Broadcasting Telecasting (Oct-Dec 1957)

BROADCASTING THE BUSINESSWEEKLY OF TELEVISION AND RADIO Vol. 53, No. 22 NOVEMBER 25, 1957 TOP 50 AGENCIES IN 1957 RADIO-TV ® McGann-Erickson's $103 million places first • Bates' $43.5 million tops spot-only billing McCann-Erickson leads the nation's advertising agencies in combined television and radio billing in 1957 with a year-end figure of $103 million, according to results of Broadcasting's sixth annual survey of the top broadcast agencies in the U. S. M-E drove to its dominance on the steam of a $26.6 million increase over its 1956 billings, when the agency checked in as No. 3. Young & Rubicam, three years the leader in the year-end tabulations, was bumped into the runner-up position this year despite an $18 million gain that raised its tv-radio expenditure to an even $100 million. J. Walter Thompson Co. emerged third with a broadcast billing total of $92 million, a $22 million advance over its 1956 outlay. BBDO placed fourth this year while adding $5 million to bring its tv-radio billing total to $85 million. Ted Bates retained its No. 5 ranking on the strength of a $21.5 million rise, lifting its billing figure to $76.5 million. The other leaders among the Top 10: Benton & Bowles, $54.5 million; Leo Burnett, $49 million; Dancer-Fitzgerald-Sample, $47 million; Compton, $42 million, and Foote, Cone & Belding, $40 million. Ted Bates for the third consecutive year held its dominance in tv-radio spot billing with a year-end tally of $43.5 million, an advance of $8.5 million over its 1956 total. McCann-Erickson registered $42 million to place second in spot spending, well ahead of Y&R and BBDO which shared third rank with a spot total of $27 million each. In the "television only" category, McCann-Erickson led the standings with $91 million, followed — as in the combined figures— by Young & Rubicam and J. Walter Thompson. The Y&R tv total: $85 million; JWT: $80 million. Young & Rubicam edged BBDO by $1 million in the "Radio Only" designation, finishing the year with $15 million. McCannErickson and J. Walter Thompson shared third position with identical $12 million outlays in radio. Total 1957 billings of thz 50 agencies included in the survey came to $1.2 billion. The figures represent expenditures for time and talent, in both network and spot, during the 1957 calendar year. They do not include commitments already made for 1958. Following is a summary of this year's activity in each of the agencies listed in the compilation: McCANN-ERICKSON: Combined tv-radio billing $103 million; $91 million in television ($61 million in network, $30 million in spot); $12 million in radio (all spot); tv-radio share of overall billing, 52%. In registering its $26.6 million increase over last year, McCann-Erickson spent more than $5 million on specials alone for Standard Oil, Bulova, John Hancock and others. New to the agency this year: Helene Curtis (What's My Line? on CBS-TV), Turns (Wagon Train, NBC-TV) and John Hancock (Producers Showcase, NBC-TV). Even more significant than the new entries was the formidable increase of tv spending among established clients at the agency. Regular network sponsors at the agency include: Chrysler {Climax, Shower of Stars, both CBS-TV), Chesebrough-Ponds (Bob Cummings Show, NBC-TV), Derby Foods (Disneyland, ABC-TV), Liggett & Myers (Dragnet, Club Oasis, NBC-TV, Frank Sinatra, ABC-TV), Mennen Co. (Wednesday Night Fights, OSS, both ABC-TV) and Westinghouse (Studio One, CBS-TV). YOUNG & RUBICAM: Combined tv-radio billing $100 million; $85 million in television ($67 million in network, $18 million in spot); $15 million in radio ($6 million in network, $9 million in spot); tv-radio share of overall billing: 45%. Up $18 million from its 1956 total, the agency shares with McCann-Erickson the distinction of cracking the $100 million mark in tv-radio billing. New business in 1957: Beechnut, from Kenyon & Eckhardt. Lost: Kent and Newport cigarettes to Lennen & Newell. New entrants to tv: Drackett (Wagon Train, NBC-TV); Royal Typewriter (Sally, NBC-TV). Among leading network advertisers: Goodyear (Goodyear Anthology, NBC-TV), Remington Rand (Gunsmoke, What's My Line?, both CBS-TV), BristolMyers (Alfred Hitchcock Presents, CBS-TV, Tombstone Territory, ABC-TV), Singer (The Calif ornians, NBC-TV), General Elec Rank Agency Total Broadcast Billings (in millions of dollars) 1. MCCANN-ERICKSON $103 2. YOUNG & RUBICAM 100 3. J. WALTER THOMPSON 92 4. BBDO 85 5. TED BATES 76 5 6. BENTON & BOWLES 54.5 7. LEO BURNETT 49 8. DANCER-FITZGERALD-SAMPLE 47 9. COMPTON ADV. 42 10. FOOTE, CONE & BELDING 40 11. WILLIAM ESTY 36 12. KENYON & ECKHARDT 31.5 13. N. W. AYER 31 14. SULLIVAN, STAUFFER, COLWELL & BAYLES 26.7 15. CAMPBELL-EWALD 25 16. LENNEN & NEWELL 24.5 17. CUNNINGHAM & WALSH 17 18. CAMPBELL-MITHUN 16.8 MAXON INC. 16.8 20. GRANT ADV. 16 21. GREY ADV. 15.4 22. PARKSON 15 ERWIN WASEY, RUTHRAUFF & RYAN 15 24. D'ARCY 14 NEEDHAM, LOUIS & BRORBY 14 26. GEOFFREY WADE 12.8 27. TATHAM-LAIRD 11.2 28. NORTH ADV. 11 29. GARDNER ADV. 10.4 30. NORMAN, CRAIG & KUMMEL 10.3 31. DOHERTY, CLIFFORD, STEERS & SHENFIELD 10 KUDNER 10 33. BRYAN HOUSTON 9 34. EDWARD WEISS CO. 8.3 35. FULLER & SMITH & ROSS 8.2 36. EMIL MOGUL 8 37. DONAHUE & COE 7.7 MAC MANUS, JOHN & ADAMS 7.7 39. KEYES, MADDEN & JONES 7.4 40. GORDON BEST 7.3 41. GUILD, BASCOM & BONFIGLI 6.9 42. COHEN & ALESHIRE 6.6 43. DOYLE DANE BERNBACH 6 5 44. OGILVY, BENSON & MATHER 6.4 45. WARWICK & LEGLER 6.2 D. P. BROTHER 6.2 47. EARLE LUDGIN 6 48. GEYER 5.5 49. FITZGERALD 5.3 50. RAYMOND SPECTOR 5 FOR BILLING DETAILS SEE NEXT PAGE Broadcasting November 25, 1957 • Page 27