The ad was placed in the post-Cannes issue of Creativity magazine, which creatives read with either brimming pride or bitter envy. And since nothing gets a creative’s attention like a good ego stroke, we figured why not give them what they want? Hence, 1-866-EGO-STROKE was born.

Not only did the phone line succeed in stroking the egos of Cannes winners, but also proved to be a massive ego stroke for Leo Burnett. Initial call volume was heavy and the Leo Burnett USA creative recruiter was inundated with calls from creatives asking where to send their portfolios.