Warren Pfaff wrote the lyrics to the McDonald's ad that was named the top jingle of the 20th century by Advertising Age. Perhaps you've heard it?
"You deserve a break today… at McDonald's."
Although he started as a copywriter with J. Walter Thompson, the biggest advertising agency in New York City at that time, Pfaff eventually became the firm's senior vice president and creative director. He worked on ad campaigns for Pan American World Airways ("Get out of the country, get into this world."), the Metropolitan Opera ("Strike a blow for civilization.") and Rolls-Royce Motors ("The heart and soul of a masterpiece."). Pfaff was also known for collaborating with Sid Woloshin on the "We're looking for a few good men'' campaign for the U.S. Marine Corps. Woloshin died in 2000.
A one-time minor league baseball player and actor, Pfaff earned a bachelor's degree in English from Dartmouth College and spent a year studying painting as a Reynolds Fellow at the DuChamps studio in Paris. The Great Neck, N.Y.-native served as a lieutenant in the Navy during the Korean War. He opened his own agency, Warren Pfaff Advertising, in 1971 and ran the company until 1990 when it merged with McCaffrey Ratner Gottlieb & Lane.
Pfaff died on March 10 of lung cancer. He was 74.
Posted on April 9, 2004 3:03 AMHis "you deserve a break today" is sorely missed...I absolutely HATE the latest "I'm loving it" jingle.
Posted by David on April 10, 2004 11:06 AMBeing a first cousin, I feel bad that I wasn't
able to keep in contact for a few decades, due
to very traumatic life situations. But, when
I was finally well enough to write, and did,
no one responded. Then I heard he passed on,
so I sent condolences with a most heart-felt
letter about my son's tragic death - trying to
console them, but still.. NO response (from
his family). Finally, when Warren's brother
died, I emailed condolences to his family....
it was the same old story. Either they all
forgot I exist, or perhaps think I deserted
them. If only they knew what I was going
through - all those tortured years!!! It is
very sad to me, that after suffering a life
FILLED with horrific crises, not one family
member could respond, especially after hearing
about my gifted son's most tragic life and
death.
Thank you.
Posted by Zan Hunt Keats on May 3, 2007 12:02 PM