Leo Burnett

Leo Burnett (October 21, 1891 - June 7, 1971) was an advertising executive famous for creating such icons as the Jolly Green Giant, the Marlboro Man, the Pillsbury Doughboy and Tony the Tiger. Born in St. Johns, Michigan, he studied journalism at the University of Michigan.

His first job was at the Peoria Journal in Peoria, Illinois. In 1917 he moved to Detroit, where he went to work for the Cadillac Motor Company as a copywriter. After his marriage he moved to Indianapolis, Indiana, where he worked for an advertising agency from 1923 - 1930.

In 1935, he created his own agency. During the 1950s he moved his agency to Chicago. He was inducted to the Copywriters Hall of Fame in 1961, and retired in 1967.

Burnett followed Walter Lippman's philosophy of creating an image around the product. Until his time, advertising centered around large text descriptions of the product, with detailed arguments as to why the client's product was better than the competitor's. Burnett concentrated on style, creating icons as a symbol of the product.