• by Joe Mandese  @mp_joemandese, February 12, 2016

Long-time ad executive David Webster Dole, who was responsible for developing the industry’s ISCI codes enabling advertising to be tracked, died Jan. 28. He was 101.

Dole was a key player in the development of ISCI (Industry Standard Coding Identification) advertising codes in 1970, which played a vital role in trafficking ads and creative development until they were replaced in recent years by the industry’s digital Ad-ID codes.

Dole began his ad career in 1937 when he joined Chicago-based agency Henri Hurst & McDonald, Inc., where he became broadcast administrator, program producer and media buyer; and eventually associate radio director.

From 1937-1946 Dole was the radio voice of "Red Heart, The Amazing Talking Dog" for John Morrell & Co.'s "Red Heart" dog food. Some ad historians believe the commercial’s dog barking sound was the first “sound logo” ever created for a product, preceding Bromo-Seltzer's "talking steam engine" sound logo by five years.

In 1950 Dole joined Leo Burnett New York as program producer, then moved to Chicago as operations manager of the agency’s broadcasting department, where he supervised commercial traffic, talent payments, commercial advertising budgets, network orders, program negotiation and talent contracts. He became Burnett’s vice president-broadcast business in 1955.

In June, 1969 Dole was named chair of the Broadcast Administration Technical Developments committee of the 4A’s and it was at one of the committee’s meetings in 1969 that it was decided agencies and the advertisers needed to establish a single common standard TV commercial identity, which would become ISCI. The concern at the time was that stations (who were already technologically sophisticated) would each establish identification standards, and confusion would reign.

Dole retired from Leo Burnett in 1974, but continued to manage ISCI until it he sold it to the ANA and 4A’s in 1992.

“Dole was a vital, active, and brilliant man right up to the end,” said Ad-ID Chief Growth Officer Harold Geller, adding that Dole had a “passion for making things better.”

“David had a wonderful life and filled it with love and hard work,” said Publicis Groupe CEO Maurice Levy, adding, “I was struck by the tone of his communications, the energy and intellect behind them. If I did not know I would never believe that the letters were written by a man of hundred years of age. He has left his friends and family with a remarkable legacy: his values.”