My Most Immortal Ad: Laura Gregory + Joe Sedelmaier Explore Southern Airways ‘Steerage’
In the run up to the entry deadline for this year’s Immortal Awards, LBB’s jurors have been taking it in turns to select the ads and campaigns that are most immortal to them, revealing the reasons why they’ve stayed with them until this day.
Returning juror and founder of Great Guns, Laura Gregory, gets a rare second bite at the immortal cherry, opting for a ’70s commercial for Southern Airways known as Steerage (although its official title is Orgy).
The ad, a minute-long masterpiece out of the now defunct US shop McDonald & Little, was directed by Joe Sedelmaier, dubbed “the master storyteller of life in the real world of advertising” by Gregory.
Steerage is just one spot in Sedelmaier’s breathtaking body of work, which also includes comic icons like Wendy’s ‘Where’s The Beef’ and ‘Soviet Fashion Show’ and FedEx’s ‘Fast Talking Man’.
Gregory and Sedelmaier joined The Immortal Awards’ Paul Monan to discuss Steerage, casting, comedy and more…
The Immortal Awards entry system is now open. Every member of Little Black Book is entitled to up to five entries, depending on their membership tier. This year, Bronze members receive two entries, whilst Silver and Gold members get five entries. The full list of rules, including eligibility dates, can be found here.
If you’d like to enter the Immortal Awards but you’re not yet a member of LBB, contact Lynchy here: michael@campaignbrief.com.
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3 Comments
What a fabulous discussion of Joe Sedelmair’s work, and his classic work that shows what advertising can be.
Hey Joe… saw a pic of you and you look great!! My best to you always! So proud to have worked with you!! Love ya!! Stay safe! Be well! Thank you.. Paul Zegler
Great interview. I worked for Joe Sedelmaier as a production assistant in the summer of 1973 and it changed my life. From then on I wanted to work in film production. This interview reminds me of how much I learned watching him work. He is exactly the man I remember. Because he had Peggy in house doing the editing I was able to observe her work which made me want to become a film editor. It was one of the best summers of my life; I rememberer watching the watergate hearings while we ate lunch. Anybody who walked in with a great face- a delivery guy, electrician…if they had a face that told a story, a polaroid was taken and they became part of the cast. He is still as kind and wise and funny as I remember.
Thank you Joe. xo rita stern