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Sad Men
All Dave Roberts ever wanted to do (apart from collect football programmes) was to work in advertising. More specifically, to work for the world's best advertising agency, Saatchi and Saatchi. There was just one problem. Even when he managed to persuade someone to employ him, Dave's copywriting assignments were mainly for second hand car dealers and double glazing companies. And Leeds, Manchester and, bizarrely, New Zealand were a long way from Charlotte Street and Madison Avenue. This was the world of the Sad Men.In his sparkling new memoir, Dave tells the story of a life shaped by his love of adverts, from seeing the PG Tips chimps at the age of three to writing infamous ads such as the Westpac Rap and having David Jason plug a family restaurant. Bursting with brilliant ideas - and some pretty daft ones - it is the cautionary tale of a quest for advertising glory... and not quite ever getting there.
304 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 27, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
July 11, 2014
There is no doubt at all that advertising is big business. A multi-million pound industy, with eyewatering budgets for some brands. I'm guessing that the average person will not recognise many names in the business, although there can't be many who haven't heard of Saatchi and Saatchi - the world's favourite advertising agency.
I'm a child of the 70s. There were three TV channels, and only one of those showed adverts. Before the days of 'record it and fast-forward through the ads' we had no choice but to watch them. TV advertising was so powerful in those days - one channel, a captive audience. Jingles and images stuck in the mind and became part of our everyday life.
There is a generation who when hearing the words 'Accrington Stanley', do not automatically think of a lowly football club. No, we think of milk, being drunk straight from the glass bottle by a kid wearing a football strip. How many of us tried instant mashed potato for the first time and immediately broke out into maniacal laughter whilst jerking around in a strangely mechanical way and shouting 'for mash get smash'? I was completely convinced that my Nana 'flew like a bird in the sky', purely because she ate Nimble bread.
There are programmes dedicated to old TV adverts. I've had endless nostalgic conversations with friends and family ...... .. 'hey, do you remember' ...... 'what about ...' - we still know the jingles, we can act out the parts. Whilst TV advertising can often still produce some amazing commercials, I doubt very much that any of the modern-day ads will feature so much when our younger generation start to look back on their life.
Dave Roberts is ad-obsessed and always has been. Not just TV advertising, but magazines, newspapers, trade press, bill boards and radio too. His ambition was to work for Saatchi and Saatchi and Sad Men is the story of how he tried to achieve that goal.
I have absolutely loved Sad Men. Dave Roberts is a good guy; he's sometimes made a few questionable decisions, but he's honest and his writing is so easy to read. He has taken me on a pleasurable trip down memory lane, he's had me singing jingles that I've not heard for years. He has evoked memories of carefree, happy childhood days and he has made me laugh on quite a few occasions.
Despite the humour and the wealth of information about the advertising industry, there is an air of sadness and vulnerability in parts of his story, and it is his honesty about his disappointments and about where he thinks that he failed that made Sad Men such an enjoyable read for me.
I'm a child of the 70s. There were three TV channels, and only one of those showed adverts. Before the days of 'record it and fast-forward through the ads' we had no choice but to watch them. TV advertising was so powerful in those days - one channel, a captive audience. Jingles and images stuck in the mind and became part of our everyday life.
There is a generation who when hearing the words 'Accrington Stanley', do not automatically think of a lowly football club. No, we think of milk, being drunk straight from the glass bottle by a kid wearing a football strip. How many of us tried instant mashed potato for the first time and immediately broke out into maniacal laughter whilst jerking around in a strangely mechanical way and shouting 'for mash get smash'? I was completely convinced that my Nana 'flew like a bird in the sky', purely because she ate Nimble bread.
There are programmes dedicated to old TV adverts. I've had endless nostalgic conversations with friends and family ...... .. 'hey, do you remember' ...... 'what about ...' - we still know the jingles, we can act out the parts. Whilst TV advertising can often still produce some amazing commercials, I doubt very much that any of the modern-day ads will feature so much when our younger generation start to look back on their life.
Dave Roberts is ad-obsessed and always has been. Not just TV advertising, but magazines, newspapers, trade press, bill boards and radio too. His ambition was to work for Saatchi and Saatchi and Sad Men is the story of how he tried to achieve that goal.
I have absolutely loved Sad Men. Dave Roberts is a good guy; he's sometimes made a few questionable decisions, but he's honest and his writing is so easy to read. He has taken me on a pleasurable trip down memory lane, he's had me singing jingles that I've not heard for years. He has evoked memories of carefree, happy childhood days and he has made me laugh on quite a few occasions.
Despite the humour and the wealth of information about the advertising industry, there is an air of sadness and vulnerability in parts of his story, and it is his honesty about his disappointments and about where he thinks that he failed that made Sad Men such an enjoyable read for me.
October 29, 2014
You'll want to buy a Lada*
From the same demented mind that brought you the wonderful Bromley Boys and 32 Programmes, and sharing the same air of nostalgic, gentle but (genuinely) laugh-out-loud humour.
Don Draper may be cooler and better-appointed. But Mr. Roberts wins hands-down when it comes to hilarious self-awareness.
Sad Men is perfect for those of us who grew up with black and white TV, in an era when talking chimps, manic housewives and phallic chocolate bars enlivened many a dreary evening.
And if that doesn't mean anything to you, check out the links in the e-book edition. For some of us, they're the closest we'll get to a time machine.
If we make Roberts rich, the Milky Bars are on him. So buy it. Read it. And clunk-click every trip. You know it makes sense.
*I was lying about the Lada.
From the same demented mind that brought you the wonderful Bromley Boys and 32 Programmes, and sharing the same air of nostalgic, gentle but (genuinely) laugh-out-loud humour.
Don Draper may be cooler and better-appointed. But Mr. Roberts wins hands-down when it comes to hilarious self-awareness.
Sad Men is perfect for those of us who grew up with black and white TV, in an era when talking chimps, manic housewives and phallic chocolate bars enlivened many a dreary evening.
And if that doesn't mean anything to you, check out the links in the e-book edition. For some of us, they're the closest we'll get to a time machine.
If we make Roberts rich, the Milky Bars are on him. So buy it. Read it. And clunk-click every trip. You know it makes sense.
*I was lying about the Lada.
August 23, 2015
Before he was twenty Dave Roberts had a lot of jobs - far too many to list - but he really wanted to work in advertising and specifically for Saatchi and Saatchi, whom he saw as the best advertising agency and given their predominance in the early years of the eighties it's hard to argue with his judgement. The only problem was that jobs with the agency were hard to come by and Dave eventually accepted that he would have to start rather lower down the ladder with the intention of working his way up to the top. And that rung at the bottom of the ladder was a job with an agency in Leeds.
Whilst the men at the top of the ladder were producing some iconic ads Dave was deep in the world of second hand car dealerships and washing machine manufacturers. Dress forms for seamstresses were a particular highlight, if not a joy, with some meat of uncertain provenance lasting a long time in his freezer at the other end of the scale. In the early days his copywriting skills were, er, unformed and he learned on the job, taking 'inspiration' from the work of award winners. His primary aim was building a portfolio which would get him into Charlotte Street, but in fairness the client did sometimes benefit too. Dave's climb of the ladder took him from Leeds to Manchester and eventually to New Zealand, where, ironically, he had an amazing opportunity to work for Saatchi and Saatchi and become a millionaire - at a firm he'd just left.
You have probably realized by now that this is not a story of Dave's rise to greatness in the advertising industry. It's a heart-warming memoir of the life of a man who has done his best and made his mistakes - much like the rest of us. I laughed. Occasionally I wanted to shout that he shouldn't do something - but I was totally engaged in the story, hoping for the best whilst being prepared for the worst.
It's not just a memoir - it's also a nostalgic trip through advertising (some iconic and some, er, not) over three decades. There are some black and white prints (which are not entirely successful) to jog the memory and it was fascinating to look at these through Dave's knowledgeable eye. It was a good read which I got through far more quickly than I was expecting and too soon for my taste.
Whilst the men at the top of the ladder were producing some iconic ads Dave was deep in the world of second hand car dealerships and washing machine manufacturers. Dress forms for seamstresses were a particular highlight, if not a joy, with some meat of uncertain provenance lasting a long time in his freezer at the other end of the scale. In the early days his copywriting skills were, er, unformed and he learned on the job, taking 'inspiration' from the work of award winners. His primary aim was building a portfolio which would get him into Charlotte Street, but in fairness the client did sometimes benefit too. Dave's climb of the ladder took him from Leeds to Manchester and eventually to New Zealand, where, ironically, he had an amazing opportunity to work for Saatchi and Saatchi and become a millionaire - at a firm he'd just left.
You have probably realized by now that this is not a story of Dave's rise to greatness in the advertising industry. It's a heart-warming memoir of the life of a man who has done his best and made his mistakes - much like the rest of us. I laughed. Occasionally I wanted to shout that he shouldn't do something - but I was totally engaged in the story, hoping for the best whilst being prepared for the worst.
It's not just a memoir - it's also a nostalgic trip through advertising (some iconic and some, er, not) over three decades. There are some black and white prints (which are not entirely successful) to jog the memory and it was fascinating to look at these through Dave's knowledgeable eye. It was a good read which I got through far more quickly than I was expecting and too soon for my taste.
March 17, 2020
Having read and loved Dave's Bromley saga (3 books), I decided to take the plunge and read a book by him that wasn't about football.
Sad men gave an account of Dave's life in advertising from humble beginnings in Leeds to his success in New Zealand and on to the USA.
Dave's dream has always been to be noticed and signed up by Saatchi and Saatchi, one of the leading advertising agencies in the word. Everything Dave did during his years in advertising was in pursuit of this dream which became more like an obsession.
Funny, self-deprecating, interesting - this book is part biography, part advertising encyclopedia, with a couple of Bromley mentions thrown in for good measure.
Highly recommended!
Sad men gave an account of Dave's life in advertising from humble beginnings in Leeds to his success in New Zealand and on to the USA.
Dave's dream has always been to be noticed and signed up by Saatchi and Saatchi, one of the leading advertising agencies in the word. Everything Dave did during his years in advertising was in pursuit of this dream which became more like an obsession.
Funny, self-deprecating, interesting - this book is part biography, part advertising encyclopedia, with a couple of Bromley mentions thrown in for good measure.
Highly recommended!
July 26, 2025
Writing a quick review for this book in the hope I look back and rediscover it in the distant future.
Picked up on a whim, this turned out to be fantastic. Really well-written and moreish. I might be biased, given my job, but 🤷♂️.
It’s an honest and endearing look at a copywriter’s career, from start to finish. It’d be relatable to most creatives though. Plenty of highs, plenty of lows.
I was rooting for Dave throughout, and even though the dream stayed a dream… He had a brilliant career in my eyes.
Inspiring and an easy 5/5.
Picked up on a whim, this turned out to be fantastic. Really well-written and moreish. I might be biased, given my job, but 🤷♂️.
It’s an honest and endearing look at a copywriter’s career, from start to finish. It’d be relatable to most creatives though. Plenty of highs, plenty of lows.
I was rooting for Dave throughout, and even though the dream stayed a dream… He had a brilliant career in my eyes.
Inspiring and an easy 5/5.
June 22, 2024
The late football writer talks about his professional career as an ad man in the 1970s and 1980s, heading to New Zealand via Yorkshire and Manchester but forever wanting to work for the Saatchis. Picaresque but ultimately bittersweet.
December 9, 2014
Slightly nostalgic read with the reminiscing of adverts over the pages.
November 15, 2014
I couldn't read more than 10 pages. Too self-centred. Boring.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews