About

So, who is Steve Bassett? Let me start by dispelling a long-standing myth. I am not nor have I ever been the Fifth Beatle.

Apparently five of these album covers were printed before they caught the mistake. My face was immediately and correctly removed. If you’re a vinyl collector, and you happen across one of the rare covers, I implore you, please destroy it. The Beatles are four of my heroes. It’s one thing to stand on the shoulders of giants. It’s quite another to photo-bomb them.

I was born in Fort Wayne, Indiana, voted by Men’s Health as the dumbest city in America. When I was two my family moved to Canoga Park, California, which eventually became the porn capital of the world. I swear, I had nothing to do with either of these distinctions.

I graduated from the University of Georgia with a major in advertising and a minor in marketing. Agencies I have worked for include McKinney & Silver, Chiat-Day, DDB, and The Martin Agency. You’ll see a lot of my work and the clients I have worked for in my blogs. (Better to see them than to list them.)

Awards are mostly important to those who win them. I won my first Gold Pencil in 1984. I guess I’ve won more than my share since. I’ve also won top awards from The One Show, CA, D&AD and Cannes (a Grand Prix for film). Honors include Richmond Ad Person of the Year, induction into the Virginia Communications Hall of Fame, adjunct professor at the VCU BrandCenter, and awards judge for both The One Show and CA.

Let’s see now. What’s next? Oh yeah, 2016 was a big year for Geico and The Martin Agency. At The One Show, Martin was named Agency of the Year. Geico was named Client of the Year. The first-ever Penta Pencil was awarded to Martin and Geico for “creating stellar work for five or more continuous years.” And then there was this ADWEEK cover.

The brilliant people behind me created the amazing Unskippable campaign. I ended up sitting in front because I faked a dizzy spell.

Okay, time for some more lists. I have appeared on or our work has appeared on The CBS Evening News, CBS Sunday Morning, Good Morning America, The Today Show, Bloomberg, the Sundance Channel, 30 Rock, Late Night with David Letterman, The Colbert Report, and The Daily Show among others.

I have served on panels on humor in advertising. I am told, in person, I am not very funny.

My biggest honor was getting to work at The Martin Agency for 30 years. I spent much of that time working for my friend and mentor, the late Mike Hughes. ” Do work you love with people you love.” Mike not only said it, he lived it. Good career advice for just about anyone.