Ally & Gargano

Ally & Gargano was an American advertising agency, which "Advertising Age" named agency of the year in 1982. Famous clients included Volvo, Saab, Federal Express (the "speed talker" campaign), and Dunkin' Donuts ("Fred the Baker" campaign).

Carl Ally left Papert, Koenig, Lois in 1962 to open his own agency. Founded as Carl Ally, Inc. in 1963, Ally elevated partner Amil Gargano and renamed the firm Ally & Gargano in 1976. Ally sold his voting stock in the agency to Gargano in 1979, remaining chairman. That year Edward M. Gallagher joined A&G as chief operating officer, and quickly brought in the MCI account.

The company went public in 1983, but a string of client losses and budget cutbacks increased internal tensions. Ally formally retired from Ally & Gargano on Jan. 1, 1985 and in June 1986, Marketing Corporation of America (MCA) bought Ally & Gargano for $26.6 million. After further account losses including the showcase Saab account, in December 1988, MCA sold control and 50 percent of the agency to Wesray Capital Corporation for $30 million.

Carl Ally was inducted into the American Advertising Federation Hall of Fame in 1991. Gargano left A&G that year when his contract expired, and the agency closed soon after.

External links

* [http://www.adcglobal.org/archive/hof/1982/?id=253 Art Directors Club biography, portrait and images of work by Amil Gargano]

References

* [http://adage.com/century/people048.html Carl Ally and Amil Gargano] via "Advertising Age".