Advertising Legend Marvin Sloves Dies at 88

From cars and hot dogs to chicken and cassette tapes, it’s fair to say most Americans have been exposed to Marvin Sloves' advertising genius at one point or another. His agency crafted car company Volvo’s famous safety messaging, touted the American pride behind hot dog brand Hebrew National and introduced the world to chicken spokesman Frank Perdue. The legendary adman passed away at age 88 on June 5, 2021 in his home in Santa Fe, N.M. "Advertising was a passion for him," Alex Gellert told Adweek. He worked with Sloves for many years before his current role as CEO at agency Merkley and Partners. "He loved the craft and art, but was most interested in people. It wasn't a business transaction for him." Sloves was an icon, mentor and charismatic client liaison. He was an out-and-proud gay man with a 47-year relationship with his husband Thom von Buelow. His business accounts transformed into long-time friendships. He remained in close contact with many clients, including Mercedes-Benz's Michael Jackson for his entire life. "He was the classiest person I knew," said Gellert. "He would always put on a suit and tie to fly because [he] was taught dressing up was what you did." Sloves started his career as a staff researcher at ad agency Leo Burnett in Chicago in 1962, before stints at agencies Earle Ludgin Company and the Ted Bates Company. Sloves then teamed with five colleagues to launch what would soon become one of the industry's most powerful, creative and award-winning firms. Creative excellence from 800 Third Ave. In 1967, the 34-year-old Sloves joined partners Ed McCabe, Sam Scali, Alan Pesky and Len Hultgren in a hotel room to create Scali, McCabe, Sloves (SMS). From its simplistic start, the agency soon took the world by storm. It was an ad agency that set standards of excellence in creative advertising and built brands in a competitive industry, all in the glamorous building of 800 3rd Ave., New York City. In 1974, Advertising Age Magazine named SMS Agency of the Year. The New York Times recognized the agency's prowess by featuring it in a cover story in the Sunday Magazine section in 1976. In 1990, two of its ads were listed in Advertising Age’s Top 100 Campaigns for the 20th Century. As with any hot agency, SMS was inundated with acquisition interest from other agencies. SMS was first acquired by Ogilvy & Mather in 1976 and then became part of WPP. During this time, the agency itself acquired multiple shops to strengthen its global footprint, by scooping up agencies in Australia, Europe and the U.S., including Fallon McElligott. Sloves served as the client partner, bringing in new business and charming clients as president and CEO for 14 years. He continued to wine and dine A-list companies as chairman and CEO from 1981 to 1993. "He was the account guy," Lisa Hanna, Sloves' personal assistant since 1978, told Adweek. "He built the relationships and kept them coming back for many years." Putting himself in the consumer's shoes Sloves' secret was his understanding that advertising is about persuasion, Gellert said. "Our job is to help people make decisions they do not have to make. Coke or Pepsi are pretty similar, but our industry is about making [consumers] believe one is better than the other. His ability to put himself in the shoes of the consumer goes to his ability to connect with people." With Sloves' ability to develop longterm relationships with clients, SMS consistently developed memorable work. Even today, many of its advertisements hang in the Advertising Hall of Fame. People probably remember Volvo’s “It takes a lot of dummies to make a car for people who think” campaign to prevent accidents. Electronics company Maxell suggested not selling "better tapes, but better sound", paired with the iconic image of a man sitting in a chair looking blown away by the speaker sound. Hertz gained fame through its real-world taglines, including telling people not to use its services. “If you plan to drink this holiday season, Hertz would like to recommend another rent-a-car,” one print ad advised. Sloves loved to tell the story about one infamous account, Trump Air. "They were only a client for a short period of time, but they stiffed what they owed us," Hanna alleged. "They never paid." His relationships with his partners also demonstrated his fondness for amusement. His frequent target, and vice versa, was partner McCabe who still thinks his pranks outmatched Sloves' counterpunches. That said, Sloves once booked the team into one hotel, while reserving another hotel for McCabe, who admits to being vertically challenged, that also happened to be hosting a little person convention. "His were always about my height," McCabe said. "But they were good fun." Wine hijinks with partner McCabe McCabe, on the other hand, engaged in the ultimate prank that "caused a grown man to have a heart attack," he told Adweek. Sloves, jealous of McCabe's and Scali's wine ventures, decided to invest in his own massive wine cellar. McCabe, while house-sitting for Sloves while he traveled for business, replaced all of the bottles in his cellar with empty ones picked up from local restaurants over a three week period. He then scattered the bottles throughout Sloves' property, leading him to believe upon his return that McCabe drank all of his pricey wines. "It took him awhile to realize it was a practical joke," McCabe quipped to Adweek. "But none of our jokes were personal." The only notably dark moment in his life happened in 1990 when SMS found itself under widespread criticism and turmoil in 1990 after questions were raised about a TV ad created for client Volvo. The spot in question followed a so-called Monster Truck as it drove and crushed other cars, yet leaving the Volvo perfect. At the time, the L.A. Times reported investigations by the Texas Attorney General’s Office revealed that the Volvo used in the ad had been fitted with special supports, while the supports of the other cars were actually weakened. The ad agency said it did not approve the changes, which ultimately ran without identifying the reenactment. While full-page ads ran across the U.S. with apologies from Volvo, the controversial ad still faced widespread criticism. At the time, several top ad executives, including Carl Spielvogel, chairman of the New York ad agency Backer Spielvogel Bates, felt the bad publicity about the commercial left a black mark on advertising in general, as reported by the L.A. Times. SMS then resigned the $40 million account. "That was only the time when he was really sad," von Buelow told Adweek. "He took responsibility, but he was upset with Volvo. But to him, it was a bridge over a dam. He got over it." Although the incident coincided with other clients, including Nikon and Hertz, exiting the agency, SMS soon bounced back with a "bigger and better" client," von Buelow said. Mercedes to the rescue In 1992, Mercedes-Benz picked SMS as its agency partner helping the shop "rise from the ashes" with this $125 million account, Hanna said. She described it as the perfect marriage. Benz was a staid old German car company and it was a really tough time at the agency having lost Volvo. The partnership swiftly broke though with fresh creative and award-winning work. One ad posed the question "Can a symbol stand for all these things" as images flashed on screen ranging from a bald eagle to Superman before the answer appears via the Mercedes logo with the message, "It depends on the symbol." The agency's rotating ownership continued when SMS purchased itself back from WPP to sell again to IPG in 1993 to become part of Lowe International. Sloves was the vice chairman of The Lowe Group from 1993-1995. By this point, Sloves had helped to build one of the most iconic agencies in AdLand. In 2005, Tim Arnold published in Adweek his first-person account at working for the legendary shop before being fired. He wrote, "At one time, [SMS] was a shining beacon of creativity and innovation, driven by another egocentric dervish." Active for the remainder of his life For his final act, Sloves retired from advertising in 1999. "It was time," von Buelow said. "He was transitioning out of the agency and he wasn't the type of guy just to sit behind a desk." Sloves and von Buelow relocated to their dream paradise in Tuscany, Italy for the next 17 years before returning to the U.S. in 2016 to be closer to their family. "He was a student of the world," Gellert said. His personal interests included collecting memorabilia and boxing, a sport he picked up from his father John Sloves—a well-known featherweight fighter who performed under the alias Johnny Murray. "He had the most impressive boxing memorabilia I have ever seen. It was just incredible," said Hanna. He also sat on the board of directors for organizations including Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival, Santa Fe Opera, New York Council for Humanities and Santa Fe’s Hope House. Sloves Business Partner Ed McCabe On the record