William D’Arcy – 2007
William D’Arcy of Western Advertising was a founding member of the St. Louis Advertising Club and of what later became the American Advertising Federation. But the six-person agency he founded on August 23, 1906 is where D’Arcy made his mark. D’Arcy Advertising began with its first client, a small Atlanta-based soft drink, Coca-Cola, for whom the agency later created the enduring illustration of Santa Claus with a bottle of Coke. From its St. Louis headquarters, D’Arcy Advertising promoted Coke and brands from Anheuser-Busch and General Tire nationwide. D’Arcy was known for his truth-in-advertising efforts, which he began on a national level in 1913. He retired from his company in 1945.