James Webb Young

James Webb Young, Jim Young, Ad Man, Professor, The Honorable James Webb Young-- his titles roll on and on because his career never stopped. Young was born in 1886 near Cincinnati, the son of an insurance salesman.

He left school in the 6th grade for a book publishing business and rose within the next 10 years through the ranks to advertising manager -- at the age of 22. In 1912, he was invited by Stanley Resor, manager of J. Walter Thompson's ad agency, to become a copywriter at their Cincinnati offices.

In 1917, Young went to New York as a vice president. A year later, he ran the Western division of all J. Walter Thompson offices. In 1919, he wrote a then-controversial ad for the deodorant Odorno with the headline, "Within the Curve of a Woman's Arm." The headline for the Odorno ad clearly avoided mentioning the armpit. The ad itself also drew women in with copy stating that "persons troubled with perspiration odor seldom can detect it themselves."

The Odorno campaign ran in the Ladies Home Journal. During that time, the Journal and the American Medical Association warned the product could be dangerous. Women, who saw the ads as being offensive and disgusting, canceled their subscriptions to the Ladies Home Journal. Yet amazingly, even in the light of 200 cancellations, Odorno sales went up an incredible 112% in that year.

Later, in 1927, he was sent to Europe to open 5 offices for the agency in Germany, Belgium, Denmark, Spain, and Egypt. Then, in 1928, he decided he had enough and "retired" to his New Mexico Ranch.

From 1931 to 1939, he served as a professor at the University of Chicago's new Business School. His lectures became the basis for his book How To Become An Advertising Man.