Political strategist, advertising guru Bill Hillsman to speak Nov. 7

Event: Political strategist and advertising guru Bill Hillsman, who is guiding the Kinky Friedman and Ned Lamont (U.S. Senate race in Connecticut) campaigns, about the Texas political scene, political advertising in general and his special interest in independent and third-party candidates.

This event is free and open to all University of Texas at Austin students, faculty and the Austin advertising community.

When: 5-6:30 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 7.

Where: Jesse H. Jones College of Communication, University Auditorium (CMA 2.320). www.utexas.edu/maps)

Background: Hillsman is president, CEO and chief creative officer for North Woods Advertising in Minneapolis. He has worked for several unorthodox politicians, including former Minn. Gov. Jesse Ventura (I), the late Sen. Paul Wellstone (D-Minn.) and Ralph Nader (I). He is responsible for some of the most successful and attention-getting marketing campaigns over the past decade by using unorthodox marketing methods.

He has been a Resident Fellow at Harvard’s Institute of Politics and has served in Washington as director of communications for interim U.S. Senator Dean Barkley (I-Minn.). In 2003, he created critically acclaimed television advertisements that propelled political neophyte John Hickenlooper to mayor of Denver and worked on Arianna Huffington’s independent campaign for governor during the California recall election that same year.

Hillsman’s commentary on marketing, advertising and politics has appeared on the editorial pages of The New York Times, on the “Today” Show, National Public Radio, CNN, C-SPAN, the British Broadcasting Company and in The Nation, Slate and Salon on-line magazines. Advertising Age named Hillsman to The Marketing 100 and Brill's Content named him to the "Influence List 2000," 50 high-impact people (including Oprah Winfrey, Tim Russert, J.K. Rowling and Katie Couric) who shape our world by influencing our media and our culture.

His book, “Run the Other Way: Fixing the Two-Party System, One Campaign at a Time,” was published in 2004.

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Contacts: Prof. Neal Burns

(512) 471-1101

nburns@mail.utexas.edu

or

Chelsea McCullough

justbeingchelsea@yahoo.com