That Ted Geisel really rocks.  I mean think about it — all his books relate in some way to the global challenges we face today. And it some twisted way, I’m finding direct correlation to the work we do in the marketing, advertising, public relations, social media agency business.

Last night as I read The Lorax to my two little girls, it was so crystal clear that Dr. Seuss was an oracle, a true futurist who clearly saw the world and how to explain it in the simplest of terms.  He was the Malcolm Gladwell of his day, and I’m glad I got to meet him before he passed away (he and his widow were/are longtime residents of La Jolla).

Think about it.  The Lorax is basically a more concise, better illustrated version of Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth. Dr. Seuss teaches us from childhood that the environment is something worth standing up for.

Horton Hears a Who?  Why, that’s about believing in something when no one else does, and being willing to risk your own reputation to protect it.  Kinda like Obama right now.  Or the Bailey Gardiner team with some of our clients.

And To Think That I Saw It On Mulberry Street is another of my favorites.  It’s about using your imagination to make ordinary things seem exciting, bigger than life, just plain MORE. Sounds like the kid in this book has a future in marketing.

Did I Ever Tell You How Lucky You Are? is about feeling empathy and compassion for others less fortunate than yourself.

Green Eggs & Ham is about being willing to take risks and try new things – even if you have to do it on the train or in the rain.  But it’s also a copywriter’s dream – the whole book uses a total of only 50 words in various combinations.

Remember?

I would not, could not, in a box.
I could not, would not, with a fox.
I will not eat them with a mouse.
I will not eat them in a house.
I will not eat them here or there.
I will not eat them anywhere.
I do not eat green eggs and ham.
I do not like them, Sam-I-am.

And The Grinch?  Well, The Grinch.  This classic doesn’t really have to be about Christmas at all. It could be Easter or Kwaanza or Passover or Halloween — it’s about humankind’s ability to overcome adversity and celebrate something we believe in, with or without the trappings.  Again, a lot like working in a creative agency.  Adversity?  We got it.  Trappings?  Not often.  But believing in something?  We’re lucky enough to work with clients that give us something to believe in every day.

Even though some days I feel more like the Grinch than a Who.

Thanks Ted.  You rock.

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