Most ad people these days only know Mr. Whipple from Luke Sullivan’s book.
But the man was an icon, and his creator has passed away. USA Today reports:
John Chervokas, an advertising visionary who dreamed up “Please Don’t Squeeze the Charmin,” will be memorialized by colleagues and family this week.
In 1964, Chervokas was a 28-year-old advertising writer for Benton & Bowles who was ordered to create a campaign for toilet tissue. He introduced a character named Mr. Whipple in what was to become one of the country’s most famous advertising campaigns. Advertising Age magazine ranked it the 51st best of the 20th century.
Say what you will about Mr. Whipple, but I don’t think there’s a creative in advertising who wouldn’t be proud to create an iconic campaign like that. These days, with campaigns so short-lived, I wonder if anyone ever will again create a campaign that lasts.
