Ugly, Irresponsible, & Childish

Shut up. No Dancing. Kill the robots. Long live humans. No, this isn’t some dystopian novel. It’s the latest “Ugly, Irresponsible & Childish” episode featuring the straight-talking Dos and Don’t of presentations and sales pitches.
Marc & Jeremy deliver a candid guide to presenting. Drawing on real pitch stories, they explain how to read the room, sell your humanity instead of a hard sell, and choose when to rehearse or improvise.
This episode covers concrete do's and don'ts: know your audience, don’t over-rehearse, invite questions early, use short personal stories to make ideas stick, and above all—shut up and listen.

Welcome back, listeners! In our long-awaited 2026 debut, Jeremy and Marc return to discuss how fake ideas—empty taglines, celebrity-dependent campaigns, and superficial marketing tactics—undermine true creativity and brand strategy. They share personal stories from agency life, critique examples, and explain why ideas must ladder to the brand, not just a catchy line or influencer.
They also explore how celebrities can boost recall yet overshadow the brand, and tease an upcoming video episode featuring a legendary guest.

Marc and Jeremy do a 2025 year-end wrap up, along with a 2026 prediction about brands that might just cause some anger issues. Which, strangely enough, is the whole point.

In accordance with universal law, Marc and Jeremy share their annual holiday gift-guide ideas, leading not only to some great gift ideas for that special creative someone, but also hallucinogenic exchanges about huffing, Bone Music, QWERTY and The Wizard of Oz. 
Below are the links to all the gifts we mentioned. And again, NO — we’re not getting a damn cent!
Thai Herbal Inhaler
Sphere Tix
The Book We Wish We Had
1440.com
Astropad Rock Paper Pencil
Printomatic Full-Color Instant Print Digital Camera
Custom Viewfinder Reel
Qwerkywriter
Bone Music

Hosts Jeremy Baka and Marc Levy continue part two of their interview with David Gluckman, a forty-year drinks industry veteran who created memorable brands like Bailey's, Sheridan's, The Singleton, and Smirnoff Black.
David shares behind-the-scenes stories about product development, marketing missteps, the value of ownership, how committees can strangle ideas, and practical takes on AI and design tools. He emphasizes the single-minded creative approach—"go for one answer"—and warns against failing expensively.

While sipping that Baileys Irish Cream, Smirnoff Black, or Tanqueray Ten this holiday, remember: somebody had to invent those delightful drinks—and his name is David. Author of “That Sh** Will Never Sell,” David Gluckman shares amazing tales of imaginating, formulating, making and marketing of some of the world’s most recognized spirits brands during the Mad-Men era, including the “one” rule that, even today, he never breaks when presenting to clients.
They dig into product invention, when to trust instincts over research, the power of committing to one bold idea, and lessons from a 40‑year global career in making iconic beverages.

A child faced with imminent incineration, the menacing stare of a creepy old man and deranged laughter. Hollywood’s next thriller? Hardly. They’re political ads. In this Election Day special, Marc and Jeremy discuss and dissect some of the nation’s most unforgettable campaign ads.
The hosts analyze these ads without taking political sides, consider how ads become cultural contagions, and invite a political strategist for a follow-up episode to deepen the discussion.

In this Part 2 episode of Presentation Horror Stories, Marc and Jeremy host two mystery guests who dish about a major grocery store chain. Listen in as the guests share what it feels like to have 17 clients in a room using your agency pitch team as their very own human pinatas.
The brief arrived through a third party with no clear budget, competing regional stakeholders (17 people in the room), and a disconnect between the agency's digital focus and the client’s in-store priorities. Communication gaps, lack of a client champion, and an incumbent agency ultimately doomed the effort.
Takeaways are simple: be selective about pitches, confirm scope and stakeholders before you present, win relationships before the room, and don’t be afraid to re-level set when a pitch veers off course.

“If it scares you,” declared marketing guru Seth Godin, “it might be a good thing to try.”  In this episode, Marc and Jeremy share some of the scariest ideas they've ever presented, including those that were killed on contact and others that cheated death to become legend.
They draw on industry data about risk-taking, debate how to present edgy ideas, and explain why simplicity, timing, and internal champions matter when trying to sell the unthinkable.
Listeners are invited to learn from these wins and flops and share their own scary creative stories.

Up to two-thirds of companies rely on earned media placements to drive business and awareness for their products, services and messaging. 
Most of them do it wrong, resulting in wasted time, worthless creativity and squandered budgets.
On this week’s episode of Ugly, Irresponsible & Childish, earned-media expert Heidi Donato talks about the 25 years she spent honing the Art of the Media Pitch, resulting in headline-grabbing stories for everything from Coke to Colgate, Walmart to Weight Watchers, Rolls-Royce to Royal Caribbean and more. She'll discuss pitching strategies, story development, timing, and the evolving roles of AI, celebrities, and reporters.
Heidi shares real-world examples—from low-tech phones and Paralympic travel to veteran advocacy—about turning mundane briefs into meaningful coverage and the importance of bringing media planners in early. 
In this episode, Jeremy and Mark welcome earned media expert Heidi Donato to discuss pitching strategies, story development, timing, and the evolving roles of AI, celebrities, and reporters. Heidi shares real-world examples—from low-tech phones and Paralympic travel to veteran advocacy—about turning mundane briefs into meaningful coverage and the importance of bringing media planners in early. Practical advice for agencies and PR pros on how to craft media-worthy stories and measure success.