"The Automobile is the Art"
It’s one thing to follow history…..it’s quite another to sit next to it. I had that very rare opportunity a few days ago when I joined my friend Tony Hossain at a quiet restaurant as he reflected on his remarkable 35-year career in marketing and advertising for Chevrolet. To stay with one company for nearly four decades is rare, to weather the relentless tidal waves of challenge and change within the inner sanctum of GM for that long is virtually impossible. But then, Tony knows all about impossible…. beginning with the odds he overcame to reach the automotive mountain top. 

Born into a family of accomplishment and artistry, Tony’s upbringing reflected the influences of his research scientist father who invented products for Kimberly-Clark Corporation, and the creative touch of his artist mother. Still, how does a boy from Appleton, WI navigate his way to the center of the advertising universe? Inspiration arrived in the most unlikely form at the tender age of 2 when Tony’s Aunt Leona pulled up to their home in Sault St. Marie, Ontario, where the Hossain family lived at the time, driving a yellow 1957 Chevy Belair Convertible just like this one.
Tony’s first ride in Aunt Leona’s Belair turned out to be the “ride of his life” because it unlocked a lifelong love affair with Chevrolets. With a degree in Political Science from the University of Wisconsin, Tony detoured into an editorial position with Krause Publications in Iola, WI. Within two years he was editor of OLD CARS, Krause’s flagship publication which opened the door to freelance writing assignments for Chevrolet's FRIENDS Magazine read by millions of Chevrolet owners.
From there, Tony became one of the founding editors of COLLECTIBLE AUTOMOBILE Magazine, which quickly became one of the most respected classic car publications in the U.S. But it was a phone call from Detroit that changed the trajectory of Tony’s life and career.
Campbell-Ewald, the advertising juggernaut behind legendary ad campaigns like Baseball, Hot Dogs, Apple Pie and Chevrolet, The Heartbeat of America and Like A Rock was on the other end of the phone with a job offer. Tony remembers thinking, “Welcome to the Motor City, just across the lake but a million miles from Appleton, Wisconsin!”
Perpetually humble and quick to divert praise to his colleagues, Tony was on the front lines and sometimes even in the front seat for countless model launches including the 1990 Corvette ZR-1, aka King of the Hill and 30 years later, the launch of the landmark mid-engine C-8 Corvette, which didn’t just make history, it re-wrote history.
100 years of Chevrolet authored by Tony Hossain
After writing millions upon millions of words over the course of his 35 years working with GM, how ironic that…6 simple words….stand out as the creative capstone of Tony Hossain’s career! It was 10:07 AM on April 21st, 2016. News had just broken around the world that music superstar Prince had passed away. Typical Chevrolet projects involve hundreds of hours, appeasing GM’s legal department, and getting buy-in all the way to CEO Mary Bara’s desk. This time the circumstances were far different. As Creative Director, Tony and his team had just 3 hours to put the entire tribute together from scratch. Deeply devoted to honoring Prince’s legacy while avoiding being callously commercial was the challenge. Tony stared at his blank computer screen as precious time ticked away.
Suddenly, the lyrics to Prince’s 1983 hit song Little Red Corvette floated into his consciousness. Playing off Prince’s lyrics “Baby, you’re much too fast” Tony altered the line to simply read, “Baby, that was much too fast”. Those 6 stark words said what thousands of words never could. Chevrolet’s tribute to Prince ran in 6 major newspapers around the U.S. and went viral on social media. Tony and his team received worldwide critical acclaim along with prestigious advertising awards in the U.S. and around the world.

In today’s social media driven world the limelight can be blinding only to fade faster than a September tan. Spending time with Tony Hossain is reassurance that the sun never sets on true talent like his. Oh, if you’re wondering whatever happened to Aunt Leona’s 1957 Chevy Belair Convertible, she traded it for a new white Impala Convertible in 1965. On select sunny summer days you can still see that Impala out cruising…..with its owner Tony Hossain behind the wheel. 
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"The Automobile is the Art"
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