in New York City. The agency began in 1891 with George Batten's Batten Company, and later in 1928, through a merger of BDO and Batten Co. the agency became BBDO...
to become the Chairman/CEO of West Coast operations. Apple had fired Chiat/Day not long after Steve Jobs was tossed out after an attempt boardroom coup. Hayden said that the management team led by John Sculley
John Sculley
John Sculley is an American businessman. Sculley was vice-president and president of PepsiCo , until he became CEO of Apple on April 8, 1983, a position he held until leaving in 1993...
"loved the advertising but hated the agency," and Sculley encouraged BBDO head Phil Dusenberry
Phil Dusenberry
Philip Bernard Dusenberry was an American advertising executive for the BBDO advertising agency.Dusenberry was born in Brooklyn, New York City in 1936, and attended Emory & Henry College in Virginia...
to hire Hayden away - which he did. The Hayden-lead BBDO managed to hold on to the tempestuous Apple account for more than a decade, winning hundreds of awards for creative excellence and dozens more for effectiveness (including the Grand Effie for the launch of the Apple Powerbook.)
BBDO helped Apple become the #1 manufacturer of personal computers in the world, reclaiming the lead from IBM and Compaq in late 1992. The agency tripled in size during Hayden's tenure.
A stellar career in advertising
In 1994, Hayden moved to Ogilvy to head the IBM account - which had moved to Ogilvy in the single largest account consolidation in advertising history. Many pundits believed IBM was doomed and should be broken up and sold off - but then-CEO Lou Gerstner believed that IBM's greatest strength was as a whole. It was Ogilvy's job to give voice to a future-facing IBM and change the perception of a brand that was widely seen to be a dinosaur.Eventually, the success on IBM propelled Ogilvy to a decade of growth and prosperity. And Hayden contributed to award-winning work for such diverse clients as American Express, Kodak, Motorola, Dove, Cisco and SAP.
Creative contributions
He was the co-creator—along with Lee ClowLee Clow
Lee Clow is currently the Chairman and Global Director of TBWA\Worldwide, and was formerly its Chief Creative Officer. Advertising Age referred to him as "advertising's art director guru".-Career:...
-- of Apple Inc.'s 1984 commercial that launched the Macintosh
Macintosh
The Macintosh , or Mac, is a series of several lines of personal computers designed, developed, and marketed by Apple Inc. The first Macintosh was introduced by Apple's then-chairman Steve Jobs on January 24, 1984; it was the first commercially successful personal computer to feature a mouse and a...
.
He also led the team that created and launched IBM
IBM
International Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
's award-winning e-business
Electronic business
Electronic business, commonly referred to as "eBusiness" or "e-business", or an internet business, may be defined as the application of information and communication technologies in support of all the activities of business...
campaign.
He is the voice of "Hello Moto", a ringtone and a campaign he and his team at Ogilvy created for Motorola
Motorola
Motorola, Inc. was an American multinational telecommunications company based in Schaumburg, Illinois, which was eventually divided into two independent public companies, Motorola Mobility and Motorola Solutions on January 4, 2011, after losing $4.3 billion from 2007 to 2009...
.
External links
- Ogilvy Worldwide biography
- CMO Magazine, Interview of Steve Hayden
- Hansen, Liane. "A Look Back at Apple's Super Ad: Landmark 1984 Spot Smashed 'Big Brother,' Launched the Mac." NPRNPRNPR, formerly National Public Radio, is a privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization that serves as a national syndicator to a network of 900 public radio stations in the United States. NPR was created in 1970, following congressional passage of the Public Broadcasting...
, February 1, 2004. (Steve Hayden interview)