Alex Bogusky on the wonders of saliva-free CPR

By Eleftheria Parpis

Eight finalists competing for four 30-day agency internships had four minutes each to present ideas to a panel of judges in an American Idol-styled competition called "The Big Ad Gig" on Thursday, part of Advertising Week. The brief was to create a campaign for the American Heart Association promoting "Hands-Only CPR," an initiative designed to get bystanders involved in medical emergencies without requiring them to perform mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. (Hands-Only CPR involves calling 911 and pushing hard and fast in the center of a victim's chest.)
  Avi Truzman, a copywriter from Florida, won the event with a presentation that positioned Hands-Only CPR as "100% saliva free." Truzman wins a monthlong job at Crispin Porter + Bogusky and will see his idea produced by the American Heart Association and the Ad Council. "It's a great opportunity to do great work, that's what I wanted more than anything," said Truzman, a Miami Ad School grad who has been looking for work for the past eight months. "I'm ready to work."
  CP+B co-chairman Alex Bogusky was one of the judges. We caught up with him after the competition to find out who he was channeling most—Paula or Simon. Read more about the other winners after the jump.

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Published on September 24, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (4)
Filed under The Big Ad Gig