Cone, Fairfax M., 1903-

Variant names

Dates:

Birth 1903-02-21

Death 1977-06-20

Biographical notes:

Advertising executive. Born 1903. A.B., University of California, 1926. Executive vice president, Lord & Thomas. Founder-Chairman, Foote, Cone & Belding Advertising Agency. Trustee, University of Chicago, 1950-1970; Chairman of the Board, 1963-1970; Chairman, Council of the Graduate School of Business; Chairman, Council on Medical and Biological Research; member, Visiting Committee on the Humanities. Died 1977.

From the description of Papers, 1945-1971 (inclusive). (University of Chicago Library). WorldCat record id: 52246541

A man of many interests Fairfax Cone streamlined the advertising profession in the 1930's. Cone began attending the University of California at Berkeley in 1921. A natural and gifted writer he joined the San Francisco Examiner where he used his writing and artistic abilities in the promotions department. He joined Lord and Thomas, San Francisco, as a copywriter in 1929 and became executive Vice President of Lord and Thomas' successor agency, Foote, Cone and Belding, in 1942. Based in Chicago, he led FCB to $22 million in billings in its first year with landmark campaigns for Lucky Strike, Hallmark, Toni and Dial. Cone distilled information to its essence, then executed campaigns with balance, simplicity, unity and clarity. Impatient with noisy, intrusive, deceptive TV commercials, Cone became an early advocate of a TV "magazine concept," whereby networks, not agencies, produced commercial programming.

Cone's philosophy of advertising targeted the individual, "There is no such thing as a Mass Mind. The Mass Audience is made up of individuals, and good advertising is written always from one person to another. When it is aimed at millions it rarely moves anyone."

From the guide to the Cone, Fairfax M. Papers, 1947-1971, (Special Collections Research Center University of Chicago Library 1100 East 57th Street Chicago, Illinois 60637 U.S.A.)