Walter Edward Whitehead

Background

Edward Whitehead was born on May 20, 1908 in Aldershot, England, the son of Walter and Amy Whitehead.

Education

He attended local schools and graduated from Aldershot County High School.

Career

In 1925 he went to work in London for the advertising department of General Accident Assurance Company and subsequently rose through its ranks. Whitehead's interest in sailing led him to join the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve (RNVR) in 1937; he was called up for active duty after the outbreak of World War II. At the time he had a mustache, which was forbidden by naval regulations, so he grew a beard, which was permitted. Whitehead was inducted as a sublieutenant in 1939 and initially served on HMS Impregnable, stationed in Plymouth, where he was responsible for training signalmen. He eventually reached the rank of commander and traveled around the world with assignments related to selection and training of officers and the maintenance of morale. Whitehead remained in the RNVR in London after the end of the war, running an organization he had persuaded the Admiralty to create for helping discharged naval officers adjust to civilian life. After his discharge from the Royal Navy in 1946, Whitehead became general secretary of the British Association for Commercial and Industrial Education, an organization that sought to improve the morale and training of British workers. From 1947 to 1950 he was head of the Industrial Section of the Economic Information Unit of the Treasury, where he acted as an industrial troubleshooter for Chancellor of the Exchequer Sir Stafford Cripps. During his postwar work Whitehead became acquainted with industrialist Frederic Hooper, who had served briefly in the Ministry of Labour. After Hooper became managing director of Schweppes in 1948, he invited Whitehead to work with him. Whitehead joined the beverage company as its advertising manager in 1950. After a subsequent stint as Schweppes's London sales manager, he was offered the job of general manager of all of the company's overseas operations. In 1952 he was named to the board of directors of Schweppes (Overseas) and was assigned to expand its international sales. Whitehead changed the company policy of shipping beverages bottled in England, arranging for local bottlers in other nations to use local water with the concentrated flavoring sent from England, thereby greatly lowering shipping costs and decreasing prices. Whitehead came to America in 1953 as president of Schweppes (USA) and established a relationship with the Pepsi-Cola Company that would involve Schweppes's reciprocal dilution and bottling of Pepsi-Cola in England. At that time Pepsi-Cola was far behind Coca-Cola in international sales, and sought to expand its overseas operations. Schweppes retained the prominent advertising firm of Ogilvy, Benson and Mather to handle American advertising, with the dual aim of popularizing gin and tonic (made with Schweppes tonic water) as a year-round drink and ensuring that the decline in the beverage's price was not perceived as the result of a drop in quality. Ogilvy set up a campaign centered on Commander Whitehead as a personality who embodied not only Schweppes, but also the British Empire. Ogilvy's distinctive advertisements soon made Commander Whitehead a popular celebrity. Whitehead recalled, "It wasn't long before I saw caricatures of myself in cartoons. Stand-up comedians, disc jockeys and radio announcers mimicked my British accent. " Schweppes originally planned to assign Whitehead to America for only two years, but he stayed longer because of the phenomenal rise in sales. Schweppes (USA) soon became a separate subsidiary of the parent company. He oversaw the diversification of Schweppes beverages other than tonic and successfully introduced Schweppes bitter lemon and Schweppes ginger ale into the United States. From 1959 to 1961, Whitehead hosted a half-hour program on WQXR (a New York City radio station devoted to classical music) called "This Is Britain. " He enjoyed the opportunity to interview entertainers and public figures, "not only beguiling myself but helping my listeners to focus on some highlights of British humor, character and culture. " The program was sponsored by such firms as Jaguar cars and British Railways; Whitehead did not allow Schweppes to buy commercial time on the show. Business success brought Whitehead governmental honors. He was made a member of the Order of the British Empire in 1961. He worked with the British government to improve exports and international sales during the mid-1960's, and in 1965 he helped organize and was named chairman of the British Exports Marketing Advisory Committee (BEMAC). He wrote the first pamphlet issued by BEMAC, which urged British businessmen to copy American marketing techniques. Whitehead deplored the fact that the British public and elite looked down on business operations as merely "trade, " considering military service, civil service, and the professions as the only types of honorable work. After his work with BEMAC, Whitehead was named a commander of the British Empire in 1967. Whitehead's American success brought him further promotions within the company. He became chairman of Schweppes (USA) and president of another Schweppes subsidiary, L. Rose and Company (America). When Schweppes merged with Cadbury, a candy company, to become Cadbury Schweppes in 1969, Whitehead became a director of the new firm. He also served as outside director of Cunard and of the General Cigar Company. Retiring from Cadbury Schweppes in 1971, Whitehead divided his time during his retirement years between homes in Stamford, Connecticut, and Nassau, the Bahamas, enabling him to enjoy his hobbies of sailing, skiing, swimming, running beagles, and fox hunting. He died in Petersfield, England.

Achievements

• Whitehead's steady rise from relatively humble origins to wealth, business success, and government honors was due to intelligence, charm, and hard work, as well as to the brilliant Schweppes advertising campaign that personified him in Americans' minds as the embodiment of British aristocracy. Ironically, Whitehead was not the product of Oxford or Cambridge. He openly stated that his success resulted from his adoption of American marketing methods and an American attitude toward business, and he repeatedly urged his countrymen to follow his example.

Works

More photos

• book

  • How to live the good life: The Commander tells you how

Connections

On September 14, 1940, Whitehead married Adinah ("Tommy") Thomas; they had one child.

Father:

Walter Whitehead

Mother:

Amy Whitehead

Spouse:

Adinah ("Tommy") Thomas