Emerson H. Foote (1906 – July 5, 1992) was an American business and advertising executive who served as former chairman of McCann-Erickson.[1] Foote later became an anti-smoking activist after resigning from McCann-Erickson.[2]
Emerson Foote | |
|---|---|
| Chairman of McCann-Erickson | |
| In office 1962–1964 | |
| President of McCann-Erickson | |
| In office 1960–1963 | |
| Vice President of McCann-Erickson | |
| In office 1951–1957 | |
| Succeeded by | Paul Foley (1963) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1906 Sheffield, Alabama, U.S. |
| Died | July 5, 1992 (aged 85) Carmel, New York, U.S. |
| Spouse |
Sabina Fromhold
(m. 1938; died 1985) |
| Children | 4 |
| Alma mater | University of Southern California |
Early life
editEmerson Foote was born in 1906 in Sheffield, Alabama.[3] He graduated from Los Angeles High School in June 1922.[4] Foote then enrolled at the University of Southern California in 1924.[5]
Career
editFoote first worked on tobacco accounts in December 1938, for the American Tobacco Company.[6] In 1942, Foote was a co-founder of Foote, Cone & Beldin.[7] In 1948, Foote caused controversy when as president of Foote, Cone & Beldin, cancelled a $12 million Lucky Strike account.[2][8] Foote served as president of Foote, Cone & Beldin until 1950.[9] Foote joined McCann-Erickson on October 19, 1951[10] as vice president and served in that capacity until 1957.[8] He was named president of McCann-Erickson in 1960 and served until 1963.[1] Foote was named chairman in 1963.[8] In 1964, Foote resigned as chairman from McCann-Erickson due to his opposition handling cigarette accounts.[11] Foote was later elected the first chairman of the National Interagency Council on Smoking and Health[12] and took office on December 1, 1964.[13] Foote was also a life member of the board of directors of the American Cancer Society.[14]
Personal life
editFoote suffered from stuttering and bipolar disorder.[15] Foote was a former chain-smoker[1][2] and quit around 1959.[8] Foote married his wife, Sabina Fromhold, on April 18, 1938.[16] His wife predeceased him in 1985.[1] They had four children: one son and three daughters.[1] Foote died on July 5, 1992, in Carmel, New York, at age 85 due to complications from an appendicitis operation.[1][7]
In popular culture
editFoote is referenced in the AMC series Mad Men in the episode Blowing Smoke, when Don Draper after losing the Lucky Strike account, issues an ad for The New York Times, "Why I'm Quitting Tobacco".[17][18]
Books
edit- Foote, Emerson. (2014). The Lost Diary of a Real Mad Man: Tales of Advertising & Mental Health, American Academy of Advertising, ISBN 978-0-931030-47-5 (posthumously)
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c d e f Saxon, Wolfgang (1992-07-08). "Emerson Foote, 85, Who Headed Large Advertising Agencies, Dies". The New York Times.
- ^ a b c Carlson, Walter (1965-12-29). "Advertising: The Return of Emerson Foote". The New York Times.
- ^ Foote, Emerson (2014). The Lost Diary of a Real Mad Man: Tales of Advertising & Mental Health. East Lansing, Michigan: American Academy of Advertising. p. 6. ISBN 978-0-931030-47-5.
- ^ Foote. The Lost Diary of a Real Mad Man. p. 10.
- ^ Foote. The Lost Diary of a Real Mad Man. p. 16.
- ^ Foote. The Lost Diary of a Real Mad Man. p. 66.
- ^ a b Emerson Foote, ad agency co-founder. The Hour. July 7, 1992.
- ^ a b c d Sloane, Leonard (1964-09-19). "TOP AD MAN QUITS; OPPOSES SMOKING; Foote of McCann-Erickson Cites 'Conflict of Interest' Over Tobacco Accounts; REMAINS AS CONSULTANT; Gives Up Chairmanship to. Be Able to Take Public Position on Cigarettes". The New York Times.
- ^ Former Ad Man To Talk About Cigarette Deaths. The Morning Record. April 24, 1965.
- ^ Foote. The Lost Diary of a Real Mad Man. p. 137.
- ^ Sloane, Leonard (1964-09-22). "Advertising: Emerson Foote, Chapter II". The New York Times.
- ^ Dougherty, Phillip H. (1971-03-25). "Advertising: Snooping in the Marketplace". The New York Times.
- ^ "Council on Smoking Names Foote Chairman". The New York Times.
- ^ Foote. The Lost Diary of a Real Mad Man. p. 226.
- ^ Foote. The Lost Diary of a Real Mad Man. p. 5.
- ^ Foote. The Lost Diary of a Real Mad Man. p. 61.
- ^ Bellafante, Ginia (2010-10-11). "'Mad Men' Recap: A Mood of Desperation". ArtsBeat. Retrieved 2024-09-22.
- ^ Elliott, Stuart (2010-10-24). "'Mad Men' as an Echo of Reality". The New York Times.