Above, please find a demo reel for J. Walter Thomspon from say, 1985 or so. Ah, the go-go 80s. Joe Montana? Come on you love him. What’s super awesome about this vid is that all of the brands highlighted on the reel are no longer at JWT. And really – twenty years later, why would they be? Still, it’s fun to watch the Burger King, the Discover card and Kodak brands flash by to the beat of some Footloose-like tune with the refrain “J. Walter does that.” It’s an advertising time capsule and, a lesson.
Seriously. The 80s man. Tough times for the agency. In 1987, J. Walter Thompson was swallowed up by WPP. At the same time, long time and current client Ford announced major cutbacks in the account. The Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company, furious over a British attempt at acquiring its stock, dumped Thompson. The shop also lost The Discover card and Burger King that year. The latter went to N.W Ayer marking the largest account switch in history up till that point.
Still, J. Walter survived. And really, we’re betting that despite the doomsday spiel and apocalyptic predictions, JWT and many other agencies will live to fight another day.
More: Rosemarie Ryan and Ty Montague Appointed President and Co-President, CCO of JWT North America.