Edward Louis Bernays
NOVEMBER 22, 1891- MARCH 9, 1995
A pioneer in the field of public relations, Sigmund Freud's American nephew, and a strong contemporary of Ivy Lee. Hugely acclaimed for his two-best known campaigns:
1. "Torches of Freedom"
Client: George Washington Hill.
Target: To promote female smoking by branding cigarettes (described as symbols of liberation) as being feminist.
How: Employed women to march while smoking their “torches of freedom” in the Easter Sunday Parade (of 1929), photographed the event well which led to a significant moment for fighting social barriers for women smokers.
Client: General Electric and Westinghouse.
Target: To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the first incandescent light and honor Edison (secretively, to benefit GE).
How: Issued a commemorative stamp for the anniversary along with a coin and asked utility companies from around the world to shut off their power for a minute in honor of Thomas Alva Edison.