A Bash Becomes a Benefit

What started out as the magazine advertising industry’s biggest annual blowout--being held here for the first time--turned into a night of L.A. consciousness-raising on Tuesday at the Pacific Design Center.

Organizers of the Magazine Publishers of America’s annual dinner and Kelly Award presentation for creative excellence in advertising decided to donate 10% of their take--$10,000--to the city’s nascent Rebuild L.A. program, a philanthropic effort that is sure to be repeated in the coming months in ballrooms and banquet halls throughout the city.

At the eleventh hour, long after invitations and programs had been printed, Rebuild L.A. director Peter Ueberroth agreed to be a featured speaker.

In a rousing oration, he appealed to those present to “rethink your businesses,” to hire people in the central city and to influence other businesses to do the same. Afterward, the evening’s original keynote speaker, industry top gun Andy Berlin, president of DDB Needham New York, talked about advertising economics and noted that following Ueberroth was comparable to Petula Clark going on after Otis Redding.

“Our instincts were that we should do something more than have a party out here,” said the MPA’s Jim Guthrie, whose sentiment was echoed throughout the evening.

“It feels good to be able to participate in a worthy cause, and it’s in all of our interests to rebuild this city,” said Peter Eldredge, publisher of Newsweek.

The nation’s top executives in advertising and publishing attended the party, including Claeys Bahrenburg, president of Hearst Magazines; Reginald Brack, chief executive officer of Time Inc., Thomas Ryder, president of American Express Publishing Corp. (L.A. Style, Food and Wine, Travel and Leisure); William Kerr, president of Meredith Corp. (Metropolitan Home, Better Homes and Gardens); Robert Erburu, chairman of Times Mirror Co.; Ed Lewis, chairman of Essence Communications; Christie Hefner, chief executive officer of Playboy Enterprises; Ellen Levine, editor in chief of Redbook; Carole Ference, publisher of House Beautiful, and Annie Gilbar, the newly installed editor-in-chief of L.A. Style.

“It’s the creme de la creme, “ said Tony Hoyt, publisher of Redbook and chairman of the dinner. “It’s everybody.”

For the first time in its history, the MPA held the Kelly Awards event outside New York and in a location--a plaza at the Pacific Design Center--that turned the affair into something wholly unlike any of its usual evenings at the Waldorf Astoria.

“Out here we loosen our ties, we can relax and smile a lot more,” said Thomas Ryder. “I love it here, and we need to say something good about this city--the city needs it.”

The magazine world may have gone a little overboard on the Hollywood connection, though. A curvaceous young woman in a sparkling red dress delivered the envelope, please, onstage with the name of the Kelly winner: Wieden & Kennedy, the Portland, Ore., advertising agency for its Nike “women’s fitness” campaign.