Halls of Fame

Walt Jaschek – 2017

Paul Fey and Walt Jaschek were two kindred creative spirits who merged their efforts in 1991 to establish their agency, Paul & Walt Worldwide. The duo quickly gained national attention for their funny radio commercials for brands such as CBS-TV, Warner Brothers and many others, and their work has garnered more than 1,000 industry awards. Paul, having originally worked in St. Louis at KMOX-TV, moved to Hollywood, California to oversee production. Walt handled much of the scripting from his home office in St. Louis. The company’s name was later changed to World Wide Wadio and, in addition to its ongoing advertising work, expanded into the production of podcasts.

Joe Finnigan – 2018

Joe’s work carried him to an executive vice-president’s position at Fleishman-Hillard where he oversaw blue ribbon clients Anheuser-Busch and Ralston Purina, work for which he received Silver Anvil Awards from the Public Relations Society of America. In the book he wrote following his retirement, Finnigan provided explicit details of the early stages of the nation’s beer wars and his part in them. During his 28 years at F-H, Joe also worked with Ameren/UE, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Granite City Steel, McDonnell Douglas/Boeing and the U.S. Space Foundation.

Suzi Mahe – 2018

Suzi Mahe started out professionally as an ad copywriter but an offer from KPLR in 1984 cemented her relationship with the television industry. She spent the rest of her career promoting local stations, rising to the top of her employers’ creative services divisions. After serving KPLR for 24 years she took on the same duties additionally for KTVI after the stations merged their operations in 2008. Her duties also included the local promotion of the Fox Broadcast and CW TV networks and her stations’ four local digital channels. Her team’s work garnered nearly 100 awards in the TV industry.

Dick Vinyard – 2019

Dick Vinyard got his degree in journalism and dedicated his professional life of 50 years to the ad business. After working for three major agencies, he founded Vinyard & Lee & Partners in 1971. His work included the development of advertising for some of the area’s top companies including Wetterau Foods, Anheuser-Busch, Purina Dog Chow, and Ravarino & Freschi pasta. He sold his agency to TBWA and later started an ad consulting firm, which he ran until his retirement in 2012. He also served as chairman of the Missouri Council of the American Association of Advertising Agencies

Gerry Mandel – 2015

Gerry Mandel spent four years working in television in St. Louis and 35 years at ad agencies, retiring in 1994. He met his wife Mary Lee at the TV gig, but he’s remembered for his extensive contributions to advertising at the D’Arcy, Roman and Gardner ad agencies.

Mandel’s work and creative influences were channeled into national, award-winning advertising for D-X Gasoline, Budweiser and Busch beers, Red Lobster, Mercury Outboard Motors, Southwestern Bell, Busch Gardens and Purina Pet Foods. Along the way he served as a writer/producer, creative director, group creative director and senior vice-president/creative director. During his time as creative director for the Budweiser account, the beer was the best-selling brew in the nation.

Mandel also found time to teach at Webster University, create short stories, write plays and win awards for his creative writing, and he was very active in efforts to preserve local advertising history.

David Erich – 2016

David Erich began his lifelong career on the St. Louis advertising scene following his service in the Korean War. That career took him to several of the market’s major players: Weintraub, Winius Brandon, BHN and Kelly Zahrndt Kelly. He also served as director of Advertising for Unigroup, retiring in 2006. In 1971 he managed advertising and promotion for the launch of Six Flags over Mid-America. David was president of the Ad Club in 1989-90 at a time when St. Louis agencies were closing or shrinking, and he guided the club through that difficult transition.