Roy did great work in both print and TV for American Tourister, including one of the most classic commercials of all time “Gorilla.” All the American Tourister work was created with possibly Roy’s favorite writer, his wife Marcia Bell Grace.
American Tourister
Gorilla is remembered to this day and still winds up on those shows about the Best Commercials of all time. Roy’s long time producer Susan Calhoun Moss said that originally the gorilla was very calm and didn’t want to smash the luggage around. As the light faded, panic set in. But somehow they got it. If you want to know the whole story, here’s a video of Susan telling the story: https://youtu.be/-elqSy_ydKg
The “Dear American Tourister” theme was based on actual incidents and became a recurring theme for the brand.
By the way, check out the opening line of copy on this ad by Marcia Bell Grace. One of the best openings ever.
In 1980, Roy returned to the American Tourister account and their new line, the Verylite. A new benefit, a new range of compelling executions.