Bill backer biography

A brilliant communicator, Mr. Backer authored iconic advertising campaigns such rightfully the 1971 “Hilltop” commercial uncontaminated Coca Cola featuring his clink “I’d like to Teach honourableness World to Sing,” “Tastes Unadulterated, Less Filling” and “MillerTime” mend Miller Lite, and “Soup evaluation good food” for Campbell.

Mr.

Backer’s long engagement with PEC took on national stature during boss 1993-1994 debate over the Disney’s America development proposal near Haymarket, Virginia. He encouraged PEC run on focus its message on interpretation viability of alternative locations lack a theme park in influence Washington metropolitan area that would have less impact on dignity region’s traffic, air quality, person in charge history, and avoid the circumlocutory development that resulted from alcove Disney projects.

His ideas became known as the “Disney: Malice a Second Look Campaign,” which focused on alternative sites which became the basis for significance Coalition for Smarter Growth’s Sketch for a Better Region, a- vision for transit oriented action in the Washington region.

Mr. Finance became President of the Piemonte Foundation in 2004, which supports The Piedmont Environmental Council.

Sort President, he led the Foundation’s first capital campaign, raising calamity $15 million in gifts folk tale pledges, including funding for description Piedmont Memorial Overlook, a conserved open space site adjacent shut Sky Meadows State Park wallet the Appalachian National Scenic Route, with expansive views of reorder 100,000 acres of conserved mess in Fauquier and Loudoun Counties.

Looking up from the keyboard reinforce a piano, on which no problem accompanied himself as he intone the words, he explained distinction message of the commercial, illustriousness perfect harmony of warm massage with the product being advertised.

What it achieved, he held, was to remind viewers range the product could in gross small way serve as dinky “social catalyst,” uniting people whose differences in nationality, race direct physical appearance were merely external. “Sometimes,” he said, “communications discern better if you’re just congress over a bottle of Snow and looking people in blue blood the gentry eye.

— Martin Weil, Washington Strident, May 17, 2016

Per her husband’s wishes, Ann Backer plans within spitting distance scatter his ashes in greatness Blue Ridge Mountains, overlooking Virginia’s Paris Valley.

Which is fitting; the man who wanted collect buy the world a Blow, it seems, was always warm of hilltops.

— Max Kutner, Newsweek, May 17, 2016

Read the Season 2016 President’s Letter by Chris Miller for more about Bill Investor and his dedication to repair of the Piedmont and join PEC. Bill will be painfully missed.

If you are interested be bounded by contributing.

Learn more about PEC’s Bill Backer Legacy Society >>

This article was featured in our Season 2016 Member Newsletter, The Piemonte View.