Dodson, Craddock & Born

Dodson, Craddock & Born, Inc. was one of the oldest advertising agencies in Pensacola before its merger with Duncan McCall in 2000.

The agency was founded in 1958 by Pat Dodson. Frank Craddock and Patricia Thornton Born, who had recently designed the now-iconic Pensacola Beach sign, joined the firm in 1961, and they were incorporated by the state on May 1, 1962.

Some of its major clients included Westinghouse, Champion International, Landrum Staffing and a number of McDonald's franchisees, which they served for 27 years, longer than any other agency in the country.

In 2000 the firm merged with Duncan McCall, then a graphic design and photography firm specializing in brochures and catalogs. Duncan McCall's billings for the previous year had totaled $540,000 compared to DC&B's $1.3 million. Under the terms of the agreement, the DC&B principals — Craddock, president Mary Nolan and vice-president Harriet Krippes — received a share of profits for three years following the merger. A voluntary dissolution was filed on May 6, 2004.

References

Dodson, Craddock & Born Advertising was Pensacola’s first full service advertising agency. Mayhew "Pat" Dodson, ex-Marine Captain, founded the advertising company in 1958 as the Pat Dodson Agency, borrowing the $75 needed to buy a city license. He was joined that year by local artist Patricia Thornton Born. Their first office was located at 314 S. Baylen Street. According to Pat Born it was rumored to have once housed a well-known brothel. Initial clients included Mutual Federal Savings & Loan, First National Bank of Milton and the Bank of Jay.

Mayhew "Pat" Dodson, Patricia Thornton Born and Frank Craddock

One of their most famous and popular projects was the neon billboard that leads the way to Pensacola Beach. Designed by Pat Born, in the early 1960s the giant billboard features a neon billfish that lures tourists to Florida's Pensacola Beach. Recent talk of replacing the historic sign with one more up to date brought out vocal defenders who managed to save the billfish from an ignoble fate.

In 1961 Frank Craddock, returning home after serving as a bomber pilot in the Korean War, joined Dodson and Born to incorporate as Dodson, Craddock & Born Advertising. Only half joking, Frank was heard to ask at the time, "What's an ad agency?" He soon found out as the young agency acquired the Santa Rosa Island Authority, Spearman Brewery, Pensacola's Municipal Advertising Board, plus several smaller businesses. As Art Director and Vice President of the agency, Pat Born was selected Ad " Man" of the year by her peers in 1960 and also won the first Advertising Silver Metal Award sponsored by the Advertising Federation of America and Printer's Ink magazine

In 1962 a call came from McDonalds Corporation which led to 26 years of continuous advertising and public relations service to one of America's largest corporations. Mary Nolan joined the agency as medial buyer. She perfected her media buying skills by attending yearly seminars held at the McDonalds headquarters in Oakbrook, Illinois . Other employees of note were national columnist Charlie Reese who wrote copy for the agency, and Harriet Krippes who directed radio and television commercials for more than a quarter century.

The growing agency made several moves to different quarters in Pensacola's historic district, which Dodson was instrumental in helping to preserve They finally built new offices at 4711 Scenic Highway in 1967. Through the years the agency served a wide variety of clients including financial, health care, fine restaurants, auto parts, and such industries as St. Regis Paper Company, Champion Paper, International Paper and Westinghouse. After the passing of Pat Dodson, Frank Craddock assumed the presidency of the agency, a position he held for 25 years.

In the year 2000 after more than forty years in business, DC&B joined forces with Duncan McCall Agency. Under the direction of Michael Duncan and Bryan McCall, the new larger agency continues the long tradition of providing advertising services to clients from both agencies. Mary Nolan who rose to President of DC&B after the retirement of founding partner Frank Craddock, serves to this day as Media Director of Duncan McCall Advertising.

Original artwork, historic photographs, business plans, brochures, newspaper ads, etc., are archived in the Special Collections Unit of the University of West Florida Library. This Dodson, Craddock & Born Collection is maintained by the University as a resource for advertising students and those interested in researching the history of a particular company through its advertising. Learn more about the collection by contacting the University of West Florida.

Or drive east on Highway 98 to view the neon billfish still pointing the way to Pensacola Beach. A legacy from Dodson, Craddock & Born Advertising, Pensacola's first advertising agency.

By Harriet Krippes