The ad graveyard

The Ad Graveyard

Prelude: The Advertising Joke

A COPYWRITER DIES, and Saint Peter offers him a choice of Heaven or Hell. The writer asks to see both. Leading him to a doorway, Saint Peter says: “Here in Hell, we have a room just for copywriters.” Inside, the writer sees row upon row of faceless hacks, all scribbling frantically as giant red devils lay into them with heavy whips.

“The meeting’s in five minutes! The meeting’s in five minutes” the devils scream.

“Uh … better show me Heaven,” the writer says. So up they go.

“Here in Heaven, we also have a room for copywriters,” Saint Peter says. Peering into the second room, the writer again sees row upon row of faceless hacks, all scribbling frantically as giant red devils lay into them with heavy whips.

“The meeting’s in five minutes! The meeting’s in five minutes” the devils scream.

The copywriter protests, “But I thought you said this was Heaven!”

St. Peter says, “Well, up Here, the work gets produced.”