Few people in advertising history have done as much or havebeen as concerned about its reputation as Clarence Eldridge.
Over a more than 50 years, Eldridge served as advertising manager for the Reo Motor Car Company, a vice president in charge of the plans board of Young & Rubicam Inc., vice president in charge of marketing for General Foods, and executive vice president of the Campbell Food Company. From Campbell Foods he went on to consult for several major corporations. He had exceptional marketing skills and applied them in assisting the growth of some major U.S. advertisers.
Perhaps Clarence Eldridge's magnus opus is what became known as the Eldridge Essays, commissioned and published by the Association of National Advertisers.
In 1968 he received the ANA Gold Medal Award for advertising leadership for his "more than half a centry of frontline experience in consumer goods, marketing, and advertising."
Because of his unique position as an agency man, client and consultant, he was able to speak and write with clarity on such difficult problems as the essentials of the healthy client-agency relationship and on how to evaluate the effectiveness of advertising.
Clarence Eldridge served as a leader for perhaps twice as many years as most people serve in this industry.