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553:) with whom he had two children, Marc Wunderman and Karen Wunderman Cusworth, before divorcing. At the time of his death, he lived in New York City with his second wife, Dr. Suzanne Cott (b. Suzanne Oksman in 1934 –- d. March 14, 2021), who had appeared as Sue Oakland in 1950s and 1960s TV game shows such as
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In 1947, he was hired as a copywriter at
Maxwell Sackheim & Co. While there, he noted that their "mail order" accounts had the potential to be built into a broader line of business. He introduced a "direct marketing" approach to service them, using the medium of clients’ mailboxes as a way to
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To expand the direct marketing approach, Wunderman and his brother Irving, along with two colleagues, Ed
Ricotta and Harry Kline, met on August 20, 1958, in Wunderman's "office" – a $ 30-a-night room at the Hotel Winslow in New York City – and with combined assets of $ 60,000 founded their own
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Lester
Wunderman, a son of Jewish immigrants, was born in the Bronx on June 22, 1920. His father, who was from Austria, worked in the fur trade. After his death, Mr. Wunderman's mother, who was born in Romania, did clerical work to provide for her
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440:. In 1958, the firm opened its doors in New York City with a staff of seven. There were no clients. Nevertheless, WR&K attracted more than $ 2 million in billings during its first year. WR&K (later acquired by
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artifacts to the
Metropolitan Museum of Art and the balance of his Dogon collection to the Musée de l'Homme in Paris, France. He was an exhibited photographer for many years. He studied photography at the
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also led to the first customer rewards program – a breakthrough means of keeping customers loyal to a brand that has since transformed the travel and retail industries as well.
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Beginning in 2010, a collection (of
Wunderman's papers) has been housed at the Rubenstein Library at Duke University. He also served as Chairman Emeritus of Wunderman.
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was published in
January 1997 and republished with new material in 2004. An ebook version, which includes a new introduction from the author, was published in 2011.
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Magazine in 1998. In the July 23, 2001, issue of Time
Magazine, he along with David Ogilvy and Sergio Zyman were heralded as “Great Pitchmen Over the Years.”
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in New York. His book of photographs, named "Wunderman", has been published and distributed in 2008 by the global advertising agency that bears his name.
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Karen Renee
Wunderman, here, and Richard Alfred Cusworth, Elmwood Park, were married here Sunday at the home of the father of the bride, Lester Wunderman
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number, loyalty rewards programs, and many more. He identified, named, and defined the term "direct marketing" in a 1967 speech at
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and thirteen other museums. His work has been represented by galleries in New York and the village of
Mougins, France. He,
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develop a more personal connection with potential customers than general advertising had previously found possible.
381:(June 22, 1920 – January 9, 2019) was an American advertising executive widely considered the creator of modern-day
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in New York. Wunderman had three stepsons (Patrick Cott, James Cott, and Thomas Cott), and was a congregant at the
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Wunderman married twice. His first wife was Liljan
Darcourt Malina (divorced from
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Wunderman was elected to the Direct Marketing Hall of Fame in 1983 and the
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673:"The Occult Rocket Scientist Who Conjured Spirits with L. Ron Hubbard"
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Time International (South Pacific Edition), 7/23/2001, Issue 29, p53
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and then with private instructors. Fifty of his photographs of his
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Art of the Dogon: selections from the Lester Wunderman collection
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An avid art collector, Wunderman donated nearly 300 works of
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Wunderman, L (2004). "Being Direct: Making Advertising Pay".
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He died on January 9, 2019, at the age of 98 in New York.
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campaign), the magazine subscription card, and the postal
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art are part of the permanent collection of New York's
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448:) was responsible for developing and/or promoting the
482:Wunderman lectured at a host of schools, including
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90:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
701:. Walker Books (Reprint edition). pp. 78–79.
471:in 1998. He received an honorary doctorate from
698:Astro Turf: The Private Life of Rocket Science
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408:Wunderman was born on June 22, 1920, in the
53:Learn how and when to remove these messages
897:American people of Romanian-Jewish descent
892:American people of Austrian-Jewish descent
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252:Learn how and when to remove this message
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16:American marketing executive (1920–2019)
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651:. Rubenstein Library, Duke University.
460:system. A long-time relationship with
416:public schools. Both his parents were
188:Please improve this article by adding
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902:20th-century American businesspeople
806:"Lester Wunderman Passes Away at 98"
500:Being Direct: Making Advertising Pay
88:adding citations to reliable sources
743:Wunderman, Suzanne (16 June 2021).
536:International Center of Photography
671:Pendle, George (January 2, 2015).
594:Langer, Emily (January 15, 2019).
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877:Businesspeople from New York City
620:"Suzanne Cott Becomes Bride Here"
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749:Legacy.com - NY Times Obituaries
695:Lord, M.G. (February 14, 2006).
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42:or discuss these issues on the
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360:Liljan Darcourt (divorced)
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649:"Lester Wunderman Papers"
565:Eldridge Street Synagogue
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634:– via NYTimes.com.
469:Advertising Hall of Fame
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311:The Bronx, New York City
444:and eventually called
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601:The Washington Post
484:Columbia University
442:Young & Rubicam
362:Suzanne Oksman Cott
626:. 27 December 1975
624:The New York Times
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488:Fordham University
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867:2019 deaths
862:1920 births
349:Creator of
856:Categories
828:References
815:12 January
790:12 January
785:Adweek.com
630:12 January
372:3 stepsons
338:Occupation
242:April 2010
212:newspapers
179:references
110:newspapers
39:improve it
678:Vice News
528:Karl Katz
498:His book
446:Wunderman
404:Biography
400:in 1998.
387:toll-free
357:Spouse(s)
45:talk page
458:ZIP code
436:agency,
367:Children
330:New York
140:May 2008
769:. 2016.
561:WCBS-TV
494:, and
426:Romania
422:Austria
226:scholar
124:scholar
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496:M.I.T.
477:AdWeek
454:Toyota
418:Jewish
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319:Died
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