Tobacco Collections: Advertising Agency Collections

This collection focuses on John F. Devine’s activities first as administrator of the Radio/Television Department and then as a corporate executive in the New York office of JWT. The Clients Subseries includes information relating to specific tobacco-related programs and commercials, especially radio programming for General Cigar, Inc. Box 2 in this subseries documents General Cigar’s advertising strategy for Yankees baseball, and box 14 contains information on Liggett and Myers.

This collection traces the career of Wallace Elton, an advertising executive and member of various advertising organizations. Box 16 of the Client Series has two folders on the Liggett and Myers Tobacco Company, dated 1962 – 1963. These folders contain an assortment of items, but a main focus is the introduction of a new brand of cigarettes for Liggett and Myers. The second folder is similarly varied in contents. The new "Lark" brand of cigarettes continues to be a focus, but there are also items addressing medical implications for cigarettes and advertising to young people, including teens and college students.

Metter was a Creative Director & Supervisor at JWT. Files in Box 10 cover many aspects of the marketing and production of the Eve cigarette brand, including the results of a recall of advertisements, copy (slogans) for the cigarettes, and several print ads for the brand. Box 12 contains files pertaining to a proposal for a new “Health Lark” cigarette brand and marketing plans in several major cities.

The Seymour papers contain marketing research and materials pertaining to the Liggett and Myers company. The Review Board files of Box 20 have a wealth of information on the long-term trends of marketing and illustrate the importance of brand identification. Boxes 40 and 41 contain a wide range of information including television commercial scripts, marketing strategies, well-documented sales figures and trends, and surveys and reports from a number of focus groups. Another point of particular interest can be found in box 41, outlining Liggett and Myers company’s marketing strategy in the wake of the Readers Digest article “Cancer by the Carton."

Thomas Sutton played a major role in JWT's international expansion in the 1960s and '70s. Correspondence and reports found in the Central and South American Office Files Series includes information on Liggett and Myers marketing in those areas.

This collection includes reports, memoranda, and printed material related to various clients of JWT. Tobacco clients include Liggett and Myers, American Tobacco, Lorillard, and the General Cigar Co.

This collection contains subject files on a wide variety of advertising topics, and is primarily comprised of news clippings, articles and pamphlets. Tobacco-related material is found in three boxes: Box 13 provides information on advertising expenditures; Box 19 covers laws and regulations related to advertising; and, Box 31 includes articles on types of tobacco advertising.

These records cover review board reports for a number of Liggett and Myers brands. These reports include: the meeting’s purpose, up to date marketing information, analysis of current advertising, sales trends for both the brand and competitive brands, and conclusions/recommendations for the future of the brand.

The Bates Worldwide Records contain material relating to their work with Brown & Williamson Tobacco Company on brands such as Kool and Lucky Strike.

Ben Rosen was a graphic designer and visual communications consultant. The collection documents his work developing Philip Morris's corporate and visual identity and includes print material and packaging design.

Sheldon Sosna was an advertising executive and consultant. It includes original page proofs, newspaper and magazine clippings as well as concept sketches for tobacco clients including American Tobacco Company, Liggett and Myers Tobacco, U.S. Tobacco Company, and Tennyson Menthol.

Weir was an advertising executive, communications consultant and professor of advertising. Box 3 contains his concept planning for a new cigarette targeting the youth market.