Generations pass, alas, and John Evans, a co-founder of media independent AMS (formerly All Media Services) has died at 75.
AMS, and Evans of course, was one of the great survivors, continuing to this day in robust form when many of the original generation of media independents have succumbed to the ad holding companies. Forming the basis of giants like Carat (originally The Media Department in the UK), MediaCom (The Media Business) and Wavemaker (CIA or Chris Ingram Associates.)
In those early days 40 years ago media independents had cut themselves adrift from their full-service creative agency owners and embarked on a buccaneering path to fame (for many) and fortune (for some.) Life consisted of verbally battering media owners over the phone in the morning to secure the lowest prices for clients (the old Daily Express took a particular battering) to be followed by a friendly lunch or, in summer, one of endless rounds of golf.
A far cry from today’s data-dominated screen-based behemoths. Have things moved on for the better? Not sure about that. But John Evans, who could as tough as the rest, was a creditable human being too and he’ll be missed.
