Leo Burnett

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Template:Short description Template:About Template:Use American English Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox person Leo Burnett (October 21, 1891 – June 7, 1971) was an American advertising executive and the founder of Leo Burnett Company, Inc. He was responsible for creating some of advertising's most well-known characters and campaigns of the 20th century, including Tony the Tiger, the Marlboro Man, the Maytag Repairman, United's "Fly the Friendly Skies", and Allstate's "Good Hands", and for garnering relationships with multinational clients such as McDonald's, Hallmark and Coca-Cola.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 1999, Burnett was named by Time as one of the 100 most influential people of the 20th century.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Biography

Leo Burnett was born in St. Johns, Michigan, on October 21, 1891, to Noble and Rose Clark Burnett. Noble ran a dry goods store and as a young man, Burnett worked with his father, watching Noble as he designed ads for the business.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> After high school, Burnett went on to study journalism at the University of Michigan and received his bachelor's degree in 1914.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Burnett's first job after college was as a reporter for the Peoria Journal Star in Peoria, Illinois.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> In 1917, he moved to Detroit and was hired to edit an in-house publication for Cadillac Motor Car Company, Cadillac Clearing House, later becoming an advertising director for that institution.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> At Cadillac, Burnett met his advertising mentor, Theodore F. MacManus, whom Burnett called "one of the great advertising men of all time". MacManus ran the agency that handled Cadillac's advertising.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

In 1918, Burnett married Naomi Geddes. The couple met at a restaurant near the Cadillac offices, where Naomi was a cashier.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> They went on to have three children: Peter, Joseph and Phoebe.

During World War I, Burnett joined the United States Navy for six months. His service was mostly at Great Lakes building a breakwater.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> After completing his service, Burnett returned to Cadillac. A few employees at Cadillac formed the LaFayette Motors Company – triggering Burnett to move to Indianapolis to work for the new firm.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Soon he was offered a position with Homer McKee. He then left LaFayette and joined McKee, where Burnett said of the founder, "(He) gave me my first feel of what I have come to regard as the "warm sell" as contrasted to the "hard sell" and "soft sell".<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> This was his first agency job.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

File:Grave of Leo Burnett (1891–1971) at Rosehill Cemetery, Chicago.jpg
Burnett's grave at Rosehill Cemetery

After spending a decade at McKee's, and working through the stock market crash of 1929, Burnett left the company. In 1930, he moved to Chicago and was hired by Erwin, Wasey & Company, where he was employed for five years.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

In 1935, Burnett founded the Leo Burnett Company, Inc.<ref name="CNBC Titans: Leo Burnett">Template:Cite web</ref> Later, the operation moved to the 18th floor of the London Guarantee Building.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Today, the agency has 9,000+ employees in over 85 offices globally.Template:Citation needed

In December 1967, nearing the end of his career, Burnett delivered his "When To Take My Name Off The Door" speech at the agency's holiday gathering.<ref name="CNBC Titans: Leo Burnett"/><ref>Template:Cite webTemplate:Cbignore</ref>

On June 7, 1971, Burnett went to his agency, pledging to colleagues to work three days per week due to health problems. That evening, at age 79, he died of a heart attack at his family farm in Hawthorn Woods, Illinois.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He is buried at Rosehill Cemetery in Chicago.

Leo Burnett Company

A private company formed in 1935 and officially running under the name of "Leo Burnett Company, Inc.", the agency started with working capital of $50,000, eight employees and three clients.<ref name=LeoBurnett.AdAge60th>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>1935: Initial clients Realsilk Hosiery, Hoover, Minnesota Valley Canning Co.</ref> Now a part of Publicis Groupe, Leo Burnett is one of the largest agency networks with 85 offices in 69 countries and 9,000+ employees.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

For the first several years, Burnett billed about $1 million annually.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> By 1950, billings had increased to $22 million, and by 1954 the company was at $55 million annually. By the end of the 1950s, the Leo Burnett Company was billing $100 million annually.<ref name="topbiography">Template:Cite web</ref>

Companies Burnett worked with

Notable creations

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Jolly Green Giant – One of Burnett's creations.

Advertising techniques

Burnett used dramatic realism in his advertising, the soft sell approach to build brand equity.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Burnett believed in finding the "inherent drama" of products and presenting it in advertising through "warmth, shared emotions and experiences".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> His advertising drew from heartland-rooted values using simple, strong and instinctive imagery that talked to people.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> He was also known for using "cultural archetypes" in his copy, by creating mythical creatures that represented American values. The Jolly Green Giant, Pillsbury Doughboy, Tony the Tiger and the Marlboro Man are all examples of this technique.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The aforementioned examples also demonstrate Burnett's tendency to leverage the concept of masculinity in his campaigns.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Corny language

Burnett was known for keeping a folder in the lower left-hand corner of his desk called "Corny Language".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He collected words, phrases, and analogies that struck him as being particularly apt in expressing an idea.<ref name="ogilvy">Template:Cite book</ref>

Social advertising

In 1947, Burnett wrote The Good Citizen, a booklet concerning the duties and privileges of being a U.S. citizen. This was done as a public service for The Advertising Council and The American Heritage Foundation.Template:Citation needed

See also

References

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Further reading

  • S. Broadbent, Leo Burnett Book of Advertising, Business Books: Indiana University, 1984.
  • L. Burnett, "A Collection of Short Stories by Leo Burnett," Blurb.com, 2012.
  • J. Kufrin, "Leo Burnett: Star Reacher," Leo Burnett Company, Inc., 1995.

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