Had he not died, David Ogilvy would probably be the only person to have worked at Ogilvy & Mather longer than Bobby Norris. Originally an art director, Bobby worked with everyone from Fay Weldon to Tony Hancock and whose throwaway lunchtime comment provided the strapline for the long-lasting ‘Unzip a Banana’ campaign. He should have retired years ago but Bobby, 75, insists on turning up for work two or three days a week in Ogilvy’s Redworks studio. And his colleagues should be grateful that he does, because Bobby is the agency’s unofficial quartermaster.
Say “Got a stapler, Bobby?” and Bobby’s likely to respond with “Standard, electric, long reach or booklet?”*
Here’s a look at what’s in Bobby’s drawers:
And here’s a look at what’s inside a freelancer’s drawer:
* No skin staplers, though. If you’re undertaking a bowel resection during colorectal surgery, you’ll have to look elsewhere.
Edit: Bobby Norris died in 2014. Campaign magazine carried a brief obituary.