New Sounds

Les Waas has been President of Waas, Inc., an advertising agency for 45 years and is owner of New Sounds, a creative service specializing in jingles and humorous commercials, and winner of most major creative awards. He has performed voices in hundreds of commercials for radio and television.

As an artist, he has created ad layouts and cartoons, and has designed logos for such firms as Colonial Village Meat Markets., The Simco Co., Diet III, Super Value Beverage Stores, Action Duplication, plus many restaurants, auto dealers, etc.

He's a member of American Federation of Television & Radio Artists, the Air Force Association., the National Academy of Arts & Sciences, the Philadelphia Ad Club and other organizations. He was candidate for the Pennsylvania State Legislature and was the creator of the "number system" for announcing school closings on radio & TV. He is considered to be a leading authority on "Phillyspeak" and was a World War II B-17 pilot.

I had no idea of the sheer creative output of one Les Waas. Les and his wife Sylvia always used to send around humorous holiday cards around Christmas - and I knew about the Procrastinators Club. He and Sylvia have two great kids, too. The son, Murray Waas, is an investigative reporter living here in Washington. I met him 15 years ago when he was dating a friend of mine. Since then, I've seen Murray's name from time to time on ...articles written for the New Republic, or the Nation, or the Washington Post. And their daughter, who also lives in the DC area has recently published a book of poems.