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ORAL HTSTORY INTERVIEW **********~*******~*****. with HALL "CAP" ADAMS, Jr. March 24, 1986 at Philip Morris, Inc. New York, New York By Scott Ellsworth Abstracted by Stacy A. Flaherty For the Marlboro Oral History Project INTERVIEW # 3 Archives Center National Museum of American History Smithsonian Institution TAPE ABSTRACT AND INDEX *********************~*

HALL "CAP" ADAMS, JR. BIOGRA.PHCIAL SKETCH Hall "Cap" Adams, Jr. joined the Leo Burnett Company ini 1956, after serving two:years in the United States Army. He worked in the Media Department for the first few years at Burnett. In 1961 he became an account executive on the Philip Morris account. In 1977 he was elected to the Board of Directors of Leo:Burnett, becoming, Chairman in 1978. Adams became Chairman and Chief Executive Officer for Leo Burnett USA in 1982. SCOPE'AND CONTENT NOTE The interview focusses on the Marlboro Country advertising campaign. Arrong the other topics discussed: "Settleback" ads; focus on cowboy image; the 1971 broadcast ban; the Leo Burnett Company. The interview took place at Philip Morris USA in New York City..

ADAMS' ABSTRACT page 2 Abstract of Interview with Cap Adams, March 24, 1986 Philip Morris, Inc., New York, New York Interviewer: Scott Ellsworth Tape 1, Side 1 : 30 "CAP" ADANSS ` CAREER AT LEO BURNETT I 1:40 In 1961, Marlboro was a prestigious brand. It sponsored~the National Football League. It was an exciting account. 2:40 "Settleback" ads and "Empty Stadium" commercials were being produced. "Empty Stadium" ads were a form of "Settleback" ads. Ex-football players visited the scenes of their gl!ory. 5:00 Many people were involved on Marlboro account. Someone came up with the music, the lines. 6:25 Marlboro Country campaign started in the big, cities. 7:15 FOCUS ON COWBOY Some commercials were produced in Hollywood with actors as cowboys. 8':30 Later they connected~with the real West. They used the landscape as a backdrop and used real cowboys. Neil McBain, Leo Burnett art director, scouted Guthrie, Texas. Adams and Cliff Wilmot, Marlboro brand manager, visited Guthrie. saw a real cowboy in town. They ~ 10:55 Getting out of Hollywood and doing,film ~ ~ roduction in a less traditional wa took some p y doing even after they had all the ingredients. GJ. ~ 11:40 Neil McBain is now retired. Ken Krom is W W currently the art director. W N

ADAI,IS ABSTRACT page 3' 13:20 The art director, photographer, andicowboys spent a: lot of time together. They really got to know, each other. Everyone took pride in the work. 15:00 CONTINUITY ON! MARhBORO ACCOUNT There was an attempt to manage the account. Jack Landry was the glue for many years. John Benson was there at the start. Marty Snitzer was on it for a long time. 16:55 Norman Muse was a creative on Marlboro. 17:40 MUSIC London Philharmonic did the music tracks recently. David Rose used to~do some music. Dick Marx was a:top music guy. 18:15 CHANGES IN MARLBORO ADVERTISING Changes were made after broadcast ban, the rest of advertising went on uninterrupted. Marlboro came out of the ban without skipping a beat. 19:55 Marlboro hasn't changed much. It is very much non-verbal communication. The few words used are unchanged. Subject matter varies for sake of variety, morethan to evolve. 20:35 SHIFT FROM PASTORALISM TO A HOSTILE ENvIRONMIINT Discussion~of pastoral and raw environments. 22:00 Mistake that Marlboro team makes is to do every shot the same - all close-ups, all action. This has happened more in international ads. 22:30 As a general rule international section saw cowboy ads as useful for domestic advertising, but would not work overseas. jV Q The cowboy has worked because of television and~ tV movies. 0 Some countries treat Marlboroladvertising ~ differently than in the U.S. N GJ N

ADhM.S ABSTRACh page 4 23:.4''0 GROUP SCENES OF CO`r1BOYS IN ADS 24:40 During an advertising shoot, a three-day session, they may shoot 3,000, photographs. 26:30 Criteria in selecting ads. Tried to get a variety of shots. The essence of Marlboro ads is simplicity. Tape 1, Side 2 1:20 ESSENCE OF MARLBORO ADS "Settleback" ads preceded "Marlboro Country." "Settleback" ads were soft. Prevailing thinking was to make the ads on more of a flavor premise, make them more masculine. In the early 60's they returned to original heritage - new ingredients, sirtple message - "Come to Where The Flavor is, Come to Marlboro Country", music, cowboy in the West. 3:30 Good instincts prevailed. It was not highly researched, not scientifically done. Today, there is more reliance on research. A research company said the ad campaign would put the brand out of business. 4:25 HEYDAY OF TV WESTERNS 4:55 Difficult to introduce new brands today. 5:50 Reader's Digest article created some interest in filter cigarettes. 7:00 USE OF OLDER htEN IN ADS Tattoos preceded Adams. The idea: was to show people who enjoyed some success in life. 8:25 Tattoos went by the boards.

13':05 ADAM:S ABS`I'RACT page 5. COWBOYS Pre-Marlboro Country cowboys were like ranch owners. The guys in Marlboro ads today are probably the ~ head workers. .11s Young cowboys look like they're in costume. Must have a few years on you to have some substance. Wayne Dunafeld, a rodeo star, was in Marlboro ads. ~ Today they go up in the high country. Darrell [Winfield] has a ranch up there. Photographers catchisome good shots by accident rather than by design. ~ One of the virtues of the Marlboro campaign is that it is spontaneous. Many other ads are choreographed. 14:50! Producers get more "great mornents" in television than in print ads. 15:55 USE OF VIEWING A SHOOT 18':30 SIGNIFICANCE OF MARLBORO ADVERTISING IIV MODERN. ADVERTISING The importance of Marlboro is in results and sales are very good. 19:45 Burnett agency decided in late 1960s that it needed to be international, bought several "foreign" groups and tried to assimiilate them into the Burnett corporate culture. For example, with MeCann:and Coke, McCann got Coke in France and picked up other accounts. N O 21:30 Burnett has generated a lot of property--Tony N the Tiger, Maytag Repair Man, Friendly Skies of GJ United. ~' W Marlboro is a symboI, a line, a pliace. N' Properties have worked for many years. ~

ADAMS ABS'IfRACT page 6 25:30 Inithe early days many clients held:annual advertising presentations. New ad id'eas were expected every year. But, some ad ideas take time to catch on,. Some clients have changed'to reviewing advertising,. Tape 2, Side 1 :05 Too much time was spent on the Pillsbury IDough Boy. New people oniaccount wanted to add something to Pillsbury Dough Boy. Little pieces of showbiz were added. Adams wanted to get back to the basic elements. Preserve the integrity of an idea. Watch for people putting their stamp on it. 2:00 In the international arena, people try to put their stamp on the advertising. 2:55 MARLBORO GROUP AT'BURNETT Marlboro has a restricted creative atmosphere --one brand, one idea:. But the group loves it. Burnett as agency must keep properties working. 4:25 Since 1971, no changes made in Marlboro:ad'6, 4:30 MARLBORO LIGHTS Lights became an important part o5 the mix. Belief that customers were exposed to two different presentations. One presentation was art work,, which was brought into photoiir.iphy. 5:55 MARLBORO MENI'HOL. Adams thought it would walk off the shelf; it didn't take.

ADAMS ABSTRACT page 7. 7:0& Hong Kong is a place where Marlboro is treated differently. 8:20 In some parts of Latin America, cowboy is looked down upon. 8:50 Because of advertising restrictions, there is only product advertising,in the United!Kingdom. Marlboro Country carnpaign is not used in Australia. 4 In France, where there are restrictions, they show Marlboro cigarette lighters. 10:05 BROADCAST BAN The broadcast ban had'been talked about for a long time. Burnett didni't panic withiloss of television. It was more fun to make TV commercials. Marlboro ads are as much funias you can have making print ads. 12':25 Many people overlap working many years on Mar liboro . 14:00' Bob Roper at Philip Morris grew up hearing a lot about Marlboro; he's a:good keeper of the flame. 14:35 MENTHOL ADS Adams didn't like the green Marlboro menthol ads. Sent a note to Leo Burnett about it. 16:45 LEO BURNEI'T Leo Burnett worked omcorporate projects in his later years. His health was failing. Adams and Burnett flew to New York on a Philip Morris plane. 20:00 Naomi Burnett is still living in Chicago. 21:45 John Benson was the original' account executive, along with Owen Smith. 23:45 DISCUSSION OF SMITHSONIAN PROJECT

ADAMS ABSTRACT page 8 25:15 DISCUSSION OF WRITING HISTORY OF BURNEI"I' Tape 2', Side 2 :05 Logistics of arranging ad shoot.

ADAMS ABSTRACT page 9 HALL "CAP"' ADAMS INDEX OF ABSTRACT--INTERVIEW #3 Advertising shoot 3:1:1, 24:40 Australia 3:2:1, 8:50 Benson, John 3:1:1, 15:00; 3:2:1, 21:45 Broadcast ban 3:1:1, 18:15; 3:2:1; 101:15 Coca Cola 3:1:2, 19:45 "Come to W'here the Flavor is..." 3:1:2, 1:20 Cowboys 3:1:1, 7:15; 3:1:1, 22:30; 3:1:1, 23:40; 3:1:2, 8:25 Dunafeld, Wayne 3:1:2, 8:25 "Empty Stadium" ads 3:1:1, 2:40 Film Production 3:1:1, 10:55 France 3:1:2, 19:45; 3:2:1, 8:50 Guthrie, Texas 3:1:1, 8:30 Hollywood'. 3':1:1, 7:15; 3:1:1, 10:55 Hong Kong 3:2:1, 7:00 International advertising 3:1:1, 22:30; 3:2:1, 2':00 Krom, Ken 3:1:1, 11:40 Landry, Jack (John T.) 3:1:1, 15:00 Latin America 3:2:1, 8:20 Burnett, Leo (person) 3:2:1, l&:45 Burnett, Naomi 3:2:1, 20:00 Leo Burnett advertising agency 3:1:2, 19:45 international activities 3:1:2, 19:45 London Philharmonic 3:1:1, 17:40 Marlboro Lights 3:2:1, 4:30 Marlboro Menthol 3:2:1, 5:55; 3:2:1, 14:35 "Marlboro Country" campaign 3:1:1, 6:25; 3:1:2, 1:20, Marx, Dick 3:1:1, 17:40 Maytag Repair Man 3:1:2, 21:30 Movies, westerns 3:1:1, 22:30 Muse, Morman 3:1:1, 16:55 Music, in Marlboro 3:1:1, 17:40 McBain, Neil 3:1:1, 8:30; 3:1:1, 11:40