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Inventory of the J. Walter Thompson Company. Frankfurt Office. Harry Clark Papers, 1970-1973

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Descriptive Summary

Title
J. Walter Thompson Company. Frankfurt Office. Harry Clark Papers, 1970-1973
Creator
J. Walter Thompson Company. Frankfurt Office.
Extent
4.5 Linear Feet
2700 Items
Repository
Duke University Rare Book, Manuscript, and Special Collections Library
Languages
English and German.
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Administrative Information

Access Restrictions
Collection is open for research.
However, patrons must sign the Acknowledgment of Legal Responsibility and Privacy Rights form before using this collection.
Also, all or portions of this collection may be housed off-site in Duke University's Library Service Center. Consequently, there may be a 24-hour delay in obtaining these materials.
Please contact Research Services staff before visiting the Rare Book, Manuscript, and Special Collections Library to use this collection.
Use Restrictions
The copyright interests in the J. Walter Thompson Company Archives have not been transferred to Duke University. For further information, see the section on copyright in the Regulations and Procedures of the Rare Book, Manuscript, and Special Collections Library.
Provenance
The Harry Clark Papers were transferred to the Rare Book, Manuscript, and Special Collections Library from the J. Walter Thompson Company (JWT) Frankfurt Office in 1995. Processing of this collection was supported in part by gifts from the J. Walter Thompson GmbH (JWT's Frankfurt Office), the J. Walter Thompson Company Fund, and the John and Kelly Hartman Foundation.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], J. Walter Thompson Company. Frankfurt Office. Henry Clark Papers, 1970-1973. Rare Book, Manuscript, and Special Collections Library, Duke University.
Processing Information
Processed by: Kai Evers
Completed August 1996
Encoded by Stephen Douglas Miller
This finding aid is NCEAD compliant.
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Biographical Note

1935, September 5Born in Connecticut
1953-1957Attended Amherst College, Amherst, Massachussets
1957-1959Graduated with an M.A. in English Literature from Stanford University, Stanford, California
1959Joined the JWT Company's New York office as International Representative
xxxxReceived a Ph. D. from Columbia University
1965Transferred to the JWT Frankfurt office as an Account Supervisor
1969Named Director of the JWT Frankfurt office
1970Became Managing Director of the JWT Frankfurt office and Management Supervisor on major accounts
1974Returned to New York as Senior Vice President of JWT
1977Joined the New York office as Group Account Director on Labatts, Reader's Digest and, in 1979, Burger King
1983Named Managing Director of Lansdowne Advertising, a division of JWT USA
1986Elected Executive Vice President and Director of JWT
xxxxAdjunct Professor of Marketing at Rutgers University
xxxxRetired from the J. Walter Thompson Company
xxxxEstablished Smith Clark Associates, a consulting firm based in Amenia, NY

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Collection Overview

The papers of Harry Clark focus on his career at the J. Walter Thompson GmbH advertising agency while he was Managing Director of the Frankfurt, Germany office, 1970-1973. The papers document Clark's work with major clients at J. Walter Thompson GmbH (JWT's Frankfurt office). The collection primarily concerns his work with international clients such as De Beers, Pan American, and Unilever, and provides insight into the close coordination and cooperation among JWT's international offices when working with such clients. The papers consist of correspondence, telexes, memoranda, notes, reports, photoboards, advertisements, photographs, clippings, and printed materials. Clients of the company represented in the collection include Braun, De Beers, Glücksklee, S. C. Johnson, Kellogg, Pan Am, and Unilever. Correspondents include clients such as Burda Du Pont, Eilebrecht, Ford, Maggi, Pan Am, and Wick Pharma; other JWT Offices; and JWT executives including Don Johnston, Peter Durham, and Myron R. May. The majority the collection (approximately 70%) is in English, and the remainder is in German.
The Clients Series documents Clark's day-to-day work for his clients; the development of campaigns and the production of advertisements; campaign presentations; and marketing schemes used by the Frankfurt office. Clark supervised the accounts for Braun, De Beers, Glücksklee, S. C. Johnson, Kellogg, Pan Am, and Unilever. From 1971-1973, the series contains detailed information about JWT Frankfurt's work for these clients. Included is the correspondence with clients, JWT Frankfurt's budget and campaign planning including scripts and layouts, Clark's attendance at client conferences, and his communication with other JWT Offices on behalf of these accounts. The Pan Am files reveal some of the particular German sensitivities in the advertising market ( "Luxembourg" advertisement 1972, "Berlin" advertisement, see correspondence 1973). Almost half of this series concerns Clark's work for several Unilever accounts. Under the heading Unilever, insight is provided into his efforts for various Elida Gibbs and Lever-Sunlight products (Elidor, Harmony, Gloria, Es wirkt, Mentadent C, and Pepsodent).
The Correspondence Series consists of both internal and external correspondence. The internal correspondence documents the flow of information from the executive level to the staff level (Haus-Mitteilungen), and provides insight into the daily operations in the Frankfurt Office. Frankfurt's internal communication discusses contacts with clients and the preparation of campaign presentations, conferences, market research, new policies on billings, advertising regulations, staff appointments, and news from other JWT offices. The external correspondence documents the communication with several clients including Burda, Du Pont, Eilebrecht, Ford, Maggi, Pan Am, Rivella International, Savon Gayal, Vereinigte Papierwerke, Wick Pharma as well as an exchange of information with other JWT offices concerning clients, new business, and international markets. The correspondence with Don Johnston consists of a collection of Johnston's memoranda to JWT International Office Managers concerning the planning for the year ahead, appointments, inquiries and information about international clients as well as some direct correspondence between Clark and Johnston.
The International Offices Series is comprised primarily of correspondence between Harry Clark and account supervisors in other J. Walter Thompson Company offices. The majority of items relate to the offices in London and New York. The communication with New York provides general insight into the exchange of information about clients. Extensive information is provided about Clark's visits in New York, the United States travel service (1973), Sony video tape recorders (1973), and the International Basic Economy Corporation (1973). The correspondence with the London Office provides an exchange of memoranda and reports about issues with international clients including information about Reed International, the Braun account, and consumer attitudes to the soap "Fa" (Unilever) in Germany (1973). Correspondents include David Campbell-Harris (Milan), Constance B. Ivie (New York), Don Johnston (London and New York), Denis Lanigan (London), Julian Morrison (Chicago), Anthony Rau (London), Al Stridsberg (New York).
The New Business Series provides insight into JWT-Frankfurt's efforts to gain new clients. Documented are first contacts with prospective clients, market analyses, and information requests to JWT Offices that have already worked for the client or for other clients in the same market field. It should be noted that this series contains new business campaigns only for clients that JWT did not obtain. Among the courted clients are B.A.S.F., Commerzbank, Manpower, Red Barn Restaurants, Ranks Hovis McDougall-Foods, and the Württembergische Metallwarenfabrik.
For related material, see the papers of other Frankfurt office executives, Frankfurt print advertisements, and the Frankfurt video collection.
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Subject Headings

These are searchable subject entries for this collection. Performing a search on these subjects in the Duke University Libraries online catalog will bring up other related research materials.
List of Series in Collection
Clients Series, 1971-1973
General Correspondence/Korrespondenz Allgemein Series, 1970-1973
International Offices Series, 1972-1973
New Business Series, 1971
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Detailed Description of Collection

Clients Series, 1971-1973

Comprised of brochures, speeches, memos, reports, clippings, cost estimates, charts, photocopies of ads, scripts, schedules, photos, telexes, and correspondence relating to the clients of the JWT Frankfurt Office.
Arranged alphabetically by client, then chronologically.

Box 1

Braun:
Correspondence, 1972-1973
Correspondence with other JWT offices, A-Z, 1972-1973   (2 folders)
Memoranda / Hausmitteilungen, 1972-1973
Reports, 1972-1973

De Beers:
Budget and campaign planning, 1971-1974
Conference papers, 1972-1973
Correspondence, 1971, Oct. - 1974, Jan.   (4 folders)
Correspondence with other JWT offices, 1971-1973
International Gold Corporation, 1972
Memoranda / Hausmitteilungen, 1971, Aug.-1973, Dec.   (2 folders)

Glücksklee:
Call reports / Kontaktberichte, 1971, Feb.-March
Correspondence, 1971, Jan.-Dec.
Memoranda / Hausmitteilungen, 1971, Jan.-Dec.
Reports, 1971, Jan.-Dec.
Scripts, 1971, Jan.-Dec.

Johnson:
Correspondence, 1969, June - 1971, Dec.
Correspondence with other JWT offices, 1969, May - 1971, Oct.
Memoranda / Hausmitteilungen, 1969, June - 1971, Dec.
Reports, 1969-1971

Kellogg:
Brochures and recipes, 1971, Jan.-Dec.
Call reports / Kontaktberichte, 1971, Jan.-Dec.
Conferences, 1971, Jan.-1972, Dec.
Correspondence, Germany, 1971, Jan.-Dec.
Correspondence, international, 1971, Jan.-Dec.
Correspondence with other JWT offices, A-Z, 1971, Jan.-Dec.
Memoranda / Hausmitteilungen, 1971, Jan.-Dec.
PR correspondence, 1970, July - 1971, Dec.
Scripts and layouts, 1971, Jan.-Dec.
Reports, 1971, Jan.-Dec.

Pan Am:
Advertising texts, 1973
Campaign (Luxembourg ad.), 1972
Campaign planning, 1972-1973   (2 folders)
Correspondence, 1972-1973   (2 folders)
Correspondence with other JWT offices, A-M (London), 1971, Jan.-1972, Dec.
Correspondence with other JWT offices, N-Z (New York), 1971, Jan.-1972, Dec.
Box 2

Pan Am:
Correspondence with other JWT offices, A-Z (New York), 1973, Jan.-Dec.
Memoranda / Hausmitteilungen, 1971, Jan.-1973, Dec.   (2 folders)
Meeting, Nov. 1972

Unilever:
Central media buying, 1973, Jan.-Dec.
Conference, 1972, May
Conference, 1973, May
Correspondence with other JWT Offices, A-Z, 1972, Jan.-Dec.   (2 folders)
Memoranda / Hausmitteilungen, 1972, Jan.-Dec.
Elida Gibbs:
Correspondence, 1972, Jan.-1974, Dec.   (2 folders)
Correspondence with other JWT Offices, 1973, Jan.-Dec.
Memoranda / Hausmitteilungen, 1973, Jan.-Dec.
"Es wirkt," 1973, Jan.-Dec.
Hair preparations, Campaign planning, 1972-1973   (3 folders)
Hair preparations, conference, 1971, May
Hair preparations, correspondence, 1971, Jan.-Dec.
Hair preparations, correspondence with other JWT Offices, A-Z, 1971, Jan.-Dec.
Hair preparations, memoranda / Hausmitteilungen, 1971, Jan.-Dec.
Hair preparations, call reports / Kontaktberichte, 1971, Jan.-Dec.
Hair preparations, reports, 1971, Jan.-Dec.
Hair preparations, scripts, Jan. 1971
Mentadent C, campaign planning, 1973, Jan.-Dec.
Mentadent C, correspondence, 1973, Jan.-Dec.
Mentadent C, correspondence with other JWT Offices, A-Z, 1973, Jan.-Dec.
Mentadent C, memoranda / Hausmitteilungen, 1972-1973   (2 folders)
Pepsodent, call reports / Kontaktberichte, 1971, Jan.-Dec.
Pepsodent, correspondence, 1971, Jan.-Dec.
Pepsodent, correspondence with other JWT Offices, 1971, Jan.-Dec.
Pepsodent, memoranda / Hausmitteilungen, 1971, Jan.-Dec.
Pepsodent, scripts and layouts, 1970, Sept.-1971, May
Lever Sunlight:
Correspondence, 1972, Jan.-1973, Dec.
Correspondence with other JWT Offices, 1973, Jan.-Dec.
Campaign planning, 1973, Jan.-Dec.

General Correspondence/Korrespondenz Allgemein Series, 1970-1973

Consists of letters both to and from Clark. Correspondents include clients and officers from other JWT offices. Also contains interoffice memoranda, printed materials, articles, clippings, and reports.
Except for 1970, the material is separated between internal and external correspondence, and is arranged chronologically by year within each division. Filed separately is his correspondence with Peter Dunham, Don Johnston, and Myron R. May.

Box 2

Internal and external correspondence 1970, Jan.-Dec.
  (5 folders)

Internal correspondence, 1970, Jan.-Dec.
  (5 folders)
Box 3

Internal correspondence, 1971, Jan.-1973, Aug.
  (3 folders)

External correspondence:
1971, Jan.-1973, Dec.   (5 folders)
Dunham, Peter, 1973, Jan.-Dec.
Johnston, Don, 1973, Jan.-Dec.   (2 folders)
May, Myron R., 1973, Jan.-Dec.

Newsletters from JWT London, New York, and Johannesburg (transferred to the newsletter collection)

International Offices Series, 1972-1973

Constitutes Harry Clark's incoming and outgoing correspondence with more than twenty JWT offices worldwide. It consists of letters, telexes, memoranda, speeches, client lists, reports, notes and clippings.
Arranged alphabetically according to the name of the city in which the other JWT office is located and then chronologically.

Box 3
Amsterdam, 1972-1973
Brussels, 1972-1973
Bombay, 1972-1973
Buenos Aires, 1973
Chicago, 1972-1973
Copenhagen, 1972
Detroit, 1973
Johannesburg, 1972-1973
London, 1972-1973   (5 folders)
Los Angeles, 1972
Madrid, 1972-1973
Manila, 1973
Milan, 1972-1973
New York, 1971-1973   (3 folders)
Paris, 1972-1973
San Francisco, 1973
Sao Paulo, 1972
Stockholm, 1972
Sydney, 1972-1973
Tokyo, 1972-1973
Toronto, 1973
Vienna, 1972-1973
Zurich, 1972-1973

New Business Series, 1971

Comprised of correspondence, reports, minutes, market analysis drafts, notes, telexes, printed material, clippings and campaign presentation material for accounts the Frankfurt office did not obtain.
Arranged alphabetically by client's name.

Box 3

A-Z, 1971, Jan.-Dec.
  (3 folders)