Archives Center, National Museum of American History

Guide to Ally and Gargano, Inc., Print Advertisements

Summary
Columbia Broadcasting System, Inc.(CBS)
Columbia Broadcasting System, Inc.(CBS)
Collection ID:
NMAH.AC.0938
Creators:
Gargano, Amil
Ally & Gargano, Inc.
Ally, Carl
Dates:
1962-1987
Languages:
English
.
Physical Description:
14.6 Cubic feet
Repository:
In 1962, Carl Ally, a rising star in the advertising business, established his own firm, Carl Ally, Inc., with colleague Amil Gargano as art director. In 1976 they changed the business name to Ally and Gargano, Inc. Known for its aggressive advertising style, Ally and Gargano represented approximately ninety clients, fifty-two of which are represented here, including Hertz, Federal Express, and IBM.
Scope and Contents
Scope and Contents
Advertising portfolios including copies of print advertisements published for fifty-two accounts over a twenty-five year period. Some clients include Hertz, Federal Express, International Business Machines Corporation.
Arrangement
Arrangement
Collection is arranged into one series.
Biographical / Historical
Biographical / Historical
After seven years as a rising star in the advertising business, Carl Ally (1925-1999) created his own advertising agency in 1962, bringing with him former colleague and art director Amil Gargano. In 1976, Carl Ally, Inc., became Ally and Gargano, and three years later, Ally withdrew from active participation in the firm. In 1983, the agency, with a roster of nearly 300 employees, went public; in 1986 the Marketing Corporation of America (MCA) purchased Ally and Gargano for $26.6 million; in 1991 Amil Gargano left the firm which went out of business in 1995.
During its years as an independent advertising agency, (1962-1987), Ally and Gargano created highly successful and widely recognized advertising campaigns for over ninety clients. Carl Ally was especially known for an aggressive advertising style, most notably his work for Hertz in the late 1960s and early 1970s, in which he used in a competitor's name, Avis, in advertisements.
Ally and Gargano also made invaluable contributions to two new firms that quickly became leading American businesses --Federal Express and MCI. Founded in 1971, Federal Express had accrued $26 million in losses by 1974, after only eighteen months in operation; its nightly package delivery count was 210 items. Ally and Gargano advertising, beginning with a budget of only $150,000, was critical to the rapid Federal Express turnaround. MCI selected Ally and Gargano to introduce its residential long distance service in 1979. Within a year, new customer enrollment reached three times the expected level, and four years after the launch of the advertising campaign, MCI's total sales rose from $95 million to $2.7 billion.
Administration
Author
Amy Sanderson
Immediate Source of Acquisition
This collection was donated by Emil Gargano, a partner in Ally and Gargano, Inc.
Custodial History
Donated to the Archives Center in 2007 by Amil Gargano.
Processing Information
Collection processed by Amy Sanderson (intern); supervised by Alison Oswald, archivist, November 2007.
Using the Collection
Conditions Governing Access
Collection is open for research but is stored off-site and special arrangements must be made to work with it. Contact the Archives Center for information at archivescenter@si.edu or 202-633-3270.
Preferred Citation
Ally and Gargano, Inc., Print Advertisements, 1962-ca. 1995, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
Conditions Governing Use
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning intellectual property rights. Archives Center cost recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Related Materials
Advertising documentation may be found in the following collections in this repository: N.W. Ayer Advertising Agency Records and the Federal Express Advertising History Collection.
Keywords
Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Advertisements Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Advertising agencies Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Print advertising Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
advertising Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Dunkin' Donuts, Inc. Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Federal Express Corporation Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Fiat. Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Canadair Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
MCI Communications Corporation. Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Scandinavian Airlines System Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Northeast Airlines Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Pan American World Airways, Inc. Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Pearl Brewing. Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Hertz Corporation. Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
International business machines corporation Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Karastan. Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Kobrand Corporation. Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Volvo. Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Saab (Svenska Aeroplan Aktiebolaget AB) Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Piper Aircraft Corp. Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Pharmacraft. Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Pentax Precision Instrument Corporation. Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Bank of New York Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
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