Who said it wasn't until the 1960s?
For those TV viewers who think, as a result of watching the series Madmen, that women weren't involved in advertising until the 1960s, here's the real story.
The first ad woman (or Mad Woman) on record was Mathilde C. Weil. In 1870 she moved from Germany to New York, and not long after her husband died, leaving her with no means of support. Ms. Weil thus began her career in advertising by booking magazine space for a friend, eventually starting her own agency - The M.C. Weil Agency in 1880.
What follows, is a list of other important historical dates relating to women in advertising. There is inconsistency in documentation of dates, but the general time frames are in keeping with public records:
- 1907 - Helen Landsdowne was hired by Stanley Resor as a copywriter for a small Cincinnati agency
- 1916 - Helen Landsdowne become Creative Director of J. Walter Thompson (JWT, New York)
- 1917 - Helen Landsdowne Resor (now married to Stanley Resor), formed the JWT Women's Editorial Department, a creative group comprised solely of women - soon these women were overseeing 75% of the agency's billing of what was America's largest agency
- 1917 - Helen Landsdowne Resor created famous Woodbury's Facial Soap ad, using sex appeal to sell the product: "A skin you love to touch."
- 1926 - Nedda McGrath became the first female art director
- 1936 - copywriter, Dorothy Dignam, launched the Ford V-8 "complete style plan" for female consumers
- 1940s - Bernice Fitz-Gibbon specialized in retail advertising and became the highest paid women in advertising, earning over $50K ($800K in today's dollars); she did groundbreaking work for Macy's and Gimbel's, later publishing a book about her colourful career: Macy's, Gimbel's and Me
- 1946 - Jean Wade Rindlaub became BBDO's first female VP
- 1949 - Phyllis Robinson was hired by Bill Bernbach when he started his agency, and he named her Copy Chief. It would turn out to be the most influential agency of all time, called Doyle Bane Bernbach (DDB). Robinson supervised some of the best and toughest admen of the era (1950s and 1960s). Their "Think Small" campaign for Volkswagen revolutionized the ad industry.
- 1950 - Mary Wells started as a copywriter at DDB. In 1966, she created her own award-winning agency, Wells Rich Green, where she masterminded the timeless phrase, "Try it, You'll like it." She also created the renowned "I Love New York" campaign, and introduced the 60 second television commercial (mini movies). In 1969, Wells was the highest paid ad executive.
- 1952 - copywriter, Erma Perham Proetz is the first woman inductee into the Advertising Hall of Fame.
- 1955 - Shirley Polykoff started her career in magazine and retail ad sales before taking a position at Foote, Cone & Belding where she created Clairol's famous "Does she...or doesn't she? Only her hairdresser knows for sure." campaign, earning her a place in the Advertising Hall of Fame.
- 1960s - Peggy Charren created Action for Children's Television to lobby reform on children's TV, which she felt was exploiting youngsters and using insensitive and over-commercialized TV shows to target children. By 1971, Charren's works had sensitized advertising to excessive violence, as well as inappropriate cereal, toy and fast-food spots. In 1990, the Children's Television Act, setting standards for child-oriented programming, merchandising and advertising, was passed.
- 1968 - Jane Trahey launches the campaign, "What becomes a legend most?" for Blackglama. She went on to become the first woman in advertising to earn $1million a year.
- 1970 - Barbara Proctor opens Proctor & Gardner Advertising and is the first woman of colour to own and manage an ad agency
(to be continued...1977 and Onward!)
