As a woman-owned business, Niki Jones Agency is particularly excited to celebrate Women’s History Month. As a full-service strategic marketing agency, we are particularly excited to recognize Helen Lansdowne Resor, who is recognized as the first woman to plan and develop national advertising campaigns in the United States.
Resor was also a mentor and champion for other women in the field, creating a women-only editorial department within legendary advertising agency J. Walter Thompson Company. She did not merely lead by example; she actively worked to bring more women into the field of advertising. This alone would be a historic and celebrated accomplishment, yet her impact in the fields of copywriting and advertising is perhaps even more impressive.
World War II Recruitment Campaign
Resor created the “Women must work to win the war” campaign during World War II, resulting in 3 million women joining the workforce to support the war effort. Her striking “Be A Marine—Free a Marine to fight” ad, depicting a female soldier for a U.S. Marine Corps Women’s Reserve campaign, expanded upon this work.
A Bold Direction for Copywriting and Advertising
One of her breakthrough campaigns was for the Woodbury Soap Company. The first ad shows a seated woman being touched by a man under the headline, “A Skin You Love to Touch.” The slogan and campaign were pioneering for its use of sex appeal and for a copywriting style that more closely resembled the content of the magazines they were placed in. The slogan proved so popular that it was used until the 1940s.
“Copy Must Be Believable”
Resor is quoted as saying “copy must be believable,” which rings especially true in today’s marketing landscape. The sponsored content (also called native advertising or advertorials) common on blogs and social media today is just the latest iteration of the copywriting style that Resor pioneered nearly 100 years ago.
When you hear modern marketers discuss the importance of understanding your audience, utilizing testimonials and real-life stories, or the value of content marketing, they are reenforcing her ideas as well. She built trust and an emotional connection with her audience, an idea that many advertisers are only now starting to fully grasp.
Honoring Resor’s Legacy
Niki Jones Agency is proud to continue Resor’s impactful legacy. Our approach to strategic communications and marketing, our women-led team, and our commitment to a bright future are all rooted in her legacy.
This Women’s History Month, we salute Helen Lansdowne Resor and the women who paved the way for us.