Mary Wells Lawrence facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mary Wells Lawrence
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Mary Wells Lawrence at her desk, 1969
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| Born |
Mary Georgene Berg
May 25, 1928 Youngstown, Ohio, U.S.
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| Died | May 11, 2024 (aged 95) London, England
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| Alma mater | Carnegie Institute of Technology |
| Occupation | Advertising executive |
| Known for | Founder of Wells Rich Greene advertising agency |
| Spouse(s) |
Bert Wells
(m. 1949; div. 1952)
(m. 1954; div. 1965)Harding Lawrence
(m. 1967; died 2002) |
Mary Georgene Wells Lawrence (born Berg; May 25, 1928 – May 11, 2024) was a very important American advertising executive. An advertising executive is a person who plans and creates advertisements for companies. She started her own company called Wells, Rich, Greene. This company was famous for its creative and memorable ads.
Mary Wells Lawrence was the first woman to be a CEO of a company listed on the New York Stock Exchange. This means her company's shares could be bought and sold on a major stock market. She also won a special award called the Lion of St. Mark. This award celebrates people who have achieved a lot in advertising over their lifetime.
Contents
Early Life and Career Beginnings
Mary Georgene Berg was born in Youngstown, Ohio, in the United States. In the late 1940s, she studied at the Carnegie Institute of Technology in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. There, she met Burt Wells, who she later married.
She started her career in advertising in 1951. Her first job was as a copywriter for a department store. A copywriter writes the words for advertisements. Later, she moved to New York City and worked for big companies like Macy's. She also worked at other advertising agencies, learning a lot from famous advertising leaders.
Creating New Ad Campaigns
Mary Wells Lawrence joined a new advertising group called Jack Tinker and Partners. This group was known as "Tinker's Thinkers" because they came up with very creative ideas. They helped other advertising firms create campaigns.
Her career really took off when she created an amazing ad campaign for Braniff International Airways. The campaign was called "The End of the Plain Plane." She made the airline look exciting and modern. She even hired famous designers to create colorful planes and new uniforms for the flight attendants. This campaign helped Braniff Airways become very popular.
Founding Wells Rich Greene
After the success with Braniff, Mary Wells Lawrence decided to start her own advertising agency. She founded Wells Rich Greene on April 5, 1966. She became the president of the company.
Her agency, Wells Rich Greene (WRG), worked with many big companies. Some of their clients included American Motors, IBM, Pan American World Airways, and Procter & Gamble. They also continued to work with Braniff.
One of her most successful campaigns was for Benson and Hedges cigarettes in the late 1960s. This campaign helped increase their sales a lot.
By 1969, Mary Wells Lawrence was one of the highest-paid people in advertising. She was even asked by important government leaders, like Vice President Nelson Rockefeller and President Gerald Ford, to share her business ideas.
Mary Wells Lawrence stepped down as CEO in 1990. Her agency was later sold and eventually closed in 1998. The company's old ads and records were given to Duke University for people to study.
Famous Advertising Campaigns
Wells Rich Greene created many memorable advertising slogans and campaigns. You might still recognize some of them today!
- "Plop plop, fizz fizz" - for Alka-Seltzer
- "I Can't Believe I Ate the Whole Thing" - also for Alka-Seltzer
- "Try it, you'll like it" - another Alka-Seltzer slogan
- I ♥ N Y - the famous logo for New York
- "Trust the Midas touch" - for Midas car service
- "At Ford, Quality is Job 1" - for Ford cars
- "Flick your Bic" - for Bic lighters
- "Raise your hand if you're Sure" - for Sure deodorant
Later Life and Legacy
Mary Wells Lawrence had two daughters, Pamela and Kathy. She married Harding Lawrence, who was the president of Braniff International Airways, in 1967. He passed away in 2002. Mary Wells Lawrence died in London on May 11, 2024, at the age of 95.
She was also one of the five women who started wowOwow, a website for women, in 2008. Other famous women, like Whoopi Goldberg and Lesley Stahl, also contributed to the website.
Awards and Recognition
Mary Wells Lawrence received many honors for her work:
- She was named one of the top ten newsmakers of the 1960s by Advertising Age magazine.
- She was the youngest person to be included in the Copywriters Hall of Fame.
- She received the Golden Plate Award from the American Academy of Achievement in 1969.
- The American Advertising Federation named her the 1971 Advertising Woman of the Year.
- She was inducted into the American Advertising Federation Hall of Fame in 1999.
Author
Mary Wells Lawrence also wrote a book about her life in advertising. It is called A Big Life in Advertising.
See also
In Spanish: Mary Wells Lawrence para niños
