IRWIN WARREN

WARREN--Irwin. Creator of some of the nation's most successful advertising campaigns, passed away at his home in Manhattan on December 11, 2010, at the age of 71. Cause of death was an aortic aneurysm. During an advertising career spanning more than 40 years, Mr. Warren worked at Doyle Dane Bernbach, BBDO, and other leading agencies, before moving to McCann Erickson, the world's largest advertising agency, where he retired as senior creative director in 2006. Notable campaigns and clients included Major League Baseball, Johnson & Johnson, Nestle, Unilever ("I Can't Believe It's Not Butter"), Lowe's, Campbell's Soup and Volkswagen. The elegant simplicity of his VW ads for DDB in the late 1960's earned their inclusion in the Museum of Modern Art's permanent advertising collection. Mr. Warren was born in St. Paul, Minnesota in 1939. Because his father was killed in an auto accident before his birth, Mr. Warren's mother, a concert pianist, raised him alone for several years before she re-married. Mr. Warren credited St. Paul Academy, where he completed high school, with developing in him the writing skills and intellectual rigor that he regarded as the keys to his success. He attended Colorado College and the University of Minnesota, before beginning his advertising career. Mr. Warren's marriage ended in divorce; there were no children. One of Mr. Warren's favorite campaigns was the long-running, very popular "Taster's Choice Couple" series that ran in the late 1990's. Each new installment generated extensive publicity, usually including an exclusive Today Show interview with Mr. Warren, who unveiled the latest 30-second plot twist. After recruiting Johnson & Johnson to McCann, Mr. Warren designed a campaign, which advanced no products, but stressed the company's long-term involvement with families, and dealt with such subjects as getting children to laugh; encouraging them to try to achieve; and dealing with being different. The company was deluged with requests from parents, schools, and organizations for DVDs of these spots. One McCann colleague recalled Mr. Warren as both brilliant and stubborn, and "enormously loyal to his clients and his friends. His work was always smart, hard-working and stylish," he said. Outside of work, he served as an energetic fund-raiser and board member of Riverside Park Fund on New York's West Side, helping to drive its rejuvenation from a tawdry, needle-strewn place to a safe and attractive park fit for families. It is now one of only eight officially designated scenic landmarks in the City of New York. He was a voracious reader and a knowledgeable collector of antique furniture. After private funeral services, a memorial service will be announced at a later date. Donations in Mr. Warren's name may be made to Team Jim Scholarship, c/o New Canaan Community Foundation, PPO Box 1285, New Canaan, CT 06840. Mr. Warren is survived by his brothers, Adrian of Tucson, Robert, San Francisco and Joel, Los Angeles, his niece Rachel Warren, his nephews Alex Warren and Samuel Warren, and his godchildren Chris, Oie, A.J. and Molly McKennan.