In 1864, William James Carlton started selling advertising space in religious magazines.

Eventually Thompson found that soliciting and sales were much more profitable, and he became a very effective salesman for the small company.

An avid traveler, Thompson went abroad nearly every summer for twenty years, and rarely came back without important accounts.

Thompson is responsible for some enduring brand images in popular culture, such as the Rock of Gibraltar used for the Prudential Insurance Company.

Today, JWT is one of the largest advertising agencies in the United States and the fourth-largest in the world.

It is one of the key companies of Sir Martin Sorrell's WPP Group (NASDAQ:WPPGY) and is headquartered in New York.