A Unique Treasure Trove: The Ogilvy & Mather Archive at HAT

The Mathers advertising agency was founded in Fleet Street, London in 1850. Edmund Mather had a conservative approach to work but nevertheless laid the foundations of a thriving and successful business. On his death in 1886 his son Harley Lawrence Mather took over and formed a partnership with Herbert Crowther, forming Mather & Crowther. The agency had offices in Glasgow, Manchester, Hamburg and London (moving to Bridge Street in 1895 as they became a private limited company). Turnover grew from £20,000 in 1888 to £201,000 in 1903. By 1894 they had 100 staff members in media, production, art and editorial departments handling newspaper and outdoor advertising.

The S H Benson agency, founded in 1893 by Samuel Benson, a retired naval officer, made its name with bold striking campaigns for Bovril and other leading companies. Benson developed the role of his agency into more than just a space-broker for adverts and was renowned for the delivery of spectacular promotional schemes and stunts. They became known for high quality copy and creative work. By about 1900 the agency was advising clients regarding expenditure, media selection, the geographical disposition of advertising, preparing copy and designs, negotiating rates, buying printed material, and checking that all advertisements had appeared when and where booked. In 1909 Benson's moved to Kingsway and went on to acquire several prominent clients including Guinness and Colman's.

In 1938 Mather & Crowther chairman Francis Ogilvy sent his brother David to America to study US advertising techniques. A decade later, with investment from Mather & Crowther and S H Benson, David Ogilvy started his own New York agency, appointing Anderson Hewitt (previously of J. Walter Thompson) president and himself vice president in charge of research. The new business opened as Hewitt, Ogilvy, Benson & Mather (HOB&M). Through his distinctively stylish and successful work David Ogilvy became well established during the 1950s and the most celebrated advertising man in the world during his lifetime. By 1953 Anderson Hewitt had left and HOB&M became Ogilvy, Benson & Mather New York (OBM).

Back in the UK Mather & Crowther were representing a wide range of products including bananas, fish, fruit and milk. The agency was responsible for two of the most memorable campaigns of the 1950s-1960s, 'Drinka Pinta Milka Day' for the National Milk Publicity Council and 'Go to work on an egg' for the British Egg Marketing Board. By the early 1960s Mather & Crowther Ltd claimed to be the leading creative agency in Britain based on the number of awards won.

In 1964 it was announced that Mather & Crowther and OBM New York had reached agreement to merge becoming the first truly international advertising agency. At the start of 1966 Mather & Crowther Ltd, London officially changed its name to Ogilvy & Mather Ltd and OBM Inc, New York became Ogilvy & Mather, New York.

In 1971 S H Benson Ltd London was acquired by Ogilvy & Mather to become Ogilvy Benson & Mather Ltd. At the same time Benson Recruitment Advertising merged with Mathers Advertising as Mathers and Benson Advertising.

At the end of 1980 the Benson name was dropped from OBM, with the London agency becoming Ogilvy & Mather Ltd and in May of 1985 Ogilvy & Mather International Inc. became the Ogilvy Group. The Ogilvy Group was the parent of three separate operating parts engaged in advertising: Ogilvy and Mather Worldwide, the SMS Group and the Independent Associate Agencies.

The WPP Group acquired the Ogilvy Group in 1989 for $864 million, which at the time, was the most ever paid for an advertising agency. During the 2010s Ogilvy founded several specialist individual units. Mid-2018 the company leadership looked to simplify their brand by 're-founding' the company as simply Ogilvy.

This rich history has generated an archive of ads produced on behalf of a wide range of brands, some familiar and ongoing, others more obscure or defunct but all now preserved for posterity. Working with the archived guard books in detail has brought to light numerous illuminating examples of advertising, dating from the early to late 20th century. Particularly valuable to social historians are campaigns such as the successful 1920s 'Eat More Fruit' campaign for the Fruit Trades' Federation and Second World War ads including those on behalf of the Ministry of Food such as the 'Food Facts' series informing homemakers what food was available for their families and how to make the most of it and those featuring cartoon mascots Potato Pete and Doctor Carrot designed to get wartime Britain to eat more healthily and sparingly. Other long-standing associations with important and influential brands such as Aga cookers, American Express, Batchelor’s, Bovril, Ford Cars, Guinness, H.P. Sauce, Jaeger clothing, Sanatogen (and many more) are reflected in this treasure trove of material. Advertising represents a mirror on society, an illustration of the way a country or generation perceives itself at a particular time. Whether helping to illuminate the past or being used as inspiration for new projects in the future, collections such as this represent an invaluable and unique historical resource.

For more information about the History of Advertising Trust archive please see our website www.hatads.org.uk or contact us directly: enquiries@hatads.org.uk / 01508 548623.

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