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Guide to Collections Related to the Ford Motor Company: Other Career Papers

Other Career Papers

Alvin A. Achenbaum Papers, 1948-2011 and undated
The Alvin A. Achenbaum Papers document Achenbaum’s long career in advertising and marketing consulting. The collection includes materials related to Ford from Achenbaum’s time at Grey Associates, Canter Achenbaum, and Achenbaum Bodga Associates. Documents include market research studies of specific Ford campaigns, sales and comprehension data from 1960-1985, confidential memos regarding the Ace v. Ford arbitration, and ad agency search records for the 2003 SUV safety campaign.

Benjamin Sussman Papers, 1940-1995
The papers of advertising executive Benjamin Sussman primarily consist of clippings but also include some articles and advertisements. Box 28 contains several files on Ford, including on pre-WWII, Lincoln, Mercury, and Edsel.

Garrett Orr Papers, circa 1873-1994, bulk 1890s-1914, 1935-1965
Boxes 5, 6, and 7 of the papers of graphic artist and billboard designer Garrett Orr include work by various artists for Ford. Notable in this collection is work by Charles Schultz that incorporates the Peanuts characters, award winning ads by Howard Scott, Fred Siebel ads for Ford Trucks, and Fords ads by Scott Johnston from the 1940s and 1950s. The Williamson folder of box 6 contains some early Ford ads dating from the 1930s or earlier.

Howard Scott Papers, 1921-1984 and undated, bulk 1930s-1950s
Billboard designer and graphic artist Howard Scott created several prize-winning ads for Ford before JWT acquired the account in 1944. Box 5 of the Graphic Design, Artwork, and Sketches Series includes sketches and proof sheets for Ford billboards and outdoor advertising campaigns in the late 1930s and early 1940s. Also included in the collection is a large mixed media painting depicting Scott’s award-winning outdoor design for Ford, with the slogan "He's Doing Fine...He Bought a Ford V-8."

John E. Brennan Outdoor Advertising Survey Reports, 1947-1980
Ford advertisements are represented in this collection of Brennan’s outdoor advertising survey reports. These surveys primarily tested whether participants remembered seeing the advertisement or whether they could identify the product. Passenger car and truck reports from 1963 can be found in boxes 62 and 63 and several loose photographs of Ford billboards are in box 65. Other surveys featuring Ford advertising can likely be found in the Reports Organized by City Subseries.

Lester Wunderman Papers, 1946-2010 and undated
Boxes 56 and 57 of this currently unprocessed collection contain advertising executive Lester Wunderman’s research files and direct marketing materials for the Ford account dating from 1978-1988. These materials primarily relate to Ford Britain, Lincoln-Mercury, and Merkur-Scorpio. Box 17 also contains a sample of direct marketing from 1964.