Maxwell Dane
Encyclopedia
Maxwell "Mac" Dane was an American
advertising
executive and co-founder of the Doyle Dane Bernbach agency, known as DDB, that was established in Manhattan
in 1949. For advertising against U.S. presidential
candidate Barry Goldwater
in 1964, he became one of the original twenty people mentioned on Nixon's Enemies List
.
Born in Cincinnati
, Ohio
, Dane began his advertising career in his mid-teens, working as a secretary to the manager of advertising at Stern Brothers in Manhattan
, and later, as retail
promotion manager at the New York Evening Post. Subsequently, he worked as advertising and promotion manager at Look magazine
, where he met James "Ned" Doyle.
In 1941, Dane began work as advertising promotion manager for the New York radio
station, WMCA
. During World War II
, he arranged for The New York Times
to air news bulletins at the top of each hour, an innovative idea for radio at the time. In 1944, Dane opened a small advertising agency bearing his name, Maxwell Dane, Inc. His short-lived agency was closed in 1949 when Dane co-founded Doyle Dane Bernbach (DDB) with James Doyle, and Doyle's friend, William Bernbach
.
When DDB, then considered a firm handling predominantly Democratic candidates during political campaigns, produced the 1964 television commercial Daisy in support of Lyndon Johnson's Presidential
campaign, Dane was added to Nixon's Enemies List
with the remark:
At DDB, Dane oversaw finance
and public relations
functions, later becoming the chairman of the executive committee, secretary, and treasurer of the corporation. He retired from DDB in 1971. His obituary noted, that "after a brief illness, Dane died in his New York home on August 8, 2004. Dane is survived by his wife Esther, his son Henry Dane, four grandchildren; Abraham, Michael, Marion and Samuel, and five great grandchildren."
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
advertising
Advertising
Advertising is a form of communication used to persuade an audience to take some action with respect to products, ideas, or services. Most commonly, the desired result is to drive consumer behavior with respect to a commercial offering, although political and ideological advertising is also common...
executive and co-founder of the Doyle Dane Bernbach agency, known as DDB, that was established in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
in 1949. For advertising against U.S. presidential
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
candidate Barry Goldwater
Barry Goldwater
Barry Morris Goldwater was a five-term United States Senator from Arizona and the Republican Party's nominee for President in the 1964 election. An articulate and charismatic figure during the first half of the 1960s, he was known as "Mr...
in 1964, he became one of the original twenty people mentioned on Nixon's Enemies List
Nixon's Enemies List
Nixon’s Enemies List is the informal name of what started as a list of President of the United States Richard Nixon’s major political opponents compiled by Charles Colson, written by George T. Bell , and sent in memorandum form to John Dean on September 9, 1971...
.
Born in Cincinnati
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, Dane began his advertising career in his mid-teens, working as a secretary to the manager of advertising at Stern Brothers in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
, and later, as retail
Retail
Retail consists of the sale of physical goods or merchandise from a fixed location, such as a department store, boutique or kiosk, or by mail, in small or individual lots for direct consumption by the purchaser. Retailing may include subordinated services, such as delivery. Purchasers may be...
promotion manager at the New York Evening Post. Subsequently, he worked as advertising and promotion manager at Look magazine
Look (American magazine)
Look was a bi-weekly, general-interest magazine published in Des Moines, Iowa from 1937 to 1971, with more of an emphasis on photographs than articles...
, where he met James "Ned" Doyle.
In 1941, Dane began work as advertising promotion manager for the New York radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
station, WMCA
WMCA
WMCA, 570 AM, is a radio station in New York City, most known for its "Good Guys" Top 40 era in the 1960s. It is currently owned by Salem Communications and plays a Christian radio format...
. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, he arranged for The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
to air news bulletins at the top of each hour, an innovative idea for radio at the time. In 1944, Dane opened a small advertising agency bearing his name, Maxwell Dane, Inc. His short-lived agency was closed in 1949 when Dane co-founded Doyle Dane Bernbach (DDB) with James Doyle, and Doyle's friend, William Bernbach
William Bernbach
William Bernbach was an American advertising creative director. He was one of the three founders in 1949 of the international advertising agency Doyle Dane Bernbach...
.
When DDB, then considered a firm handling predominantly Democratic candidates during political campaigns, produced the 1964 television commercial Daisy in support of Lyndon Johnson's Presidential
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
campaign, Dane was added to Nixon's Enemies List
Nixon's Enemies List
Nixon’s Enemies List is the informal name of what started as a list of President of the United States Richard Nixon’s major political opponents compiled by Charles Colson, written by George T. Bell , and sent in memorandum form to John Dean on September 9, 1971...
with the remark:
- The top Democratic advertising firm—they destroyed GoldwaterBarry GoldwaterBarry Morris Goldwater was a five-term United States Senator from Arizona and the Republican Party's nominee for President in the 1964 election. An articulate and charismatic figure during the first half of the 1960s, he was known as "Mr...
in 1964. They should be hit hard starting with Dane.
At DDB, Dane oversaw finance
Finance
"Finance" is often defined simply as the management of money or “funds” management Modern finance, however, is a family of business activity that includes the origination, marketing, and management of cash and money surrogates through a variety of capital accounts, instruments, and markets created...
and public relations
Public relations
Public relations is the actions of a corporation, store, government, individual, etc., in promoting goodwill between itself and the public, the community, employees, customers, etc....
functions, later becoming the chairman of the executive committee, secretary, and treasurer of the corporation. He retired from DDB in 1971. His obituary noted, that "after a brief illness, Dane died in his New York home on August 8, 2004. Dane is survived by his wife Esther, his son Henry Dane, four grandchildren; Abraham, Michael, Marion and Samuel, and five great grandchildren."
External links
- Biography of Maxwell Dane, from AdWeek.com
- Maxwell Dane's Obituary from The San Diego Union-TribuneThe San Diego Union-Tribune-Predecessors:The predecessor newspapers of the Union-Tribune were:* San Diego Sun, founded 1861 and merged with the Evening Tribune in 1939.* San Diego Union, founded October 10, 1868.* Evening Tribune, founded December 2, 1895.-Ownership:...