Podcast · Business

The Last Advertising Podcast

by Breaking and Entering Media · English · Business

This is it. The last advertising podcast to ever be made. After interviewing 600 of advertising’s best, Geno Schellenberger is finally trying to quit. One final guest. One final episode. Until next week. For the ad sickos. A Breaking and Entering Media production.

New episodes: Weekly
Typical length: 31 min
Latest: 7 Oct 2026
Language: English

Latest episode

7 Oct 2026 · 29 min

The Mother Sea Turtle Theory of Creativity with Joanna D’Avanzo

Joanna D’Avanzo teaches young creatives to think like mother sea turtles: produce a lot of ideas, accept that most will not survive, and return ready to make more. The award-winning Marist University professor and former VP/creative director joins The Last Advertising Podcast to explain why great creatives know a little about a lot, why AI is one-note, and how museums, art history, subway conversations, unfamiliar films, and honest feedback make the work better. Listen to the other Last Episodes at https://thelastadvertisingpodcast.com/

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Earlier episodes 29 most recent

S1 · 30 Sep 2026 · 30 min
What Advertising Schools Should Teach in the Age of AI with Joe Glennon
Advertising changes faster than universities can rewrite a syllabus, but Joe Glennon believes the fundamentals still win. The Indiana University senior lecturer and former creative director joins The Last Advertising Podcast to explain why every idea still starts with the brand, how AI creates a race to average, and why curiosity and work ethic separate the students who break in from those who blend in. Listen to the other Last Episodes at https://thelastadvertisingpodcast.com/
S1 · 23 Sep 2026 · 32 min
Why Advertising Makes Breaking In So Damn Hard with Nicolet Gatewood
Advertising says it wants fresh talent, then asks that talent to arrive with agency experience already stamped on a résumé. BLAC Executive Director Nicolet Gatewood joins The Last Advertising Podcast to explain how BLAC opens the door through a paid 12-week internship, why the support continues after interns break in, and what agencies miss when they keep recruiting from the same places. Listen to the other Last Episodes at https://thelastadvertisingpodcast.com/
S1 · 16 Sep 2026 · 31 min
Nick Gallo Built Loop Agency Around One Rule
Nick Gallo went from graffiti and six-second Vines to helping build HQ Trivia and founding Loop, the creative studio behind work people actually send to their friends. He joins The Last Advertising Podcast to talk about moving at New York speed, finding a brand’s discomfort zone, and why every young creative needs to make the idea smaller and ship the damn thing. Listen to the other Last Episodes at https://thelastadvertisingpodcast.com/
S1 · 9 Sep 2026 · 31 min
If Advertising Wants Creators, It Needs to Understand Them with Maryah Greene
If this were the last advertising podcast ever made, Maryah Greene thinks the industry should learn how to actually work with creators. She would know. Before joining Droga5, Maryah was one. Her career started as a third-grade teacher before a plant-focused Instagram account turned into a full-time creator career, brand partnerships, a design business, and eventually an entirely new career inside advertising. Today, Maryah is Creator Partnerships Lead at Droga5, helping brands, agencies, and creators understand one another. On what we're pretending is the final advertising podcast, Maryah…
S1 · 2 Sep 2026 · 29 min
Is a Liberal Arts Education the Future of Advertising? | Professor Scott R. Hamula
As AI gets better at executing ideas, what should the next generation of advertising talent actually study? Professor Scott R. Hamula joins The Last Advertising Podcast to discuss the future of advertising education, the value of a liberal arts education, and why specialization still matters. Scott is Professor and Program Director of Advertising, Public Relations, and Marketing Communications at Ithaca College, a recipient of the American Advertising Federation’s Distinguished Advertising Educator Award and its Barton A. Cummings Gold Medal Award, the AAF’s highest honor for volunteer…
S1 · 26 Aug 2026 · 27 min
Before We Quit, Let’s Build an American Icon | Shinola CMO Kevin Wertz
This is it. The last advertising podcast to ever be made. But before we quit, we need to talk about time. Switzerland has centuries of watchmaking history. Shinola is building an American version from a factory in downtown Detroit. Kevin Wertz, CMO of Shinola, joins Geno Schellenberger to explain how a 13-year-old brand can create a sense of heritage, craftsmanship, and permanence in a category dominated by names that have existed for generations. Shinola has expanded from watches into leather goods, jewelry, journals, bicycles, and hotels. That growth created a problem: people knew the…
S1 · 19 Aug 2026 · 25 min
HE CREATED THE LARGEST TOURING MUSIC FESTIVAL
Adam Lynn dropped out of college to take Steve Aoki on tour. Which is either a terrible life decision or the beginning of America’s largest touring music festival. Fortunately, it was the second one. Today, Breakaway operates in 13 festival markets, with roughly 5,000 local ambassadors wearing its shirts, promoting its festivals and presumably making their parents ask whether this is a real job. Adam joins us to explain how Breakaway finds cities overlooked by the major festival companies, wins over the local nightclub owner and builds a national brand without pretending every community is…
S1 · 12 Aug 2026 · 33 min
Before We Quit, Let’s Finally Break Into Advertising | Jonathan Ogle
This is it. The last advertising podcast to ever be made. But before we quit, we should probably figure out how to break into the industry. Jonathan Ogle founded Infinite Agency without ever working at another agency. Sixteen years later, his company works with brands including Six Flags, Southwest Airlines, Smoothie King, Supercuts, and Benihana. Jonathan still occasionally wonders whether he has officially broken into advertising. He joins Geno Schellenberger for one final conversation about creating your own opportunities, recovering from brutal creative feedback, and becoming known for…
5 Aug 2026 · 28 min
We Can’t Quit Before Talking About End Cards | Martins Zelcs
This is it. The last advertising podcast to ever be made. But before we quit, there is one final part of advertising we need to discuss: the end. Martins Zelcs is the founder of The Art of End Cards, an archive dedicated to the final three to five seconds of commercials. He has also worked as an art director at Droga5, BBDO, and INNOCEAN. Martins believes an entertaining advertisement can still fail when nobody remembers the brand behind it. The end card is the brand’s final opportunity to recover the viewer’s attention, reinforce the campaign idea, and leave a memorable last impression. He…
4 Aug 2026 · 2 min
Introducing the Last Advertising Podcast
This is it. The last advertising podcast to ever be made. And thank goodness, too. There's too much ad talk out there. We talk to ourselves. We know it's only F*ing advertising. We know most people try to avoid advertising. Or never even think about where it comes from. And definitely don’t wonder what it was like to work at Droga5 in 2013.But still, there's a select few out there. Those who keep coming back and back for more. Those few people on earth who never skip YouTube prerolls. Those complete freaks who have a favorite cereal commercial from 1997. The ad sickos. If you're still…
S7 · 29 Jul 2026 · 29 min
How to Advance Your Career When Hard Work Isn’t Enough, With Courtney Williams
Courtney Williams is Chief Growth Officer and Partner at The Variable, where she leads the independent agency’s growth strategy, positioning and business development efforts. In this episode, Courtney explains why hard work alone does not guarantee career advancement and what ambitious professionals need to do next. She shares how to develop a clear point of view, build meaningful relationships, increase your visibility and find people who will advocate for you in rooms you have not entered yet. Courtney also breaks down her five drivers of agency growth: reputation, relationships,…
S7 · 22 Jul 2026 · 29 min
How Brands Find Their Voice, with Vikki Ross
Every brand wants a distinctive voice. Very few know how to build one. This week, Geno sits down with brand voice consultant Vikki Ross, who has helped companies including JLR and Sky define how they communicate across every customer touchpoint. They discuss what actually goes into creating a brand voice, why tone of voice guidelines usually fail, how to interview an organization to uncover its personality, and why copywriters should stop writing like themselves and start writing like the brand. Whether you're a copywriter, strategist, marketer, founder, or creative director, this…
S7 · 15 Jul 2026 · 37 min
BBDO New York CCO Michael Aimette on Why Great Ideas Beat Perfect Craft Every Time
Michael Aimette didn't set out to become Chief Creative Officer of BBDO New York.He started in media planning, considered journalism, moved to Ireland to write a novel, directed a feature film, and eventually found his way back to advertising.In this episode, Michael shares the unconventional path that shaped his creative philosophy, why curiosity matters more than career planning, and why today's creatives often spend too much time polishing ideas instead of generating them.We also discuss:Why work-life balance actually gets harder as you become a CCOThe biggest mistake young creatives make…
S7 · 8 Jul 2026 · 33 min
Why Making Things Matters More Than Ever | Jamie Umpherson, CCO, Runway & Runway Studios
Jamie Umpherson didn't go to portfolio school. Before breaking into advertising, he managed a bar, designed coupons for eight hours a day, and spent nights teaching himself the fundamentals of creativity while building a portfolio from scratch. Today, he's the Chief Creative Officer at Runway and Runway Studios, helping shape the future of AI-powered creativity.In this episode, we discuss how AI is changing the creative process, why ideas still matter more than execution, what agencies get wrong about the future of creative work, and how the next generation can use tools like Runway to bring…
S7 · 1 Jul 2026 · 28 min
What I Learned After Leaving the Holding Companies | Lisa Topol, CCO, Oberland
Lisa Topol spent decades building her career at some of advertising's biggest agencies, eventually becoming Co-Chief Creative Officer at DDB. Then she left. In this episode, Lisa shares why she walked away from the holding company world, what she found at independent agency Oberland, and why having a stake in the decisions you make can completely change your relationship with work. We also discuss mentorship, creative leadership, purpose-driven advertising, the making of Elf Beauty's award-winning "So Many Dicks" campaign, and how young creatives can stand out in a world increasingly shaped…
S7 · 24 Jun 2026 · 33 min
What MTV Understood About Culture | Antonio McDonald, Founder & CEO, KUAMP
Antonio McDonald has spent more than two decades building content for brands, audiences, and culture. After starting his career at MTV during its peak, Antonio went on to found KUAMP, an independent creative production agency helping brands connect with audiences through content that people actually want to watch. In this episode, we discuss why most branded content misses the mark, what MTV understood about culture before everyone else, the power of independence, building a business over 24 years, and the advice he'd give to anyone trying to break into advertising today. If you're…
S7 · 19 Jun 2026 · 32 min
How Three Students From Vietnam Created a Lollapalooza Idea That Impressed Highdive's Mark Gross
Every quarter, Breaking and Entering Media hosts the Crowbar Awards, a $1 global student advertising competition designed to help aspiring creatives build their portfolios, solve real-world briefs, and get their work reviewed by some of the industry's top creative leaders. The highest honor awarded each quarter is the Blue Crowbar, given to the single best submission across all entries. This quarter's Blue Crowbar winners came from RMIT University Vietnam. In this episode, Geno Schellenberger sits down with Vy Tran, Nguyen Minh Ngoc, and My Phung, alongside Highdive Co-Chief Creative Officer…
S7 · 17 Jun 2026 · 36 min
I Thought I Knew Everything Until Amazon Humbled Me
Anthony Reeves grew up in the Australian Outback, built a career across agencies, Amazon, WPP, and now serves as VP of Global Brand & Creative at Kohler.In this episode, Anthony shares the moment he walked into Amazon believing he had all the answers and left with one of the most important lessons of his career.We discuss discomfort, career growth, mentorship, specialization, breaking into advertising, and why the best opportunities often come from putting yourself in situations where failure is possible.If you're trying to break into the industry or level up your career, this episode is…
S7 · 10 Jun 2026 · 33 min
What This Agency Founder Wishes He Knew Earlier | Sam Slaughter, Founder of Lighthouse Creative
Sam Slaughter is the Founder of Lighthouse Creative Group. After getting fired from his previous job, Sam and his co-founder decided to build the kind of company they actually wanted to work for. Today, Lighthouse is a 40-person employee-owned agency working with brands like Amazon, Fanatics, and more. In this episode, Sam shares the lessons he's learned building an independent business, why relationships matter more than titles, how young people can stand out in the age of AI, and the advice he wishes more people heard early in their careers. If you're a student, recent graduate, young…
S7 · 3 Jun 2026 · 40 min
Advertising Isn't Dying. You're Just Listening to the Wrong People. | Ad Legend Chuck McBride
For nearly 30 years, Chuck McBride has heard the same prediction: advertising is dying. He's heard it through the rise of the internet, social media, YouTube, streaming, creators, and now AI. Yet after helping launch the iconic Got Milk? campaign, leading work for Nike, working alongside Lee Clow at TBWA\Chiat\Day, and building Cutwater into one of advertising's most respected independent agencies, Chuck remains optimistic about the future. In this conversation, Chuck joins Geno Schellenberger to discuss why creativity thrives under constraints, why media fragmentation creates more…
S7 · 27 May 2026 · 42 min
Patrick Coffee on the Real State of Advertising
Patrick Coffee of The Wall Street Journal joins the Breaking and Entering Advertising Podcast to break down the current state of the advertising industry. We talk about why creative departments feel increasing pressure inside holding companies, how AI is changing expectations for marketers, why creator marketing still struggles with measurement, and how brands are trying to evolve into entertainment companies. Patrick also shares insights from covering the industry for more than a decade, including what today’s agency world has in common with the fallout from 2008, why marketers are obsessed…
S7 · 20 May 2026 · 13 min
What Top Creative Directors Want From Entry-Level Talent
In this solo episode of the Breaking and Entering Podcast, Geno Schellenberger opens up about how AI, holding company consolidation, and changing agency structures are reshaping the path into advertising. From portfolio schools to creative partnerships to tools like Runway and ChatGPT, Geno breaks down what young creatives should actually focus on in 2026. Geno also shares advice on building a portfolio, finding mentors, standing out to recruiters, and why “nerd up, work up, cool up” still applies in today’s industry. Plus, updates on the Crowbar Awards, the B&E Mastermind Cohort, and how…
13 May 2026 · 39 min
The Manifesto Expert Behind Apple, Meta & Nike’s Greatest Brand Writing Secrets | Lonnie Elliot
What separates memorable brands from forgettable ones? According to brand writer and manifesto expert Lonnie Elliot, it starts with belief. In this episode of Breaking and Entering Advertising, Geno Schellenberger sits down with the former Apple and Meta writer to break down the true anatomy of great manifestos, from Think Different to Nike’s Dream Crazier. Lonnie explains the structures behind powerful brand storytelling, why tension and point of view matter, how startups often get branding wrong, and why AI still can’t replicate the specificity of elite human copywriting. For copywriters,…
S7 · 6 May 2026 · 30 min
Todd Condie on Leaving Law Behind for a Career in Advertising
Todd Condie could’ve stayed on the traditional path: Georgetown Law, Wall Street, big paycheck, partner track. Instead, he walked away from it all to chase creativity. In this episode, the Terri & Sandy Group Creative Director shares his unconventional rise from magazine hopeful to corporate lawyer to award-winning creative leader. Todd unpacks the mindset, risks, and relentless hustle it took to reinvent himself, why passion always beats security, and how today’s creatives need to evolve in an AI-shaped industry. This is a story about betting on yourself, breaking the safe mold, and…
S7 · 29 Apr 2026 · 32 min
CEO of Havas NY on Breaking In When There Are Fewer Jobs (Sarah Collinson)
Sarah Collinson, CEO of Havas New York, joins the Breaking and Entering Advertising Podcast to talk about what it takes to break into advertising at a time when there are fewer roles and higher expectations than ever. She shares how she built a high-performing agency culture, why leadership and communication matter more than process, and how her team continues to win major clients while prioritizing people. The conversation covers the reality of entry-level roles changing due to AI, what young professionals should focus on instead, and why becoming an expert in your client’s business is…
S7 · 22 Apr 2026 · 40 min
The Designer Who Makes the Future Feel Inevitable | Brian Collins (COLLINS)
Brian Collins, co-founder of COLLINS, joins the show to break down how design actually drives business transformation. COLLINS has won the Ad Age Design and Brand Agency of the Year or Business Transformation Agency of the Year seven times, and has helped shape brands like Spotify, Airbnb, Robinhood, and The Coca-Cola Company. In this conversation, Brian explains why advertising makes things famous while design makes them useful, and how the best brands win by doing both. He shares his philosophy of “making the future irresistible so it becomes inevitable,” and what that looks like inside…
S6 · 15 Apr 2026 · 38 min
#539| 100+ Cannes Lions Later: The Truth About Great Advertising | Rick Brim
Rick Brim has won over 100 Cannes Lions and helped shape one of the most iconic creative agencies in the world. He played a key role in building Adam&EveDDB and bringing campaigns like John Lewis’ holiday ads to global attention, turning them into cultural moments that drove real business impact. In this conversation, he breaks down what actually makes great advertising and why so much of the industry gets it wrong. He talks about the danger of chasing awards, how momentum can transform an agency overnight, and why creativity should be treated as a serious business tool rather than…
S1 · E538 · 8 Apr 2026 · 30 min
#538: Inside Canva’s Creative System | Ted Markovic, Global Head of Advertising & Creative Ops at Canva
Geno sits down with Ted Markovic, Global Head of Advertising & Creative Ops at Canva, to break down how one of the world’s fastest-growing brands actually runs creative. From building a 150-person in-house team to working seamlessly with agencies, Ted shares the systems, expectations, and communication required to get great work. If you want to understand how modern brands scale creativity and become better clients, this is the playbook.
S1 · E13 · 3 Apr 2026 · 29 min
Jaime Robinson, CCO of JOAN, on Creativity, Advice for Advertising's Next Generation
Join the show today for an exclusive episode with the Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer at JOAN. She goes in-depth about the Dr. Bronner's campaign for this quarter's Crowbar brief.You'll hear from the winners, Carolina Versolato and Jane Wineman, both soon-to-be advertising graduates from the University of Miami.More from Breaking and Entering Media:💼 Follow on LinkedIn⁠ https://www.linkedin.com/company/breaking-entering-podcast/⁠📖 Read our Publications⁠ https://www.breaking-entering.com/blog⁠💬 Join our Unlocked GroupMe⁠ https://groupme.com/join_group/102437585/xg5Z5tei⁠✉️ Subscribe to…

About The Last Advertising Podcast

The Last Advertising Podcast is a English business podcast from Breaking and Entering Media. Melo plays each episode straight from the publisher's own feed — no ads added, no account needed — and remembers where you stopped, in this browser only.

Publisher: Breaking and Entering Media
Language: English
Category: Business
New episodes: Weekly
Typical length: 31 min
Latest episode: 7 Oct 2026
Feed: RSS — paste into any podcast app
Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1506434104
Rights: Breaking and Entering Media

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