Brilliant Branding: How 60's Ad Legend Mary Wells Launched Braniff and Changed the Airline Industry

Move over Mad Men. During the 60's (and for decades more) Mary Wells Lawrence was Madison Avenue's leading lady - famous for big ideas that got people talking and buying. She and other luminaries of her day, like Bill Bernbach, David Ogilvy, and Leo Burnett, were masters at commercial storytelling and it's worth rediscovering their work.

Case in point: Look at what Ms. Wells Lawrence did for the 1968 launch of Braniff International, then an unknown airline in an industry of bland carriers. 

First she teamed up with famed architect Alexander Girard; together they convinced Braniff's brass to paint each plane a bright acid hue. 

She then brought in Italian couturier Emilio Pucci to design ultra-mod uniforms for the crew, and used edgy decorators to produce chic space-age passenger terminals and aircraft cabins. 

From all of this (and more) she went on to spin advertising and publicity gold. 

Braniff debuted with a stunning ad campaign that heralded 'The End of the Plain Plane,' and indeed it was. Other carriers raced to slick themselves up, but Braniff did it first - and best. 

Braniff's launch was wrapped around a mammoth brand story - and it was integrated marketing way ahead of its time.

To get a sense of what Madison Avenue was really like back in the 60's, check out Mary Wells Lawrence's 2002 memoir, 'A Big Life in Advertising'. Also, check out Braniff's mind-blowing "End of the Plain Plane" TV spots.

Now that U.S. airlines are profitable again and with passenger satisfaction at an all-time low, perhaps it's time for airline marketers to study Braniff's playbook - or better yet, give Mary a call. 

Levy's Rye and why digital must revive the art (and craft) of great "grab-ya" headline writing

Where are today’s great ad headlines?  Rarely do we see punchy, clever, few-word "grab-ya' wonders like those created by the real Mad Men (and women) of the 1960’s – 70’s. One of the all-time classic print ad campaigns was for Levy’s Rye Bread, the work of ad legend Bill Bernbach.  Bernbach had equal admiration for art and word, and back in the mid-60's he was one of the first to assign copywriters and art directors in teams. Previously, art and copy worked in different departments!

The Levy’s campaign, "You don't have to be Jewish to love Levy's," is a fantastic example of instant “I get it, I love it” communication. The ad series ran in magazines and newspapers and also as eye-popping transit posters so iconic and beloved that you can buy reproductions today on Amazon. 

The immediacy of the Levy’s copy makes it a great model for anyone working in digital communications. The world is infinitely faster and more distracted than it was in Bill Bernbach’s heyday, but three fundamentals for effective selling and storytelling still stand: Simplicity; Clarity; Creativity.  

Nowadays it's too easy to lose the message amid digital's bells and whistles. Mr. Bernbach never let execution interfere with his marketing mission and nor should we. Indeed, Bill's philosophy is incredibly timely, "If your advertising goes unnoticed, everything else is academic!"