Carl Ally
1984 Creative Hall of Fame Inductee
Advertising, Education, Design
Carl is a unique and influential figure in his profession, known for his boldness and accuracy in challenging norms. His success stems from his flaws, and he is celebrated as a teacher and original thinker, finally receiving the recognition he deserves after twenty-two years of inspiring work.
Career
There’s nothing I can say about Carl that he hasn’t said better himself.
Nonetheless.
Carl’s resounding success, as I see it, is a tribute to his flaws.
In our timid, cautious, respectful, bland, buttoned-up and obedient profession, Carl was termagant, bumptious, abrasive, daring, impulsive, adamant. A genuine aginner.
Couple this with a jugular accuracy in skewering solutions, and you see why Carl presided over and inspired twenty-two years of the unexpected – all brilliantly against the grain.
Carl, above all, is a teacher – with a profound regard for the word. Indeed, that’s why Fred and I hired him way back then – not because he worked at Campbell-Ewald on cars, but because he taught English at Michigan and flew airplanes in war.
At long last Carl has received the recognition due him. You can’t emulate Car. He’s absolutely original. But we can say thanks. Absolutely. Positively.