Bates Worldwide, Inc.

Biographical notes:

1901 Sept. 11 born Theodore Lewis Bates (New Haven, Conn.) 1920 Graduated, Andover Academy (Andover, Mass.) 1924 Graduated, Yale University (New Haven, Conn.) Worked at Chase National Bank (New York, N.Y.); started as an assistant but soon promoted to advertising manager circa 1927 Joined George Batten Company 1928 Named general assistant after the George Batten Company merged with Barton Durstine & Osborn to become Batten Barton Durstine & Osborn (BBDO) 1934 Named Vice President at BBDO 1935 Joined Benton & Bowles as account executive and copywriter; Bates' first account client was Colgate-Palmolive 1936 Bates named account supervisor for Continental Baking after it moved its account to Benton & Bowles 1939 After Chester Bowles expressed a desire to retire, executives from both Colgate-Palmolive and Continental Baking urged Bates to form his own agency 1940 Ted Bates Company (TBC) started, with Colgate-Palmolive and Continental Baking as its initial clients 1955 1972 Honorary Chairman of the Board and Chairman of the Executive Committee, TBC 1961 1965 Chief Executive Officer, TBC 1965 Retired as CEO 1972 May 30 Died 1982 Inducted into American Advertising Federation Hall of Fame 1891 George Batten Company opened in New York circa 1927 Ted Bates joined George Batten Company. William Benton and Chester Bowles were co-workers at the agency 1928 George Batten Company merged with the Barton Durtsine & Osborn advertising agency to form Batten Barton Durstine & Osborn (BBDO) 1929 William Benton and Chester Bowles left BBDO to form Benton & Bowles agency 1935 Bates joined Benton & Bowles; Rosser Reeves was a co-worker at the agency 1936 William Benton sold his interest in Benton & Bowles and retired 1939 Chester Bowles expressed a desire to retire from advertising; executives from both Colgate-Palmolive and Continental Baking urged Bates to form his own agency 1940 Agency founded; initial clients were Continental Baking (Wonder Bread) and Colgate Dental Cream, with combined billings of $2.9 million 1942 Rosser Reeves hired as TBC's first chief copy writer Won Carter-Wallace account (Carter's Pills, Arrid antipersperants, Trojan prophylactics) 1948 TBC reformed as a partnership, Ted Bates & Co. (TB&C), with 14 full partners 1952 Billings reached $30 million 1955 TB&C incorporated as Ted Bates & Co., Inc. (TB&C) 1957 Billings reached $100 million 1959 Established an international presence through a partnership, Hobson, Bates & Partners Ltd., based in London Rudolph Montgelas named President of TB&C 1960 Donald Zuckert joined as account manager 1961 Rosser Reeves published his book articulating the philosophy behind the USP (Unique Selling Proposition) concept, Reality in Advertising Reeves gave up positions as CEO and Chairman and returned to full-time copy writing 1962 Robert Jacoby joined as Vice President and Account Supervisor 1963 Thomas Richardson became the first African-American hired as a full-time copywriter at TB&C 1964 Established a presence in Australia and the Asia/Pacific region through acquisition of George Patterson, Pty. Ltd., Australia's largest advertising agency; formed George Patterson Bates 1965 Ted Bates retired as CEO of TB&C; named Honorary Chairman Archibald Foster named to replace Bates as President and CEO Rosser Reeves inducted into Copywriters Hall of Fame 1966 Rosser Reeves retired TB&C acquired AC & R Advertising, Inc., which became TB&C's first American subsidiary 1969 Robert Jacoby named President of the New York office 1971 Billings reached $425 million Archibald Foster named Chairman of TB&C 1972 Robert Jacoby named President of TB&C Company moved from 666 5th Ave. address to new headquarters at One Astor Plaza 1973 Robert Jacoby named CEO of TB&C 1976 Robert Jacoby named Chairman of TB&C Custom Marketing established as a subsidiary to concentrate on local radio advertising 1978 Acquired the Chicago agency Stern Walters/Earle Ludgin Inc.; the Campbell-Mithun agency; and Orikomi Advertising Ltd. of Japan 1979 Bill Backer and Carl Spielvogel formed Backer & Spielvogel agency 1980 Won account for Miller Brewing Company 1981 Acquired Atlanta agency McDonald & Little, the largest advertising agency in the U.S. south Robert Bruns named President of TB&C's New York office 1982 Michael Becker hired as World Creative Leader in an effort to boost Bates's image as a top creative agency Robert Bruns quit as President of the New York office after less than 18 months on the job Posted earnings over $356 million on $2.4 billion in billings 1983 Donald Zuckert named President of the New York office TB&C renamed as Ted Bates Worldwide (TBW) to reflect its global branding aims 1984 Ted Bates Europe formed to consolidate British and continental European operations; Bruce McLaren named CEO and Chairman of Board Rosser Reeves died, Chapel Hill, N.C. 1985 TBW acquired the William Esty Company in the largest advertising agency merger up to that time; also acquired Scholz & Friends, Germany's largest advertising network Atlanta agency McDonald & Little, acquired by TBW in 1981, closed Won Matchbox and Olivetti Personal Computers European accounts, worth a combined $30 million; won account for Hyundai North America Michael Becker fired as Creative Director John H. Nichols joined TBW (from Leo Burnett USA) as head of the global management group Charles N. Jamison became the first African American promoted to Vice President at TBW John Hoyne, President of TBW's international operations, entered negotiations with the Saatchi brothers for the sale of TBW 1986 Acquired Draft, a direct marketing agency TBW and another American agency, Backer & Spielvogel, acquired by Saatchi & Saatchi parent, Cordiant plc Backer & Spielvogel merged with TBW to form Backer Spielvogel Bates (BSB); German agency Scholz & Friends made into a separately branded entity Warner-Lambert fired TBW as its advertising agency Acquired Conill Advertising, a specialist in the U.S. Hispanic market, and direct marketing firm Kobs & Brady 1986 Sept. 19 Donald 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 office 1987 Donald Zuckert named President of Bates/New York TBW 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-Lambert Became an equity partner in Jamison and Leary Advertising, a startup firm established by Charles Jamison and Kathryn Leary, former African American executives at TBW Won account for Wendy's International restaurant chain 1988 Subsidiaries William Esty and Campbell-Mithun merged into Campbell Mithun Esty Subsidiary Draft renamed as Kobs and Draft 1988 June 20 Rudolph Montgelas (President of TBC 1959-1965) died 1989 Apr. 4 Archibald McGeorge Foster (President of TBC 1965-1969, Chairman 1971-1974) died 1991 Lost 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) 1992 Michael Bungey named President and CEO of Bates 1993 Bill Backer retired 141 Worldwide, an interactive sales promotion agency, launched 1994 BSB changed name to Bates Worldwide (BW) Carl Spielvogel, chairman of BSB, retired Rosser Reeves inducted into the American Advertising Federation's Hall of Fame Launched Zenith Media USA, the world's first global media buying agency Purchased McCaffrey and McCall agency, later renamed Bates Midwest 1995 Lost account for M&M/Mars, which it had held since 1954, to BBDO Worldwide Saatchi brothers leave Saatchi & Saatchi 1996 BW 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 & Kennedy Acquired BLGK, the largest advertising agency in South Africa Bill Backer inducted into the American Advertising Federation's Hall of Fame 1997 Cordiant plc demerger: Saatchi & Saatchi and a new entity, Cordiant Communications Group (CCG) became separate, publicly traded entities; BW remained under CCG 1998 Bates Retail established to handle retail work, including accounts for Wendy's and CVS 1999 Diamond AD Ltd., Korea's 3rd largest agency, bought by CCG Won account for ESPN, a cable-based sports network 2000 BW billings approach $7.9 billion CCG.XM launched as CCG's e-business consulting operation Donino, White & Partners, a marketing firm specializing in the technology sector, bought by CCG, renamed DWP/Bates Saatchi & Saatchi acquired by Publicis Groupe SA 2002 Lost Hyundai, Wendy's accounts BW and partner CCG.XM won the contract to re-design the website for the US Government Services Administration (GSA) 2003 Lost Allied Domecq account, BW's 2nd largest global client at the time CCG entered into an Interim Support Agreement with lenders to try to resolve financial problems CCG 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 agency 1943 Palmolive soap, Doctors prove 2 out of 3 women can have more beautiful skin in 14 days 1945 Colgate Dental Cream, It cleans your breath while it cleans your teeth. Slogan coined by Alicia Tobin 1952 Viceroy cigarettes (Brown & Williamson Tobacco Co.), Twenty Thousand Tiny Filter Traps launched Advertising campaign for presidential candidate Dwight D. Eisenhower (Citizens for Eisenhower) marked the first extensive use of television in a political campaign Whitehall Pharmacal's analgesic Anacin, Fast, fast, fast relief 1954 M&M candy, Melts in your mouth, not in your hand Colgate Comedy Hour television serial variety show 1960 Certs breath mints (American Chicle, a subsidiary of Warner-Lambert), It's two, two, two mints in one! 1961 Wonder bread (Continental Baking), Helps build strong bodies 12 ways 1964 Trident sugar-free gum (Warner-Lambert Pharmaceutical Co.), 4 out of 5 dentists surveyed recommend sugarless gum 1966 Playtex 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 era 1967 Palmolive Dish Detergent (Colgate-Palmolive), Madge the Manicurist Visine eye drops (Pfizer), Gets the Red Out 1969 Kool Cigarettes (Brown & Williamson Tobacco Co.), Lady be Cool 1975 Kool Cigarettes (Brown & Williamson Tobacco Co.), Kool Jazz Festival started 1978 Coors Light beer (Coors Brewing Co.), product launch. 1989 Start 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 launch 1997 Dentyne Ice chewing gum (Cadbury Adams) product launch 1999 Lucky Strikes cigarettes (Brown & Williamson Tobacco Co.), Lucky loves you 2002 Joint--Bates USA, Ad Council, and the U.S. Army--public service campaign, Operation Graduation, to address a growing high school dropout rate

From the guide to the Bates Worldwide, Inc. Records, 1934-2003 and undated, (David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University)

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