International Offices Series, 1942-1964, undated

Scope and content:

The International Offices Series spans the years 1942-1964, although the bulk of the material dates from 1945-1960 and a few items are undated. The records consist of correspondence and documents of market research done at the J. Walter Thompson offices outside the United States. The majority of the items relate to the offices in Vienna, Toronto, Paris, London, Rome and Tokyo. The work of the office in Denmark from 1942-1962 and in Argentina, the Caribbean, Greece, Holland, Mexico and Pakistan during 1964-1966 is less extensively documented. The correspondence is primarily between Samuel Meek,Vice President in charge of International Operations, 1930-1964, and the directors of the various branch offices. Most letters and telegrams focus on the practical aspects of establishing and running the offices in foreign countries: budgets, personnel issues, potential clients, competition from other advertising agencies, and market research. Others deal with the more personal aspects of a multi-national business: arranging gifts, meetings and receptions for visiting dignitaries, assisting executives of J. Walter Thompson and of client companies with their travel plans, letters of condolence for the deaths of executives' family members, etc.

A frequent topic of the correspondence is how to reduce xenophobia and to increase the acceptance of an American advertising agency and U.S. products in the face of the nationalistic climate in many of the relevant countries. During the 1940s, the London office was preoccupied with counteracting German anti-British propaganda in the U.S.

Clients of the company represented in the International Offices Series include Lever, Kodak, Nescafe, Shell Oil, Cheesbrough-Pond's, Rowntree, Olivetti, Oneida, Nabisco, Schick, Campbell Soup, American Chicle Co., General Foods, Honeywell Co., and Sanyo-Scott.

Correspondents include Samuel Meek, Robert M. Campbell (Toronto Office), Wilfrid Sanders (Toronto Office), Justin de Blank (Paris Office), Kevin Farrell (Paris Office), Ruth Waldo (New York Office), Virgil D. Reed (London Office), Denys M. Scott (Paris Office), James H. Page (Tokyo Office), Harry A. Lee (San Francisco Office). Other correspondents include officials of the U.S. and other governments.

Arrangement:

Folders are grouped by country and then arranged chronologically.

Contents

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