Advertising Magnate. Born in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, he started his career selling advertising space in religious magazines in 1864, after serving in the Union Navy during the Civil War. He found that soliciting and sales were much more profitable, so he founded the J. Walter Thompson Company New York, in 1877, which was incorporated in 1896. An avid traveler, he opened an advertising exchange in London, England, in 1899. He soon became known for his philosophy of commercial explanation branding, drawing a straight line between the manufacturer and the consumer. His JWT Company was responsible for pioneering some of the most enduring brand images in popular culture. To date, his company is one of the largest advertising agencies in the United States and the fourth-largest in the world.
Advertising Magnate. Born in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, he started his career selling advertising space in religious magazines in 1864, after serving in the Union Navy during the Civil War. He found that soliciting and sales were much more profitable, so he founded the J. Walter Thompson Company New York, in 1877, which was incorporated in 1896. An avid traveler, he opened an advertising exchange in London, England, in 1899. He soon became known for his philosophy of commercial explanation branding, drawing a straight line between the manufacturer and the consumer. His JWT Company was responsible for pioneering some of the most enduring brand images in popular culture. To date, his company is one of the largest advertising agencies in the United States and the fourth-largest in the world.
Bio by: John "J-Cat" Griffith
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