Ed Ney, former CEO of Young & Rubicam, died Jan. 8 at the age of 88.
The ad man is remembered for adopting the “whole egg” or integrated approach to communications, which led to Y&R’s acquisition of Burson-Marsteller.
“He understood it all and saw it sooner than most,” said a statement from said a statement from Martin Sorrell, CEO of Y&R’s parent WPP.
“It was a radical concept and transformed not only our agency but the entire industry,” added Y&R Global CEO David Sable, who recalled Ney’s magnetic charm.
“Ed was known to walk the building, where he talked to everyone he passed, knew everyone’s name and always had a question or kind observation to share,” he explained.
Ney joined the advertising agency in 1951 as junior account executive for General Foods and served as chairman until 1989. He returned ten years later at chairman emeritus.
Ney was appointed U.S. ambassador to Canada in 1989, where he played a role in the expansion of the U.S.-Canada Free Trade Agreement to Mexico.
He is survived by a wife, three children and five grandchildren.
Hugh Braithwaite, founder of Braithwaite Communications in Philadelphia, died Feb. 28. He was 63.
Alfred Horowitz, who was a PR counselor, educator, businessman and philanthropist, died February 14 of natural causes. He was 93.
Ginger Reeder, the former VP-corporate communications at Neiman Marcus, died Jan. 9. She was 64.
José Antonio Llorente, founding partner and executive chairman of Spain’s LLYC, died from cancer on Jan. 1. He was
Bob Dorf, who founded his own firm and then ran Dorf & Stanton with Alex Stanton, died Dec. 2. He was 74.
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