Lou Weisbach thinks the Upshot approach is unique. That's why he and the giant promotional products company he heads, Niles, IL-based Ha-Lo, bought the agency last year. "Things change so quickly, and the people who will succeed are not from the old school. They don't look at things the way they used to be," says Weisbach. "John Kelley and Carol Griseto are those people. They approach promotion as no one else does. I've been with them on presentations and they absolutely capture the client. Their work is so incredibly strong."
Spoken like a proud papa, and far be it from us to say he's wrong. But will the kids from Chicago be able to keep the bonfire raging? Will the Eighties, ad boutique-style culture they've installed in their new digs on East Wacker be stoked by the procession of top-drawer clients walking through the doors, or will it devolve into some corporate creative factory? A big test is underway right now that could provide the answer: The attempted transfer of "Upshotty" (as staffers call it) attitude to the more old-line, 40-person Siebel agency in New York City.
Jeff Davidoff gives his agency a fair chance. After all, he says, Upshot has The Formula, and he's not afraid to share it.
"Want to know what our secret is? Hire smarter, more talented people and let them run wild. It's okay if everyone knows it."
He smiles, then says, "Try to recreate it."
