Eugene Morris
Executive Advisor
Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Inc.
Executive Advisor
Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Inc.
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Eugene “Gene” Morris’ forty-five-year career in the advertising industry began in the summer of 1968 while in his last year as a marketing major at Roosevelt University in Chicago. He was offered a job as a media department intern at Foote, Cone & Belding (FCB) advertising agency. His first advertising professor, Dr. Robert E. Snyder was the director of the internship program and was insistent that the reluctant Eugene pursue the opportunity. At that time, Eugene had little interest in advertising as a career and didn’t see how he could fit the internship into his busy summer schedule. Fortunately for him, Dr. Snyder’s persistence prevailed.
Upon accepting the internship, it didn’t take long for Gene to realize that his job as an assistant media buyer was interesting, challenging, and fun, and when he was offered a full-time job upon graduation, he took it without hesitation. He was offered a choice of two positions—a media buyer or a media analyst in the media research department. He took the latter. A year later he was promoted to assistant manager and was the first and only African American in the department above the clerical level.
The following year, he was offered the opportunity to interview for a position in client services. At that time, an African American had never “darkened” the doors of FCB’s client services ranks. Gene became the first.
In 1974 he left FCB to join the then-fledgling Burrell Advertising agency which at the time had a half dozen staffers. He served a dual role as an account supervisor and its first media director. He became one of the key figures in Burrell’s early success, working on McDonald’s, Coca-Cola, and most importantly Brown-Forman Beverages (B-F). Under his leadership, the B-F assignment grew from one brand to a portfolio of eight, including becoming the general market agency of record for the entire Martell Cognac account—an historic achievement! He was also credited with developing the strategy that propelled Canadian Mist from an also-ran to the best-selling Canadian Whisky in the United States.
Despite these successes, he left Burrell in 1986, and the following year he and Joseph Randall formed Morris Randall Advertising which became E. Morris Communications, Inc. after the departure of Randall.
Under Gene’s stewardship, EMC won many awards, consistently ranked among the top African American agencies in the U.S., and served a long list of blue-chip clients including General Motors, Kraft, Nestle, Tyson Foods and Walmart. He was very active and well known in the industry where he often led the fight for greater staff diversity in the industry and for increased opportunities for African American-owned agencies. Gene served on the board of the AAAA and was the founding chairman of the Association of Black Owned Advertising Agencies. He also wrote numerous industry articles and was the featured speaker at many industry events.
He closed the agency and retired in 2013, but continues to be active in civic affairs, writing, seeing more of the world, and enjoying life. He looks back on his career with great fondness, gratification, and pride and feels blessed to have had the opportunity to be a part of such an interesting and exciting industry.
Upon accepting the internship, it didn’t take long for Gene to realize that his job as an assistant media buyer was interesting, challenging, and fun, and when he was offered a full-time job upon graduation, he took it without hesitation. He was offered a choice of two positions—a media buyer or a media analyst in the media research department. He took the latter. A year later he was promoted to assistant manager and was the first and only African American in the department above the clerical level.
The following year, he was offered the opportunity to interview for a position in client services. At that time, an African American had never “darkened” the doors of FCB’s client services ranks. Gene became the first.
In 1974 he left FCB to join the then-fledgling Burrell Advertising agency which at the time had a half dozen staffers. He served a dual role as an account supervisor and its first media director. He became one of the key figures in Burrell’s early success, working on McDonald’s, Coca-Cola, and most importantly Brown-Forman Beverages (B-F). Under his leadership, the B-F assignment grew from one brand to a portfolio of eight, including becoming the general market agency of record for the entire Martell Cognac account—an historic achievement! He was also credited with developing the strategy that propelled Canadian Mist from an also-ran to the best-selling Canadian Whisky in the United States.
Despite these successes, he left Burrell in 1986, and the following year he and Joseph Randall formed Morris Randall Advertising which became E. Morris Communications, Inc. after the departure of Randall.
Under Gene’s stewardship, EMC won many awards, consistently ranked among the top African American agencies in the U.S., and served a long list of blue-chip clients including General Motors, Kraft, Nestle, Tyson Foods and Walmart. He was very active and well known in the industry where he often led the fight for greater staff diversity in the industry and for increased opportunities for African American-owned agencies. Gene served on the board of the AAAA and was the founding chairman of the Association of Black Owned Advertising Agencies. He also wrote numerous industry articles and was the featured speaker at many industry events.
He closed the agency and retired in 2013, but continues to be active in civic affairs, writing, seeing more of the world, and enjoying life. He looks back on his career with great fondness, gratification, and pride and feels blessed to have had the opportunity to be a part of such an interesting and exciting industry.
