© The contents of this finding aid are the copyright of the University of Chicago Library
© 2006 University of Chicago Library
The collection is open for research.
When quoting material from this collection, the preferred citation is: Cone, Fairfax M. Papers, [Box #, Folder #], Hanna Holborn Gray Special Collections Research Center, University of Chicago Library
A man of many interests Fairfax Cone streamlined the advertising profession in the 1930's. Cone began attending the University of California at Berkeley in 1921. A natural and gifted writer he joined the San Francisco Examiner where he used his writing and artistic abilities in the promotions department. He joined Lord and Thomas, San Francisco, as a copywriter in 1929 and became executive Vice President of Lord and Thomas' successor agency, Foote, Cone and Belding, in 1942. Based in Chicago, he led FCB to $22 million in billings in its first year with landmark campaigns for Lucky Strike, Hallmark, Toni and Dial. Cone distilled information to its essence, then executed campaigns with balance, simplicity, unity and clarity. Impatient with noisy, intrusive, deceptive TV commercials, Cone became an early advocate of a TV "magazine concept," whereby networks, not agencies, produced commercial programming.
Cone's philosophy of advertising targeted the individual, "There is no such thing as a Mass Mind. The Mass Audience is made up of individuals, and good advertising is written always from one person to another. When it is aimed at millions it rarely moves anyone."
The Papers contain correspondence, business and organizational files, speeches and photographs.The Papers are divided into four series. Series I: General Files, is organized by year, then alphabetically within each year, from 1947-1970. Series II contains the text of speeches given by Cone from 1945 to 1971. Speeches by speakers other than Cone are in Series III. Series IV contains photographs, most from the 1960s.
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