“If You See Kay, Tell Her George Will Be Missed.”
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If you know anything about George Lois, legendary creative Tasmanian Devil, it’s that Kay from our title is not some sweet acquaintance one hopes will drop by. Rather, Kay represents the last letter of a thinly disguised spelling of Lois's favorite four-letter expletive.
Lois recently passed away at 91. His name may not be well-known in the mainstream but his work and his…um…persona certainly are. He was a strong character from the streets of New York City who knew how to work with other strong characters. His influence on pop culture made seismic ripples throughout the world that are still felt today, the sort of activity resulting in more brands taking more chances causing more people to love more brands.
He was a literal Bronx Bomber.
Lois took no prisoners. You knew where you stood with him (usually on the edge) and if four-letter words and over-the-top egomania made you cringe, you wouldn’t like him. But your brand’s customers would and that was his magic.
Mr. Lois irrevocably altered magazine publishing with his famous socially-conscious Esquire covers. He pitched Muhammad Ali the idea of being penetrated by arrows Saint Sebastian-style and won him over. He argued with Andy Warhol over the idea of him sinking into a soup whirlpool inside a giant can, and won. He even created a cover using a picture of super-dry presidential candidate Richard Nixon being made-up for his big TV to-do in 1968. Forty years later, these three famous covers (and many more) were installed in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York, the big guy’s hometown.
The impactful ads and high-concept covers were controversial, sometimes disturbing and always compelling and cool. Lois was a brand’s dream and an editor’s nightmare. And the public loved it.
His Warhol cover is a particular favorite of ours. As our listeners know, we have lots of love for Andy. As a matter of fact we’re working on a short series right now about creative work from the very time George Lois was pumping out those covers. Be sure to tune in.
There are plenty of other pop culture touchstones with the Lois thumbprint all over them. With a single ad he made unknown designer Tommy Hilfiger a household name. He also created the iconic “I Want My MTV!” campaign to give the frail music channel’s image (and audience) a kick in the undercarriage. Yessir. He showed us how to get a rise.
Of all the things Lois taught us, probably the biggest takeaway for us and fellow pop-culture hounds is his love of expressing the big idea. Although we didn’t know him personally, we had acquaintances who worked closely with him. They tell stories of a guy who could argue with a brick wall and come out on top. Tales of a Madison Avenue mad man (he would have hated that reference as much as he hated the TV show) who could weave a generous tapestry of expletives into poetry, and how all of this “talent” could fly from Lois’s mouth as quickly as his desk’s heavy paperweight could during an innocent job interview. Indeed, George Lois lives on in all passionate creative people, amateur or professional.
As two designers who have been known to throw colorful explosions of expletives together while working to create something that we would forever be proud of, we thank George for all of his ideas and passion. And as we end this tribute, we’re reminded of one of our favorite Lois quotes: “You can be cautious or you can be creative, but there’s no such thing as a Cautious Creative.”
You’ll be missed, you talented motherfucker.