J. Walter Thompson Company. Edgar Hatcher papers, 1952-1992

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Summary

Creator:
J. Walter Thompson Company
Extent:
4.5 Linear Feet
250 Items
Language:
English.
Collection ID:
RL.00707

Background

Scope and content:

The Edgar Hatcher Papers, 1952-1992, document Hatcher's career as a copywriter and creative director for several major advertising agencies, including G.M. Basford Co.; Benton and Bowles; Ogilvy, Benson, and Mather; Kenyon and Eckhardt; Batten, Barton, Durstine, and Osborn's San Francisco office; McCann-Erickson; and J. Walter Thompson Company. The collection provides an overview into oil company advertising and the development of advertising in several firms from the 1950s through the early 1990s. Materials include reports, correspondence, memoranda, scripts, storyboards, collateral literature, notes, photographs, audio and video tapes, films, and cassette recordings which document the creative development of print, radio and television advertising for various clients. Clients represented include General Electric, Air Reduction Co., Chemical Manufacturer's Association, IBM, Shell Oil, Maxim Freeze Dried Coffee, Ford and Lincoln Mercury, Chevron Oil, Exxon/Esso, Campbell's Soup, Advertising Council, National Council on Productivity and Quality of Working Life, Savings and Loan Foundation, Eastman Kodak, and Beechcraft.

The Clients Series focuses on Hatcher's work on radio and television advertising campaigns, and include many scripts for commercials in various stages of development. Of particular note are materials documenting campaigns for oil companies during the 1960s and 1970s, including Chevon, Shell and Exxon. Included is documentation of the award winning TV commercial for Super Shell Platformate Gasoline entitled " Railroad Mileage" from 1964 in which a car smashes through a paper sign. Included is significant documentation of advertising from 1968-1970 for Chevron's F-310 gasoline and materials relating to advertising for Exxon during the energy crisis in 1974-1975. Also included in this series are materials relating to Hatcher's creation of the famous " Ford has a Better Idea" campaign in 1966 and Hatcher's development of the " Efficiency of Quality" campaign for Beechcraft airplanes in the 1980s.

The Audio Visual Series contains recordings of interviews Hatcher conducted with several noted film makers between 1978-1980 for an Eastman Kodak campaign. Film makers interviewed include Margaret Booth, Joel Chaseman, Mike Cimino, Richard Donner, Blake Edwards, Bill Evans, Bob Gaffney, Art Ornitz, Aaron Spelling, Jimmy Stewart, Grant Tinker, and King Vidor. Also in this series are recordings of radio commercials with which Hatcher was involved such as Campbell's "Soup is Good Food" campaign for which Hatcher wrote the lyrics and copy. Also included are video tapes and films of television commerials created by Hatcher.

The Advertisements Series contains print advertisements for campaigns on which Hatcher worked. The Chevron F-310 and the Beechcraft " Efficiency of Quality" campaigns are best represented. A 1955 Chemical Manufacturer's Association ad features the Hatcher family in High Point, NC.

Biographical / historical:
Chronology
Date Event
1927, Jan. 20
Born in High Point, North Carolina
1943
Entered North Carolina State to study engineering
1944
Entered the Navy V-5 program at Duke University, attended pre-flight school in Chapel Hill, NC
1945, Fall
Returned to Duke University to study English
1947
Received AB in English, Duke University, Durham, NC
1947-1948
Moved to New York, where he roomed with Duke classmate William Styron who was writing Lie Down in Darkness at the time
1948-1949
Worked at theVick Chemical Company as a sales and advertising trainee selling Vick's VapoRub throughout the Midwest and South
1949-1950
Joined Young and Rubicam in the mail room and later in the research department
1950-1951
Became a Copywriter at Deutsch and Shea
1951, Feb. 22
Married Barbara
1951-1957
Joined G.M. Basford Co. as Creative Group Supervisor,working with the following clients: General Electric, Air Reduction Co., Chemical Manufacturer's Association
1958-1960
Became a Account Supervisor at Benton and Bowles, client: IBM
1960-1966
Joined Ogilvy, Benson, and Mather as Creative Supervisor working on the Shell Oil and Maxim Freeze Dried Coffee accounts
1966-1967
Worked as Creative Group Head at Kenyon and Eckhardt, on the Ford Corporate and Ford Lincoln Mercury Division account
1968-1970
Batten, Barton, Durstine, and Osborn's San Francisco office as Creative Group Manager for the Chevron Oil account
1970-1976
Became Vice President, Associate Creative Director at McCann-Erickson for the following accounts: Exxon/Esso, Campbell's Soup, Ad Council, National Council on Productivity and Quality of Working Life, Savings and Loan Foundation, Bahamas
1976-1981
Became Vice President, Associate Creative Director, Copy Group Head at J. Walter Thompson for the Eastman Kodak, Ford, and STP Corporation accounts
1981-1992
Rejoined McCann-Erickson as Vice President Associate Creative Director for the Beechcraft, Exxon, Texas Instruments accounts
1992, March 1
Retired from McCann-Erickson

Edgar Hatcher and his wife Barbara have two children, Edgar A. Hatcher IV and Liza Hatcher Dawson, both of whom also attended Duke University. The Hatchers live in New York.

Acquisition information:
The Edgar Hatcher Papers were transferred to the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book Manuscript Library in 1992.
Processing information:

Processed by Phoebe A. Evans; Finding aid completed and edited by Katherine Hufstetler

Completed August, 1996

Processing of this collection was supported by gifts from the John and Kelly Hartman Foundation.

Encoded by Stephen Douglas Miller

Physical location:
For current information on the location of these materials, please consult the Library's online catalog.
Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Subjects

Click on terms below to find related finding aids on this site. For other related materials in the Duke University Libraries, search for these terms in the Catalog.

Names:
J. Walter Thompson Company

Contents

Using These Materials

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Using These Materials

Restrictions:

Access to some portions of the Edgar Hatcher Papers are restricted.

Researchers must register and agree to copyright and privacy laws before using this collection.

All or portions of this collection may be housed off-site in Duke University's Library Service Center. There may be a 48-hour delay in obtaining these materials.

Please contact Research Services staff before visiting the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library to use this collection.

Terms of access:

The copyright interests in the the Edgar Hatcher Papers have not been transferred to Duke University. For further information, see the section on copyright in the Regulations and Procedures of the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library.

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Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], J. Walter Thompson Company. Edgar Hatcher Papers, David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University.