DAVID ABBOTT, who died on May 17th, was a creative genius with principles. His advertising agency, Abbott Mead Vickers, refused to do campaigns for tobacco or toys. In 1984, when a small but ambitious British newspaper invited him to design its ads, he had to be talked into it. But the campaign he devised, featuring white letters on a plain red background, captured the essence of the product’s appeal simply and memorably. The first poster ran: “‘I never read The Economist.’ Management trainee. Aged 42.” The campaign was hugely successful. Thanks, from a grateful client.
