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Archiver > OH-FOOTSTEPS > 1999-09 > 0937076170
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Subject: Stockton, West, Burkhart Advertising Agency - 4
Date: Sat, 11 Sep 1999 14:56:10 EDT
The History of
Stockton West Burkhart, Inc.
Advertising Agency - Cincinnati, Ohio
written by C. Thomas Martin 1982
The Cincinnati Gas Electric Company - Eric Stockton had just finished a
series of Editorial Format ads, refuting political claims that C.G.E. should
be municipally owned. The success of these ads was demonstrated at the
polls. The public ownership idea failed.
With this group of accounts, there was plenty to do and the creative load
fell on Stockton's shoulders. He engaged Thomas Martin to produce layouts
and art from his own studio on a free-lance basis. Martin had been doing the
artwork for Drano and Windex advertisements for Stockton when he was at Jones
and they worked well together.
For Mechanical Production, Stockton hired a young production manager from J.
Walter Thompson in Chicago.
West was Stockton's right-hand copy man, especially with radio copy. So for
the time being, the art, copy and production departments were under control.
Burkhart developed the marketing plans in addition to client contact and
internal management. For assistance in contact, Charles H. Butler was hired.
Butler, a graduate of the University of Cincinnati was working in the
Advertising department of Procter and Gamble. (After several years he left
SWB and joined U.S. Shoe. He became Vice President and later a Director).
For assistance in Research, John Burgoyne was hired to help with statistical
and media analysis. (He left SWB after a few years to start his own Research
Co.).
Jane Distler was "Lady Friday" for all. In addition to being Bookkeeper, she
was General Office Manager, Payroll Clerk and Traffic Manager. Additional
people were soon hired to assist her.
As the business grew, more and more work was free-lanced out to Martin. His
studio was only a block away but it was not the ideal arrangement for either
one. Martin was servicing other clients and SWB was requiring almost all of
his time. SWB, gaining momentum, offered Martin the position of Art Director
with the prospect of being a Division Head. The entrepreneurial concept with
its percentage method of remuneration appealed to him. He closed his studio
and joined the agency in August, 1937. Soon after, he hired Robert W.
Helmich as his assistant.
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