1901 Sept. 11born Theodore Lewis Bates (New Haven, Conn.)1920Graduated, Andover Academy (Andover, Mass.)1924Graduated, Yale University (New Haven, Conn.)Worked at Chase National Bank (New York, N.Y.); started as
an assistant but soon promoted to advertising managercirca 1927Joined George Batten Company 1928Named general assistant after the George Batten Company merged
with Barton Durstine & Osborn to become Batten Barton Durstine & Osborn
(BBDO)1934Named Vice President at BBDO1935Joined Benton & Bowles as account executive and
copywriter; Bates' first account client was Colgate-Palmolive1936Bates named account supervisor for Continental Baking after it
moved its account to Benton & Bowles 1939After Chester Bowles expressed a desire to retire, executives
from both Colgate-Palmolive and Continental Baking urged Bates to form his own
agency1940Ted Bates Company (TBC) started, with Colgate-Palmolive and
Continental Baking as its initial clients19551972Honorary Chairman of the Board and Chairman of the Executive
Committee, TBC19611965Chief Executive Officer, TBC1965Retired as CEO1972 May 30Died1982Inducted into American Advertising Federation Hall of
Fame1891George Batten Company opened in New Yorkcirca 1927Ted Bates joined George Batten Company. William Benton and
Chester Bowles were co-workers at the agency1928George Batten Company merged with the Barton Durtsine &
Osborn advertising agency to form Batten Barton Durstine & Osborn
(BBDO)1929William Benton and Chester Bowles left BBDO to form Benton
& Bowles agency1935Bates joined Benton & Bowles; Rosser Reeves was a
co-worker at the agency1936William Benton sold his interest in Benton & Bowles and
retired1939Chester Bowles expressed a desire to retire from advertising;
executives from both Colgate-Palmolive and Continental Baking urged Bates to
form his own agency1940Agency founded; initial clients were Continental Baking
(Wonder Bread) and Colgate Dental Cream, with combined billings of $2.9
million1942Rosser Reeves hired as TBC's first chief copy writer
Won Carter-Wallace account (Carter's Pills, Arrid
antipersperants, Trojan prophylactics)1948TBC reformed as a partnership, Ted Bates & Co. (TB&C),
with 14 full partners1952Billings reached $30 million1955TB&C incorporated as Ted Bates & Co., Inc.
(TB&C)1957Billings reached $100 million1959Established an international presence through a partnership,
Hobson, Bates & Partners Ltd., based in LondonRudolph Montgelas named President of TB&C1960Donald Zuckert joined as account manager1961Rosser Reeves published his book articulating the philosophy
behind the USP (Unique Selling Proposition) concept,
Reality in AdvertisingReeves gave up positions as CEO and Chairman and returned to
full-time copy writing1962Robert Jacoby joined as Vice President and Account
Supervisor1963Thomas Richardson became the first African-American hired as a
full-time copywriter at TB&C1964Established a presence in Australia and the Asia/Pacific
region through acquisition of George Patterson, Pty. Ltd., Australia's largest
advertising agency; formed George Patterson Bates1965Ted Bates retired as CEO of TB&C; named Honorary
ChairmanArchibald Foster named to replace Bates as President and
CEORosser Reeves inducted into Copywriters Hall of Fame1966Rosser Reeves retiredTB&C acquired AC & R Advertising, Inc., which became
TB&C's first American subsidiary1969Robert Jacoby named President of the New York office1971Billings reached $425 millionArchibald Foster named Chairman of TB&C1972Robert Jacoby named President of TB&CCompany moved from 666 5th Ave. address to new headquarters
at One Astor Plaza1973Robert Jacoby named CEO of TB&C1976Robert Jacoby named Chairman of TB&CCustom Marketing established as a subsidiary to concentrate
on local radio advertising1978Acquired the Chicago agency Stern Walters/Earle Ludgin Inc.;
the Campbell-Mithun agency; and Orikomi Advertising Ltd. of Japan1979Bill Backer and Carl Spielvogel formed Backer & Spielvogel
agency 1980Won account for Miller Brewing Company1981Acquired Atlanta agency McDonald & Little, the largest
advertising agency in the U.S. southRobert Bruns named President of TB&C's New York
office1982Michael Becker hired as World Creative Leader in an effort
to boost Bates's image as a top creative agencyRobert Bruns quit as President of the New York office after
less than 18 months on the jobPosted earnings over $356 million on $2.4 billion in
billings1983Donald Zuckert named President of the New York
officeTB&C renamed as Ted Bates Worldwide (TBW) to reflect its
global branding aims1984Ted Bates Europe formed to consolidate British and
continental European operations; Bruce McLaren named CEO and Chairman of
BoardRosser Reeves died, Chapel Hill, N.C.1985TBW acquired the William Esty Company in the largest
advertising agency merger up to that time; also acquired Scholz & Friends,
Germany's largest advertising networkAtlanta agency McDonald & Little, acquired by TBW in
1981, closedWon Matchbox and Olivetti Personal Computers European
accounts, worth a combined $30 million; won account for Hyundai North
AmericaMichael Becker fired as Creative DirectorJohn H. Nichols joined TBW (from Leo Burnett USA) as head of
the global management groupCharles N. Jamison became the first African American
promoted to Vice President at TBWJohn Hoyne, President of TBW's international operations,
entered negotiations with the Saatchi brothers for the sale of TBW1986Acquired Draft, a direct marketing agency TBW and another American agency, Backer & Spielvogel,
acquired by Saatchi & Saatchi parent, Cordiant plcBacker & Spielvogel merged with TBW to form Backer
Spielvogel Bates (BSB); German agency Scholz & Friends made into a
separately branded entityWarner-Lambert fired TBW as its advertising agencyAcquired Conill Advertising, a specialist in the U.S.
Hispanic market, and direct marketing firm Kobs & Brady1986 Sept. 19Donald Zuckert named CEO to replace Robert Jacoby, who was
fired and subsequently forced to resign as President of the American
Association of Aadvertising Agencies (AAAA) before actually taking
office1987Donald Zuckert named President of Bates/New YorkTBW resigned from American Cyanamide account under pressure
from Saatchi client Procter & Gamble. Lost nearly $300 million in billings with the departure of
major clients such as RJ Reynolds Tobacco Co., Nabisco, and
Warner-LambertBecame an equity partner in Jamison and Leary Advertising, a
startup firm established by Charles Jamison and Kathryn Leary, former African
American executives at TBWWon account for Wendy's International restaurant
chain1988Subsidiaries William Esty and Campbell-Mithun merged into
Campbell Mithun EstySubsidiary Draft renamed as Kobs and Draft1988 June 20Rudolph Montgelas (President of TBC 1959-1965) died1989 Apr. 4Archibald McGeorge Foster (President of TBC 1965-1969,
Chairman 1971-1974) died1991Lost Miller Lite account to Leo Burnett USA; the account,
which BSB had held since 1979, was worth $110 million in billings, and capped a
three year slide during which BSB lost several major accounts including
Prudential ($60 million), Xerox ($25 million), Dole ($20 million) and
Fisher-Price ($15 million)1992Michael Bungey named President and CEO of Bates1993Bill Backer retired141 Worldwide, an interactive sales promotion agency,
launched1994BSB changed name to Bates Worldwide (BW)Carl Spielvogel, chairman of BSB, retiredRosser Reeves inducted into the American Advertising
Federation's Hall of FameLaunched Zenith Media USA, the world's first global media
buying agencyPurchased McCaffrey and McCall agency, later renamed Bates
Midwest1995Lost account for M&M/Mars, which it had held since 1954,
to BBDO WorldwideSaatchi brothers leave Saatchi & Saatchi1996BW established Worldwide Creative Board, with John Fawcett
(from George Patterson Bates) as Chairman. Instituted an annual internal
creative competition,
Best of Bates.Bates USA lost account for Miller Genuine Draft beer, worth
$45 million, to Wieden & KennedyAcquired BLGK, the largest advertising agency in South
AfricaBill Backer inducted into the American Advertising
Federation's Hall of Fame1997Cordiant plc demerger: Saatchi & Saatchi and a new
entity, Cordiant Communications Group (CCG) became separate, publicly traded
entities; BW remained under CCG1998Bates Retail established to handle retail work, including
accounts for Wendy's and CVS1999Diamond AD Ltd., Korea's 3rd largest agency, bought by
CCGWon account for ESPN, a cable-based sports network 2000BW billings approach $7.9 billionCCG.XM launched as CCG's e-business consulting
operationDonino, White & Partners, a marketing firm specializing
in the technology sector, bought by CCG, renamed DWP/BatesSaatchi & Saatchi acquired by Publicis Groupe SA2002Lost Hyundai, Wendy's accountsBW and partner CCG.XM won the contract to re-design the
website for the US Government Services Administration (GSA)2003Lost Allied Domecq account, BW's 2nd largest global client
at the timeCCG entered into an Interim Support Agreement with lenders
to try to resolve financial problemsCCG bought by WPP (Wire and Plastic Products, a British
manufacturer of grocery baskets transformed by Martin Sorell into a global
holding company)Bates Worldwide broken up. Bates USA operations folded into
the J. Walter Thompson Co.; European operations folded into Red Cell; Bates
Asia remained as a stand-alone agency1943Palmolive soap, Doctors prove 2 out
of 3 women can have more beautiful skin in 14 days1945Colgate Dental Cream, It cleans
your breath while it cleans your teeth. Slogan coined by Alicia
Tobin1952Viceroy cigarettes (Brown & Williamson Tobacco Co.),
Twenty Thousand Tiny Filter Traps
launchedAdvertising campaign for presidential candidate Dwight D.
Eisenhower (Citizens for Eisenhower) marked
the first extensive use of television in a political campaignWhitehall Pharmacal's analgesic Anacin,
Fast, fast, fast relief1954M&M candy, Melts in your
mouth, not in your handColgate Comedy Hour television serial variety show1960Certs breath mints (American Chicle, a subsidiary of
Warner-Lambert), It's two, two, two mints in
one!1961Wonder bread (Continental Baking), Helps build strong bodies 12 ways1964Trident sugar-free gum (Warner-Lambert Pharmaceutical Co.),
4 out of 5 dentists surveyed recommend sugarless
gum1966Playtex girdles, Tames your figure
like nothing else. The commercial, which featured a woman in evening
wear walking a panther down a city street, marked the first effort by TBC to
remake its creative image in the post-Reeves era1967Palmolive Dish Detergent (Colgate-Palmolive),
Madge the ManicuristVisine eye drops (Pfizer), Gets
the Red Out1969Kool Cigarettes (Brown & Williamson Tobacco Co.),
Lady be Cool1975Kool Cigarettes (Brown & Williamson Tobacco Co.), Kool
Jazz Festival started1978Coors Light beer (Coors Brewing Co.), product launch.1989Start of Wendy's International Inc. campaign featuring the
restaurant chain's CEO Dave Thomas. The campaign, one of the longest running
television campaigns in U.S. retail history, included more than 800 commercials
over a 13-year span.Hyundai Sonata product launch1997Dentyne Ice chewing gum (Cadbury Adams) product launch1999Lucky Strikes cigarettes (Brown & Williamson Tobacco Co.),
Lucky loves you2002Joint--Bates USA, Ad Council, and the U.S. Army--public
service campaign,
Operation Graduation, to
address a growing high school dropout rateFrom the guide to the Bates Worldwide, Inc. Records, 1934-2003 and undated, (David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University)