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Leo Burnett | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | October 21, 1891 |
| Died | June 7, 1971 (aged 79) |
| Alma mater | University of Michigan |
| Occupation | Advertising Executive |
| Known for | Founder of Leo Burnett Worldwide |
| Spouse | Naomi Geddles 1918–1971 (his death) |
Leo Burnett (October 21, 1891 – June 7, 1971) was an advertising executive and was one among of the most 'creative' men in the advertising business.[1] The 19th Century was dominated by the copy-heavy ads with lengthy product descriptions and selling arguments, however, he developed fresh simple icons that came to symbolize easy-to-understand product benefits for the 20th Century consumer.[2] He was known for being heavily involved in the Creative Revolution in the 1960s, with other great advertising heads like David Ogilvy, William Bernbach and Mary Wells.[3]
He was named by Time Magazine as one of the 100 most influential people of the 20th century.[4]
Biography
editBorn in St. Johns, Michigan, his parents were Noble and Rose Clark Burnett. His father ran a dry goods store and as a youth, Burnett worked with his father in the store. He grew up watching his father designing ads to promote his business. During his high school, he worked as a reporter for a local, rural newspaper in the summers.[5] After high school he went to study journalism at the University of Michigan and received his Bachelor's degree in 1914. His first job was as a reporter at the Peoria Journal in Peoria, Illinois.[6] After realizing the future growth possibilities in advertising, he moved to Detroit in 1917, and he got a job editing an in-house publication for Cadillac dealers called Cadillac Clearing House as a copywriter. He successfully went on to become an advertising director for the company.[7]
In 1918 he married Naomi Geddes, who's father was in fact a newspaper man.[8] He went on to have three children, Peter, Joseph, and Phoebe.[7] During World War I he joined the Navy for 6 months. However, he never got to sea as he spent most of his time at Great Lakes building a breakwater, and hauling cement.[8]
After his time in the Navy he returned to Cadillac for a short while. It was then when a few employees at Cadillac formed the LaFayette Motors Company. He moved to Indianapolis, Indiana as the advertising manager for the company.[7] With the company struggling, he found himself with an offer from Homer McKee. He left LaFayette and was hired to work for Homer Mckee Company as head of McKee's creative operation. This was his first agency job.[8]
After spending a decade working for McKee's Company, and working through the stock market crash of 1929. He decided to move on if he was to amount to anything in the advertising business.[8] In 1930, he moved to Chicago and was hired by Erwin Wasey & Company and worked as the vice-president and the creative head of the company.[5]
After working for Erwin Wasey for 5 years, he decided to found his own company - Leo Burnett Company.
"He died of a heart attack while having dinner with his wife Naomi at his home in Lake Zurich Illinois on June 7, 1971." <- Find reference. Find area on Wikipedia page where it will fit.
Quotes
editLike any advertising greats, he was known for a number a quotes, and thoughts.
- "Advertising says to people, 'Here's what we've got. Here's what it will do for you. Here's how to get it."
- "Anyone who thinks that people can be fooled or pushed around has an inaccurate and pretty low estimate of people — and he won't do very well in advertising."
- "Curiosity about life in all of its aspects, I think, is still the secret of great creative people."
- "Fun without sell gets nowhere but sell without fun tends to become obnoxious."
- "Good advertising does not just circulate information. It penetrates the public mind with desires and belief."
- "I am one who believes that one of the greatest dangers of advertising is not that of misleading people, but that of boring them to death."
- "I have learned that it is far easier to write a speech about good advertising than it is to write a good ad."
- "If you are writing about baloney, don't try to make it Cornish hen, because that is the worst kind of baloney there is. Just make it darned good baloney."
- "If you can't turn yourself into your customer, you probably shouldn't be in the ad writing business at all."
- "Make it simple. Make it memorable. Make it inviting to look at. Make it fun to read."
- "Plan the sale when you plan the ad."
- "Rarely have I seen any really great advertising created without a certain amount of confusion, throwaways, bent noses, irritation and downright cursedness."
- "I have learned that trying to guess what the boss or the client wants is the most debilitating of all influences in the creation of good advertising."
- "Regardless of the moral issue, dishonesty in advertising has proved very unprofitable."
- "The greatest thing to be achieved in advertising, in my opinion, is believability, and nothing is more believable than the product itself."
- "The secret of all effective advertising is not the creation of new and tricky words and pictures, but one of putting familiar words and pictures into new relationships."
- "The work of an advertising agency is warmly and immediately human. It deals with human needs, wants, dreams and hopes. Its 'product' cannot be turned out on an assembly line."
- "There is no such thing as a permanent advertising success."
- "We want consumers to say, 'That's a hell of a product' instead of, 'That's a hell of an ad.'"
- "What helps people, helps business."
- "When you reach for the stars you may not quite get one, but you won't come up with a handful of mud either."
- "I have learned that any fool can write a bad ad, but that it takes a real genius to keep his hands off a good one." [9]
- "Make it simple. Make it memorable. Make it inviting to look at. Make it fun to read." [10]
Corny Language
editHe was also renowned for keeping a folder in the lower left-hand corner of his desk called "Corny Language". [11] He collected words, phrases, and analogies that struck him as being particularly apt in expressing an idea. This was not meant by maxims, gags, or slang, but words, phrases and analogies which convey a feeling a honesty and that drive home a clear point. [12]
Notes
edit- ^ Ogilvy, David (1963). Confessions of an Advertising Man. London: Southbank Publishing. p. 92. ISBN 1-904915-01-9.
- ^ "The Brilliant Words of Leo Burnett". Retrieved March 12, 2012.
- ^ O'Guinn, Thomas (2009). Advertising and Integrated Brand Promotion (5th ed.). South-Western. p. 92. ISBN 978-0324568677.
{{cite book}}: Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) - ^ "Time Magazine". Times 100 Persons of the Century. 1999. Retrieved March 11, 2012.
- ^ a b "Famous People". Leo Burnett. Retrieved March 12, 2012.
- ^ "Leo Burnett: Advertising". Art Directors Club. 1993. Retrieved March 8, 2012.
- ^ a b c "Leo Burnett". Top Biography. Retrieved March 12, 2012.
- ^ a b c d Higgins, Denis (1987). The Art of Writing Advertising: Conversations with Masters of the Craft. Illinois: NTC Business Books.
- ^ "Quotes on Design". Direct Creative. Retrieved March 15, 2012.
- ^ "The Brillant Words of Leo Burnett". Chris Coyier. Retrieved March 15, 2012.
- ^ "Long Lost Marketing Secrets - Leo Burnett". Peter Woodhead. Retrieved March 15, 2012.
- ^ Ogilvy, David (2007). Ogilvy on Advertising - "I hate rules" (2nd ed.). London: Piron. p. 201. ISBN 978-0324568677.