JULIAN KOENIG

KOENIG--Julian. April 22, 1921 - June 12, 2014. The One Club mourns the loss of Julian Koenig, esteemed member of the Creative Hall of Fame. Julian was inducted in 1966 to the Copywriters Hall of Fame, as it was known then. Born in New York, April 22, 1921, he graduated from Dartmouth and then studied at Columbia Law School. Julian was an eccentric intellectual who created a new style of copywriting that went on to define advertising's creative revolution. It was smart, simple and accessible to the public--writing that neither exaggerated nor overpromised. Contemporary writers compared him to Holden Caulfield, for being aloof and reserved in a business that favored popular culture. Julian is best known for his iconic work for Volkswagen while at Doyle Dane Bernbach. Working with art director Helmut Krone, he created the groundbreaking ads "Think Small" and "Lemon," which came to define the new style of advertising. Julian and Fred Papert launched a new agency with George Lois called Papert Koenig Lois where they created award-winning work for Wolfschmidt Vodka, Xerox, Peugeot and Allarest, proving as he once said that good taste is good for business. Many well-known advertising talents started their careers at PKL, including Carl Ally and Sam Scali, who went on to start their own agencies. Fred Papert and Julian remained good friends throughout their lives and made annual trips to Saratoga for the races. During his lifetime, Julian amassed a large coterie of colorful characters, including sportswriter Jimmy Breslin, Senator Jacob Javits, and his own alter ego, Groucho Marx. Among his many contributions was the naming of "Earth Day" in 1969, for a committee organized to bring environmental awareness to the public. The One Club offers heartfelt sympathy to Julian's children and grandchildren. (Photo credit, Carl Fischer)