Preliminary Inventory of the J. Walter Thompson Company. Detroit Office. Records, 1947-1999 and undated
This collection is minimally processed. It contains miscellaneous files from the Detroit office, including Ford and competitive collateral literature; tearsheets; Ford and competitive price lists and specs; Ford historical files and publications; internal office publications; EPA files and reports. Includes photographs, slides, and two film reels. Most items refer to the domestic Ford account, as well as to trucks rather than cars.A very wide range of Ford-related materials. Some highlights include anniversary materials for JWT and/or Ford: 50th Anniversary of JWT/Ford (1993/Box 1), Ford/JWT 50th Anniversary Book draft (c. 1993/Box 2), 75th Anniversary of Ford (1977-78/Box 30), 1978 75th Anniversary Proposal (1977/Box 85), Ford/JWT Marketing Partnership (c. 1996/Box 86), Peaceful Revolution: the Silver Anniversary Story of the V-8 Engine (1957/Box 93), [Oversized] Ford centennial advertisements (2003/OV1). Also of interest are various histories of Ford, including the following from the Pamphlets subseries of the Printed Material Series: Ford Motor Company Archives, by Henry C. Edmunds (1952), Henry Ford--A Personal History, 3rd ed. (1973), and Speaking of Yesterday (Ford oral history project), by Owen W. Bombard (1952).
Another area of interest are the materials related to women and advertising for Ford. In the Research (restricted) series, there is a sub-series Presentations, which contains a number of women-centered items. These include 2 undated folders on "Art, Science, and Common Sense of Marketing to Women," a presentation on "Automotive Aftermarket and Women" (undated), "Recommendation for a Ford Division Women's Marketing Strategy," a "U.S. Women's Market Overview," and other items, dating from the late 1990s, with one item dated 2005 ("What Women Want--Women's Economic Club"). There is also a subseries "Marketing to Women" in the Research (restricted) series and in the Research series. The Research series is dated somewhat earlier, with at least one folder going back to 1983.
A large amount of advertising materials relating to alternative fuel automobiles can be found in the Alternative Fuel Program Series--boxes 7-16. Most of this series' materials have dates in the 1990s; there are a few items from the 1980s, including one folder on propane-powered cars from 1981 (Box 13).
This is a large series of photographs, which includes a subseries of named individuals and 3 folders of unidentified persons (1990s and undated).
The Global Anthem Campaign series relate to the historic global commercial featuring Charlotte Church that aired in late 1999 and early 2000. Finally, there are small amounts of material relating to marketing for Hispanic and youth populations. For Youth marketing, see the Marketing to Youth subseries of the Research series. For Hispanic-related materials, see the Marketing to Hispanics subseries of the Research (restricted) series.
Inventory of the J. Walter Thompson Company. Carroll Carroll Papers, 1934-1979 and undated
In 1932, Carroll joined JWT, and subsequently went on the road with a JWT radio program featuring George Burns, Gracie Allen and Guy Lombardo. He eventually became Editorial Supervisor of all JWT radio shows, and helped produce many JWT comedy and variety shows, including Chase & Sanborn with Eddie Cantor. During his tenure at the JWT New York office, he also created and wrote a full hour variety program with Al Jolson known as "Shell Chateau," and collaborated on the "Rudy Vallee Hour." In 1934, he created and wrote the "Kraft Music Hall," when it featured Paul Whiteman and Deems Taylor, and moved to Los Angeles to continue it when Bing Crosby took over. In Hollywood, he wrote radio shows for Kraft, Ford, Shell, Old Gold, Elgin, Swift, Lux and Standard Brands.A small amount of Ford-specific material. There is one speech in Box 1 that was given at a Ford field meeting company dinner. Otherwise, the only Ford material appears to be the sheet music for a jingle in box 2; the jingle is for the 1962 Ford Fairlane. There are three copies, which appear to be hand-written on staff paper. One copy has penciled edits. Carroll Carroll was a writer and was heavily involved in radio for JWT; he was particularly known for his humorous writing.
Inventory of the J. Walter Thompson Company. Colin Dawkins Papers, 1776-1986
The papers of Colin Dawkins, a former Vice President of the J. Walter Thompson (JWT) advertising agency, span the years 1776 to 1986 with the bulk of the papers being dated between 1920 and 1981. The collection consists of Dawkins's research files, gathered for a proposed book on the history of the advertising business as it paralleled and was influenced by the growth and international development of JWT.Dawkins' papers are a particularly miscellaneous collection with materials ranging from memos to photos, time lines, and reports. Some materials relate to Project X (Around the World). Otherwise, materials are less ordered. Materials are primarily JWT-produced, but some Ford-produced materials are included in various folders. Publications in Box 8 are listed in the finding aid. Of interest is the inclusion of sales letters used as targeted advertising (Box 2).
Inventory of the J. Walter Thompson Company. John F. Devine Papers, 1952-1974 and undated, bulk 1956-1970
This collection documents Devine's activities first as administrator of the Radio/Television Department (1954 to 1960) and then as a corporate executive in the New York office (1960 to 1970). As a whole, the collection provides a glimpse into media advertising operations during the period of transition from radio to television as the dominant medium for product-sponsored advertising and programming. In particular, the papers reveal Devine as an adept financial manager on the corporate level.The Devine materials focus on television and radio programs and commercials sponsored by Ford. Some material relates to television shows and some relates to commercials produced for airing with those shows. Most folders treat a single show or project and are so labeled. Material is miscellaneous with correspondence, memos, scripts, reports, and charts. Shows of note are: I Love Lucy, Ford Theatre, and Project X.
Inventory of the J. Walter Thompson Company. John F. Dignam Papers, 1958-2003 and undated, bulk 1960s-1987
The John F. Dignam Papers cover the years 1958-2003, with the bulk of materials dating from the 1960s to 1987, roughly the period during which Dignam served as Art Director with the J. Walter Thompson (JWT) advertising agency. The collection primarily consists of advertising proofs and commercial artwork created for clients of JWT and other firms, including the Victor A. Bennett Company, along with some of Dignam's freelance work.The Ford materials in this collection are varied, ranging from magazine ads to works in progress (paintings and collage concept boards). Audiovisual materials have use copies available; the list of items is in the finding aid under Box 8.
Inventory of the J. Walter Thompson Company. Domestic Advertisements Collection, 1875-2001 and undated, bulk 1920s-1990s
The Domestic Advertisements Collection consists of print advertisements created by U.S. offices of the J. Walter Thompson Company (JWT). The bulk of the collection dates from the 1920s and after, but a few examples are available from as early as 1875. Print advertisements appear in a variety of formats--magazine, newspaper, color, black-and-white, proofs, tearsheets, negative transfers, clippings, along with a limited number of sketches for outdoor advertising installations.Much of the Ford material in this collection is advertisements for (some) radio and (mostly) television programs sponsored by Ford. Relevant boxes include FM2 (1947, Fred Allen, radio), FM7 (1940s, television), FM14 (1950s, television), FM17 (1950s, television), FM18 (1950s, television), FM21 (1950s/1960s), and FM39 & FM40 (1970s, Bob Hope, television). Major shows represented include Ford Theatre. Most ads are small format and text-heavy; later ads (1970s especially) are mostly TV Guide ads.
Inventory of the J. Walter Thompson Company. Wallace W. Elton Papers, 1909-1990
The collection documents the career of Elton; advertising history, especially agency management and the role of the creative director; and the automobile industry, especially advertising campaigns. After resigning from the J. Walter Thompson Company, he became a Vice President for the International Executive Service Corps [IESC], a non-profit group formed to help improve the performance of private enterprises in developing countries.Primarily materials related to Project X, with some Project M materials, and other reports, correspondence, and visual materials (photos, clippings, and scrapbook pieces). Of interest is material related to JWT's contract with Charles Schulz on behalf of Ford (Boxes 10 and 11).
Project X was a promotional program in which a Ford car was taken around the world. Project Y (one folder, Box 10) was a re-shooting project for poor filming from the Project X tour.
Project M involved introducing a new Ford model in/using Monaco as a backdrop. JWT hoped to get Princess Grace [Kelly] of Monaco involved in this campaign.
Box 13 has miscellany and quite a few Car Bulletins from the Product Information Department in the JWT Detroit office, which cover Ford models and some competitors. Box 14's "collateral material" includes shop manuals, promotions, brochures, history, booklets, and 1963 owner's manuals for Galaxie, Falcon, Fairlane, and Falcon Club Wagon and Station Bus. Materials pulled from Elton's scrapbook are in Box 15 and Box 17 has photos of Ford cars (some dated) and the Ford family (most with identification blurbs clipped to the back). Also of note is a copy of the book Ford at Fifty (1953). See the finding aid's excellent Collection Overview for other highlights or areas of interest.
Preliminary Inventory of the J. Walter Thompson Company. Ed George Papers, 1980s and undated
Boxes 1, 7, 9, 12-16, 18Inventory of the J. Walter Thompson Company. Information Center Records, 1890s-1987
The Information Center Records span the years from the 1890s to 1987 with the bulk dating from the 1940s to 1987. They provide information about a wide variety of J. Walter Thompson accounts, specific details about its operation of domestic and international offices, and an in-depth view of how specific products were evaluated and promoted.The Ford-related materials in this collection are fairly miscellaneous. Advertising handbooks and guides comprise one folder, while the other folders are more varied in content. Memos, photocopied newspaper articles, and reports make up the other 3 folders.
Inventory of the J. Walter Thompson Company. Bertram Metter Papers, 1908-2000 and undated, bulk 1953-1989
Bertram Metter worked for over thirty years as an advertising and marketing executive, most notably as a copywriter, creative director, and Vice Chairman at J. Walter Thompson USA (JWT). In in early years at JWT, Metter worked as a "direct response specialist" for the Ford Motor Company direct marketing operation. He also served as a primary on the Ford account, during which time he directed print and television promotion for Ford and played a key role in the launching of several new car models.The Bertram Metter Papers span 1908 to 2000, with the bulk of the collection dating 1953 through the late 1980s. Collection contains materials in a variety of formats, including correspondence, writings, newspaper and magazine clippings, sheet music, printed materials, photographs, and photostats. See the finding aid, which is quite detailed, for the Ford series (both regular and oversized materials).
Inventory of the J. Walter Thompson Company. Newsletter Collection, 1910-2005
Collection of company newsletter. Boxes MN10, MN11, and MN12 have issues with content of particular interest for Ford researchers. Some highlights include:Box MN10:
June 25, 1951 "Campaign of the Week" (Ford) discusses how the 33 individual Ford accounts integrate with the current factory ad themes.
Box MN11:
Oct 21, 1959: "Ford and Fashion meet in Vogue's 'Wonderful New World After Dark'"--with images; outlines a seven-page full-color clothes-and-cars fashion spread in the Oct. 15 (1959/1960?) issue of Vogue; department store/designer/Ford tie-ins
Feb 24, 1960: "Another Thompson First! Thompson and Ford bring Spanish TV Special to Latin America..."; this issue of JWT News has an advertisement tipped in highlighting JWT's "TV Spectacular" in Latin America; the ad appeared in Fortune in March, Advertising Age (Mar 21) and the Wall Street Journal (Pacific) in March (all 1960). There is also a Peanuts story/cartoon on the facing page
Mar 9, 1960: Front page: "Alice and her 'wonderland' friends team up to introduce new Falcon wagons"
Box MN12:
Oct 11, 1961: "The Ford in Fashion"; with pictures; refers to Oct 15 (1961?) Vogue; gives a history of the promotion (1961 being the 4th year)
Inventory of the J. Walter Thompson Company. Winfield Taylor Papers, 1948-1960 and undated
Winfield Taylor worked as a copywriter in the Creative Department of JWT from 1934 until 1960, becoming a Vice President in 1950. Taylor was born in Wilmette, Illinois. He attended Dartmouth College and, prior to joining JWT, worked at Marshall Field and Company, Henry Hearst and McDonald, McCann-Erickson, and the Curtis Publishing Company.Mostly call reports, television and other advertising scripts/copy, plans, charts, and competitor information. The Ford subseries is in boxex 2-8. Of interest in Box 3 are two reports: "Words & Phrases used in current automobile advertising" and "Where do the horses go?" (1957): horsepower and what it means for a driver vs. an engineer. Boxes 4 and 5 have model data for the years 1958, 1959, and 1961. The finding aid includes information on items removed from this collection and placed in other collections.
Inventory of the J. Walter Thompson Company. Shirley F. Woodell Papers, 1943-1958
The papers of Shirley F. Woodell span the years 1943 to 1958. They consist of correspondence, memoranda, reports, maps, notes, itineraries, and a photograph album. The collection documents the operations of the J. Walter Thompson Company in Mexico, the Caribbean area, and Latin America, primarily through correspondence and reports written by Woodell during and immediately after his business trips. The bulk of the collection consists of Woodell's accounts of his field trips written, often daily, to J. Walter Thompson Company executives and staff. There is also correspondence to representatives of some of the company's clients. The collection documents the process of marketing a wide variety of American products in an international market. The correspondence and reports convey information relevant to advertising, however the collection also includes more general observations of an American traveler in foreign countries. Social customs, traditional cultures, political situations, and Indian peoples of many countries are noted throughout the manuscripts.The primarily lengthy and detailed letters in this collection require close reading to find company-specific information. The collection is brief, however, with only 3 boxes of material. Each box is densely packed, as most letters are typed on very thin paper. The photo album in Box 3 may be of interest. Materials in this collection are fragile and photocopying is restricted.
Inventory of the J. Walter Thompson Company. Detroit Office. Goldfarb Consultants Ford Research Reports, 1974-1989
The Goldfarb Consultants Ford Research Reports span the years 1974 to 1989 and consist of written research summaries primarily of advertising campaigns for various Ford automobiles, vans, and trucks. In addition there are reports on a range of specialized consumer markets, focused on women, African-American, Hispanic, youth, college-age consumer groups as well as some reports on regional markets.Research Reports on various advertising market groups. Reports are generally the result of focus groups, surveys, and interviews. Reports are organized with conclusions at the beginning, making browsing easier. Boxes 1-4 have Ford materials, including reports on affluent, mature, female, and minority groups. The finding aid has detailed folder lists indicating the topic of most reports. Reports cover a range of topics, including responses to television commercials, advertisements, slogans, automobile and truck design, and general buying (economic) factors. Some Reports are national in scope, while others are limited to particular regions of the United States. Box 2 has individual Ford model reports, which are arranged alphabetically. Some themes that emerge in these reports are gas mileage, economics, and automobile size.
Inventory of the J. Walter Thompson Company. Frankfurt Office. George Black Papers, 1968-1989.
Approximately 60% of the collection is in English and the remainder is in German, except for small portions in Danish, Dutch, French, Greek, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, and Swedish. Advertisements have been photocopied, and originals have been transferred to the Frankfurt Advertisement collection. Newsletters from JWT offices other than Frankfurt have been transferred to the J. Walter Thompson Company Archives Newsletter Collection. The majority of speeches and writings by JWT authors, other than Black, have been transferred to the J. Walter Thompson Company Archives Writings and Speeches Collection. The papers of George Black, former advertising executive of the J. Walter Thompson Company, span the years 1968 to 1989, with the bulk of the material dating from 1972 to 1988. The papers document Black's activities during his tenure as Creative Department Head in the 1970's and then as Chairman of JWT-Frankfurt from 1976 to 1988. During the 1980's, Black presided over an expansion of business in the German Speaking Area (GSA) which included the opening of new offices in Hamburg and Düsseldorf; the establishment of JWT divisions for pharmaceutical advertising (Deltakos) and direct marketing (JWT-Direkt); and the British WPP Group's leveraged buyout of JWT in 1987. See the extensive Collection Overview for a detailed guide to this collection.Inventory of the J. Walter Thompson Company. Frankfurt Office. Wilfried Henkel Papers, 1957-1987, bulk 1975-1984
The papers of Wilfried Henkel, former managing director (Geschäftsführer) at the J. Walter Thompson Company (JWT), Frankfurt office, span the years 1957 to 1987, with the bulk of the material dating from 1975 to 1984. Approximately 70% of the collection is in German.Ford materials are primarily in German and focus on operations and models in Germany. 2 "Briefings" folders in Box 5 are mostly in English, as are the Foreign Correspondence folders in that box. Boxes 11 and 12 are mostly German materials. Box 12's folder labels are also in German, though some have translations or notes in English (usually model names).
Inventory of the J. Walter Thompson Company. Frankfurt Office. Hans Ihlefeld Papers, 1952-1980, bulk 1972-1978
Hans Ihlefeld was financial manager and director of JWT's branch offices in Frankfurt, Vienna and Zurich in the 1960s and 1970s. Clients well documented in the collection include Braun, Unilever (Elida Gibbs, Lever Sunlicht), Ford, Jacobs, Kraft, and PepsiCo. Approximately 60% of the collection is in German, and the remainder is in English, except for one very small portion in French. The Clients Subseries reflects the financial and planning aspects of JWT-Frankfurt's relationship with its clients. The Ford account in particular is well-documented, but files also exist for other clients including Braun, Jacobs, PepsiCo, and Unilever.Boxes 1 (Ford of Europe), 4, and 8; boxes 2 and 3 may contain Ford materials, but this is not specifically mentioned in the finding aid. The JWT Offices Subseries, 1971-1980 summary mentions Ford, but the list is arranged by office, not client company. Thus, these boxes may yield Ford materials. Box 5 has a similar situation to boxes 2 and 3.
Preliminary Inventory of the J. Walter Thompson Company. Frankfurt Office. Burkhard Schwarz Papers, circa 1973-1989
The company's Frankfurt Office was opened in 1952. Burkhard Schwarz was an advertising executive in the Frankfurt Office of the J. Walter Thompson Company in the 1970s and 1980s.Correspondence includes discussion of the company's reorganization in 1986 and attempts at collaboration with affiliated offices (e.g. Hill and Knowlton). Most of the material is in German, but many files contain some English, especially correspondence with other JWT offices, symposia, and general JWT memoranda. Processing note: This collection has not yet been fully processed and organized. Thus, box contents do not always reflect logical subject groupings.
Inventory of the Howard Scott Papers, 1921-1984 and undated, bulk 1930s-1950s
The Howard Scott Papers span the years 1921-1984, although the bulk of materials covers the period from the 1930s to the 1950s, documenting Scott's career in outdoor advertising as a billboard designer and graphic artist.
Ford materials in Boxes 3 & 5 are early Ford ads (i.e. before JWT acquired the Ford account in 1944). Box 3 has photographs of Scott; Box 5 has examples of his prize-winning ads for Ford. Some of the images include text indicating awards won by the ad. Other Howard Scott work can be found in the following collections: Garrett Orr Papers, the Outdoor Advertising Association of America Slide Library, and various image collections.
Inventory of the Garrett Orr Papers, circa 1873-1994, bulk 1890s-1914, 1935-1965
Garrett Orr was a graphic artist and billboard designer. A director with Outdoor Advertising, Inc. (OAI) for over 30 years (1938-1968), Orr oversaw national outdoor advertising campaigns during a period where technological advances and a developing interstate highway system stimulated rapid growth in the U.S. outdoor advertising industry. Stan H. Henderson, President of the Georgia Outdoor Advertising Company, Inc. once said of Garrett Orr, "Garry probably produced more outdoor advertising art than any other man in history."
The Garrett Orr Papers document the artistic output and personal files of advertising executive Garrett Orr. Although the collection spans the years circa 1873 to 1994, the bulk of the materials fall within two main periods: the 1890s to 1914, comprising a photographic collection of old poster images; and 1930 to 1965, which approximates the span of Orr's professional life.A large set of clippings files contain published examples of the work of over 100 graphic artists and illustrators contemporary with Orr, including Floyd Davis, Ronald McLeod, George Petty, Howard Scott, Ben Stahl, Jon Whitcomb, and J. Walter Wilkinson.
Boxes 5, 6, and 7 include work by various artists who created Ford Motor Co. advertisements. Notable in this collection is work by Charles Schultz, incorporating the Peanuts characters (Box 5); work by Howard Scott, including award-winning ads (Box 5; these ads are all black & white except one); Fred Siebel (Ford trucks, Box 5). In Box 6, in the Williamson folder, there are very early Ford ads, dating from c. 1930 and possibly earlier. These are in full color. Box 7 has more Schultz (1960, '61, and undated) and some 1940s and 1950s Ford ads by Scott Johnston.
Preliminary Inventory of the Brouillard Communications, Inc., Vertical Files, circa 1973-2000
Advertising agency founded in 1968 as a division of the J. Walter Thompson Company, specializing in corporate advertising and corporate image advertising for major American and multinational firms. Collection consists primarily of corporate image advertisements clipped from magazines and newspapers, including trade journals and business newspapers. Organized into two series of alphabetical files: by industry and by company name.
Box 49 has 2 folders of Ford ads. The first folder has subfolders with dates, arranged in reverse chronological order, beginning with 1991. The folder covers the years 1988-1991 with some earlier ads. A major slogan in this folder is the "Quality is Job 1" campaign. Later ads (early 1990s) feature this slogan with Ford employees highlighted. Earlier instances of the campaign made use of car compenents and do not feature employees. Some ads are not in a subfolder and range from the 1940s (1 or 2 ads) to 1983; many have dates written on the verso of the ad. All ads in this folder are from magazines, with Newsweek and Time being heavily represented.
The second folder has newspaper and magazine ads and is not subfoldered. The ads in this folder are concentrated in the 1980s. Please note that newspaper ads may require reformatting by staff before use.
Inventory of the Duplex Advertising Company. Billboard Images and Records, 1964-1993 and undated
The Duplex Advertising Company Billboard Images and Records spans the period 1964-1993 and documents the outdoor advertising work of this company in the central Texas area, primarily through photographs, negatives and slides of billboards. Many of the images are in color. A large number of the images are of national campaigns advertised in central Texas, as well as billboards, signs and posters of local Texas business services.
Many of the images in this collection are specific to particular Ford dealers in the Texas area covered by Duplex. Some billboards represent national campaigns or slogans; many make use of the Ford logo, which was not used in earlier billboards (1940s, '50s, etc.). Box 6 is slides; Boxes 11 and 12 are negatives. The finding aid has a list of pages for Ford dealers for Box 12.
Guide to the Strobridge Lithographing Company Advertisements, 1910-1954 and undated
The Strobridge Lithographing Company Advertisements span the years 1910 through 1954, documenting much of the company's printed poster advertising work from that era. All images are black and white. The "job tickets" are photocopies of all the images. The Strobridge Lithographing Company, especially well-known for its production of circus and theatrical posters from the late 1800s and early 1900s, also produced a variety of printed items including maps, portraits, diplomas, counter displays, and blotters. The collection at Duke University contains only printed poster advertising work created from 1910 through 1954. The firm was established in Cincinnati, but a New York address can also be seen on the backs of some images in this collection.
Box 3 includes early Ford ads. Many are undated, but some date from the mid-1930s. The folder is entirely "job tickets" or photocopies of ads. Some of these ads can be seen in color in the Outdoor Advertising Association of America Slide Library. The automotive folder includes Ford ads and other, competing companies such as Packard. These materials represent Ford ads before JWT acquired the account in 1944.
Inventory of the American Association of Advertising Agencies Records, 1918-1998
The American Association of Advertising Agencies, founded in 1917, is the primary advertising industry trade organization.
Box VF21 contains a single Ford folder, covering the 1973 complaint brought by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) against Ford and JWT for two advertisements. Materials include the official reports, trade magazine articles about the issue, and newspaper clippings following the complaint. All items date from 1973 or 1974 and have dates included. The items are as follows:
Preliminary Inventory of the Roy Lightner Collection Of Antique Advertisements, [1870s]-[2000s], bulk 1910-1969
This collection created by Roy Lightner consists of print advertisements taken from U.S. magazines.
Box 5 has three Ford folders, which cover the 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s. As such, they offer a great deal of material that was created for Ford before JWT acquired the account in 1944. Many of the early ads make use of the Ford logo (e.g. ads from 1930, '31, '36, '37, '44, '45); starting with the 40s and the "Ford in your Future" campaign, there is less use of the logo, although sometimes the crystal ball and the logo appear together (mid-1940s, so around the time that JWT would have been taking over). The use of the logo seems to disappear, in outdoor advertising at least, until the 1960s. The first folder is billboard designs and the other two folders are magazine ads, which differ in slogans and artistic style.
Inventory of the Outdoor Advertising Association of America Poster Designs, circa 1930-1940s and undated
The Outdoor Advertising Association of America Poster Designs are comprised of black and white poster designs (for billboard or other transit advertising), some printed on cards and some photographed and mounted in volumes, that document the advertising design holdings of several outdoor advertising companies from 1934 through the 1940s and possibly later.
Box 1 has a few items related to Ford, including a Howard Scott ad from 1938 and a few other ads from 1939/1940. The automotive folders also have Plymouth and Packard ads.
Inventory of the Outdoor Advertising Association of America Slide Library, 1891-1994
The Outdoor Advertising Association of America Slide Library was created by officials in the Outdoor Advertising Association of America ( OAAA) and member organizations. OAAA is the primary professional and trade association representing the outdoor advertising industry, and was founded to promote outdoor advertising interests in the U.S. OAAA members own and operate billboards, street furniture, transit, or other outdoor advertising displays. Members also include service providers to the industry, users of the outdoor medium and others supporting its goals.
The Outdoor Advertising Association of America Slide Library spans the years 1891 through the 1990s, with the bulk of the collection originating in the 1950s and later. The collection documents over a hundred years of outdoor advertising primarily in the United States, plus some international campaigns from several other continents. The Slide Library is a large collection, almost entirely comprised of slides of billboards, exhibiting a grand range of graphic artistry, advertising campaigns, and marketing strategies.
Boxes TP5 and TP6 have 21 sheets of Ford billboards between them. Dates in Box TP5 range from 1949 to 1966. Many billboards include the model year in the ad; otherwise, there is inconsitent identification of dates. Major slogans represented include being a 2-Ford family, Ford as a high-selling brand, and Ford as a best value for less money. Box TP6 continues with the mid-1960s and ranges to the 1970s. Beginning in the 1960s the Ford logo is incorporated into some ads. This does not happen in the 1940s and 1950s, although the Ford font (without the blue oval) does appear rarely. Most of the slides in both boxes are in full color.
Resource of Outdoor Advertising Descriptions (ROAD)
This database includes descriptions only (no images) of over 50,000 outdoor advertising images dating between the 1910s – 1990s. The bulk of these images are of billboard advertisements. The search interface allows for general keyword searching, and advanced search functions which may aid in narrowing the search results.