Description: Career Collection of John Salmon (1931-2017), creative director.
The John Salmon Collection comprises: publications, tearsheets, laminated proofs, contact sheets, articles/newspaper cuttings, storyboards, artwork, awards and correspondence.
Level: Collection (Fonds)
Reference: HAT21/592
Alt Ref No.: HAT56_1_1_SalmonJohn_2
Extent: 5 boxes
Related Material: See obituary on HAT website: https://www.hatads.org.uk/news/156/John-Salmon
Campaign obituary: https://www.campaignlive.com/article/former-cdp-chairman-john-salmon-dies/1430378
More About Advertising obituary: https://www.moreaboutadvertising.com/2017/04/great-creative-director-cdps-john-salmon-dies-at-85/
John Salmon (along with John Ritchie) was responsible for the compilation of 'Inside Collett Dickenson Pearce', a collection of over 60 contributions from former employees, published in 2000 to mark the end of the iconic agency's business operation.
Keywords: Collett Dickenson Pearce (CDP)
Admin History: John Salmon (1931-2017) was Creative Director at the CDP (Collett Dickenson Pearce) agency having previously worked for Young & Rubicam in the US and Canada. His advertising career began as a typographer in the 1950s.
Salmon has been described as 'one of the three greatest copywriters of the twentieth century' (Frank Lowe quote) and presided over the CDP agency's golden age of creativity. Salmon joined CDP in 1967 as a copywriter, then became creative director and, later, Chairman.
At CDP Salmon was renowned for treating his staff with respect and consideration. One of his most significant appointments as CDP creative head was Alan Waldie who went on to devise the multi award-winning and iconic 'surreal' Benson & Hedges Gold Campaign and he was also a mentor to Sir Alan Parker, whose directing career was launched at CDP. Salmon was himself responsible for some of CDP's signature campaigns, most notably for the Metropolitan Police and the Army
Timeline for John Salmon's career (from Campaign profile in 1994: 'CDP's creative patriarch bows out of the limelight'):
1956 Copywriter in Toronto and New York, working mostly for Young & Rubicam
1964 Moved back to London with Doyle Dane Bernbach
1967 Joined Collett Dickenson Pearce (CDP)
1969 Became creative director of CDP
1975 CDP's Hovis 'Bicycle' ad establishes new standards for TV advertising
1978 B&H's 'Iguana' cinema ad, regarded by many as the best ad of all time
1980 Became chairman and later president of CDP
1994 Retired from CDP