Jane Trahey
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Jane Trahey (November19, 1923April 22, 2000) was an American businesswoman and writer. She is best known as one of the pioneers of
advertising Advertising is the practice and techniques employed to bring attention to a Product (business), product or Service (economics), service. Advertising aims to present a product or service in terms of utility, advantages, and qualities of int ...
during the 1960s. Her awards include the Advertising Woman of the Year award in 1969 from the
American Advertising Federation The American Advertising Federation (AAF) is the nation's oldest national advertising industry trade association. It is headquartered in Washington, D.C. AAF has 15 district operations, each located in and representing a different region of the na ...
. She acted as the chief for advertising campaigns on behalf of
Bill Blass William Ralph Blass (June 22, 1922 – June 12, 2002) was an American fashion designer. He was the recipient of many fashion awards, including seven Coty Awards and the Fashion Institute of Technology's Lifetime Achievement Award (1999). Ear ...
,
Elizabeth Arden Elizabeth Arden (December 31, 1881 – October 18, 1966), also known as Elizabeth N. Graham, was a Canadian-American businesswoman who founded what is now Elizabeth Arden, Inc., and built a cosmetics empire in the United States. Backg ...
, and Blackglama mink, among others.


Biography


Early life and education

Trahey was born in
Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
on November19, 1923 and studied at Catholic schools. After attending Chicago's
Mundelein College Mundelein College was a private, independent, Roman Catholic Women's colleges in the United States, women's college in Chicago, Chicago, Illinois. Located on the edge of the Rogers Park, Chicago, Rogers Park and Edgewater, Chicago, Edgewater neig ...
and graduating in 1943, she continued her education at the
University of Wisconsin-Madison A university () is an institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly means "community of teachers and scholars". Uni ...
for two years. Trahey earned the degree of
Master of Fine Arts A Master of Fine Arts (MFA or M.F.A.) is a terminal degree in fine arts, including visual arts, creative writing, graphic design, photography, filmmaking, dance, theatre, other performing arts and in some cases, theatre management or arts admi ...
in 1975 from
Columbia University Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...
in
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...
.


Career

Before working for the
Chicago Daily News The ''Chicago Daily News'' was an afternoon daily newspaper in the midwestern United States, published between 1875 and 1978 in Chicago, Illinois. History The ''Daily News'' was founded by Melville E. Stone, Percy Meggy, and William Dougherty ...
in the survey research department, Trahey worked in the
Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is an American daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded in 1847, it was formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper", a slogan from which its once integrated WGN (AM), WGN radio and ...
's news morgue. Her first advertising job was for the Chicago department store, Carson, Pirie, Scott & Co. as copywriter after a period in the retail shop as receptionist. Her work at the firm caught the attention of retail store
Neiman-Marcus Neiman Marcus is an American department store chain founded in 1907 in Dallas, Texas by Herbert Marcus, his sister Carrie Marcus Neiman, and her husband Abraham Lincoln Neiman. It has been owned by Saks Global, a spin-off of the Hudson ...
where she later worked as copywriter in 1947 in Dallas, Texas. Trahey worked at Neiman-Marcus in Texas for nine years where she became the director of advertising and sales. Her work at Neiman-Marcus earned Trahey a reputation for her "innovative fashion copywriting". She even tested different colors with scented inks in retail ads. For the lingerie and hosiery company, Julius Kayser Inc., she created an in-house agency, Advertising Associates, after she moved to New York in 1956. Later, in 1958, Trahey established Jane Trahey Associates, her own agency specializing in cosmetics and fashion advertising. With the addition of partner Franchellie Cadwell in 1962, the agency was renamed Trahey/Cadwell Associates. In June 1964 the partnership ended and the agency worked under the new name "Trahey Associates/Advertising" until 1965 when the name changed again to "Trahey Advertising". Between 1965 and 1966 the agency worked for well known companies including
Charles of the Ritz Charles of the Ritz is a former cosmetics brand known for its line of perfumes. History In 1916, hairdresser Charles Jundt took over the Manhattan beauty salon of the New York City Ritz (later the Ritz-Carlton) hotel. He founded his own cosmetics ...
, Rob Roy Shirts for Boys, Pauline Trigere,
Elizabeth Arden Elizabeth Arden (December 31, 1881 – October 18, 1966), also known as Elizabeth N. Graham, was a Canadian-American businesswoman who founded what is now Elizabeth Arden, Inc., and built a cosmetics empire in the United States. Backg ...
, and
Union Carbide Corporation Union Carbide Corporation (UCC) is an American chemical company headquartered in Seadrift, Texas. It has been a wholly owned subsidiary of Dow Chemical Company since 2001. Union Carbide produces chemicals and polymers that undergo one or more f ...
's textile department. Art director
Henry Wolf Henry Wolf (May 23, 1925 – February 14, 2005) was an Austrian-born, American graphic designer, photographer and art director. He influenced and energized magazine design during the 1950s and 1960s with his bold layouts, elegant typography, an ...
became a partner in 1967 and the name of the agency changed again to "Trahey/Wolf Advertising". The partnership lasted until 1972 when Wolf left. In 1976, the shop changed its name again to "Trahey/Rogers Advertising" reflecting the addition of partner Peter Rogers. This partnership lasted until 1978 when Trahey left the agency, sold the shop to Rogers, and became a consultant. During her career, her agency created advertising campaigns for clients including
Bill Blass William Ralph Blass (June 22, 1922 – June 12, 2002) was an American fashion designer. He was the recipient of many fashion awards, including seven Coty Awards and the Fashion Institute of Technology's Lifetime Achievement Award (1999). Ear ...
,
Elizabeth Arden Elizabeth Arden (December 31, 1881 – October 18, 1966), also known as Elizabeth N. Graham, was a Canadian-American businesswoman who founded what is now Elizabeth Arden, Inc., and built a cosmetics empire in the United States. Backg ...
, and
Olivetti Olivetti S.p.A. is an Italian manufacturer of computers, tablets, smartphones, printers and other such business products as calculators and fax machines. Headquartered in Ivrea, in the Metropolitan City of Turin, the company has been owned b ...
. Well-known slogans her agency created include "Foot-loose and Famolare" for
Famolare Famolare is a footwear company founded in 1969. It was active for several years before its hiatus, and multiple designs appear in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC. History The shoe company was founded in 1969 by Joe Famolare Jr., featuring ...
footwear, "It's not fake anything, it's real Dynel" for
Union Carbide Union Carbide Corporation (UCC) is an American chemical company headquartered in Seadrift, Texas. It has been a wholly owned subsidiary of Dow Chemical Company since 2001. Union Carbide produces chemicals and polymers that undergo one or more f ...
's synthetic hair, and "Danskins are not just for dancing" for Danskin shoes. For her campaign for the Great Lakes Mink Association, her employee Norman Sunshine created the slogan "What Become a Legend Most?" and employee Peter Rogers persuaded major stars like
Lauren Bacall Betty Joan Perske (September 16, 1924 – August 12, 2014), professionally known as Lauren Bacall ( ), was an American actress. She was named the AFI's 100 Years...100 Stars, 20th-greatest female star of classic Hollywood cinema by the America ...
,
Marlene Dietrich Marie Magdalene "Marlene" DietrichBorn as Maria Magdalena, not Marie Magdalene, according to Dietrich's biography by her daughter, Maria Riva ; however, Dietrich's biography by Charlotte Chandler cites "Marie Magdalene" as her birth name . (, ; ...
,
Bette Davis Ruth Elizabeth "Bette" Davis (; April 5, 1908 – October 6, 1989) was an American actress of film, television, and theater. Regarded as one of the greatest actresses in Hollywood history, she was noted for her willingness to play unsympatheti ...
, and
Judy Garland Judy Garland (born Frances Ethel Gumm; June 10, 1922June 22, 1969) was an American actress and singer. Possessing a strong contralto voice, she was celebrated for her emotional depth and versatility across film, stage, and concert performance. ...
to pose in a Blackglama mink coat under the slogan, "What becomes a legend most?" Their payment was the coat and the portrait, shot by
Richard Avedon Richard Avedon (May 15, 1923 – October 1, 2004) was an American fashion and portrait photographer. He worked for ''Harper's Bazaar'', '' Vogue'' and '' Elle'' specializing in capturing movement in still pictures of fashion, theater and ...
. Trahey attempted to get credit for creating many of the slogans that her employees came up with, as detailed in Norman Sunshine's 2011 book ''Double Life.'' He also referred to her as being a lesbian who dated his gay partner's ex-wife, which is how Sunshine got his position with Trahey's agency. "Double Life" also says Trahey broke up with the partner's ex-wife to run off with a nun from Trahey's past in Illinois. Apart from advertising, she also served in feminist movements and later became a writer and lecturer. Among her writings was an autobiography, ''Jane Trahey on Women & Power: Who's Got It. How to Get It''. She wrote a play, ''Ring Round the Bathtub'', which was produced on Broadway in 1972 starring
Elizabeth Ashley Elizabeth Ann Cole (born August 30, 1939), known professionally as Elizabeth Ashley, is an American actress of theatre, film, and television. She has been nominated for three Tony Awards, winning once in 1962 for '' Take Her, She's Mine''. Ash ...
. Her novel ''Life With Mother Superior'' was the basis for the film '' The Trouble with Angels'', starring
Hayley Mills Hayley Catherine Rose Vivien Mills (born 18 April 1946) is an English actress. The daughter of Sir John Mills and Mary Hayley Bell and younger sister of actress Juliet Mills, she began her acting career as a child and was hailed as a promisi ...
and
Rosalind Russell Catherine Rosalind Russell (June 4, 1907November 28, 1976) was an American actress, model, comedian, screenwriter, and singer,Obituary '' Variety'', December 1, 1976, p. 79. known for her role as fast-talking newspaper reporter Hildy Johnson in ...
. She also wrote ''Thursdays Till Nine'' and ''Pecked to Death by Goslings''.


Death and recognition

After working for more than 40 years, Trahey died of
cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving Cell growth#Disorders, abnormal cell growth with the potential to Invasion (cancer), invade or Metastasis, spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Po ...
at her home in
Kent, Connecticut Kent is a town in Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States. Located alongside the border with New York (state), New York, the town's population was 3,019 according to the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The town is part of the Northwe ...
on April22, 2000, at the age of 76. She received more than 200 awards over the course of her career. Among others, she was honored with the Advertising Woman of the Year award in 1969 by the
American Advertising Federation The American Advertising Federation (AAF) is the nation's oldest national advertising industry trade association. It is headquartered in Washington, D.C. AAF has 15 district operations, each located in and representing a different region of the na ...
. In 1979, the
Supersisters ''Supersisters'' was a set of 72 trading cards produced and distributed in the United States in 1979 by Supersisters, Inc. They featured famous women from politics, media and entertainment, culture, sports, and other areas of achievement. The ...
trading card set was produced and distributed; one of the cards featured Trahey's name and picture. Rocky Piliero, production manager of Trahey's agency during 1969, said on her death that, "Ms. Trahey didn't like accounts. She liked projects. She liked to do something new. She'd be gung-ho for six months, then get bored."


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Trahey, Jane 1923 births 2000 deaths American advertising executives Writers from Chicago University of Wisconsin–Madison alumni Columbia University School of the Arts alumni Chicago Daily News people Chicago Tribune people 20th-century American writers 20th-century American women writers People from Kent, Connecticut Women in advertising Mundelein College alumni