Jay Chiat
Encyclopedia
[Morton] Jay Chiat was an American
advertising
designer.
Chiat was born in the Bronx in New York City
and grew up in Fort Lee, New Jersey
. He attended Rutgers College, graduating in 1953 and was inducted in its Hall of Distinguished Alumni in 2000. As an adult he shortened his legal name to Jay Chiat. He served in the United States Air Force
.
In 1962, Chiat teamed up with Guy Day
to form the Chiat/Day advertising agency
in Los Angeles
(now TBWA\Chiat\Day). Chiat/Day went on to create some very memorable advertising campaigns and was named U.S.
Agency of the Decade in 1989. Their clients included powerhouses such as Apple Computer
, Nike
, Energizer, Nissan, Pathfinder, Infiniti, American Express
, and Reebok
. Three Chiat/Day campaigns, the Apple Computer
1984 campaign, the Energizer Bunny campaign, and the Nynex Yellow Pages campaign, were chosen by the trade publication Brandweek
as three of the top 20 ad campaigns of the last 20 years. The "1984" Apple spot during Super Bowl XVIII
is said by many to be the event which marked the beginning of advertising as an event. Many of those who worked with Jay Chiat during this period are now leading practitioners in the industry. In 1999, Jay Chiat was inducted into the American Advertising Federation Hall of Fame
, the industry's greatest honor.
In the mid-1990s, Chiat made one of the first large attempts to provide a virtual office
environment for this employees. Variously received and reviewed, Chiat summed up his office experiment with, "The only thing I ever did in business that I was satisfied with."
He died of complications from cancer
in Marina del Rey, California
. He was #10 on the Advertising Age
list of 100 people of the 20th century.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
advertising
Advertising
Advertising is a form of communication used to persuade an audience to take some action with respect to products, ideas, or services. Most commonly, the desired result is to drive consumer behavior with respect to a commercial offering, although political and ideological advertising is also common...
designer.
Chiat was born in the Bronx in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and grew up in Fort Lee, New Jersey
Fort Lee, New Jersey
Fort Lee is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 35,345. Located atop the Hudson Palisades, the borough is the western terminus of the George Washington Bridge...
. He attended Rutgers College, graduating in 1953 and was inducted in its Hall of Distinguished Alumni in 2000. As an adult he shortened his legal name to Jay Chiat. He served in the United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
.
In 1962, Chiat teamed up with Guy Day
Guy Day
Guy Day was an American advertising executive who cofounded Chiat/Day with Jay Chiat in 1968. The agency went on to do memorable work for Apple Computer, including the Macintosh "1984" Super Bowl commercial. He was born in Chicago, Illinois.Day originally founded an agency called Faust/Day with...
to form the Chiat/Day advertising agency
Advertising agency
An advertising agency or ad agency is a service business dedicated to creating, planning and handling advertising for its clients. An ad agency is independent from the client and provides an outside point of view to the effort of selling the client's products or services...
in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
(now TBWA\Chiat\Day). Chiat/Day went on to create some very memorable advertising campaigns and was named U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Agency of the Decade in 1989. Their clients included powerhouses such as Apple Computer
Apple Computer
Apple Inc. is an American multinational corporation that designs and markets consumer electronics, computer software, and personal computers. The company's best-known hardware products include the Macintosh line of computers, the iPod, the iPhone and the iPad...
, Nike
Nike, Inc.
Nike, Inc. is a major publicly traded sportswear and equipment supplier based in the United States. The company is headquartered near Beaverton, Oregon, which is part of the Portland metropolitan area...
, Energizer, Nissan, Pathfinder, Infiniti, American Express
American Express
American Express Company or AmEx, is an American multinational financial services corporation headquartered in Three World Financial Center, Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States. Founded in 1850, it is one of the 30 components of the Dow Jones Industrial Average. The company is best...
, and Reebok
Reebok
Reebok International Limited, a subsidiary of the German sportswear company Adidas since 2005, is a producer of Athletic shoes, apparel, and accessories. The name comes from the Afrikaans spelling of rhebok, a type of African antelope or gazelle...
. Three Chiat/Day campaigns, the Apple Computer
Apple Computer
Apple Inc. is an American multinational corporation that designs and markets consumer electronics, computer software, and personal computers. The company's best-known hardware products include the Macintosh line of computers, the iPod, the iPhone and the iPad...
1984 campaign, the Energizer Bunny campaign, and the Nynex Yellow Pages campaign, were chosen by the trade publication Brandweek
Brandweek
Brandweek was a weekly American marketing trade publication.First published in 1986 as Adweeks Marketing Week, the publication changed its name in 1992 after facing a legal threat from the UK's Marketing Week magazine. Brandweek coverd the world of marketing from big-budget ad campaigns to...
as three of the top 20 ad campaigns of the last 20 years. The "1984" Apple spot during Super Bowl XVIII
Super Bowl XVIII
Super Bowl XVIII was an American football game played on January 22, 1984, at Tampa Stadium in Tampa, Florida, deciding the National Football League champion following the 1983 regular season. The American Football Conference champion Los Angeles Raiders defeated the National Football Conference...
is said by many to be the event which marked the beginning of advertising as an event. Many of those who worked with Jay Chiat during this period are now leading practitioners in the industry. In 1999, Jay Chiat was inducted into the American Advertising Federation Hall of Fame
American Advertising Federation Hall of Fame
The Advertising Hall of Fame is a list of notable advertising leaders in America as chosen by the American Advertising Federation.It was founded in 1948 as a result of a proposal by the New York Ad Club and its president, Andrew Haire, to the Advertising Federation of America, the predecessor...
, the industry's greatest honor.
In the mid-1990s, Chiat made one of the first large attempts to provide a virtual office
Virtual office
A virtual office is a combination of off-site live communication and address services that allow users to reduce traditional office costs while maintaining business professionalism...
environment for this employees. Variously received and reviewed, Chiat summed up his office experiment with, "The only thing I ever did in business that I was satisfied with."
He died of complications from cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
in Marina del Rey, California
Marina del Rey, California
-Demographics:-2010:The 2010 United States Census reported that Marina del Rey had a population of 8,866. The population density was 6,094.6 people per square mile...
. He was #10 on the Advertising Age
Advertising Age
Advertising Age is a magazine, delivering news, analysis and data on marketing and media. The magazine was started as a broadsheet newspaper in Chicago in 1930...
list of 100 people of the 20th century.