Gene Federico (February 6, 1918 – September 8, 1999) was an American graphic designer and

advertising Advertising is the practice and techniques employed to bring attention to a product or service. Advertising aims to put a product or service in the spotlight in hopes of drawing it attention from consumers. It is typically used to promote a ...

executive.

Early life

Gene Federico was born in New York’s

Greenwich Village Greenwich Village ( , , ) is a neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan in New York City, bounded by 14th Street to the north, Broadway to the east, Houston Street to the south, and the Hudson River to the west. Greenwich Village ...

on February 6, 1918. His family moved to the

Bronx The Bronx () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the state of New York. It is south of Westchester County; north and east of the New York City borough of Manhattan, across the Harlem River; and north of the New Y ...

and then to Coney Island, where he attended Abraham Lincoln High School, home of Leon Friend’s ''Art Squad''. The ''Art Squad'' exposed him to leading European Advertising artists whose inspiration would become the basis for his later work. He attended the Pratt Institute and took weeknight classes at the

Art Students League The Art Students League of New York is an art school at 215 West 57th Street in Manhattan, New York City, New York. The League has historically been known for its broad appeal to both amateurs and professional artists. Although artists may stu ...

in Manhattan. He graduated from Pratt in 1939. After taking his first job in Newark,

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

in 1941, he became a GI stationed in North Africa and Europe until November 1945.

Career

Returning from the war, Federico's work was exhibited at A-D Gallery in 1946 where he met

Will Burtin Will Burtin (1908-1972) was a graphic designer from Cologne, Germany, known for interrelating design and scientific concepts within his exhibits. He was an influential designer, educator, and theorist in Germany and the United States. He arrived ...

, the art director for '' Fortune'' magazine. Burtin offered Federico a position as his art associate, however Federico didn’t care for editorial design and lasted only 10 months. His wife, Helen Federico worked for

Paul Rand Paul Rand (born Peretz Rosenbaum; August 15, 1914 – November 26, 1996) was an American art director and graphic designer, best known for his corporate Logotype, logo designs, including the logos for IBM, United Parcel Service, UPS, Enron, Morn ...

at the William Weintraub Agency, and Rand suggested he take a job at

Grey Advertising Grey Group is a global advertising and marketing agency with headquarters in New York City, and 432 offices in 96 countries, operating in 154 cities. It is organized into four geographical units: North America; Europe, Middle East & Africa, A ...

. There, he met Bill Bernbach, Ned Doyle, Bob Gage, and Mac Dane. The men left to start their own agency,

Doyle Dane Bernbach DDB Worldwide Communications Group LLC, known internationally as DDB, is a worldwide marketing communications network. It is owned by Omnicom Group, one of the world's largest advertising holding companies. The international advertising networks ...

. Federico was best known for his work at the agency for his '' Woman’s Day'' ads. One of his most memorable ads for ''Women’s Day'' in 1953, featured a simple and elegant use of the words “go out” to create a bicycle. This advertisement was representative of how his work integrated text and image in a composition. His heavy reliance on typography led him to work intimately with copywriters. In the mid-1950s, he developed a relationship with Aaron Burns (at the Composing Room) who introduced him to new typefaces to experiment with in his work. His work in the late 1950s and 60s was distinctly modern and the mark of American advertising’s “Creative Revolution.” After a seven-year stint at Benton and Bowles, he started his own agency in 1967 with copywriter Dick Lord. Together, they founded Lord Federico (later renamed Lord, Geller, Federico, Einstein Inc.). He left the agency in 1991, to become an advertising and design consultant. Federico was inducted into the

Art Directors Club Hall of Fame The Art Directors Club Hall of Fame was established in 1971, by the Art Directors Club of New York, a professional organization in the design and creative industries. The Art Directors Club selects its honorees from those "who have made significant ...

in 1980. He was awarded the

AIGA Medal Following is a list of AIGA medalists who have been awarded the American Institute of Graphic Arts medal. On its website, AIGA says "The medal of the AIGA, the most distinguished in the field, is awarded to individuals in recognition of their ex ...

in 1987. In 1991, he was awarded the

Type Directors Club The Type Directors Club (TDC) is an international organization devoted to typography and type design, founded in 1946 in New York City. TDC believes that type drives culture, and that culture drives type—and is dedicated to cataloging, showcas ...

medal. Federico died on September 8, 1999, in Pound Ridge, New York from prostate cancer. He was married to Helen Federico (1921-2012) and had two daughters, Gina and Lisa.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Federico, Gene 1918 births 1999 deaths American graphic designers Art Students League of New York alumni Abraham Lincoln High School (Brooklyn) alumni Pratt Institute alumni Deaths from prostate cancer United States Army personnel of World War II Deaths from cancer in New York (state) AIGA medalists