I had the honor of working with Tony on projects for another mentor, David Hoffman, including Guerilla Media and If You Love Someone Who Smokes. On one of my first days in NYC, Tony told me to go walk around the block and see how many messages about cigarettes I could find. They were everywhere: on the sides of buses, on deli doors, on billboards. I must have counted a 100 impressions. I reported back and Tony asked "why are they doing what they are doing". My lame answer — "to get you to buy their products." No, said Tony. They were saturating the environmental to establish that cigarettes belonged... "commonplace...like the air".
Date:
3/12/2010, 11:32 am, EDT
Name:
E.A.W. Smith
Number:
26
When I was working with your dad, I would get some odd calls, from odd sources. One day, I got a call from RAB, the Radio Advertising Bureau....
They asked me if Tony would be willing to give his presentation to a delegation of Japanese men and women, core members of the Japanese R.A.B. Tony agreed. They brought an interpreter, and we crammed about twenty men and women into the studio. All through the presentation, every one of them sat with eyes glued to those big KLH speakers, as though the sound came from other planets. Of course, Tony played some of our favorites... the Beatles songs where Tony had overlaid the runaway girl's telephone call home... the three minutes of his niece from a baby all the way to ladyhood.
So, when Tony said something like "Sound, the affects and effects of sound are my interest," and the interpreter just translated the words... Silence. I could not believe it. Tony said a few more words, in explanation, and those words went Japanese. Tony was baffled, as I was. He said, "Did they understand my presentation?' and the interpreter followed, then said, "They understand all. Tony asked, "Did they like it?" (like, anything to break the silence!) Then one of them clapped hands, followed by another, just one by one...
Then silence, again. Then, "Are there Any questions?" There were no questions. So, I jumped in, I guess, and asked, why, the silence? The interpreter said, "So sorry. I am so sorry. let me explain. Japanese people... are... very, very emotional. When you reach down, deeply in to Japanese emotion... they become silent... they cannot speak. You have just gone very deeply into them. They will talk very much about this... later today..."
Date:
11/1/2009, 1:52 pm, EDT
Name:
Lloyd Betourney
Email:
Number:
25
We never met, but I shall never forget his willingness to help and guide me once. I was just starting out in the poltical business. Had a client running for Mayor of Chicago. My role was to create several radio spots for the campaign. It was quite a tumultuous period in chicago politics - 1987. I developed two initial spots for the campaign. Most of the staff opposed reminding voters of the council wars that had dominated/fueled much of the controversy. Yet I felt (through Tony's works) that this was a way to connect to what people were focused on. Out of the blue I called him. He took my call and we talked for about a half hour. I played the spots for him. The first one he really chewed me out for doing something so typical. The second he loved. told me it achieved exactly what I was reaching for. Asked why the campaign wouldn't run with it and told me to stick by it. I did, but the camapign pulled the plug and the piece never aired...We only spoke once again after that. When he was consulting for a chicago candidate...Tony taught me so much in that 30 minutes or so that we talked...Thank you again Tony. Thank you!
Tony-I remember when you crossed over and thought you may do your best work, working from above-instead of mid-town. You taught me the fundamentals of all I know, let me hold your academy award and sat there and opened my eyes on the finer points of all media....that was 12 years ago and Anne at the pet store had introduced us. thanks for loaning me your last copies of your books that I returned to you for your library. Genius, extraordinary man and a gift to the world. Rest in peace, my note is late, because with all the nuclear threats today I am thinking, what would Tony script? Praise be to God and thanks. Robin
In my peak years running Roommate Finders in New York City, I was spending over $100,000 a year in advertising, back in the 1980s and 1990s. I was exposed to Tony Schwartz through a friend who interviewed him for a book he was writing. My office was near Tony Schwartz's. Back then before the Internet, it was not easy to find his books so I went in person to buy his books.
In the course of our conversation, I asked him how he got the name Anthony for a guy whose last name is Schwartz. He told me his mom always wanted a girl and was going to name her Antoinette.
What a great guy he was and his sense humor will always be remembered.
Had the opportunity to speak with Tony and Reenah once or twice several years before his passing, as I was researching his books and videos.
Though his hand was unsteady, he graciously offered to sign my copies of The Responsive Chord and Media The Second God, pressing pen to paper so hard that his signature was embossed onto two or three succeeding pages.
Though he is gone, Tony's unique contributions to our understanding of media and culture are his enduring legacy. Through them he continues to challenge, inspire, and instruct us.
Date:
6/9/2009, 2:11 am, EDT
Name:
Tony markou
Email:
Number:
20
I just wanted to say may the Lord rest his soul in His Kingdom he has really made a difference in many people's lives. I met him only through the antismoking video. He was a man with true love and interest towards all people. God bless his family and freinds hope to see him again in the world to come.
We never met but I read all his books and he was the one person I always made mention of when talking about how to craft messages and how to communicate. I have his books and tapes and often listen to them before I start a campaign. We spoke once on the phone and he was kind and gracious. I came on the website and was unaware of his passing. I am truly sorry. RIP -- John Kern
