Phil Dusenberry facts for kids

Philip Bernard Dusenberry (born April 28, 1936 – died December 29, 2007) was a very successful American advertising expert. He worked for the famous BBDO advertising company.

Dusenberry was born in Brooklyn, New York City in 1936. He went to Midwood High School in Brooklyn and then to Emory & Henry College in Virginia. He first learned about advertising when he was a radio announcer. He was asked to write ads for the station, which was his first step into the world of advertising.

A Career in Advertising

Philip Dusenberry joined the BBDO advertising agency in New York in 1962. He started as a junior writer, helping to create ad messages. By 1980, he had become the main creative director for the agency. This meant he was in charge of all the creative ideas for ads. When he retired in 2002, he was the Chairman of BBDO North America. This was a very high position!

Famous Pepsi Ads

Dusenberry was well known for his work with Pepsi, a big soft drink company. He created the famous advertising slogan, "The Choice of a New Generation." He also helped bring many celebrities into Pepsi's popular commercials. Some of these stars included Lionel Richie, Don Johnson, Madonna, and Michael J. Fox.

One time, Dusenberry was overseeing a Pepsi commercial with Michael Jackson. During filming, a special smoke effect went wrong, and Michael Jackson's hair accidentally caught fire. Dusenberry even wrote a book about his career, and he used this incident in the title: Then We Set His Hair on Fire: Insights and Accidents from a Hall of Fame Career in Advertising.

Other Creative Projects

Besides advertising, Philip Dusenberry also worked in the film business. He helped write the script for the baseball movie The Natural. This movie starred the famous actor Robert Redford.

In 1984, Dusenberry also wrote and directed short films for then-President Ronald Reagan and his wife, First Lady Nancy Reagan. These films were shown on national television. They used the well-known phrase, "It's Morning Again in America."

Retirement and Legacy

In 2002, Philip Dusenberry retired from BBDO. In the same year, he was honored by being added to the American Advertising Federation Hall of Fame. This is a special place for people who have made a big impact on advertising.

Philip Dusenberry passed away on December 29, 2007, at his home in Manhattan.