Campaign: Which Books Inspire Adlanders?

 

Campaign asked adland to give book recommendations on literature that shaped their approach to creativity.

 

Campaign US asked advertising leaders what books most inspired them in their careers. The choices of both HATCH CEO Jen Harrington and HATCH Talent President Dorothy Urlich were featured in the piece. Happy reading!

Jen Harrington, CEO, Hatch, suggests Bill Bernbach’s Book by Bob Levenson (1987). The book details the advertising work of Bill Bernbach, cofounder of the agency DDB, which is dissolving later this year and being absorbed into TBWA as a result of Omnicom’s acquisition of IPG.

Harrington told Campaign that some of his quotes, including “dullness won’t sell your product, but neither will irrelevant brilliance,” shaped how she understands creativity as a business discipline. “That idea mattered when I first read it many years ago, but I’d argue it matters even more today,” she added.

Dorothy Urlich, president, Hatch Talent, recommends How Not to Hate Advertising, published in 2025 by Nick Sonderup. “I understand how creatives function,” she said in a LinkedIn post about the book. “You’ll come away with a clearer understanding of your creative partners and a stronger approach to your own job.”

See the full list of book recommendations here.