Campbell-Ewald history

The largest slice of the market was the low-price territory staked out by Ford and its Model T, which had changed little since 1914.

The partnership lasted only until 1917, when Campbell decided to retire to work for the YMCA in France, which was in the midst of World War I. After the war he would work briefly in advertising in Detroit before giving it up to pursue a myriad of other activities, such as catching live rattlesnakes.

He now began to build up his roster of clients among the carmakers that comprised General Motors (GM). In 1919 the agency developed its first ad for Chevrolet, but would have to wait to win the account.

To coordinate its national billboard advertising, Campbell-Ewald formed the Outdoor Department in 1925.

Despite the stock market crash in October 1929, Ewald remained optimistic about the new decade, but soon it became apparent that the economy would not enjoy a quick rebound.

Billings increased to $10 million by the end of 1944.

A major addition to the agency’s roster of clients came in 1956 when Campbell-Ewald began handling the Firestone Tire and Rubber Co. account.

Total billings had increased to $131 million by the time Little retired in 1966.

Realizing that the agency could achieve the kind of international scope he wanted in one stroke, Adams and management agreed, and in May 1972 Campbell-Ewald merged with IPG in what was then the industry’s largest agency merger in history.

A new umbrella organization was formed in 1976, Campbell-Ewald Worldwide, which established its headquarters in New York.

When Adams retired in 1984, Campbell-Ewing had become the global enterprise he had envisioned.

In October 1987 Campbell-Ewald was added to that mix, the merger resulting in Lintas Worldwide, with business divided between Lintas International and Lintas: USA, which included the newly named Lintas: Campbell-Ewald.

To provide it with more work, the Farmers Insurance account was transferred from the main office to Los Angeles in 2001.

In 2006 Ewald secured more new business, which allowed the company to expand into several new categories.