Droga5’s David Nobay to interview UK copywriter Steve Harrison on Howard Luck Gossage book tonight at sold-out function at East Village Hotel

UPDATED – The Communications Council will bring together David (Nobby) Nobay (left), creative chairman of Droga5, and UK copywriter Steve Harrison (right), in an interview on Harrison’s recently published book about ad man Howard Luck Gossage, ‘Changing the World is Only Fit Work for a Grown Man’ tonight at a sold-out function at East Village Hotel in Darlinghurst.

The interview will be followed by a Q&A. This is a repeat of a sold-out UK IPA event in January of this year.

Harrison, a multi-award winning copywriter himself, will be interviewed by another legendary adman – ‘Nobby’ – on lessons the industry can learn from Gossage, as well as his own personal experiences and observations of the industry.

Gossage is the advertising genius to come out of 1960s America – his thinking pre-dating  the mad men era and everything we think of as innovative these days. Everything we consider new was done by him 50 years ago including interactive, PR-generating stunts, social media and behavioural economics.

Known for his social conscience, Howard was convinced advertising needed a higher social purpose than just selling things, leading to the kick-starting of the Green Movement, and the launch of Friends of the Earth.

Says Jeff Goodby, co-founder of Goodby Silverstein & Partners: “The best of Gossage is the best advertising ever done, and what’s really amazing is that the work he did foretold what’s happening on the internet and social media right now.”

Says Rory Sutherland, vice chairman of the Ogilvy Group, UK: “Gossage is the Velvet Underground to Ogilvy’s Beatles and Bernbach’s Rolling Stones. Never a household name but, to the cognoscenti, a lot more inspirational and influential.”