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The papers of George Black, former advertising executive of the J. Walter Thompson Company, span the years 1968 to 1989, with the bulk of the material dating from 1972 to 1988. The papers document Black's activities during his tenure as Creative Department Head in the 1970's and then as Chairman of JWT-Frankfurt from 1976 to 1988. During the 1980's, Black presided over an expansion of business in the German Speaking Area (GSA) which included the opening of new offices in Hamburg and Düsseldorf; the establishment of JWT divisions for pharmaceutical advertising (Deltakos) and direct marketing (JWT-Direkt); and the British WPP Group's leveraged buyout of JWT in 1987. General trends and events reflected in the papers include the increasing globalization of clients and markets, the world energy and financial crises of the 1970's, JWT's international expansion and business management worldwide. Specific topics documented include ethical and legal issues surrounding children and advertising in Germany; the production of film and print advertisements for current and prospective clients; Black's membership in professional organizations such as European Association of Advertising Agencies (EAAA) and the Art Directors Club of Germany; Black's participation in JWT international strategic planning groups, with emphasis on Europe and the GSA; promotions and management changes within JWT; and special events and seminars for JWT international staff and clients. The collection consists of correspondence, memoranda, manuscripts, reports, photographs, press releases, speeches, overhead transparencies, agendas, invoices and receipts, contracts, newsletters, articles, advertisements, and collateral literature. Correspondents in the collection include media and management consultants, artists and producers, current and prospective clients, persons affiliated with various agencies, publications, and organizations, and JWT executives such as David Campbell-Harris (JWT-Milan), Jack Cronin (JWT-New York), Peter Horak (JWT-Zürich), Don Johnston (JWT-New York), Denis Lanigan (JWT-London), Eilika Schmidt-Roessler (JWT-Brussels), Alfred Tiefenbrunner (JWT-Vienna), and Hakan Verner-Carlsson (JWT-Stockholm). Clients well-documented in the collection include Braun, Campari, DeBeers, Elida Gibbs, Ford, Jacobs, Kellogg, Kraft, Lever-Sunlicht (Unilever), Nestle, Singer, Pepsi, Warner-Lambert, and Wick.

The papers of Paris Cleveland Gardner span the years 1834 to 1976, though they fall chiefly in the period 1920 to 1951. They consist of correspondence, legal papers, case files, printed matter, and clippings.

The papers of Peter Gilow, former advertising executive of the J. Walter Thompson Company, span the years 1960 to 1978, with the bulk of the material dating from 1962 to 1977. The papers document the development of the J. Walter Thompson Company's Frankfurt Office (J. Walter Thompson GmbH). Specifically covered are the developments in and transformation of German advertising since the end of World War II in television, radio, and print, the emergence of a European Market, attempts to coordinate efforts among all JWT European offices, and the establishment of public service advertising and organizations that represent advertising agencies in Germany. The papers consist of correspondence, telexes, memoranda, notes, reports, charts, scripts, clippings, and printed materials. Clients of the company represented in the collection include Brinkmann, Burger King, DeBeers, Dunlop, Findus, Ford, Intercontinental Hotels Corp., Kraft, Kellogg, Lever-Sunlicht, Maggi, Nestle, Pan American Airways, Warner-Lambert, and others. Correspondents include clients and executives from other JWT offices such as David Campbell-Harris, Constance B. Ivie, Don Johnston, Denis Lanigan, Jens von Leutzendorff, René Müller, Dan Seymour, Alex Späth, Thomas Sutton, Neil Walker, and Edward G. Wilson. Other correspondents are affiliated with Benton and Bowles, Franz Burda, Deltakos Division, GWA, Harbridge House Europe, Hax-Arbeitskreis, Heumann Werbegesellschaft, Managers' Meeting, Marketing Club, and Young and Rubicam. Approximately half of the collection is in English and the remainder is in German. The German language predominates in the Correspondence Series, the Organizations Series, the Memoranda Series, and the Account Poll Series; however, the English language predominates in the Other JWT Offices Series, the Meetings Series, the Annual Management Series, and the Manager's Monthly Assessment Series.