# "Adman Was King Of The One-Liners, But Knew Where To Draw The Line"

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adman-was-king-of-the-one-liners-but-knew-where-to-draw-the-line/689706>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [May 31, 2014, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adman-was-king-of-the-one-liners-but-knew-where-to-draw-the-line/689706 "2014-05-31T15:16:05Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\
**Post date:** [May 31, 2014, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adman-was-king-of-the-one-liners-but-knew-where-to-draw-the-line/689706/1 "2014-05-31T15:16:05Z")

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[Great story on Weekend Edition Saturday this morning.](http://www.npr.org/2014/05/31/317437696/david-abbott-the-one-liner-king-of-advertising)

> [@](#):
>
> George Orwell once referred to advertising as “the rattling of a stick inside a swill bucket.”
> 
> But there was some swill for which **David Abbott** would not rattle a stick. The British adman died this month at the age of 75. He was one of the founders of the agency **Abbott Mead Vickers** in London, and was considered a singularly good copywriter. He created the first ad for The Economist in 1984 in what became its signature style: that said: “‘I never read The Economist’ — management trainee, aged 42.”
> 
> He wrote another single, memorable line for a Volvo ad that showed a car brimming with children. It went, “Always keep your valuables in a safe place.”… [rest of the story here.](http://www.npr.org/2014/05/31/317437696/david-abbott-the-one-liner-king-of-advertising)

I’d like to see Don, Roger, Pete, and Peggy create an agency like this one over the final episodes and end the _Mad Men_ series that way, on a high note.

Bonus question: who are the comparable ad agencies today (you have to read the article to see what I mean)? That write clever, intelligent copy based on high standards and principles?

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**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\
**Post date:** [June 5, 2014, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adman-was-king-of-the-one-liners-but-knew-where-to-draw-the-line/689706/2 "2014-06-05T12:47:55Z")

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Ok. I claim the title for Cafe Society thread with most views and NO comments by anyone else. Where’s my prize?

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**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\
**Post date:** [June 5, 2014, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adman-was-king-of-the-one-liners-but-knew-where-to-draw-the-line/689706/3 "2014-06-05T13:15:39Z")

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I commented. Happy now?

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**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\
**Post date:** [June 6, 2014, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adman-was-king-of-the-one-liners-but-knew-where-to-draw-the-line/689706/4 "2014-06-06T13:45:23Z")

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No, dangit! Now I won’t get my prize! ☹

Rats.

Your comment was just mean.