The list below is a sampling of Hall of Fame members who championed this issue.
- J. Walter Thompson - founder of the world's best-known advertising agency, which bears his name.
- Carl W. Nichols Jr. - For more than 30 years, his clients never failed to benefit from his personal attention. Under his leadership, Cunningham & Walsh received the first Advertising Age "Agency of the Year" award in 1974.
- F. Wayland Ayer - In 1875 Ayer introduced the "open-contract-plus-commission" plan. Ayer's contract guaranteed his clients the lowest possible rates the agency could negotiate with the media. Ayer circulated his agency's philosophy, including statements such as, "we do not wish any advertiser to deal with us unless it is to his interest to do so."
- Merle Sidener - helped prepare three important booklets, "Buying and Selling Advertising Agency Service," "How to Choose an Advertising Agency," and "Teach Advertisers to Select Advertising Agencies - Not Plans." These were widely disseminated among agencies and advertisers, doing much to improve the standards of agency-client relationships.
- Frank Presbrey - was active and influential in the movement that increased the agency commission from 10 to 15 percent.
- Ted Bates - was known for his stable full-partner relationships with both his associates and clients. "I want people around here with the greatest personal integrity," Bates said. "If I have that, I will not be concerned about work habits or the quality of service to our clients."
- Paul Foley - believed that copy that serves consumers first, serves clients and industry best.
- Clarence Eldrige - Because of his unique perspective from the agency, client and consultant point of view, he was able to speak and write with clarity on such difficult issues as the essentials of the healthy client-agency relationship and on how to evaluate the effectiveness of advertising.
- Marion Harper Jr. - pioneered the concept of an agency holding company and paved the way for agencies to go public. He introduced new advertising disciplines and set up the first agency structure with affiliate services. As the president of McCann-Erickson, his biggest contribution was his idea of two or more autonomous agencies under on corporate umbrella. In 1960 Harper launched the Interpublic Group of Companies and the holding-company concept.
- Hall "Cap" Adams Jr. - was passionate about personal relationships with clients and employees. He was one of the only executives in the industry who always answered his own phone.
- John E. Pepper - was instrumental in the implementation of an entirely new agency compensation system. This new model tied the success of P&G brands to the success of their agencies. His belief in the power of this type of interdependence between agency and client influenced many in the industry to follow, and as a result a new era in agency/client relationship began.
