Thomas Kemeny

This week, we pushed a creative fledgling out of the agency nest to lure and catch author of ad land’s how-to guide, Junior, to teach them to fly. Long overdue, it’s Thomas Kemeny.

Junior is a book that should be instantly useful for people starting out. Unlike most marketing books, Thomas packs it with proper, practical advice on navigating hallways, not ballsing up presentations, and the virtue of pushing in your chair after meetings.

Thomas chirps to us on tonnes of topics, including his first job taking a crowbar to beautiful furniture, what might've been if he'd never read Hey Whipple, writing the book he wished existed, bus stops that smell like cookies, writing 100 terrible lines to get to a great one, AI, what to do with a dud brief, his arch rival Andrew Boulton, the Tom he’d float with in a barrel down a river, and a whole lot more. Junior or not, you’d be a fool not to let us bend your ear ‘ere.

Follow Thomas on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Twitter.

Here’s his website.

Pick up at least one copy of Junior.

Timestamps

(02:08) - Quick fire questions

(03:22) - Getting paid to beat the shit out of beautiful furniture

(07:40) - What might’ve been if he'd never read Hey Whipple

(08:57) - Writing the book he wished existed

(12:10) - The highs and lows of life as a Junior

(16:41) - Writing 100 terrible lines to get to a good one

(20:17) - Will AI take our jobs?

(25:00) - What to do with a dud brief

(28:04) - Listener questions

(29:32) - Which Tom he’d float with in a barrel down a river

(34:40) - 4 pertinent posers