Nick Sonderup Turns Agency Chaos into Comic Relief with 'How Not to Hate Advertising'

Award-winning creative leader Nick Sonderup has spent more than two decades making work for brands like MTV, American Express, State Farm, Nike, Stella Artois, ESPN, MINI and Northwell Health. Now, he’s turned his wit and wisdom into a book for the people who keep the advertising machine running. His new release, 'How Not to Hate Advertising: A Creative’s Guide to a Long and (Dare I Say) Happy Career in a Remarkably Silly Industry' (Routledge, On sale November 19, 2025), is part pep talk, part survival manual, and part group therapy session for anyone navigating the highs and lows of agency life.

Rather than a “how-to” on breaking into the business or crafting the perfect headline, Nick's book is a “how-not-to” that tackles what comes after you’ve landed the job: how to sustain yourself creatively, avoid burnout, and push through the inevitable cynicism.

Each chapter takes on a different potential sticking point — How Not to Hate the Creative Process, How Not to Hate Awards, How Not to Hate the Shiny New Object (technology), How Not to Hate Your Current Job—with honesty, humour, and stories from across the industry.

“I always thought it would be interesting to write some kind of advertising memoir, but I realised the better approach was to build something more useful,” Nick said. “Not a life story, but a guide that helps people get through the points when the job starts to feel unbearable.”

In addition to a foreword written by Jeff Kling, Nick interviewed more than 20 creative leaders and colleagues, including Mischief’s Greg Hahn, StrawberryFrog’s Scott Goodson, and Ogilvy’s Samira Ansari, to balance his own perspective with a chorus of others who have both loved their careers and gritted their teeth through tough moments.

The result is a roadmap for mid-career creatives, freelancers, and even industry veterans who want reassurance that they’re not alone in their frustrations and inspiration to remember why they got into the business in the first place.

The book also answers timely questions about technology and AI, resilience in the face of rejection, and the balance between cynicism and optimism. “Writing the book helped me practice what I preach,” Nick noted. “It reminded me that resilience, flexibility, and optimism are really the only way forward in a business that changes faster than any of us can predict.”

'How Not to Hate Advertising' is available from Routledge, Amazon and Barnes and Noble in hardcover, paperback, and ebook editions.