Neil Kraft, the advertising genius who crafted groundbreaking campaigns for Barneys New York, Esprit, and Calvin Klein, passed away on September 6th at his East Hampton, N.Y., home at the age of 67. His innovative approach, notably featuring a young rapper known as Marky Mark (now Mark Wahlberg) in little more than a grin and Calvin Klein underwear, redefined cultural and fashion advertising.
His son, Marley, confirmed that cancer was the cause of death.
In the mid-1980s, Barneys was undergoing a significant transformation. What began as a high-end men’s store in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood, far removed from the uptown luxury department stores, was evolving into a premier retail destination. To establish its new image as a trendsetter, the Pressman family, owners of Barneys, launched their own advertising agency.
Mr. Kraft was brought in to lead this dynamic new venture. He assembled a youthful and creative team, including Paula Greif, an art director recognized for her music video work, and Glenn O’Brien, a witty writer, editor, and music critic. The campaigns they produced were revolutionary for their era, perfectly encapsulating the vibrant energy of the 1980s.
One memorable television commercial, a collaboration between Ms. Greif and photographer/director Peter Kagan, (with whom she had previously created music videos), featured supermodel Paulina Porizkova in a ‘French New Wave’ style, simply dressing and moving through her day. Filmed with Mr. Kagan’s Super 8 camera and set to a soundtrack by avant-garde musicians Arto Lindsay and Peter Scherer, friends of Ms. Greif, the ad was a truly unique artistic statement.
This commercial was distinguished by its grainy, enigmatic aesthetic, with the Barneys logo making its appearance only at the very end. The innovative use of a Super 8 camera was considered a pioneering move, potentially a first for a television advertisement.
“Neil immediately saw the potential for it to be incredibly cool and to truly ‘blow people’s minds,’” Ms. Greif recalled. “And it absolutely did. He was a visionary in a visionary setting, possessing a keen eye and a remarkable openness to artistic concepts. He truly empowered people to do extraordinary things.”
For a men’s print campaign in 1989, featuring striking portraits by Timothy Greenfield-Sanders using a large-format Polaroid camera and accompanied by Mr. O’Brien’s clever copy, Barneys showcased male celebrities and New York personalities. This included artist Ed Ruscha and actors Terence Stamp and Jeremy Irons. Notably, it also featured one woman, comedian and actor Sandra Bernhard, looking sharply rakish in a double-breasted Armani suit. A compelling portrait shows Ed Ruscha with his chin resting on his hand, and another captures Terence Stamp with a somewhat pugnacious expression. Sandra Bernhard’s image, dressed in an oversized Armani suit, highlighted the campaign’s bold and inclusive vision.
“We weren’t merely selling an impulse buy,” Mr. Kraft explained to The New York Times when these advertisements first appeared. “We were cultivating a mood, a lifestyle. Our expectation wasn’t for people to instantly rush to buy a suit after seeing the ads. Instead, we hoped they would see the ads and be reminded that Barneys offered a unique and exceptional experience.”
By late 1992, Mr. Kraft had moved to Calvin Klein, where he developed a campaign for men’s underwear. He and Mr. Klein were captivated by the young rapper Marky Mark on a Rolling Stone cover, where his low-slung black jeans revealed Calvin Klein briefs. They convinced him to be their new model.
In a captivating series of photos and TV spots by Herb Ritts, Marky Mark playfully posed for the camera, improvising lines like, “The best protection against AIDS is to keep your Calvins on,” while snapping his waistband. He also provocatively engaged with model Kate Moss, both bare-chested. The iconic image of Marky Mark, smiling in nothing but his underwear, was pervasive, dominating a Times Square billboard and gracing buses and bus shelters for months.
Mr. Kraft later opened his own agency, KraftWorks NYC, in 2000, after working with other firms. He continued his collaborations with Calvin Klein, notably overseeing the 1994 launch of the unisex fragrance CK One. This campaign featured Kate Moss and a diverse group of androgynous models dancing, conversing, and lounging in TV and print ads by Steven Meisel. He also managed campaigns for Obsession, starring Ms. Moss, and Eternity, which featured Christy Turlington and later Scarlett Johansson.
In the late 1990s, when the Norwegian water brand Voss sought his expertise, Mr. Kraft famously advised, “You don’t need a campaign, you need a new bottle!” He then designed their signature sleek glass cylinder, with the company’s name in all caps running vertically. Later, for Glaceau Smartwater, Mr. Kraft maintained the bottle design but created a captivating campaign featuring Jennifer Aniston and Tom Brady (in separate, yet equally impactful, advertisements).
Mr. Kraft often integrated what the advertising world called ‘point-of-purchase politics,’ weaving social justice messages into sales pitches. For Esprit, a politically engaged fashion company, he launched a 1991 campaign that surveyed thousands of consumers on how they would change the world, filming respondents who sent in postcards with their thoughtful answers for TV and print ads.
“I’d reverse the status of celebrities and educators,” one young woman proposed.
“Keep a woman’s right to choose … unless George Bush is free to babysit,” another humorously responded.
For Planned Parenthood’s 100th anniversary in 2016, Mr. Kraft developed a Tumblr ad series where volunteers, patients, and staff shared personal healthcare stories, covering topics from birth control to cancer screening to abortion. His extensive pro bono work also included designing the simple, clean logo for the Coalition for the Homeless: an open door with the organization’s name in lowercase letters.
“You often feel helpless when things go awry in the country, so it’s rewarding to contribute positively,” he told The Times in 2017, when his agency launched ChooseWomen, an online platform dedicated to helping impoverished women fund their business ventures. “I believe it also helps everyone feel better about constantly selling other things.” A 2002 photograph shows Mr. Kraft, illustrating the keen eye and artistic openness his colleagues admired in him.
Neil Franklin Kraft was born in Manhattan on September 16, 1957, to Jules and Sonya (Cohn) Kraft, both involved in the garment industry. His father, Jules Kupferberg, adopted the surname Kraft upon marriage and imported handbags; his mother was a fur buyer.
Despite his father’s apprehension — “You’ll be a wedding photographer! You’ll never make any money!” he reportedly said — Neil pursued photography and film at the Rhode Island School of Design, graduating in 1978.
Mr. Kraft met Scott O’Neil, a ceramics student, in college. They moved to New York City after graduating and married in 1985.
He is survived by his wife, Scott; their sons, Marley and Morrison; a daughter, Dylan Smith; and a grandson, Hendrix Smith. He also leaves behind two siblings, Susan Kraft and Ronald Kraft. (His children were named for beloved musicians: Bob Marley, Bob Dylan, and Jim Morrison, a tradition continued by his daughter. Interestingly, Ms. O’Neil herself was named after F. Scott Fitzgerald.)
Mr. Kraft possessed a distinctive set of quirks. He could be curmudgeonly, opinionated, and famously blunt. Ms. Greif affectionately described him as “grumpy and lovable.”
He had a particular aversion to clutter and houseplants.
Once, when a young art director at KraftWorks placed a small plant on her desk, Mr. Kraft, despite being only a few desks away in their open office, telephoned her to demand its removal. On another occasion, after his staff had left for the evening, he famously swept through the office, clearing every personal item and trinket from their desks.
“Oy vey,” he declared the following day. “This is a design shop!”