Neil Kraft, the advertising mastermind behind groundbreaking campaigns for Barneys New York, Esprit, and Calvin Klein, passed away on September 6 at his East Hampton, N.Y., home at the age of 67. He was renowned for pushing cultural norms, famously launching the career of a young rapper, Marky Mark (later Mark Wahlberg), who appeared in Calvin Klein ads wearing little more than a smile and his iconic underwear.
His son, Marley, confirmed that the cause of death was cancer.
During the mid-1980s, Barneys was undergoing a significant transformation. Once a high-end men’s clothing store in Manhattan’s Chelsea district, it was evolving into a full-fledged luxury retail destination, distinct from the upscale department stores uptown. To cement this new image as a trendsetter and a must-visit downtown locale, the Pressman family, owners of Barneys, established their own in-house advertising agency.
Mr. Kraft was brought on to lead this innovative team, which included rising art director Paula Greif, known for her music video work, and her friend Glenn O’Brien, a sharp-witted writer, editor, and music critic. Together, they produced campaigns that were not only pioneering for the era but also perfectly encapsulated the vibrant energy of the 1980s.
In a memorable television commercial, Ms. Greif collaborated with photographer and director Peter Kagan (her former music video partner) to capture supermodel Paulina Porizkova. The ad depicted Porizkova’s daily routine with the artistic flair of a French New Wave film, shot on Mr. Kagan’s Super 8 camera and scored by avant-garde musicians Arto Lindsay and Peter Scherer, both friends of Ms. Greif.
The commercial was distinctively grainy and enigmatic, with the Barneys logo appearing only in the final moments. Its pioneering use of a Super 8 camera for a TV advertisement was likely a first.
“Neil immediately grasped the ‘cool’ factor and predicted it would ‘blow people’s minds,’ which it certainly did,” Ms. Greif recounted. “He was truly a visionary in a visionary environment. He possessed an exceptional eye and was incredibly receptive to more artistic approaches. He truly empowered people to create.”
For a 1989 men’s print campaign, Barneys unveiled a striking series of portraits, captured by Timothy Greenfield-Sanders with a large-format Polaroid camera and paired with witty copy by Mr. O’Brien. This campaign featured an eclectic mix of male celebrities and New York personalities, including artist Ed Ruscha and actors Terence Stamp and Jeremy Irons. Notably, it also included one woman, the comedian and actor Sandra Bernhard, who exuded rakish charm in a double-breasted, big-shouldered Armani suit.
“We weren’t selling an impulse item,” Mr. Kraft explained to The New York Times when these ads debuted. “Instead, we were curating a mood and a lifestyle. The goal wasn’t for people to instantly rush out and buy a suit, but rather to see the ads and remember Barneys as an exceptional destination.”
In late 1992, Mr. Kraft joined Calvin Klein, where he embarked on a groundbreaking men’s underwear campaign. He and Mr. Klein spotted the then-rapper Marky Mark (who later achieved fame as actor Mark Wahlberg) on the cover of Rolling Stone. His black jeans were notoriously low, revealing Calvin Klein briefs, and they quickly secured him as their new model.
In a series of provocative photos and TV commercials helmed by Herb Ritts, Marky Mark playfully posed for the camera. He famously ad-libbed, “The best protection against AIDS is to keep your Calvins on,” accompanied by a snap of his waistband. He also provocatively interacted with model Kate Moss, both of them topless, creating instant buzz.
The resulting campaign was a blend of sweetness and sensuality, becoming undeniably ubiquitous. For months, the iconic image of Marky Mark, sporting a confident grin and those famous underpants, dominated Times Square from a massive billboard and adorned countless buses and shelters across the city.
After his tenure at Calvin Klein, Mr. Kraft moved to other agencies before establishing his own, KraftWorks NYC, in 2000. He maintained his collaboration with Mr. Klein, orchestrating iconic campaigns such as the 1994 launch of the unisex fragrance CK One. This featured a dynamic series of TV and print ads by Steven Meisel, showcasing Kate Moss alongside a group of androgynous models, dancing, chatting, and exuding a cool, relaxed vibe. Kraft also played a key role in campaigns for Obsession, again with Ms. Moss, and Eternity, initially starring Christy Turlington and later Scarlett Johansson.
When Norwegian water brand Voss sought his expertise in the late 1990s, Mr. Kraft famously declared, “You don’t need a campaign; you need a new bottle!” He then delivered a revolutionary design: a sleek glass cylinder featuring the company’s name vertically, in all caps, from base to cap. Subsequently, when Glaceau Smartwater approached him, Mr. Kraft retained their existing bottle but engineered sizzling campaigns starring Jennifer Aniston and Tom Brady (in separate, equally captivating ads).
Mr. Kraft was a pioneer in what the advertising world termed “point-of-purchase politics,” skillfully weaving social justice messages into commercial campaigns. For Esprit, a politically outspoken fashion brand, he launched a 1991 series of TV and print ads. This innovative campaign involved surveying thousands of consumers on how they would change the world and then filming those who submitted postcard responses with their insights.
One young woman suggested, “I’d reverse the status of celebrities and educators.”
Another respondent controversially stated, “Keep a woman’s right to choose… unless George Bush is free to babysit.”
To commemorate Planned Parenthood’s 100th anniversary in 2016, Mr. Kraft developed a series of Tumblr ads. These powerful campaigns showcased the personal healthcare journeys of volunteers, patients, and staff, covering critical topics from birth control to cancer screenings and abortion. His extensive pro bono efforts also included designing the simple yet impactful logo for the Coalition for the Homeless, which featured an open door alongside the organization’s name in lowercase text.
“When things go awry in the country, you often feel a sense of helplessness, so it’s gratifying to be able to contribute,” he explained to The Times in 2017. This statement came as his agency launched ChooseWomen, an online platform dedicated to helping underprivileged women secure funding for their business ventures. “I believe it makes everyone feel better about constantly selling other things.”
Neil Franklin Kraft entered the world on September 16, 1957, in Manhattan. His parents, Jules and Sonya (Cohn) Kraft, both worked in the garment industry; his father, originally Jules Kupferberg, adopted the surname Kraft upon marriage and imported handbags, while his mother was a fur buyer.
Much to his father’s dismay, Neil pursued photography and film studies at the Rhode Island School of Design, from which he graduated in 1978. He often recounted his father’s dire prediction: “You’re going to be a wedding photographer! You’ll never make any money!”
Mr. Kraft met Scott O’Neil during their college years, where she was a ceramics student. Following their graduation, they relocated to New York City and married in 1985.
He is survived by his wife, Scott O’Neil; their son Marley, another son Morrison, and a daughter, Dylan Smith; a grandson, Hendrix Smith; and two siblings, Susan Kraft and Ronald Kraft. (Interestingly, Mr. Kraft named his children after beloved musicians: Bob Marley, Bob Dylan, and Jim Morrison, a tradition his daughter has also embraced. Ms. O’Neil, incidentally, was named after F. Scott Fitzgerald.)
Mr. Kraft was known for his distinct quirks. He could be curmudgeonly, opinionated, and remarkably blunt. Ms. Greif affectionately described him as “grumpy and lovable.”
He famously detested clutter—and, surprisingly, houseplants.
A memorable incident involved a young art director at KraftWorks who received a small plant and placed it on her desk. Despite being in an open office just a few desks away, Mr. Kraft immediately called her, insisting the “offending botanical” be removed. On another occasion, after his staff had left for the day, he meticulously cleared every personal item and trinket from their desks.
The following morning, he declared, “Oy vey! This is a design shop!”