O. Milton Gossett
Encyclopedia
Oscar Milton Gossett was an advertising executive with Compton Advertising and Saatchi & Saatchi
. He married Anna C. Scheid in 1949 and had five children: Susanne, Michael, Thomas, Lorraine, and James.
from 1943-1946, received a degree in mechanical engineering at Stevens Institute of Technology
in 1944, and attended the Northwestern University
Midshipman School from 1947-1948. In 1961, Gossett was appointed Vice President and Associate Creative Director of Compton. He became president of the company in 1968 and Chief Executive Officer in 1975.
Over the span of his career at Compton, Gossett worked on advertising campaigns for such clients as Black & White
, Chase & Sanborn Coffee, El Producto, Ivory
, Kelly Tires
, Knickerbocker Beer, Procter & Gamble
, Socony Mobil Oil Company
, and Tender Leaf Tea.
In 1982, Gossett helped to engineer the merger of Compton Advertising and Saatchi & Saatchi Advertising
, then a subsidiary of Compton Communications USA. The merger produced Saatchi & Saatchi Compton Worldwide (later shortened to Saatchi & Saatchi) and Gossett was appointed Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the company.
He was also a member of the National Advertising Review Board and conducted career workshops for college students in conjunction with the American Advertising Federation
. He was inducted into the AAF Hall of Fame
in 1998. In 2001, he received the DeWitt Carter Reddick Award at the University of Texas at Austin.
He died on March 1, 2006 in Mount Kisco, New York.
Saatchi & Saatchi
Saatchi & Saatchi is a global advertising agency network with 140 offices in 80 countries and over 6,500 staff. It was founded in London in 1970 but now headquartered in New York. The parent company of the agency group was known as Saatchi & Saatchi PLC from 1976 to 1994, was listed on the London...
. He married Anna C. Scheid in 1949 and had five children: Susanne, Michael, Thomas, Lorraine, and James.
Biography
Before joining Compton Advertising as a copywriter in 1949, Gossett served in the United States Naval ReserveUnited States Navy Reserve
The United States Navy Reserve, until 2005 known as the United States Naval Reserve, is the Reserve Component of the United States Navy...
from 1943-1946, received a degree in mechanical engineering at Stevens Institute of Technology
Stevens Institute of Technology
Stevens Institute of Technology is a technological university located on a campus in Hoboken, New Jersey, USA – founded in 1870 with an 1868 bequest from Edwin A. Stevens. It is known for its engineering, science, and technological management curricula.The institute has produced leading...
in 1944, and attended the Northwestern University
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....
Midshipman School from 1947-1948. In 1961, Gossett was appointed Vice President and Associate Creative Director of Compton. He became president of the company in 1968 and Chief Executive Officer in 1975.
Over the span of his career at Compton, Gossett worked on advertising campaigns for such clients as Black & White
Black & White (whisky)
Black & White is a blended Scotch whisky. It was first produced by the London-based whisky blender founded by James Buchanan. Originally known as House of Commons , its nickname, referring to the black and white labelling, was eventually adopted as the official brand instead.The brand's motif Black...
, Chase & Sanborn Coffee, El Producto, Ivory
Ivory (soap)
The name "Ivory" refers to a series of products created by the Procter & Gamble Company , including varieties of a white and mildly fragranced bar soap, that became famous for its pure content and for floating in water. Over the years, the bar soap has been altered into other varieties...
, Kelly Tires
The Kelly Springfield Tire Company
The Kelly-Springfield Tire Company was founded in Springfield, Ohio by Edwin Kelly and Arthur Grant in 1894.-Formation:Edwin Kelly originally called the company The Rubber Tire Wheel Company because it made rubber carriage wheels. Arthur Grant was issued for his solid rubber tire in a rim channel...
, Knickerbocker Beer, Procter & Gamble
Procter & Gamble
Procter & Gamble is a Fortune 500 American multinational corporation headquartered in downtown Cincinnati, Ohio and manufactures a wide range of consumer goods....
, Socony Mobil Oil Company
Mobil
Mobil, previously known as the Socony-Vacuum Oil Company, was a major American oil company which merged with Exxon in 1999 to form ExxonMobil. Today Mobil continues as a major brand name within the combined company, as well as still being a gas station sometimes paired with their own store or On...
, and Tender Leaf Tea.
In 1982, Gossett helped to engineer the merger of Compton Advertising and Saatchi & Saatchi Advertising
Saatchi & Saatchi
Saatchi & Saatchi is a global advertising agency network with 140 offices in 80 countries and over 6,500 staff. It was founded in London in 1970 but now headquartered in New York. The parent company of the agency group was known as Saatchi & Saatchi PLC from 1976 to 1994, was listed on the London...
, then a subsidiary of Compton Communications USA. The merger produced Saatchi & Saatchi Compton Worldwide (later shortened to Saatchi & Saatchi) and Gossett was appointed Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the company.
He was also a member of the National Advertising Review Board and conducted career workshops for college students in conjunction with the American Advertising Federation
American Advertising Federation
The American Advertising Federation , headquartered in Washington, D.C., is the oldest national advertising trade association, representing 50,000 professionals in the advertising industry. The AAF has a national network of 200 ad clubs located in ad communities across the United States...
. He was inducted into the AAF Hall of Fame
American Advertising Federation Hall of Fame
The Advertising Hall of Fame is a list of notable advertising leaders in America as chosen by the American Advertising Federation.It was founded in 1948 as a result of a proposal by the New York Ad Club and its president, Andrew Haire, to the Advertising Federation of America, the predecessor...
in 1998. In 2001, he received the DeWitt Carter Reddick Award at the University of Texas at Austin.
He died on March 1, 2006 in Mount Kisco, New York.
Sources
- "Gossett, O. Milton." The New York Times 2 Mar. 2006. Retrieved 3 Feb. 2007.
- O. Milton Gossett Papers, 1951-2001, at the John W. Hartman Center for Sales, Advertising, and Marketing History, Duke UniversityDuke UniversityDuke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present day town of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco industrialist James B...
- Who's Who in Advertising, 1st ed. Wilmette, Ill.: Marquis Who's Who, 1989.
External links
- Milton Gossett, Saatchi & Saatchi Advertising Biography for graduate advertising course at the University of Texas at Austin
- American Advertising Federation Hall of Fame: Members Short biography, including Career Highlights video