Mike Schmidt, Vice President, Design
How long have you been with Power?
Since the “big bang.” A third of a century. Three and a half decades. Actually, 36 years
Describe Power Creative in five words or less.
A breeding ground for creativity.
What is the most fulfilling part of your career?
Working with nice people for a really long time (most people who come to work at Power stay quite a while) and creating a design that pleases the client and me at the same time.
Name your top three favorite Louisville destinations.
Home, Jack Fry’s and Freedom Hall for UofL basketball.
What advice would you give to someone starting out in advertising?
Don’t leave the caps off your Magic Markers. Oops, that would be advice when I started in the industry. I guess it would be: if you like what you’re doing, and the people you’re doing it with, the work becomes more like play.
At 6 years old, what did you want to do when you grew up?
1. Be Hopalong Cassidy and catch the bad guys.
2. Antagonize account executives.
3. Draw like my mom and dad could.
Oh well, two out of three ain’t bad.
What is your favorite ad campaign of all time?
Volkswagen in the late 60s. My favorite was an American Gothic–style couple in front of a VW and a log cabin in the Ozarks. The headline was, “It was the only thing to do after the mule died.” The body copy told the couple’s story and it was as funny as the head. I still laugh when I think of that ad. You know the folks creating that ad were having a great time.
If you could write a tagline for yourself, what would it be?
Imagination at play.