Inventory of the J. Walter Thompson Company. Frankfurt Office. Hans Ihlefeld Papers, 1952-1980, bulk 1972-1978
[top]Descriptive Summary
Repository
Rare Book, Manuscript, and Special Collections Library, Duke
University
Creator
J. Walter Thompson Company. Frankfurt
Office.
Title
J. Walter Thompson Company.
Frankfurt Office. Hans Ihlefeld Papers,
1952-1980, bulk 1972-1978
Language of Material
Material
in English,
German, French
Extent
13.5 Linear Feet
12,150 Items
Abstract
12,150 Items
The J. Walter Thompson
Company (JWT), founded in 1864, is one of the oldest and largest enduring
advertising agencies in the United States. Hans Ihlefeld was financial manager
and director of JWT's branch offices in Frankfurt, Vienna and Zurich in the
1960s and 1970s.
The Hans Ihlefeld
Papers document Ihlefeld's tenure as financial manager and director of
the Frankfurt, Vienna, and Zurich offices of JWT, where he oversaw the
expansion of the agency with regard to number of clients, subsidiaries, and
financial volume. The collection includes correspondence, telexes and
telegrams, memoranda, tables of results, charts and graphs, client and account
lists, profit plans, computer printouts, invoices and receipts, contracts,
clippings, articles and other printed material. Specific topics documented in
the Hans Ihlefeld papers include financial statements and transactions
concerning the German-speaking areas of Europe (Germany, Austria, and
Switzerland) and Scandinavia, especially profit projections and periodic
(monthly, quarterly, and annual) results reports; communication between
Ihlefeld and other JWT executives and offices about JWT short- and long-term
strategy; account planning; communication with JWT's European subsidiaries ARC,
Basisresearch, Century, ProService, and PR; and correspondence with clients.
The bulk of communications take place between the Vienna, Zurich, Stockholm,
and New York offices. Notable company correspondents include Peter Gilow and
Harry Clark. 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.
[top]
Administrative Information
Access RestrictionsCollection is open for research.
However, collection may contain materials to which the
Acknowledgment of Legal Responsibilities and Privacy Rights form applies.
Patrons must sign this 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.
Copyright Notice
The copyright interests in this collection have not been transferred
to Duke University. For more information, consult the copyright section of the
Regulations and Procedures of the Rare Book, Manuscript, and Special
Collections Library.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], J. Walter Thompson Company. Frankfurt
Office. Hans Ihlefeld Papers, Rare Book, Manuscript, and Special Collections
Library, Duke University.
Provenance
The J. Walter Thompson Company. Frankfurt Office. Hans Ihlefeld
Papers were received by the Rare Book, Manuscript, and Special Collections
Library as a transfer in 1995.
Processing Information
Processed by Richard Collier, Sylvia Pfeiffenberger, April 2006
Encoded by Richard Collier, Norbert Schurer
Completed April 2006
Descriptive sources and standards used to create this inventory:
DACS, EAD, NCEAD guidelines, and our
local
Style Guide.
[top]
Biographical Note
| 1969 | Joined JWT |
| 1973 | Financial Manager for Vienna and Zurich, JWT Frankfurt |
| 1977 | Director for Germany, JWT Frankfurt |
Collection Overview
The Hans Ihlefeld Papers span the years
1969 to 1978, with the bulk of the material dating from 1972 to 1978, and
document
Ihlefeld's tenure as financial manager and
director of the Frankfurt, Vienna, and Zurich offices of JWT, where he oversaw
the expansion of the agency with regard to number of clients, subsidiaries, and
financial volume. The collection includes correspondence, telexes and
telegrams, memoranda, tables of results, charts and graphs, client and account
lists, profit plans, computer printouts, invoices and receipts, contracts,
clippings, articles and other printed material. Specific topics documented in
the Hans Ihlefeld papers include: financial statements and transactions
concerning the German-speaking areas of Europe (Germany, Austria, and
Switzerland) and Scandinavia, especially profit projections and periodic
(monthly, quarterly, and annual) results reports; communication between
Ihlefeld and other JWT executives and offices about JWT short- and long-term
strategy; account planning; communication with JWT's European subsidiaries
ARC, Basisresearch, Century, ProService, and PR;
and correspondence with clients. The bulk of communications take place between
the Vienna, Zurich, Stockholm, and New York offices. Notable correspondents
include
Peter Gilow and
Harry Clark. 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 collection is made up of three series: Correspondence and Memoranda; Finance; and German-Speaking Areas
(GSA) Series.
The Correspondence and Memoranda Series
comprises reports, summaries and written communications that passed through
Ihlefeld's office. The series is organized into six subseries--General Correspondence, Clients, JWT Offices, JWT Subsidiaries,
Memoranda/Haus Mitteilungen, and
Trend Letter. The
General Correspondence Subseries focuses primarily
on the Frankfurt Office's financial negotiations and agreements with clients in
the form of letters, budgets (of media and production costs), billings, and
taxes. 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. The JWT Offices Subseries documents the coordination of
financial operations between the Frankfurt Office and the Zurich, Stockholm,
Vienna, and New York offices, and to a lesser extent with other JWT offices.
Topics include short- and long-term financial planning (particularly with
regard to profits and taxes), transactions between different JWT offices, tax
audits, insurance matters, legal matters, and personnel matters (including
visits) in the Frankfurt, Vienna, Zurich, and Stockholm offices. The
JWT Subsidiaries Subseries gives information--mostly
of a financial or tax-related nature--on JWT's European subsidiaries ARC,
Basis, Century, ProService, and PR. The Memoranda/Haus-Mitteilungen Subseries documents the daily
administration of the Frankfurt office, particularly with regard to production,
financial matters, personnel, and taxes. The
Trend Letter Subseries documents
the acquisition and demise of
Trend Letter, a financial newsletter
designed for the business side of the advertising industry.
The Finance Series documents gains and
losses, budgeting, taxes, the role of the comptroller, and monthly, quarterly,
as well as annual results in the German Speaking Area.
The German-Speaking Area (GSA) Series
documents JWT operations in the three-country area of Germany, Austria, and
Switzerland. Topics include financial reporting and planning in the GSA and
Scandinavia, as well as for several European subsidiaries.
[top]
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.
- J. Walter Thompson Company.
- J. Walter Thompson Company. Frankfurt Office.
- J. Walter Thompson Company. New York Office.
- J. Walter Thompson Company. Stockholm Office.
- J. Walter Thompson Company. Vienna Office.
- J. Walter Thompson Company. Zurich Office.
- Unilever (Firm)
- Ford Motor Company.
- Kraft Foods Company.
- PepsiCo, Inc.
- Clark, Harry, 1935-
- Gilow, Peter, 1918-1992.
- Ihlefeld, Hans.
- Advertising--Europe.
- Advertising--Scandinavia.
- Advertising agencies--Scandinavia.
- Advertising agencies--Scandinavia--History.
- Advertising agencies--Accounting.
- Advertising agencies--Europe.
- Advertising agencies--Europe--History.
- Advertising agencies--Management.
- Advertising executives.
- Clippings (AAT)
- Contracts (AAT)
- Memoranda (AAT)
- John W. Hartman Center for Sales, Advertising & Marketing History.
Related Material:
For related materials, see other collections in the
J. Walter Thompson Company Archives, especially the
papers of other Frankfurt office executives in the Frankfurt Office Records, Such as the Harry Clark Papers and the Peter Gilow
Papers. Additional information may be found in the Frankfurt Advertisements Collection, the
JWT Newsletter Collection, JWT
Writings and Speeches Collection, and the Frankfurt
Film and Video Collection.
 | List of Series in Collection | |||||||
 |  | Correspondence and Memoranda Series, 1967-1980, bulk 1972-1978 | ||||||
| | Finance Series, 1952-1977, bulk 1965-1975 | ||||||
 | | German-Speaking Area (GSA) Series, 1976-1980 | ||||||
Detailed Description of Collection
Correspondence and Memoranda Series, 1967-1980, bulk 1972-1978
(5 boxes)
General Correspondence Subseries, 1973-1978
Contains typed and handwritten letters, notes, memoranda, and
other documents. The most prominent correspondent is
Manfred Ostwald of the JWT Frankfurt office,
but several other JWT and corporate correspondents are also present. Referenced
clients include
Champion,
De Beers,
Johnson,
Kaufhof,
Kellogg's,
Lever-Sunlicht, and
Wick. Arranged chronologically.
Box 1
1973-1978
(5 folders)
Clients Subseries, 1974-1978
Consists of typed and handwritten letters, telexes and
telegrams, invoices, charts, notes, memoranda (Haus-Mitteilungen), contracts,
fee agreements, call reports (Kontaktberichte), and file memos (Aktennotizen)
concerning all aspects of account planning for JWT-Frankfurt, and to some
extent of JWT-Vienna. Divided into three sections: account planning (thereunder
by office), Ford of Europe (thereunder chronologically), and other clients
(thereunder alphabetically) While a large part of the series records the
financial transactions between the partners, another section of letters details
the responsibilities of JWT as an advertising agency, the assessment of fees,
and the future of the German-speaking area. Arranged alphabetically.
Box 1
Account Planning
Frankfurt,
1974-1978
(10 folders)
Vienna,
1976-1978
Braun,
1977
Ford ESO,
1974-1979
(5 folders)
Other clients,
1977
(3 folders)
Includes
Burger King, DeBeers, Elida, Pepsi, Seagram, and
Teledyne Water Pik.
JWT Offices Subseries, 1971-1980
Chiefly Hans Ihlefeld's correspondence with JWT international
offices, especially Vienna, Zurich, London, New York, and Stockholm. The series
contains typed and hand-written letters, telexes and telegrams, printed
material, notes, memoranda, clippings and articles, minutes, reports, charts
and graphs, questionnaires, receipts, contracts, quarterly results, profit
plans, account lists, and other documents concerning JWT's financial
operations--from international tax planning to individual offices. Issues
specifically noted in the series include accounts, tax planning, growth and
investments. Important correspondents include
Peter Horak (JWT-Zurich),
John Novotny and
Håkan Verner-Carlsson (both JWT-Stockholm),
Alfred Tiefenbrunner (JWT-Vienna),
Ed Lanzo (JWT-New York), and
Manfred Ostwald (JWT-Frankfurt). Clients and
products mentioned in this series include
DeBeers, Elida, Ford, Gilette, Jacobs, Kodak, Kraft,
PanAm, PepsiCo, Sunlicht, and Unilever. Arranged alphabetically by
office, preceded by a folder of general documents.
Box 2
General,
1972-1974
Amsterdam,
1972-1977
Brussels,
1973, 1975,
1978
Buenos Aires,
1975
Chicago,
1975
Copenhagen,
1972-1978
Detroit,
1974
Istanbul,
1978
Johannesburg,
1974, 1977
Lisbon,
1975
London,
1970-1978
(5 folders)
Los Angeles,
1977
Madrid,
1973,
1976-1978
Milan,
1972-1978
New York,
1971-1978
(12 folders)
Paris,
1975-1978
Rio de Janeiro,
1978
San Juan,
1973-1974
Stockholm
General,
1973-1976
Correspondence,
1973-1978
(6 folders)
Kreatörerna,
1977
Lagerlöf,
1975-1978
Box 3
Monthly Telexes,
1973-1977
Price Waterhouse,
1977-1978
Profit Plans,
1973-1976
Quarterly Results,
1973-1976
Sydney,
1974
Toronto,
1972, 1974,
1977-1978
Vienna
General,
1971-1977
(4 folders)
Correspondence,
1971-1977
(5 folders)
Hamtil,
1972-1974
Haus-Mitteilungen,
1977
Marketing plan,
1974
Monthly telexes,
1971-1977
(3 folders)
Profit Plan,
1972-1975
Quarterly Results,
1972-1975
(2 folders)
Statistics,
1972-1976
Zurich
Banks,
1973-1974,
1977
(2 folders)
Correspondence,
1972-1977
(1-2 of 9 folders)
Box 4
Correspondence,
1972-1977
(3-9 of 9 folders)
FIDES,
1971-1977
(2 folders)
Ford Audit,
1977
Meetings,
1977
Monthly Telexes,
1971-1977
(2 folders)
Profit Plan,
1971-1975
Quarterly Results,
1971-1977
(3 folders)
Statistics,
1969-1978
JWT Subsidiaries Subseries, 1967-1980, bulk 1972-1978
Contracts, monthly statements, typed and hand-written letters,
telexes and telegrams, notes, charts, profit plans, audit reports, quarterly
reports, printed material, minutes, and other documents pertaining to JWT's
European subsidiaries ARC, Basisresearch, Century, ProService, and PR. Arranged
alphabetically by subsidiary.
Box 4
ARC
General,
1973-1978
(3 folders)
Correspondence,
1971-1976
Finance,
1971-1974
Verträge,
1971-1976 (2
folders)
Basisresearch
General,
1972-1978
Monthly Statements,
1971-1976 (2
folders)
Box 5
Profit Plan,
1972-1975
Quarterly Results,
1972-1975 (2
folders)
Century
General,
1974-1977
Correspondence
General,
1967-1980
(2 folders)
FIDES,
1968-1979
(2 folders)
FIDES,
Vieli,
1973-1979
Finance
1974-1980
(3 folders)
Generalversammlungen,
1976-1979
Protokolle,
1975-1978
Shares/Verträge,
1972-1975
Transactions,
1975-1979
Urkunden,
1975-1977
PR
General,
1977-1978
ProService
General,
1972-1978
Monthly Statements,
1971-1976
Quarterly Results,
1972-1975
(2 folders)
Memoranda/Haus-Mitteilungen Subseries, 1972-1978, bulk 1975-1978
Documents the daily administration of the Frankfurt office,
particularly with regard to production, financial matters, personnel, and
taxes. Includes the 1978
"Management Style Diagnosis Test"
from the Norman H. Strouse Seminar and a 1978 document titled
"Kommunikationsmonitor,"
published by JWT subsidiary Basisresearch (both in the 1977-1978 folder).
Correspondents include Burkhard Schwarz, Tilman Mauser, Peter Gilow, Manfred
Ostwald, Paul Siebel, and Heinz Möckel. Important clients represented include
Ford and
Glücksklee. Arranged alphabetically.
Box 5
General,
1972-1978
(5 folders)
Finance,
1977-1978
H+D,
1977
Internationale Gruppe,
1977
Unit 1,
1977
Unit 2,
1977
Unit 3,
1977
Vorschlagswesen,
1978
Trend Letter Subseries, 1975-1979, bulk 1976-1978
Correspondence, reports, newsletters and other publications
document the history of the short-lived publication,
Trend Letter. Originally founded by
Bernd Rohrbach to address the business side of the advertising industry,
Trend Letter ran into financial
difficulties and transformed into a limited liability company with Rohrbach,
JWT, and Basisresearch holding one third of the company each. By the end of
1976, however,
Trend Letter was discontinued, but
Rohrbach and JWT continued to fight over the outstanding debts for the next
three years. The series documents JWT's dealings with Rohrbach and
Trend Letter, from the initial
proposition by Rohrbach to the demise of the newsletter, including Rohrbach's
original concept for the newsletter; internal memos confirming the interest in,
and need for, such a newsletter; and letters to prospective subscribers and
discussions that led to discontinue publication. Correspondents include
Bernd Rohrbach and Peter Gilow. Arranged
alphabetically.
Box 5
Correspondence,
1975-1979
(3 folders)
Newsletter,
1976
Finance Series, 1952-1977, bulk 1965-1975
(3 boxes)
Contains budgets, memoranda, notes, charts, lists, graphs,
telexes, typed letters, computer printouts and other documents concerning the
financial transactions of JWT in the German-speaking area. Arranged
alphabetically.
Box 6
Budgets
General,
1952-1972
(16 folders)
Basisresearch,
1969-1971
Frankfurt,
1967-1971
(7 folders)
GSA
General,
1970-1971
Correspondence,
1970-1971
Memoranda,
1967-1968,
1971
Statistics,
1970-1971
Box 7
Vienna,
1967-1971
(5 folders)
Zurich,
1967-1971
(3 folders)
Financial Reporting
Exchange Rates,
1976-1977
London,
1974-1975
New York,
1974-1975
GWA-Betriebsvergleich,
1974
Memoranda,
1973-1974
Monthly Assessment
General,
1971-1974
(2 folders)
Frankfurt,
1970-1971 (2
folders)
Vienna,
1970-1971
Zurich,
1970-1971
Monthly Telexes
General,
1972-1977
(5 folders)
ARC,
1977
Basisresearch,
1977
Century,
1977
ProService,
1977
Operating Results
Correspondence,
1972-1975
Frankfurt,
1972-1974
International,
1972-1974
Stockholm,
1972-1974
Vienna,
1972-1974
Zurich,
1972-1974
Box 8
Profit Plan,
1972-1975
(2 folders)
Quarterly Results,
1970-1975
(4 folders)
Statistics,
1970-1975
(2 folders)
German-Speaking Area (GSA) Series, 1976-1980
(2 boxes)
Contains monthly telexes, profit plans, reports, three-year plans,
notes, charts, computer printouts, typed correspondence, and other documents
pertaining to financial reporting and planning of JWT in Germany, Austria,
Switzerland and Scandinavia as well as to the subsidiaries
ARC, Basisresearch, Century, PR, and
ProService. In German and English. Arranged alphabetically.
Box 8
General,
1976-1977
Monthly Telexes
ARC,
1978
Basisresearch,
1978
Frankfurt,
1978
PR,
1978
ProService,
1978
Stockholm,
1978
Vienna,
1978
Zurich,
1978
Profit Plans
General,
1978
ARC,
1977-1978
Basisresearch,
1977-1978
Ford ESO,
1976-1978
Frankfurt,
1976-1978 (2
folders)
PR,
1977-1978
ProService,
1977-1978
Stockholm,
1976-1978
Vienna,
1976-1978
Zurich,
1976-1978
Quarterly Results
General,
1977-1978
ARC,
1978
Basisresearch,
1977-1978
Ford ESO,
1978
Frankfurt,
1976-1978 (3
folders)
Box 9
PR,
1978
ProService,
1978
Stockholm,
1976-1977
Vienna,
1976-1978
Zurich,
1976-1978
(2 folders)
Three-year plan,
1977-1978
