Jane Trahey

Trahey was born in Chicago on November 19, 1923 and studied at Catholic schools. After attending Chicago's Mundelein College and graduating in 1943, she continued her education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison for two years.[2][3]

Trahey earned the degree of Master of Fine Arts in 1975 from Columbia University in New York.[2][3][4]

Before working for the Chicago Daily News in the survey research department, Trahey worked in the Chicago Tribune's news morgue. Her first advertising job was for the Chicago department store, Carson, Pirie, Scott & Co. as copywriter after a period in the retail shop as receptionist. Her work at the firm caught the attention of retail store Neiman-Marcus where she later worked as copywriter in 1947 in Dallas, Texas.[2][3][5]

Trahey worked at Neiman-Marcus in Texas for nine years where she became the director of advertising and sales. Her work at Neiman-Marcus earned Trahey a reputation for her "innovative fashion copywriting". She even tested different colors with scented inks in retail ads.[2][3]

For the lingerie and hosiery company, Julius Kayser Inc., she created an in-house agency, Advertising Associates, after she moved to New York in 1956. Later, in 1958, Trahey established Jane Trahey Associates, her own agency specializing in cosmetics and fashion advertising. With the addition of partner Franchellie Cadwell in 1962, the agency was renamed Trahey/Cadwell Associates. In June 1964 the partnership ended and the agency worked under the new name "Trahey Associates/Advertising" until 1965 when the name changed again to "Trahey Advertising". Between 1965 and 1966 the agency worked for well known companies including Charles of the Ritz, Rob Roy Shirts for Boys, Pauline Trigere, Elizabeth Arden, and Union Carbide Corporation's textile department.[2][3]

Art director Henry Wolf became a partner in 1967 and the name of the agency changed again to "Trahey/Wolf Advertising". The partnership lasted until 1972 when Wolf left. In 1976, the shop changed its name again to "Trahey/Rogers Advertising" reflecting the addition of partner Peter Rogers. This partnership lasted until 1978 when Trahey left the agency, sold the shop to Rogers, and became a consultant.[2][3]

During her career, she created advertising campaigns for clients including Bill Blass, Elizabeth Arden, and Olivetti. Well-known slogans she created include "Foot-loose and Famolare" for Famolare footwear, "It's not fake anything, it's real Dynel" for Union Carbide's synthetic hair, and "Danskins are not just for dancing" for Danskin shoes.[2][3][5] For her campaign for the Great Lakes Mink Association, she persuaded major stars like Lauren Bacall, Marlene Dietrich, Bette Davis, and Judy Garland to pose in a Blackglama mink coat under the slogan, "What becomes a legend most?" Their payment was the coat and the portrait, shot by Richard Avedon.[2]

Apart from advertising, she also served in feminist movements and later became a writer and lecturer. Among her writings was an autobiography, Jane Trahey on Women & Power: Who's Got It. How to Get It. She wrote a play, Ring Round the Bathtub, which was produced on Broadway in 1972 starring Elizabeth Ashley. Her novel Life With Mother Superior was the basis for the film The Trouble with Angels, starring Hayley Mills and Rosalind Russell. She also wrote Thursdays Till Nine and Pecked to Death by Goslings.[2][3][4]