Have you ever thought about just how many people throughout history have shaped the world we live in? Sure, we might have learned about who these people were in History class, but that doesn’t quite delve into the impact that these scientists, artists, musicians, writers, and inventors had on our generation long past their legacy. Much of the technology we have, movies we watch, the art we see, and the music we listen to can all be traced back to the influence of these historical figures, whether from just a few decades ago or from hundreds of years in the past.
Today is Pretend to be a Time Traveler Day, a day dedicated to — you guessed it — pretending you’re a traveler in another time period. This got us thinking: if we could travel back in time and bring anyone from history to work at Creative Click Media, who would it be? On top of that, how would they adapt to modern-day society and all the technological advancements since their time? Would it be a huge culture shock for them, or would they ease right into their new role at Creative Click Media as masterfully as they did during the peak of their careers?
Leonardo da Vinci (1452 – 1519)
Leonardo da Vinci is my pick for an ideal historical figure to work at Creative Click Media for several reasons. He had an incredible understanding of the human psyche and a world-renowned talent for design, on top of a never-ending quest for knowledge. Even despite the initial culture shock of the modern-day world (497 years is a pretty big leap), da Vinci’s skill set would have made him an incredible asset in any department of our marketing team.
Adam Binder, Founder
Paul Rand (1914 – 1996)
Famous for his groundbreaking corporate identities (such as ABC, UPS, IBM, and Enron), Paul was one of the first to push iconography in logo design. He set the standard for modern design and would have been a true inspiration to work with. If it wasn’t for Paul Rand, branding would not be as advanced as it is today.
Alex Dimicco, Web and Graphic Designer
Robin Williams (1951 – 2014)
Robin Williams…need I say more? Work productivity might slightly diminish but overall it would be worth it. It would be awesome if he could tag along for a sales call or try to explain SEO to a client who does not understand the internet. Plus, together we would devise an evil plot against the owner of the Black Ford Expedition that cut off me that one morning…
Anthony Giampaolo, Account Executive
Nikola Tesla (1856 – 1943)
Nikola Tesla would be my choice because he was a brilliant, efficient, and inventive person. Although he would probably be quite salty about all of the credit Thomas Edison has received, I’m confident Tesla would seize the opportunity to tinker with all of our modern technology. In addition to his creative genius, Nikola Tesla was as productive as anyone who has ever lived. He supposedly only required two hours of sleep per night and had been known to spend two or three consecutive (i.e. nonstop) days at work in his lab. In contrast to myself, who needs eight hours of sleep to work eight hours per day, Tesla would be an innovative beast! The only minor challenge in working with him is his propensity for being aloof. I mean, the guy remained a reclusive bachelor until death in order to not stop working. Whether Nikola truly is a hater or not, I bet we could all glean something useful from observing him at work
Ben Sheppard, Tech Specialist
David Bowie (1947 – 2016)
While he may not be your typical historical figure, I would want David Bowie to work with us. He was accomplished at pushing creativity to the limit. I can only imagine the amazing blogs, social media campaigns, and graphics that could be created with his inspiration. For me personally, I often need the inspiration to push past the normal boundaries of my own creativity. Working with David could definitely help me break out of that.
Also, we should all go out for drinks after work. I think it would be beyond interesting to have a conversation with David. Plus, it would just be cool to walk into the bar with such a recognizable and amazing artist.
Bev Farrell, Project Manager
Bob Marley (1945 – 1981)
If I could bring back any historical figure from the past it would be Bob Marley. From a writer’s standpoint, I think he could help inspire some meaningful writing. Bob was able to write songs that will be listened to for decades to come because they contained timeless messages of peace, love, and open-mindedness. He had the ability to word his messages in such a way that people of all backgrounds grew to love and admire him.
Besides the inspiration that he could bring to our writing staff, I just think this world could use a little Bob Marley right now. He never stopped trying to bring people together. Two days after he was shot, Bob Marley still put on a free concert in Jamaica. When asked why he was still doing the concert Marley answered by saying, “The people who are trying to make this world worse aren’t taking a day off. How can I?”. To me that says a lot about who he was as an artist.
Also, it wouldn’t be so bad to have Bob sitting in the corner jamming on his guitar all day, giving us good vibes.
Connor Crowe, Copywriter
Steve Jobs (1955 – 2011)
I think the ultimate employee would be someone who can take simple ideas and bring them to the next level. I can’t think of anyone in recent history who did this better than Steve Jobs. I still remember when the first iPhone came out and he simply repeated the words “Cellphone, Camera, MP3 player.” Before the iPhone, not many people thought they would ever want a camera and MP3 player in their pocket at all times. Now, it seems impossible to go a day without taking a picture of your meal or streaming music on the way to work. He was a marketing genius that was able to take the unseen and make it necessary. Imagine Steve Jobs writing a blog on a seemingly boring subject, and transforming it into an exposé on why you are living in the past if you don’t continue reading. It’s that kind of marketing alchemy that turns decent ideas into great ones.
Francis Lill, Copywriter
Ernest Hemingway (1899 – 1961)
I have a lot of answers to this question, but in the context of the question, I think it would be great to have Ernest Hemingway come work at Creative Click Media. His guidance for my writing would be greatly appreciated, but then he would probably say that we all need to leave the office for a while and go drink some great martinis. Then we’ll go down to the water and he’ll explain all about his beliefs on war and nature and the state of things and why a gin martini is better than a vodka martini. I probably wouldn’t get much done that day, but I would come back to my desk a totally changed person. And probably very drunk.
Gavin Jones, Copywriter
Joan Clarke (1917 – 1996)
Joan Clarke was a woman mathematician who helped break the Enigma code as part of Alan Turing’s team. The team worked in Bletchley Park as mathematicians, cryptographers, and future computer scientists. The world’s first computer is attributed to Alan Turing, however, all of this was kept secret for a little more than 40 years after the war. None of these mathematicians received the credit they deserved after the war even though they were predicted to have shortened WWII by at least 2 years. Turing received most of the credit. Clarke, being a woman back in a time where women were just expected to cook and clean, was rarely ever mentioned for her contribution. She was an outsider in a time when women weren’t appreciated in math and sciences, she saved millions of lives, and was never credited for her work.
If she were to come back today, she’d be overqualified for this position of being a tech specialist knowing just how smart she was back then. Nonetheless, her passion for puzzles and the simple things in life such as knitting and chess would have made her love and enjoy this job as much as I do. For every day there is a new puzzle, a new challenge, just waiting for me at my desk. And Clarke would wake up with the motivation to tackle said challenges with as much enthusiasm as myself.
Katie Cleland, Tech Specialist
Steve Jobs (1955 – 2011)
Trying not to be overly cliche with this one, but Steve Jobs. He was one of the founding fathers of UX before it was ever defined as its own entity. He strongly believed that the user doesn’t know what they want until it is given to them. He was always pushing the limits and boundaries of what the industry embodied. Knowing he was going to die was the greatest thing that could have happened to him (his words, not mine) because he felt like it gave him a purpose while he was here. He would push Creative Click Media’s creativity and add to the growing sense of sarcasm that we all embody. He could probably teach us super cool ways to create apps and products for iPads and mobile devices that would push us beyond our competitors. He was also really good at angering everyone around him, so maybe we could teach him a thing or two about being humble. Maybe he would even share some super cool secrets with us so that one day we would wake up and be leaders in not only the local area but the industry as well. If we’re lucky, he may even give us some free tickets to the next Apple Keynote.
Kelly Gerding, Front End Designer
Hunter S. Thompson (1937 – 2005)
If I could choose anyone from history to be a part of the Creative Click Media team, I would have to choose the originator of gonzo-journalism, Hunter S. Thompson.
Although he often completed his writing assignments while highly intoxicated, his other claim to fame was finding deeper meaning in seemingly mundane topics.
I’m sure Hunter S. Thompson could take a simple company blog post and make it about life, love, or death (or all three) because that’s what stirs emotion in people and that’s the business that Thompson was in: stirring emotion.
I think it’s important for anyone entering this field of work to remember that their contributions are for a greater cause, and are meant to catch the reader’s attention and compel them to continue reading or exploring our content. In order to do that, you have to appeal to the subjects that all people can identify with: friendship, happiness, struggle, perseverance, triumph. Any subject can be related back to one of these overarching themes, to make for more interesting content.
Leann Bescript, Social & Copywriter
Alexander Hamilton (1757 – 1804)
If I could go back in time and have anyone from history work at Creative Click Media, I’d go all the way back to the founding of our nation and recruit Alexander Hamilton. Long before the Broadway community celebrated him as a martyr and even longer before the hip hop community embraced him as a muse, Hamilton was a writer — in fact, one of the greatest writers our nation has ever seen.
He was an emotional writer, literally writing himself to America with an impassioned letter about a hurricane that destroyed his hometown in the Caribbean. He was also a dedicated writer, authoring a whopping 51 of the 85 famous Federalist essays in just a few months. Sure, there would be a bit of a learning curve transitioning from quill to keyboard, but as a fellow writer, it would be so inspiring to write alongside someone with such gusto and passion for words.
Olivia Garrison, Director of Communications
Who from history would you want to have as a co-worker? Be sure to leave your top picks in the comments!
