How does an ad man
inspire a B y P h i l i p E l l i s f o r O g i lv y & M at h e r Insights from “EROTICA BEFORE INTERNET: HOW MUSCLES CHANGED THE WORLD”

Insights from “EROTICA BEFORE INTERNET:
HOW MUSCLES CHANGED THE WORLD” T om of Finland is known for his saucy portraits, but he also worked in advertising for seventeen years. He held the role of Senior Art Director at McCann, and even won the Key To Women’s Hearts Prize. Petteri Lillberg, CEO of McCann Helsinki, outlines five lessons that modern creatives can learn from Tom’s scandalous but undeniably influential career.

Insights from “EROTICA BEFORE INTERNET:
HOW MUSCLES CHANGED THE WORLD” Pessimists don’t win. 1 “All creative people have pain,” says Lillberg. But there is no motivator quite as strong as unhappiness; this is what drives artists, musicians and writers to expel their demons in their work.

Insights from “EROTICA BEFORE INTERNET:
HOW MUSCLES CHANGED THE WORLD” Why, in meetings, are the major decisions almost always made by the most pessimistic, cynical person at the table? According to Lillberg, honesty and integrity are what will get you to the top. Painis good. 2

Insights from “EROTICA BEFORE INTERNET:
HOW MUSCLES CHANGED THE WORLD” Tom Of Finland inspired gay men to embrace their sexuality. But when the AIDS crisis hit in the 1980s, Tom also encouraged men to take responsibility, through racy artwork which promoted safe sex. Theheartmightwin thebrainover,buta littlebitofreason goes a long way. 3

Insights from “EROTICA BEFORE INTERNET:
HOW MUSCLES CHANGED THE WORLD” Counter-culture is all about right now, with one eye on the future. Brands need to respect and understand this. “You can’t take the cookie cutter approach with subcultures and civil rights movements,” says Durk Dehner, President of the Tom Of Finland Foundation. Cultureisbasedon the past. 4

Insights from “EROTICA BEFORE INTERNET:
HOW MUSCLES CHANGED THE WORLD” 5 Tom Of Finland’s artwork is full of burly, powerful, masculine characters—a refreshing change from the depiction of gay men as sissies in the Fifties and Sixties. This helped shape the self-image of young gay men in America, resulting in the softening of stereotypes and increasing tolerance towards homosexuality in society. Changehowpeople seethemselves, and the rest will follow.