For most people, the journey ends with a funeral. In Grant Hill's case, that's where it began. As a kid, DDB Chicago's future executive production director got interested in the power of ads after watching a VW spot that centered around a memorial procession. "Over shots of various mourning characters, the deceased gives the VO," says Hill, on the phone from his office. "It was all about who gets the estate. It was clever and entertaining: the epitome of creativity. In the end, the humble guy gets the whole fortune."

That a prepubescent Hill growing up in San Francisco would identify with this spot in particular is hardly a surprise: it merely demonstrates how little he has changed. In stark and dramatic contrast to many in the ad game, Hill is the first to heap praise on those around him while simultaneously downplaying his own pivotal role. You'd probably have to look to a different planet to find a man more humble. Or at least a different line of work.

Well known for nurturing talent over the last 25 years, Hill is even full of praise when those he has shepherded accomplish big things with the competition. "It gives me enormous pride knowing that they have gone forward and achieved," he says of former colleagues who have gone on to become successful heads of production, directors and company founders. "The great part is that many stay and more come and you just define a new era at the agency."

Hill's "first era" began in the early '80s. A film and advertising student at Chicago's Northwestern University, he was going great guns for a job in the industry. "Some people discover ads along the way, but in fifth grade I knew I wanted to work at J. Walter Thompson. I was interested in how ads could manipulate by selling in an entertaining way. I was always aware of what was working: one-dimensional stuff versus creative work. That the creative things make such a difference was obvious to me. I wanted to be a part of it."

Much to the detriment of JWT, Hill did become part of it, but at DDB Chicago. After producing both short and long format work at school and a couple of short term gigs at smaller agencies, Hill was hired in 1982, and was made the agency's first-ever director of broadcast production within three years.

"I was his first hire," says Greg Popp, now a director at Supply and Demand. "I was associate producing on Hamburger Helper and presentation stuff. I couldn't have been more thrilled with the work," he says without sarcasm, adding that Hill knows how to make anything exciting.

"Greg was, right from the start, a winner; it was obvious," says Hill. "Luckily for us this director took a 19-year sidetrack with us to become one of the best producers in the world."

Another hire was Ann Rubenstein, now head of broadcast production at Vancouver-based Rethink. "I called Grant and he agreed to see me. In my head, I went through everything I was going to say and do at the meeting. I grabbed my reel - one of those old generic black boxes for ¾" tape - and went to the office. Grant puts the tape in and it's Danny Ducovny's reel - I was mortified," says Rubenstein, of her initial introduction. "It was supposed to be my Mary Tyler Moore-making-it moment. Grant was sweet about it. He allayed my nerves and fears." Later, after seeing her reel for real, Hill suggested she do some more work with her current agency and come back. "That way I could come in as a producer rather than a junior producer."

Which sounds like one of the greatest blow-off lines of all time. But true to his word, in the end Rubenstein got the gig.

"He's straight up, no bullshit," says Tom Mooney, president of NY-based Mothership. "He tells it like it is. Whether you did a good job or not, you know what he thinks." Mooney says Hill's been a friend for 15 years despite the fact that "he usually calls me with work others have turned down." According to Mooney, working with Hill's people is pure pleasure and that "the experience is driven from the top".

It's a common refrain. "Many years ago Grant transformed our producers from the old traditional role of 'the keepers of the budget and the schedule' to active members of the creative team," says Bob Scarpelli, chairman of DDB Chicago and CCO of DDB Worldwide. "Years later, it seems obvious to do that but Grant pioneered the approach for us and it has made a tremendous difference in the quality of our work."

It's been a winning formula based on empowering producers while at the same time adapting to change. "Grant has been ahead of these trends for a long, long time," says Michael Folino, chief creative officer of DDB Chicago. "That's why he changed the name of his department from 'broadcast production' simply to 'production' long ago, because he realized this was happening. He's now in the process of training all his producers to be able to handle every type of media, traditional, alternative or otherwise."

For his part, Hill says the changes were motivated by negative experiences with "posturing heads of production" and a desire to follow DDB founder Bill Bernbach's mantra of hiring people who were both talented and nice. Hill's new organizational model and special talent for nurturing producers is being emulated by others.

"Grant and I were both interested in this young producer," says Diane Jackson, director of production at Energy BBDO-Chicago and another ex-colleague of Hill's. "In the end, he decided to work for me, so Grant left me a tongue-in-cheek message thanking me for investing all the time and energy in his future producer," she says, adding the young producer is "still working for me, but who knows." Jackson figures that her time working for Hill was probably the smartest thing she ever did. "I was freelancing and swore I'd never become staff but he reeled me in."