Broadcasting Telecasting (Jan-Mar 1956)

ADVERTISERS & AGENCIES IN A BROADENING of top administrative posts at Grey Adv. Agency, Lawrence Valenstein (c) becomes chairman of the board and of the executive committee; Arthur C. Fatt (r), president, and Herbert D. Strauss, executive vice president. VALENSTEIN, FATT, STRAUSS MOVED UP AS GREY ADV. BOLSTERS TOP ECHELON New blueprint designed to strengthen top administrative offices. Valenstein sees possible expansion of Grey billings to $60 million by 1960. LAWRENCE VALENSTEIN, president and founder of Grey Adv., New York, becomes the first chairman of the board of directors and of the executive committee of the agency, while Arthur Fatt, executive vice president, becomes president and Herbert D. Strauss succeeds Mr. Fatt as executive vice president, Mr. Valenstein is announcing today (Monday). He said in a letter that "at the present time Grey agency's billing picture exceeds $30 million. If, by 1960, the gross national product reaches the anticipated $450 billion, Grey may expect to bill $60 million, if it continues to get the same share of the advertising dollars invested." He then explained that Grey's top management team had held a four-day conference away from New York to work out a blueprint for the future. "One of our first major steps to implement this blueprint is a broadening of top administrative officers so that we may have the required administrative leadership ... In keeping with this plan I shall become chairman of the board and of the executive committee. My colleague, Arthur Fatt, who joined Grey 34 years ago and, like me, has had no other job, becomes president. And Herbert D. Strauss, a comparative newcomer (17 years with Grey) will be executive vice president, a post held by Mr. Fatt," the letter stated. It went on to say that "Grey's executive committee will be composed of: Lawrence Valenstein, Herbert D. Strauss, Alfred L. Hollender [vice president, director of radio and television], Arthur C. Fatt, and Edmond R. Richer [vice president and account supervisor]. "Norman J. J. Berger [assistant to the president] has been elected secretary of Grey and Ralph Froelitch [director of production] a vice president. "Grey has further strengthened its board of directors with the addition of B. I. Brownold [vice president and account supervisor], Herbert D. Strauss, Alfred Hollender, Edmond R. Richer, Jules Singer [vice president and account supervisor], Arkady Leokum [vice president and copy chief], Florence Goldin [vice president and fashion director], and Samuel Dalsimer [vice president and account supervisor]." Mr. Valenstein pointed out that the agency's aim was "two-fold: (1) to strengthen our present administrative team, and, (2) to provide the opportunity for the increased leadership we shall need for the future." He also mentioned that "in 1917, I started Grey with $100. Now, 38 years later, our agency, billing more than $30 million, is carrying out a blueprint for even greater growth." Mr. Valenstein officially disclosed the new executive lineup, for announcement today, at a news luncheon held at the agency on Friday. Lieb, Kenyon & Eckhardt V. P. JOSEPH C. LIEB, account supervisor, Kenyon & Eckhardt, New York, has been elected a vice president of the agency, it was announced last week. Mr. Lieb joined K&E last month after having been account supervisor, at Biow-Beirn-Toigo; foreign correspondent on Parade magazine; and account executive for Cecil & Presbry, Geyer, Newell & Ganger, and BBDO, New York and Chicago. MR. LIEB 'Kangaroo7 For Curads BAUER & BLACK (Curads), through Leo Burnett, Chicago, has purchased a five-minute segment weekly of Captain Kangaroo (CBSTV, Mon.-Fri., 8-9 a.m. EST and Sat., 9:3010:30 a.m. EST), effective early in March. Curads is the third recent sponsor of the show with Whitehall Pharmacal for Kolynos toothpaste and Nestle Chocolate for its products and cookie mixes having been announced earlier [At Deadline, Jan. 9]. Wechslar to Gumbinner ROBERT WECHSLAR, formerly with Benton & Bowles and Anderson & Cairns, both New York, has been appointed promotion director of Lawrence C. Gumbinner Adv., New York. Also announced Friday was the election of Hershel Bramson, art director, to vice president, and Charlotte Dressner, assistant treasurer, to corporate secretary of Gumbinner. GM to Air 'Motorama' Exhibit THE General Motors Corp., which sponsors for Frigidaire Do You Trust Your Wife? on CBS-TV (Tues., 10:30-11 p.m. EST) will use that time period tomorrow night to telecast a special, 30-minute show direct from GM's "Motorama" exhibit at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York. The program will star John Daly, Arlene Francis, Dave Garroway, Mary Margaret McBride, Jayne Meadows and Bess Myerson. The telecast will be supervised by Richard De Rochemont, and the agency handling the program for the fourth consecutive year is the Kudner Agency, New York. Sara Lee Sets Spot Campaign KITCHENS of Sara Lee Inc. will invade the New York market area with a heavy radiotv spot saturation campaign starting Jan. 31 on behalf of its Sara Lee chocolate cake, it was announced last week. The three-week drive marks the company's move into the area's frozen foods field for that product and will include some 500 radio and tv announcements, as well as full-page newspaper ads and mailing pieces. It will be conducted in New York, its suburbs and northern New Jersey. Agency is Cunningham & Walsh, Chicago. Tv Campaign by Ideal Toy IDEAL TOY Corp., N. Y., is planning full scale advertising and publicity campaign using television, with emphasis placed on buying toys all year. The campaign intends to reach adult audiences as well as children. Last year the toy company participated on such network shows as Winky Dink, Romper Room, and also used tv spots. Grey Adv., New York, is agency. Lever Plans Wisk Spots LEVER BROTHERS, New York, will introduce its new heavy-duty liquid laundry detergent, Wisk, in four midwest markets — St. Louis, Grand Rapids, Indianapolis and Cleveland — early in February. Radio and tv spots will be used for this introductory campaign and will be expanded each month until national distribution is attained. Agency: BBDO, New York. New Ross Report Out ROSS Reports on Television, New York, said last week it has issued its eighth annual survey of tv film commercial production. The new report is titled "1955 Survey — Tv Film Commercials." The 60-page volume covers the period Aug. 1, 1954-July 31, 1955, and contains information on 5,650 commercials, listing sponsor, product, length, type and producer of each. It also cross-indexes commercials made for 834 products of 554 sponsors by 180 advertising agencies through 170 production firms. Copies are available at $5 each from the company at 551 Fifth Ave., New York 17. Page 36 • January 23, 1956 Broadcasting Telecasting