Often billed as the original Mad Man, George Lois could also be called advertising’s original Bad Boy. Starting in the ’50s, he dished up in-your-face campaigns for the likes of VW, the Four Seasons restaurant, and MTV. Never one to pull a punch, the adman channeled his brash attitude into some of the most provocative images of the 1960s, including now-legendary Esquire covers that took on issues of race, the Vietnam War, religion, and feminism.
Lois takes the same no-holds-barred approach to sharing his own pearly wisdom. In Damn Good Advice (for People with Talent!), from Phaidon Press, the king of the one-liner offers some inspiring pointers on how to create–and sell–the big ideas while holding fast to some moral integrity. Here, we’ve collected 10 of his finest gems.