The golden years of UK advertising – a productive collaboration between inventive clients and creative agencies?

According to advertising historians and established folk law, the period from the late 1950s to the end of the 1980’s represented a watershed moment for the advertising industry in the UK.

The output of creativity coincided with the growth of old media such as press, magazines and cinema and the introduction of exciting new media including television and radio.

In a fast-moving environment, UK advertising agencies were quickly closing the gap on their American based counterparts who had set up branches in London.

In 1960, Collette Dickenson Pearce opened its doors and, influenced by the “swinging 60’s,” transformed the London advertising scene. Famous alumni include David Putnam, Alan Parker, Ridley Scott, Hugh Hudson and Tony King. Creative output was initially controlled by Colin Millward, and then John Salmon. Both Charles Saatchi and John Hegarty cut their teeth at CDP before eventually setting up their own famous agencies Saatchi & Saatchi and Bartle Bogle and Hegarty, respectively.

London became the undisputed centre for creative advertising throughout the 1960’s and well into the 1980’s. CDP was regarded as the pinnacle for creative advertising excellence. All this was achieved without effectiveness research and design digitisation. No creative work was produced by them without the core idea being approved by the creative director.

No idea was rejected because the technical resource was unavailable to produce it. As a result, standards of creative output remained high. CDP won advertising awards and its clients increased their sales.

When I set about writing a book about my experience as communications head of Wrangler Jeans UK from 1975-1991, I found plenty of contemporary references to clients and their interaction with agencies.

The marketing press seemed obsessed with clients “looking around” for new agency partners, rather than crediting them for production of the agency briefs that had generated successful client/agency relationships and award-winning and effective creative output.??

There were many forward-thinking client heads of communication prepared to put their reputations on the line to support radical media and creative design solutions from their agencies. Their bravery was only rewarded as a footnote when creative awards were won, and their faith in the effectiveness of a campaign justified by increased market awareness and sales.

Successful client/agency partnerships flourished but the "divorce rate" was high and the "mortality rate" even higher. This probably accounts for a lack of historical recognition for the client representatives in these partnerships. If things went wrong, they lost their jobs.? The agency only lost an account!

Many brands were created during the “golden years,” but top line advertising agencies have taken more than their fair share of the limelight. Market and marketing research, sales promotion, public relations campaigns were just as creative and groundbreaking.

When I joined Wrangler Jeans in 1975, I already had 16 years of advertising agency and client company experience. The incumbent agency at the time agency was Doyle Dane Bernbach (DDB). During my tenure I also had the pleasure of working with Wasey Campbell Ewald (Wasey’s), Collette Dickenson Pearce (CDP), Batten, Barton, Durstine & Osborn (BBDO) and Simons Palmer Denton Clemmow & Johnson (Simons Palmer).

Every agency moved the Wrangler brand forward in their own way. I met and worked with some exceptionally talented people. We had our creative differences; we had our "divorces" but in the main we remained good friends.

During the period of my tenure the Wrangler brand flourished. Unprompted brand awareness had increased to nearly 100%, it was number two brand in jeans and brand leader in jeans related jackets, shirts, and casual tops.

The Wrangler inhouse team had done an excellent job in extremely difficult circumstances!

Despite this, a leading academic concluded that our turnover of advertising agencies was somehow a sign of weakness. In a book about the history of menswear advertising, he asserted: -

“But by and large, Wrangler had struggled to find a consistent identity in. and for its publicity, changing advertising agents no less than six times between 1973 and 1990.”

The writer had assumed, wrongly, that the relationships had broken down because the client had no clear pathway for the brand when this was patently not the case.

In the high-pressure world of communications and creativity during this period, staff turnover was high as advertising agencies struggled to surpass their previous creative output. It is true to say that changes in personnel at a client company and within an advertising agency can also affect the dynamic.

This was certainly my experience of my time at Wrangler!

The golden years of UK advertising were indeed a productive collaboration between inventive clients and creative agencies the like of which we will probably never see again!

Robin Dilley Retired Senior Marketing & Communications Manager, Marketing Business Management Consultant and Author of: ?More than a Touch of Jeanious, on Amazon?More than a touch of Jeanious: Amazon.co.uk: Dilley, Mr Robin Michael: 9798356381126: Books