David Abbott (advertising): Difference between revisions

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Born in Hammersmith, south-west London, David Abbott won a scholarship to read History<ref>[http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/10844344/David-Abbott-obituary.html David Abbott education details]</ref> at [[Merton College, Oxford]] but left before graduating to nurse his sick father who was ill with cancer and who later died.<ref>[http://www.theguardian.com/media/2014/may/22/david-abbott David Abbott Obituary in The Guardian 22/05/2014]</ref> Abbott started as a [[copywriter]] working in-house at Kodak after discovering a book at a market stall about advertising on [[Madison Avenue]].<ref>[http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/10844344/David-Abbott-obituary.html David Abbott career history from his Obituary in the Telegraph]</ref> In 1963 he then moved to the Mather & Crowther agency before moving to the Manhattan-based [[Doyle Dane Bernbach]] 1965.<ref>[http://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/david-abbott-advertising-copywriter-renowned-for-his-integrity-and-acclaimed-as-one-of--the-finest-in-the-industry-9405755.html David Abbott's Obituary in The Independent]</ref>
Born in Hammersmith, south-west London, David Abbott won a scholarship to read History<ref>[http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/10844344/David-Abbott-obituary.html David Abbott education details]</ref> at [[Merton College, Oxford]] but left before graduating to nurse his sick father who was ill with cancer and who later died.<ref>[http://www.theguardian.com/media/2014/may/22/david-abbott David Abbott Obituary in The Guardian 22/05/2014]</ref> Abbott started as a [[copywriter]] working in-house at Kodak after discovering a book at a market stall about advertising on [[Madison Avenue]].<ref>[http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/10844344/David-Abbott-obituary.html David Abbott career history from his Obituary in the Telegraph]</ref> In 1963 he then moved to the Mather & Crowther agency before moving to the Manhattan-based [[Doyle Dane Bernbach]] 1965.<ref>[http://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/david-abbott-advertising-copywriter-renowned-for-his-integrity-and-acclaimed-as-one-of--the-finest-in-the-industry-9405755.html David Abbott's Obituary in The Independent]</ref>


At Doyle Dane Bernbach, Abbott was taken under the wing of [[Bill Bernbach]], the visionary creative director of DDB.<ref>[http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/7195988e-e0f7-11e3-875f-00144feabdc0.html#slide0 David Abbott Obituary from the Financial Times]</ref> In 1971 he returned to the UK and founded French Gold Abbott.<ref>[http://www.adweek.com/news/advertising-branding/amv-bbdos-david-abbott-dies-age-75-157836 Founding of French Gold Abbott]</ref> Then in 1977 Abbott co-founded [[Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO]] alongside Adrian Vickers and Peter Mead in 1977, having first met Vickers at Oxford University in 1959.<ref>[http://www.campaignlive.co.uk/news/1294759/ Campiagn Live Obituary of David Abbott]</ref> The agency's clients included [[Volvo]], [[Sainsbury's]], [[Ikea]], [[Chivas Regal]], ''[[The Economist]]'', [[Yellow Pages]], and the [[RSPCA]].<ref name="cliolife">March 13, 2002. [http://www.clioawards.com/press/index.cfm?year=2002&pressid=145 Clio lifetime achievement award.]</ref> In 1991, [[BBDO]] acquired a stake in AMV and appended their name.<ref name="foltz">Foltz, Kim (January 17, 1991). Omnicom Seeks Stake in British Agency.''[[New York Times]]''</ref>
At Doyle Dane Bernbach, Abbott was taken under the wing of [[Bill Bernbach]], the visionary creative director of DDB.<ref>[http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/7195988e-e0f7-11e3-875f-00144feabdc0.html#slide0 David Abbott Obituary from the Financial Times]</ref> In 1971 he returned to the UK and founded French Gold Abbott.<ref>[http://www.adweek.com/news/advertising-branding/amv-bbdos-david-abbott-dies-age-75-157836 Founding of French Gold Abbott]</ref> Then in 1977 Abbott co-founded [[Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO]] alongside Adrian Vickers and Peter Mead in 1977, having first met Vickers at Oxford University in 1959.<ref>[http://www.campaignlive.co.uk/news/1294759/ Campaign Live Obituary of David Abbott]</ref> The agency's clients included [[Volvo]], [[Sainsbury's]], [[Ikea]], [[Chivas Regal]], ''[[The Economist]]'', [[Yellow Pages]], and the [[RSPCA]].<ref name="cliolife">March 13, 2002. [http://www.clioawards.com/press/index.cfm?year=2002&pressid=145 Clio lifetime achievement award.]</ref> In 1991, [[BBDO]] acquired a stake in AMV and appended their name.<ref name="foltz">Foltz, Kim (January 17, 1991). Omnicom Seeks Stake in British Agency.''[[New York Times]]''</ref>


Abbott retired from advertising in October 1998 at the age of 60 to concentrate on writing his first novel.<ref>[http://www.campaignlive.co.uk/news/27491/ Abbott retires from AMV]</ref>
Abbott retired from advertising in October 1998 at the age of 60 to concentrate on writing his first novel.<ref>[http://www.campaignlive.co.uk/news/27491/ Abbott retires from AMV]</ref>

Revision as of 07:16, 2 March 2015

For other people named David Abbott, see David Abbott (disambiguation).
David Abbott
File:Davidabbott1.jpg
Born
London, United Kingdom
NationalityBritish
Alma materMerton College, Oxford
Occupation(s)Advertising executive, copywriter, creative director, author

David John Abbott (October 11, 1938 – May 17, 2014[1][2]) was a British advertising executive who founded Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO. He was one of the most celebrated advertising executives in the world and regarded as the greatest copywriter of his generation.[3] Highlights of his career include the creation of the J.R. Hartley television commercial for Yellow Pages as well as work for Volkswagen, Volvo, The Economist, The RSPCA, Sainsbury's Supermarkets and Chivas Regal.[4]

Career History

Born in Hammersmith, south-west London, David Abbott won a scholarship to read History[5] at Merton College, Oxford but left before graduating to nurse his sick father who was ill with cancer and who later died.[6] Abbott started as a copywriter working in-house at Kodak after discovering a book at a market stall about advertising on Madison Avenue.[7] In 1963 he then moved to the Mather & Crowther agency before moving to the Manhattan-based Doyle Dane Bernbach 1965.[8]

At Doyle Dane Bernbach, Abbott was taken under the wing of Bill Bernbach, the visionary creative director of DDB.[9] In 1971 he returned to the UK and founded French Gold Abbott.[10] Then in 1977 Abbott co-founded Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO alongside Adrian Vickers and Peter Mead in 1977, having first met Vickers at Oxford University in 1959.[11] The agency's clients included Volvo, Sainsbury's, Ikea, Chivas Regal, The Economist, Yellow Pages, and the RSPCA.[12] In 1991, BBDO acquired a stake in AMV and appended their name.[13]

Abbott retired from advertising in October 1998 at the age of 60 to concentrate on writing his first novel.[14]

Awards and accolades

David Abbott was D&AD President in 1975 and President's Award Winner in 1986.[15]

The One Club for Art and Copy inducted Abbott into its Creative Hall of Fame in 2001[16] three years after he retired. Abbott is only the second Briton after David Ogilvy to be inducted into the hall of fame.[17]

FCUK controversy

In 2000 David Abbott wrote an open letter to Campaign Magazine[18] in response to the publication awarding FCUK their advertiser of the year accolade. The letter to the publication read:

’Fcuk me, what a brilliant choice for advertiser of the year. Fcuking great idea to put fcuking four-letter words on fcuking big posters, where every fcuking eight-year-old can see them. What a fcuking cool way to get up the noses of those fcuking parents and teacher tossers who are trying to bring their kids up as fcuking goody-goodies. That’s the way to sell a youth brand, though haven’t I seen it fcuking before on the lav walls? Anyhow, great to see the industry magazine behaving in such a fcuking great way - makes me fcuking nostalgic, it does.’

In response to this letter, Trevor Beattie the man behind the campaign, hit back at Abbott during the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity accusing him of boring the pants off the audience with a lengthy diatribe.[19]

Published works

Together with Alfredo Marcantonio and John O'Driscoll, David Abbott authored a book about the history of Volkswagen advertisinging entitled 'Remember those great Volkswagen ads?', which is comprehensive account of the most influential campaign in the history of advertising.[20] His first novel, The Upright Piano Player, was published in 2010 by MacLehose Press.[21] John Burnham Schwartz the author of Bicycle Days and Reservation Road called Abbott's debut novel 'a wise and moving debut, an accomplished novel of quiet depths and resonant shadows.'

Personal life

Abbott was married with four children[1] and eight grandchildren.

Death

David Abbott passed away at the age of 75 after undergoing heart surgery at London's Royal Brompton Hospital.[22]

References

  1. ^ a b "David Abbott - obituary". The Telegraph. 20 May 2014. Retrieved 21 May 2014.
  2. ^ Davison, Phil (21 May 2014). "David Abbott: Advertising copywriter renowned for his integrity and acclaimed as one of the finest in the industry". The Independent. Retrieved 21 May 2014.
  3. ^ Daily Telegraph Obituary on David Abbott 20/05/2014
  4. ^ David Abbott career highlights from Campaignlive
  5. ^ David Abbott education details
  6. ^ David Abbott Obituary in The Guardian 22/05/2014
  7. ^ David Abbott career history from his Obituary in the Telegraph
  8. ^ David Abbott's Obituary in The Independent
  9. ^ David Abbott Obituary from the Financial Times
  10. ^ Founding of French Gold Abbott
  11. ^ Campaign Live Obituary of David Abbott
  12. ^ March 13, 2002. Clio lifetime achievement award.
  13. ^ Foltz, Kim (January 17, 1991). Omnicom Seeks Stake in British Agency.New York Times
  14. ^ Abbott retires from AMV
  15. ^ Abbott tribute from the D&AD
  16. ^ Elliott, Stuart (January 25, 2001). One Club to Induct 2 Into Hall of Fame. New York Times
  17. ^ David Abbott hall of fame details
  18. ^ David Abbott's open letter to Campaign Magazine
  19. ^ Beattie hits back at Abbott
  20. ^ Merrell Publishers overview of Abbott's Volkswagen book
  21. ^ Taylor, Catherine. "First fiction roundup". Guardian News and Media Limited. Retrieved 21 May 2014.
  22. ^ Campaign Magazine tribute to David Abbott

External links

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