BBDO
Alex Osborn, William "Papa" Johns, Bruce Barton (BBDO Newsletter, 1966, p.5).
Industry legend says that the agency, BBDO, was born in the elevator of their Madison Avenue building. Roy Durstine was riding up with William Johns, President of the Batten Co. Papa Johns asked Durstine, "Did it ever occur to you that we have no competing accounts? Think it over" (Ad Age, 1991, p.S-40). Even if that really didn't happen, the agencies merged in September of 1928. Bruce became Chairman of the Board, and the combined agency began with 113 clients, 600 employees, and billings of $32.6 million in the first year - which, interesting to note, was the first year of the Great Depression (BBDO Newsletter, 1966).
Barton quote:
"In good times people want to advertise, in bad times, they have to."
(http://www.bemorecreative.com/one/526.htm)
Even though Barton was top agency management, he was still a creative at heart. (He outlined his copy principles for BBDO in 1935. <Click here to see them> ) Barton's creative philosophy on good adverting was to focus on the consumer. "The American conception of advertising is to arouse desires and stimulate wants, to make people dissatisfied with the old and out-of-date and by constant iteration to send them out to work harder to get the latest model -- whether that model be an icebox or a rug or a new home" (Lears, 1994, p.227). He kept his focus and his employees' focus on the consumer with a huge mural of Coney Island behind his desk. "You are not talking to a mass meeting. You're talking to a parade" (Fox, 1984, p.106).
Here is a picture of company executives meeting at Barton's desk. The Coney Island mural can be seen in the background. (BBDO Newsletter, 1966). -- Click image to enlarge
Barton talked about his advertising philosophy in his book, The Man Nobody Knows, "Much brass has been sounded and many cymbals tinkled in the name of advertising; but the advertisements which persuade people to act are written by men who have an abiding respect for the intelligence of their readers, and a deep sincerity regarding the merits of the goods they have to sell" (Barton, 1924, .p153).
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