Background
In 1914, he married Eleanora Smith, a descendant of James Robertson (explorer), in 1914.
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William Armistead
Edit Profilepublicist Vice-President messenger
Career
He is credited with inventing the modern style of advertising, proposing small frequent announcements, shying away from the normal practice of publishing weekly or annual announcements in newspapers. He is buried in Mount Olivet Cemetery in Nashville. Born on May 8, 1873 in Davidson Company, Tennessee and died in Wayne, Pennsylvania on November 5, 1955.
At age 12 he became a messenger for the Banner of Nashville, and at age 17 he was promoted to office boy.
He later moved to Atlanta, where he started his own advertising agency. In 1909, William Armistead was approached by the firm North.W. Ayer & Son, and offered a position in the Philadelphia headquarters.
In 1913, he mapped an advertising program for R. J. Reynolds. During this time, he was in charge of the whole South, seeking companies that could benefit from advertising.
Soon after he was in charge of advertising for Prince Albert Tobacco, Camel Cigarettes, the converting of Canon Mills to national advertising.
He also helped launch the Ford Motor Company on it first national advertising, when the Model A Ford was introduced in 1927. William Martin Armistead was credited with running the first advertising campaign for Camel cigarettes." As part of his campaign, he coined the slogan: "I"d walk a mile for a camel", which was the base for the famous campaign and the launching of the Camel cigarette brand. On April 12, 1919 he described a new campaign"to advertise advertising" in which he pointed out to the readers of daily newspapers the benefit from reading carefully each advertisement, saying: "Very few publishers, until recently, gave serious consideration to making their publications better advertising mediums to consistently educate readers to read advertisement.
Among other things it has played its part in making this country a united nation.
The same tobacco, the same cigarettes, the same pipes, same automobile tires, the same shoes, same clothing, same hats, same toilet articles and thousand of commodities are sold under same brands in every section of this country in cities, towns and at crossroads. has taken the chance out of buying. lieutenant conserves time in shopping, lieutenant at once directs the consumer to the best articles
In 1929, when North. West. Ayer & Son became a corporation, he became vice-president Due to personal illness, he retired in 1930, selling his shares of the original trust.
In 1936, he returned to the firm.
One of his houses at 1510 Hyde Park Street in Sarasota, Florida, United States (now known as the William Martin Armistead House) was included in the National Register of Historic Places. He was a 32nd degree mason.
Achievements
Membership
In 1918, William Armistead was elected a member of the firm. William M. Armistead was a member of the Tennessee lodge. He was a former member of the Merion Cricket Club and Saint David"s Golf Club in Philadelphia.
