"When you reach for the stars you may not get one, but you won't get a handful of mud either."
|
The Marlboro man was conceived at Leo Burnett. Leo Burnett took a little pea company in Le Seur, Minnesot and grew the Jolly Green Giant. Leo was a visionary man. One of his major contributions to the advertising business is his dogma that in every product and service exists an inherent drama upon which advertising should emphasize and build. A high standard for creativity, consumer insight and hard work were the secrets of the enormous success the Leo Burnett Company has witnessed. Leo himself was more a lover of words than copywriter. His induction to the Copywriter's Hall of Fame only testifies to his greatness. Long before the concept of integrated marketing communications was conceived Leo Burnett said: "in its performance, advertising is not a soloist. It is a member of an ensemble of all those activities that can be classified under the general head of marketing, and it must do its part in harmony with them.
Our primary function in life is to produce the best advertising in the world, bar none ... This is to be advertising so interrupting, so daring, so fresh, so engaging, so human, so believable and so well-focused as to themes and ideas that at one and the same time, it builds a quality reputation for the long haul as it produces sales for the immediate present." The "Chicago-style" of advertising introduced by Leo Burnett showed love and respect for the people. It perfectly understood and revolved around the consumer. Using strong, simple, and instinctive imagery, advertising produced at Burnett's talked to people in a friendly manner. Charlie the Tuna, Morris the Cat, the Pillsbury Doughboy, Tony the Tiger and other Kellogg's cartoons were born at Leo Burnett. Life at a glance Leo Burnett was born on October 21, 1891 in St. Johns, Michigan. He studied journalism at the University of Michigan, graduated in 1914, and his first job was working as a reporter at the Peoria Journal in Peoria, Illinois. In 1917 Leo moved to Detroit. Working for the Cadillac Motor Company under the tutelage of Theodore McManus, Leo learned how to befriend consumers with his writing. A year later, in 1918, he married Naomi Geddes. The couple moved to Indianapolis in the early 1920's where Leo worked as a copywriter and then creative head at Homer McKee from 1923-1930. Leo's arrival in Chicago gave his career a major boost. After a few years as creative vice president for Erwin Wasey he founded the Leo Burnett Company on August 5, 1935. That was a very risky venture, especially since it took place during the depression. For a hard working and talented business man, however, that presented a great challenge. Leo set to "reach for the stars" and knew very well what it took to achieve that. During the 1950's Madison avenue stretched to Chicago and recognized the establishment of the "Chicago school" of advertising; Leo had already left his mark in the advertising business. In 1955, the Marlboro man came to being and in 1961 Leo was inducted to the Copywriters Hall of Fame. After a year, he appeared on the cover of Time magazine along with other advertising greats. Leo retired in 1967. He died on June 7, 1971. |