Leo Burnett

About Leo Burnett

Who is it?: Businessman, Advertising Executive
Birth Day: October 21, 1891
Birth Place: St. Johns, Michigan U.S., United States
Alma mater: University of Michigan (B.S., 1914)
Occupation: Advertising Executive
Known for: Founder of Leo Burnett Worldwide
Spouse(s): Naomi Geddles (m. 1918)
Children: Peter Burnett Joseph Burnett Phoebe Snetsinger

Leo Burnett

Leo Burnett was born on October 21, 1891 in St. Johns, Michigan U.S., United States, is Businessman, Advertising Executive. Leo Burnett was a famous advertising executive who founded the leading advertising agency the Leo Burnett Company. He is still revered by many in the industry as a major advertising guru. He created the famous advertising campaigns like the Jolly Green Giant, the Marlboro Man, Toucan Sam, Charlie the Tuna, Morris the Cat, the Pillsbury Doughboy, the 7up “Spot”, and Tony the Tiger. Burnett studied journalism at University of Michigan and then began his career at a nondescript newspaper at $18 a week. However, he dreamed big and after working his way through two automobile companies and two advertising agencies, he opened his own office in Chicago in the middle of the Great Depression. The first few years were tough, but soon his distinctive style of work won the hearts of the people and accounts started pouring in. His objective was to bring out the inherent appeal of the product, which was later termed as the Chicago School of Advertising. While the big advertizing houses in New York stressed on sophistication, he talked about hominess, which slowly changed the face of advertizing in the twentieth century United States. The small agency he established with eight employees and one account has now turned into a globally active advertising agency, which employs more than nine thousand employees in their eighty-five offices.
Leo Burnett is a member of Business People

Does Leo Burnett Dead or Alive?

As per our current Database, Leo Burnett has been died on June 7, 1971(1971-06-07) (aged 79)\nLake Zurich, Illinois U.S..

🎂 Leo Burnett - Age, Bio, Faces and Birthday

When Leo Burnett die, Leo Burnett was 79 years old.

Popular As Leo Burnett
Occupation Business People
Age 79 years old
Zodiac Sign Scorpio
Born October 21, 1891 (St. Johns, Michigan U.S., United States)
Birthday October 21
Town/City St. Johns, Michigan U.S., United States
Nationality United States

🌙 Zodiac

Leo Burnett’s zodiac sign is Scorpio. According to astrologers, Scorpio-born are passionate and assertive people. They are determined and decisive, and will research until they find out the truth. Scorpio is a great leader, always aware of the situation and also features prominently in resourcefulness. Scorpio is a Water sign and lives to experience and express emotions. Although emotions are very important for Scorpio, they manifest them differently than other water signs. In any case, you can be sure that the Scorpio will keep your secrets, whatever they may be.

🌙 Chinese Zodiac Signs

Leo Burnett was born in the Year of the Rabbit. Those born under the Chinese Zodiac sign of the Rabbit enjoy being surrounded by family and friends. They’re popular, compassionate, sincere, and they like to avoid conflict and are sometimes seen as pushovers. Rabbits enjoy home and entertaining at home. Compatible with Goat or Pig.

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Biography/Timeline

1891

Leo Burnett was born in St. Johns, Michigan, on October 21, 1891 to Noble and Rose Clark Burnett. Noble ran a dry goods store and as a young man, Burnett worked with his Father, watching Noble as he designed ads for the Business. After high school, Burnett went on to study journalism at the University of Michigan and received his bachelor's degree in 1914.

1917

Burnett's first job out of college was as a reporter for the Peoria Journal Star in Peoria, Illinois. In 1917, he moved to Detroit and was hired to edit an in-house publication for Cadillac Clearing House, later becoming an advertising Director for the same institution. At Cadillac, Burnett met his advertising mentor, Theodore F. MacManus, whom Burnett called "one of the great advertising men of all time". MacManus ran the agency that handled Cadillac's advertising.

1918

In 1918, Burnett married Naomi Geddes. The couple met at a small restaurant near the Cadillac offices, where Naomi worked as a cashier. They went on to have three children: Peter, Joseph and Phoebe.

1929

After spending a decade at McKee's, and working through the stock market crash of 1929, Burnett left the company. In 1930, he moved to Chicago and was hired by Erwin, Wasey & Company, where he was employed for five years.

1935

A private company formed in 1935 and officially running under the name of 'Leo Burnett Company, Inc.', the agency started with working capital of $50,000, eight employees and three clients. Now a part of Publicis Groupe, Leo Burnett is one of the largest agency networks with 85 offices in 69 countries and 9,000+ employees.

1947

In 1947, Burnett wrote The Good Citizen, a booklet concerning the duties and privileges of being a U.S. citizen. This was done as a public Service for The Advertising Council and The American Heritage Foundation.

1950

Burnett used dramatic realism in his advertising, the Soft sell approach to build brand equity. Burnett believed in finding the "inherent drama" of products and presenting it in advertising through warmth, shared emotions and experiences. His advertising drew from heartland-rooted values using simple, strong and instinctive imagery that talked to people. He was also known for using "cultural archetypes" in his copy, by creating mythical creatures that represented American values. This is evident on such campaigns as Jolly Green Giant, Tony the Tiger, Pillsbury Doughboy and more famously the Marlboro Man. Indeed these campaigns played on the 1950s attitudes towards masculinity that pervaded his campaigns.

1967

In December 1967, nearing the end of his career, Burnett delivered his famous "When To Take My Name Off The Door" speech at the agency's annual holiday gathering.

1971

On June 7, 1971, Burnett went to his agency, pledging to his colleagues to cut back to working only three days per week due to some health problems. That evening, at the age of 79, he died of a heart attack at his family farm in Lake Zurich, Illinois.

2013

During World War I, Burnett joined the Navy for six months. However, his Service was mostly spent at Great Lakes building a breakwater. After his time in the military, Burnett returned to Cadillac for a short while. It was then when a few employees at Cadillac formed the LaFayette Motors Company – triggering Burnett to move to Indianapolis to work for the new establishment. Soon after, he was offered a position at Homer McKee. He then left LaFayette and joined McKee, where Burnett said of the founder, "(He) gave me my first feel of what I have come to regard as the "warm sell" as contrasted to the "hard sell" and "soft sell". This was his first agency job.

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