Wells, Rich, Greene, Inc.

Advertising agency (WRG) founded in 1966 by Mary Wells, Richard Rich, and Stewart Greene, who were associates at Jack Tinker and Partners agency. Until its demise in 1998, WRG was ranked as one of the top 15 advertising agencies in the United States.

Two years after founding another airline, Paul and Tom Braniff established Braniff Airways, Inc., which originally flew passengers between Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Wichita Falls, Texas. By its 20th anniversary in 1950, the airline had moved its headquarters to Dallas, Texas, and had launched international flights to Canada, the Caribbean, and Central and South America. In 1964, Troy Post of the Greatamerica Corporation purchased Braniff Airways, which was re-incorporated in 1973 as the Braniff International Corporation to include Braniff Airways, Braniff Hotels, Braniff Realty, and Braniff Education Systems. Following the U. S. Airline Deregulation Act of 1978, the airline expanded its number of airplanes and destinations, including the first Concorde service in the United States. This increased the company’s debt, which eventually led to Braniff’s closure in May 1982. The next year, Jay Pritzker of Hyatt Hotels reorganized the airline as the Dalfort Corporation, which operated Braniff, Inc., until it too filed for bankruptcy in 1990. Jeffery Chodorow and Scot Spencer then bought the airlines and subsequently stole $14 million from the company, resulting in its end in 1992 and jail terms for the two men.

Sources:

Braniff Collection, History of Aviation Collection in Special Collections, Eugene McDermott Library, The University of Texas at Dallas. Accessed May 4, 2011. http://www.utdallas.edu/library/collections/speccoll/hacpdf/Braniff.pdf .

Watts, B. Braniff International Airways, History. The Braniff Pages. Accessed May 4, 2011. http://www.braniffpages.com/ .

Among the notable campaign slogans created by WRG: Plop, plop, fizz, fizz, I can't believe I ate the whole thing, and Try it, you'll like it (all for Alka-Seltzer); I (heart) New York (New York State Commerce Commission); Trust the Midas Touch (Midas Muffler); At Ford, Quality is Job 1 (Ford Motor Company); and Raise Your Hand If You're Sure (Procter & Gamble's Sure anti-perpirant).

Sources: Advertising Age Encyclopedia of Advertising (Fitzroy Dearborn 2003); The Ad Men and Women (Applegate 1994); Who's Who in Advertising (1963-); Wikipedia, Mary Wells Lawrence