J. Walter Thompson Company. Bertram Metter papers, 1908-2000 and undated, bulk 1953-1989
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Summary
- Creator:
- J. Walter Thompson Company
- Abstract:
- 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. In addition to materials for the Ford Motor Company, the collection documents Metter's work for other major clients, including the Pepsi-Cola Company (Mexico) and Liggett & Myers Tobacco Company. Bulk of the collection consists of advertising and marketing research, client reports and correspondence, promotional materials, and other professional files. Also contains materials related to Metter's later work as a consultant and author, including drafts of an unpublished book manuscript entitled Breaking the Rules at J. Walter Thompson, a chronicle of his career at JWT.
- Extent:
- 8.7 Linear Feet
3250 Items - Language:
- Material in English
- Collection ID:
- RL.00730
Background
- Scope and content:
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The Bertram Metter Papers span 1908 to 2000, with the bulk of the collection dating 1953 through the late 1980s. The collection includes materials in a variety of formats, including correspondence, writings, newspaper and magazine clippings, sheet music, printed materials, photographs, and photostats, that document Metter's thirty years in advertising and marketing, with a focus on his career as a copywriter, creative director, and Vice Chairman at J. Walter Thompson USA (JWT). The collection provides a record of Metter's early work as a "direct response specialist" for the Ford Motor Company direct marketing operation, and other roles on the Ford account (Metter directed print and television promotion for Ford and played a key role in the launching of several new car models). In addition to Ford materials, the collection documents Metter's work for other major clients, including the Pepsi-Cola Company (Mexico) and Liggett & Myers Tobacco Company. While the bulk of the collection consists of advertising and marketing research, client reports and correspondence, promotional materials, and other professional files, the collection also contains materials related to Metter's later work as a consultant and author, including drafts of an unpublished book manuscript entitled "Breaking the Rules at J. Walter Thompson," a chronicle of his career at JWT.
The collection is organized into four series: Professional Files, Writings, Ford Motor Company Account Files, and Other Clients.
The Professional Files Series contains JWT office (non-client) files, memoranda, and publications; industry publications and press clippings; overviews of Metter's professional biography; and limited files on Metter's consulting work for Ross Roy Advertising. The Writings Series contains Metter's writings on the advertising industry; bulk of series is composed of an unpublished book manuscript entitled "Breaking the Rules at J. Walter Thompson," comprised primarily of chapter drafts and research. The Ford Series, the largest series in the collection, includes materials relating to the launch and promotion of new models (Escort, Maverick, Mustang, Olympic, Pinto, Thunderbird, and Torino); marketing research and strategic reports; Ford direct mail materials and newsletters; television commercial scripts and storyboards; advertisement clippings and headlines; reproduction prints of early photographs of the Model T from the Ford Archives, Henry Ford Museum; photostats promoting the Ford Erika; and photocopies of sheet music of Ford songs from the early twentieth century. The Other Clients Series includes materials relating to general marketing research; new business acquisition; and promotional campaigns for clients other than Ford, including Firestone, Liggett & Myers, and Pepsi-Cola (Mexico). Large-format materials have been removed from their original series location and relocated to Oversize Materials.
- Biographical / historical:
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Chronology Date Event 1927 Aug. 14 Born in New York, NY1949 B.A. Brooklyn College1952 M.A. Columbia University1953-1956 Copy chief, New York Mirror, Advertising Promotion Department1956-1959 Copy chief, Newsweek Magazine (New York), Circulation Department1960-1991 Joined the J. Walter Thompson Company (JWT), New York; initially hired as a "direct response specialist" in charge of the Ford direct mail operation1965-1973 Vice President, JWT1969 Creative Supervisor, JWT1973-1978 Senior Vice President, JWT1974 Creative Director, JWT1978 Became Executive Vice President, JWT1980 Received A.M.P., Harvard University (Advanced Management Program, Harvard Business School)1980 Board of Directors, JWT USA1982 Executive Creative Director, JWT USA1984 Vice Chairman, JWT USA1986-1987 Chairman, Board of Directors, JWT USA1987 Became advertising and marketing consultant, primarily to the Ross Roy Group ( Bloomfield Hills, MI)Resigned from JWT USA1988 Rehired as Chairman, Board of Directors, JWT USA after the company was bought by WPP Group, plc ( Great Britain)1991 Retired from JWT1991- Ongoing consultant to JWTAfter Burton J. Manning, Metter became only the second creative director at JWT to rise to the level of Chairman, Board of Directors. In the midst of a management crisis that hit the financially ailing company, Metter resigned in 1987. Metter was rehired as Chairman in 1988; his primary tasks were to coordinate new business efforts for JWT USA, provide additional strategic advice for ongoing accounts, and focus on general management and creative troubleshooting.
During his time with JWT, Metter won numerous creative awards, including Clios, Cannes Film Festival awards, Advertising Age 100 Best TV Commercials, and others. He published several articles about the advertising business in Advertising Age and other industry publications.
- Acquisition information:
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The Bertram Metter Papers were received by the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book Manuscript Library as a transfer in 1987.
Additions were received in 2003.
- Processing information:
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Processed by Andrea Franzius and Casey A. Jarrin, September 2005
Encoded by Andrea Franzius and Casey A. Jarrin
Completed November 2005
Accessions 2003-0219 and 2003-0242 were merged into one collection, described in this finding aid.
- Physical location:
- For current information on the location of these materials, please consult the Library's online catalog.
- Rules or conventions:
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Subjects
Click on terms below to find related finding aids on this site. For other related materials in the Duke University Libraries, search for these terms in the Catalog.
- Subjects:
- Advertising -- Cigarettes
Advertising -- History
Advertising -- Automobiles -- United States
Advertising -- Brand name products
Advertising -- United States
Copy writers -- United States
Marketing research -- United States
Advertising agencies -- United States
Advertising executives -- United States
Advertising -- Research
Advertising agencies -- Management - Format:
- Clippings (information artifacts)
Photostats
Photographs
Sheet music - Names:
- Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company -- Marketing
J. Walter Thompson Company
J. Walter Thompson Company
J. Walter Thompson Company. New York Office
J. Walter Thompson Company. North America
Pepsi-Cola Company -- Mexico
John W. Hartman Center for Sales, Advertising & Marketing History
Liggett & Myers Tobacco Company
Metter, Bertram, 1927-
Contents
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- Preferred citation:
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[Identification of item], J. Walter Thompson Company. Bertram Metter Papers, David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University.