DACS

jwtdignamjohn Inventory of the J. Walter Thompson Company. John F. Dignam Papers, 1958-2003 and undated, bulk 1960s-1987 Processed by: Richard Collier, Chris Kavcsek; machine-readable finding aid created by: Richard Collier The John W. Hartman Center for Sales, Advertising & Marketing HistoryDavid M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library Duke University Durham, N.C., USA

Aleph Number: 003288384

Machine-readable finding aid derived from XML authoring program. Date of source: December 2007Processed by Richard Collier, Chris Kavcsek, December 2007; Finding Aid encoded by Richard Collier, David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University, December 2007 Description is in English Finding aid was prepared using DACS and our local Style Guide Inventory of the J. Walter Thompson Company. John F. Dignam Papers, 1958-2003 and undated, bulk 1960s-1987 The John W. Hartman Center for Sales, Advertising & Marketing HistoryDavid M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library Duke University Durham, North Carolina 27708-0185 USA

Descriptive Summary David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University J. Walter Thompson Company. J. Walter Thompson Company. John F. Dignam Papers, 1958-2003 and undated, bulk 1960s-1987 Material in English and Spanish 7.1 Linear Feet 423 Items For current information on the location of these materials, please consult the Library's online catalog. Founded in 1864, the J. Walter Thompson Company (JWT) is one of the largest and oldest enduring advertising agencies in the United States. John F. Dignam was a commercial artist and an executive with JWT during a 26-year career, in which he held positions of Vice President and Senior Art Director. 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 collection also includes a few reports, television commercial scripts and other writings, along with some videocassettes of television commercials. Companies represented in the collection include the Banco Popular de Puerto Rico, British Aerospace, British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC), Ford Motor Company, the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company, Harveys of Bristol, Jantzen, Pan AMerican World Airways, Inc., the Radio Corporation of America (RCA), Standard Brands, and the United States Aircraft Insurance Group (USAIG). Administrative Information Access Restrictions

Collection is open for research.

However, audiovisual originals are closed to researchers. Use Copies are available in the collection.

In addition, 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 David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library to use this collection.

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 David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library.

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], J. Walter Thompson Company. John F. Dignam Papers, David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library

Provenance

The J. Walter Thompson Company. John F. Dignam Papers were received by the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library as a gift in 2003 and 2006.

Processing Information

Processed by Richard Collier, Chris Kavcsek, December 2007

Encoded by Richard Collier, December 2007

Accessions 2003-214 and 2006-017 were merged into one collection, described in this finding aid.

Descriptive sources and standards used to create this inventory: DACS, EAD, NCEAD guidelines, and our local Style Guide.

This finding aid is NCEAD compliant.

Biographical Note 1926 Mar. 31 Born, Easthampton, Mass. 1951-1953 Art Director, G.F. Sweet & Company, Hartford, Conn. 1952 BFa, Massachusetts Institute of Art (presently the Massachusetts College of Art and Design) 1952 Attended Pratt Institute (nights) 1953-1955 Studio staff, R.W. Bridges Studio 1955-1960 Art Director, Victor A. Bennett Company, Inc., New York N.Y. 1960-1987 J. Walter Thompson Company; various positions including Art Director, Art Group Head, Vice President, Senior Art Director 1975 Effie Award, Ford Granada campaign 1976 Effie Award, Best Automotive Campaign, Ford Granada Chicago International Film Festival Award, Best Series of TV Spots, Ford Granada campaign Advertising Age 100 Best Advertisements, Ford Granada 1977 Advertising Age 100 Best Advertisements, Ford Fiesta 1979 Art Director, Landsdowne Advertising (a division of JWT) 1987 Left JWT to pursue freelance career Collection Overview

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 collection also includes a few reports, television commercial scripts and other writings, along with some videocassettes of television commercials. Companies represented in the collection include the Banco Popular de Puerto Rico, British Aerospace, British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC), Ford Motor Company, the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company, Harveys of Bristol, Jantzen, Pan American World Airways, the Radio Corporation of America (RCA), Standard Brands, and the United States Aircraft Insurance Group (USAIG).

Collection Arrangement

The collection is arranged into four series: Business and Personal Files; Advertisements and Advertising Artwork; Artifacts; and Audiovisual Materials. The Business and Personal Files Series includes biographical sketches, scripts for television commercials, reports, and other writings. The Advertisements and Advertising Artwork Series, the largest series in the collection, consists of sketches, cartoons, and proof sheets for advertising campaigns created under Dignam's direction. The Artifacts Series primarily consists of a model dinosaur used in a Standard Brands advertising campaign. The Audiovisual Materials Series includes videotapes and use copies of television commercials.

Many of the advertisements and artwork arrived in envelopes and folders upon which Dignam had written notes concerning the backgrounds of many of the campaigns. The notes were photocopied and may be found included in the Business and Personal Files Series in a folder entitled Notes on various campaigns. In addition, where possible the notes have been appended to the processed folders containing the advertisements and artwork.

Restrictions on Access: Audiovisual originals are closed to researchers. Use Copies are available in the collection.

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.

Dignam, John F., 1926- J. Walter Thompson Company. Banco Popular de Puerto Rico. British Aerospace (Firm) British Overseas Airways Corporation. Ford Motor Company. Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company. Harveys of Bristol. Jantzen, Inc. Pan American World Airways, Inc. Radio Corporation of America. Advertising agencies--United States. Advertising executives--United States. Advertising--United States--History--20th century. Art direction. Commercial art. Television advertising--United States. Proofs. Videocassettes.Scripts (documents). John W. Hartman Center for Sales, Advertising & Marketing History. Related Material

Related materials may be found in the following Hartman Center collections of the J. Walter Thompson Company Archives: Account Files Collection; Domestic Advertisements Collection; Detroit Office Records; Corporation Vertical Files; Wallace W. Elton Papers; Ed George Papers; Edgar Hatcher Papers; Don Johnston Papers; Bertram Metter Papers; Dan Seymour Papers; Winfield Taylor Papers; Edward G. Wilson Papers; Ted Wilson Papers; and the Shirley Woodell Papers. Additional related material may be located in the American Association of Advertising Agencies Records (Goodyear); the D'Arcy Masius Benton & Bowles Archives (Goodyear); the Margaret Fishback Papers (Goodyear); the Roy Lightner Collection of Antique Advertisements (Ford, Goodyear, RCA); the Garrett Orr Papers (Goodyear, Jantzen); the Howard Scott Papers (Ford, Jantzen); and the Outdoor Advertising Association of America Archives (BOAC, Jantzen).

Contents of Collection Business and Personal Files Series, 1980-1981 and undated

Includes biographical sketches, scripts and portfolios of television advertising, and other writings. Arranged alphabetically.

1Biographical information, undated Television commercials Jantzen Jeans, Diver, 1981 Standard Brands, The Dragon Gets Around, 1980 Writings How to Photograph a Ford Car, undated

[Dignam remarks: I was sent to Brazil to work on several ads. JWT was having trouble there. A couple of years later, they sent me back to Brazil and Venezuela to show them how to photograph Ford cars. They loved the look, so I made this sample book.]

Notes on various campaigns, undated

[Dignam wrote explanatory notes on many of the folders that originally held materials donated as this collection. The notes were photcopied and collected here.]

Advertisements and Advertising Artwork Series, 1958-2003 and undated

Includes print advertisements, proof sheets, sketches and original artwork. Arranged into two subseries--Small-Format Items and Large-Format Items, and alphabetically by client therein.

Small-Format Items, 1959-2003 and undated 1Acorn School, undated

[Dignam remarks: This was freelance, pro bono work.]

Curad, 1989-1990 Duro-Test, undated Ford, 1978-1979 and undated(2 folders)

[Dignam remarks: I was Vice President and Art Director on the Ford account for about 15 years, as well as working on other accounts. I thought it would be nice to see an ad showing the fall scenery, but the cars were being photographed at the same time, so I got our studio in Detroit to make me a piece of art showing fall colors. Also, the Aerodynamics: The Final Touch campaign with Jackie Stewart was also done with artwork. You can't tell the photography from the artwork!

Andy Nelson, the overall Creative Director, said that we should take as many liberties as possible. We bought film and borrowed Ford cars from dealers, got people or family members to pose with them. We presented the photos and hoped to sell the idea. Copy writer Warren Weith and I were sent to Riverside, California to make an ad with the winner. It rained so hard, and we couldn't stay over, so I went out in the rain and shot every car, as they were stopped because of the rain. I shot every one, so when we went back to New York, we found which car had won approval. I had a photo of the car (in the rain), and we put together an ad that eventually ran.]

Four Winds Travel, undated Goodyear, 1986 and undated(2 folders)

[Dignam remarks: I did a campaign for Goodyear hoses, featuring the Queen Mary, John Deere, and a power project in Texas. There were 3-color dealer support ads, as well as a poster for belts and hoses. Posters done by other companies usually featured sexy girls as a way to attract attention; I thought a little girl and a dog would work just as well, and it did! For the campaign for Omnifilm, the company wanted a sports tie-in, so i worked something up with a photographer, Chuck Lamonica. For a football scene, we rented a sky background; for tennis, we rented a picture of a crowd; and for baseball, we just made a background with a green fence. For Goodyear Aerospace, the company wanted a simple and direct campaign. So this campaign, I made a profile of a face and head, because all of the ideas that came out of Goodyear Aerospace were of the mind! But for many years their ideas were all secrets, as they marketed only to the U.S. goverment.

My compositions: I drew or painted them on matte board. After Goodyear bought an idea, I sent the designs out to good artists to refine. Clients asked why I didn't do finishes! Before I came on board, the older campaigns were all on the comic side, with art provided by Disney artists. I thought they should be more classy.]

Jantzen, undated

[Dignam remarks: These were done out of Landsdowne, a boutique agency within JWT. Mike Gill was the head of Landsdowne. Jantzen, the swimwear company, was trying to get into the jeans business. Michael came up with the lines Nobody Knows Bodies Better and Live the Jantzen Life. I designed the brochure and Michael and I did the brochure and television commercial for Jantzen jeans. I also designed a new Jantzen logo--the previous one had been done by an artist in the 1940s.]

Maher Terminals, undated Mobil, undated Seventeen Street, undated South Cove Shops, undated Standard Brands (Royal Dragon brand Chinese food), 1981 Steinhauser Bier, undated The Strand, undated Union Castle Line, 1959 USAIG, 1991-2003(4 folders)

[Dignam remarks: Freelance work. While I was working at JWT sometime in the early 1980s, one of my studios, Agency Art, asked me to lunch with Richard (Dick) McGreal. Dick was a Vice President at USAIG. I was told Dick's Art Director had died and they wondered if I could help him. I was working 25 hours a day and weekends on Ford, so I couldn't help him. At the time, I had a Cessna 152, and that's why Agency Art thought that we had things to talk about. Dick and I talked, and I finally agreed to help him until he got a new Art Director. This relationship lasted about 30 years. During that time, I designed their stationery, letterheads, all ads, and posters. I got Ken Taylor of Detroit--he paints cars for GMC, Ford, etc. ads. He's the best airbrush artist I ever saw or worked with! I did all the Aviation News and newsletters every month, also the Notes and Newsnotes. Also all brochures of posters that hang in the offices of USAIG at 1 Seaport Plaza in New York City. I got and went on all photo shoots, and at times I designed all their posters. I also did some artwork for the National Business Aircraft Association (NBAA), the Helicopter Association/International (HAI), and NATA Safety. These folders contain some roughs by me, as well as some color proofing by Ken and Susan Barret of Tucson, Arizona, and by Dr. Mike Alper of Massachusetts. This type of proofing is no longer done this way. I also did a large poster for USAIG's 75th anniversary, along with a brochure that explains all the art in the poster.]

Large-Format Items, 1958-2000 and undated 2Banco Popular de Puerto Rico, 1987 and undated(3 folders) British Aerospace, 1991 and undated(3 folders)

[Dignam remarks: Freelance work. I did brochures and many ads.]

British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC), 1958-1960(2 folders)

[Dignam remarks: I worked at Victor Bennett Co. Advertising, on 45th St. off of 5th Ave., my first big New York agency job. I was responsible for the BOAC ads. I did the kid and characters. The campaign did quite well. I also did the First Pure Jet to Cross the Atlantic campaign. The main competition was Pan Am.]

Bryan Texas Utilities, undated

[Dignam remarks: I worked with Mike Gill. We did the redesign of the company name--ads, cards, logo (which I designed).]

Christian Dior, undated(2 folders) 3Country Living, 1983-1984

[Dignam remarks: A Landsdowne account. Mike Gill and I did the first ads for Country Living. Bruce Weber, a great photographer, did my pictures for this series. We did the farm house, with the fire and the dog, in Massachusetts. That was Bruce's dog.]

Defense Automated Printing Service, 1998-1999 and undated(2 folders)

[Dignam remarks: Mike Gill and I did an ad for each of the services: Army, Navy, Marines.]

Dr. Brown's, undated

[Dignam's remarks: I went to the Bettman Archives to get better art for new and cleaner cans of soda. I remember there was a very old man who was our client. He said he loved these posters for his soda.]

Equal Housing Opportunity, 1990 and undated(3 folders) Ford, 1967-1973 and undated(6 folders) 4Goodyear, 1986 and undated(4 folders) Hartco, 1991-1992

[Dignam remarks: Freelance, through the Beaumont-Bennett Agency. Harto Quality Wood Flooring, ads and brochures.]

5Harvey's Sherry, 1959 and undated(3 folders)

[Dignam remarks: Victor A. Bennett Co. This was my first big account as Art Director. I was responsible for Harvey's wines, which was owned by G.F. Heublein & Bros. in Hartford, Connecticut. The campaign sought to show how good wine was made. I didn't know much about wines, and thought it would make an interesting story and visuals. I was able to get Mitchell Hooks to do the artwork. Included is an original piece of art by Hooks, and a few page and spread ads.]

Hoechst Celanese, undated Jantzen, undated(2 folders) J. Walter Thompson, undated Milliken, 1987 Olive Garden, undated Pan Am, 1958-1975 and undated(3 folders; 1 folder moved to Oversized Materials)

[Dignam remarks: At JWT I worked on many accounts as Creative Director. A writer and I were asked (told, rather) to work on Pan Am. The client wanted two people who had worked on Ford. I went to England, France and Portugal to shoot the photos to be used in Pan Am folders and posters, brochures, ads, etc. I took a very good photographer, Bert Glinn, who shot for Life magazine, and we got a lot of good photos in England. Bert's wife is a native of Broadway, and her parents took care of the royal sheep farm, so we had great shots of the countryside, and also in London. In France we photographed 4-star restaurants as well as some exciting scenery. We also went to Portugal where we got more good shots.]

Phillip Morris, 1987-1988

[Dignam remarks: I did free lance work for Warren Donahue, who was also a writer. We did the Arts Program for Philip Morris.]

PlayCable Company, 1982 Portraits by John F. Dignam, 1984

[Dignam remarks: I needed a break from being told what kind of ad, how big or small, when to be done by, etc., so I started doing portraits during any free time I had. I made them to the size I wanted, when I wanted. A couple of samples are included here.]

6RCA, 1973-1974 and undated(4 folders) SUNY, undated

[Dignam remarks: I had a good friend who was one of the Chancellors at the State of New York Educational System in Albany. I worked with Arnold Grisman, the top writer at JWT. We made many layouts and worked hard on the project. The top people at SUNY loved our ideas but could not get the money to do it!]

USAIG, 1997, 2000 Oversized Materials1Pan Am posters, circa 1970s Artifacts Series, circa 1980 7Standard Brands, dragon, circa 1980

[The pink dragon was the spokes-character for Royal Dragon brand Chinese food products.]

Audiovisual Materials Series, 1982-1985 and undated Originals (Closed to researchers; see use copies) 8OR1. Ford/RCA sample reel. Undated. Format: Umatic. OR2. Ford/RCA sample reel. 1983 Nov. 11. Format: Umatic. OR3. John Dignam's miscellaneous reel. Undated. Format: Umatic. OR4. JWT Ford reel. Undated. Format: 16mm. OR5. JWT Jantzen reel. 1985 Nov. 21. Format: Umatic. OR6. Landsdowne Wometco spots. 1982 Dec. 21. Format: Umatic. Production Masters. 9MC1. Master for OR1-OR6. Created: 2007. Format: Betacam. Use Copies. 1UC1. Use copy for OR1-OR6. Created: 2007. Format: DVD.