Introduction

This is the first edition of the Encyclopedia of Major Marketing Campaigns. It includes 500 entries, each on an important campaign of the twentieth century. All took place at least partially in the United States. Although most began during the 1960s or later, the book also covers earlier campaigns, such as Nabisco's "Uneeda Biscuit Slicker Boy," run at the beginning of the century; the "Jolly Green Giant," introduced in 1926; "Loose Lips Sink Ships," sponsored by the Advertising Council during World War II; and Ford's famous but ultimately failed "They'll Know You've Arrived When You Drive Up in an Edsel," launched in 1957.

There were three main criteria for selecting a campaign: its conceptual value or innovation (sometimes represented by the winning of awards); the importance of the company or brand for which it was run; and its effectiveness in selling the advertised product or service. The campaigns covered in this book were for products or services in various categories, the most common being alcoholic and other beverages, apparel, automobiles, food items, footwear, insurance, media, public service, Pharmaceuticals, telecommunications, toiletries, and transportation.

Content and Arrangement

EMMC is organized alphabetically by the name of the company for which the campaign was run. Thus, the "Bazooka Joe" campaign is listed under The Topps Company, Inc., the name of the firm that manufacturers Bazooka bubble gum. Each entry in the encyclopedia has the same sections:

Entry Head: Lists the company's name, address, phone and fax numbers/and, if available, web page and E-mail address.

Overview: Provides a brief summary of the campaign.

Historical Context: Discusses historical details of the brand, the company, the industry, or general culture needed to understand the featured campaign.

Target Market: Specifies the audience toward which the campaign was directed and the reason why that audience was targeted.

Competition: Points out the brand's major competitors and, if known, their market shares. Often discusses the competitors' advertising campaigns.

Marketing Strategy: Discusses how the campaign was started, who started it, and what were some of the concerns and goals.

Outcome: Discusses the campaign's success in achieving its goals, if sales increased or decreased during the campaign, and whether the campaign received any awards or other critical attention.

Further Reading: Lists articles and books that provide information on the campaign or on marketing within the category.

Sidebar: Discusses a topic often peripheral to the main discussion but important in understanding the campaign, brand, product, or company.

In addition to the entries, the encyclopedia features an introduction—written by Andrew Jaffe, executive director of the Clio Awards—that discusses important marketing developments of the twentieth century. Also in the book are two indexes (one for general terms and the other listing subjects) and some 400 photographs illustrating campaigns and products.

Acknowledgments

Many people were involved in putting together this book, some of whom are listed on the staff page. I would like to thank the advisers, who provided invaluable help with the selection of campaigns; Andrew Jaffe, for the introduction; the contributors, who conducted extensive research for their entries, often with the help of the companies and advertising agencies associated with the campaigns; and the companies and agencies, without whom many of the entries could not have been written. I would also like to express my appreciation to Patrick Hutchins, whose advice at various stages of the project was essential; Elizabeth Oakes and Mariko Fujinaka, who helped commission authors and assist with other important tasks; Barbra Brady, who located many of the photographs reproduced in this book; Robert Rauch, who helped establish the editing guidelines and line edited many of the entries; and Janice Jorgensen, Nancy Dziedzic, Laura Gabler, Joan Hibler, Anne Tatalovich, Anthony Craine, Sue Taylor, Karen Boyd, Linda Tomchuck, and Amy Tikkanen, who also line edited entries. Finally, I would like to thank Holly Selden, Andrea DeJong, and Amanda Quick, who coordinated various in-house responsibilities, including the proofreading and processing of images.

Comments and Suggestions

Comments and suggestions, including ideas for future essays, are most welcome. We invite readers to send us their thoughts at:

Editors/Encyclopedia of Major Marketing Campaigns

The Gale Group
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Farmington Hills, MI 48331-3535
Toll-free phone: 1-800-347-4253
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