Marcella Free was respected as one of the advertising industry's leading copywriters . She was a pioneering woman in the business and was the
first female Creative Director at N.W. Ayer in Philadelphia in the 1940s.

With her former husband, F. William Free

F. William Free

F. William Free , was an American advertising executive. He is best remembered for the controversial 1971 advertising slogan for National Airlines, "I'm Cheryl – Fly Me."-Early career and Marschalk years:...

, she created a number of famous and memorable campaigns for companies such as Nescafé

Nescafé

Nescafé is a brand of instant coffee made by Nestlé. It comes in the form of many different products. The name is a portmanteau of the words "Nestlé" and "café". Nestlé's flagship powdered coffee product was introduced in Switzerland on April 1, 1938 after being developed for seven or eight years...

, Coca Cola, Purina, National Airlines

National Airlines (NA)

National Airlines was an airline founded in 1934 and was headquartered on the grounds of Miami International Airport in unincorporated Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States near Miami.- History :...

, Pfizer

Pfizer

Pfizer, Inc. is an American multinational pharmaceutical corporation. The company is based in New York City, New York with its research headquarters in Groton, Connecticut, United States...

 and Gillette, among others. One of her more memorable campaigns was a commercial for Nair

Nair

Nair , also known as Nayar , refers to "not a unitary group but a named category of castes", which historically embody several castes and many subdivisions, not all of whom bore the Nair title. These people historically live in the present-day Indian state of Kerala...

, featuring girls singing "Who wears short shorts? We wear short shorts! If you dare wear short shorts, Nair for short shorts." This song was based on a hit by the 1950s group, the Royal Teens

Royal Teens

The Royal Teens were a New Jersey rock and roll band that formed in 1956, consisting of Bob Gaudio on piano, Tom Austin on drums, Billy Dalton on guitar, and Billy Crandall on saxophone. They are best known for their single "Short Shorts", which was a #3 hit in the United States in 1958. The...

.

She was a founding partner if the agency Avrett Free Ginsberg. She retired to her house in Water Mill, New York

Water Mill, New York

Water Mill is a census-designated place in Suffolk County, New York, USA, and a hamlet of the Town of Southampton. The population was 1,724 at the 2000 census. Water Mill is the correct name per local government and the United States Postal Service...

, and died in Rye in 2007.