IOFA with Aaron Starkman

On the latest episode of IOFA, Aaron chats with Chris Beresford Hill about his new role at Ogilvy, how Chris got Mike Tyson to give Evander Holyfield his ear back and an important discussion on the best pizza slice in NYC.

Nancy Vonk and Janet Kestin chat with Aaron about a disgusting incident at an advertising event that suddenly put them in the mainstream global spotlight and they discuss the theme of their incredible careers: amazing work done in spite of challenging budgets including the Cannes Grand Prix, Dove Evolution.

David Kolbusz, the Chief Creative Officer at Droga 5 London, shares insights into the quirks of industry networking and what it’s really like to meet Ellen DeGeneres off-camera. He reflects on creating the iconic three little pigs ad for The Guardian and explores humorous aspects of advertising, including a memorable IKEA commercial. The conversation also highlights the significance of building strong creative relationships, the role of music in ads, and the ups and downs of balancing creativity with personal life challenges.

Paul Lavoie, Canadian advertising legend, talks about wearing a competitor's shoes to a Nike pitch, the importance of culture and leadership in advertising agencies, and memorable stories of rejecting creativity and missed opportunities, along with the challenges and enjoyment of the advertising business.

Ari Weiss, Worldwide CCO for DDB, brings a wealth of experience from his impressive advertising career. He shares a wild tale about a surreal meeting with a difficult client and how it shaped his view of the industry. The conversation dives into iconic ads, including a comedic gem for FedEx that channels a Mary Poppins vibe. Weiss also discusses the evolution of humor in advertising and the creative process behind powerful campaigns, emphasizing the importance of authenticity and emotional storytelling.

Get to know Aaron’s former colleagues and heroes, Elspeth Lynn and Lorraine Tao. Elspeth and Lorraine discuss opening up their own agency, some incredible career highlights and the suppression of female voices in advertising.

Aaron chats with Danny Robinson, Former CCO of the Martin Agency and stand-up comedian. They discuss the famous Oprah episode where she gives away cars, Danny's time doing stand up comedy, and why you should never offer cinnamon gum to Jay-Z.

Aaron chats with Anselmo Ramos, Founder of DAVID and Gut about independence, why pitching is bad for business & how Anselmo has thrived by always being seen as ‘that guy with the accent’.  Aaron also chats with the mysterious man behind the satirical “Adweak” posts, Mickey Taylor about about how it started and Mickey and Aaron count down his top 5 posts of 2020.

In early March, just before airlines shut it down I chatted with the king of CMO’s, Fernando Machado in Miami about some of his recent hits including the Moldy Whopper and the fascinating story behind it. This interview was pure joy for me. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Malcolm Poynton discusses the birth of the famous Dove campaign for real beauty in London, the unapproved Ford ad that got leaked and quickly went viral and that time he flew Aaron to London for a interview and the hilarious “incident” that transpired soon after.