He spent a single year at Des Moines, Iowa's Drake University before heading to Omaha, Nebraska.
The white knight offer from True North, under which Bozell would retain its autonomy under the parent company's umbrella, was valued at $440 million.
Peebler was named to serve as president of the combined entity, and would become the chairman and CEO of a business unit that would include all of True North's family of firms other than Foote, Cone and Bozell Worldwide.
At the time of the acquisition, the privately held Bozell was ranked 14th in annual billings in the advertising industry, with 107 offices in 23 countries.
Peebler died on April 18, 2009, at his home in Indian Wells, California, due to progressive supranuclear palsy.