Caroline R. Jones

Caroline Robinson was born the third of ten children and the eldest daughter. Robinson graduated from the University of Michigan with a bachelor’s degree in English and Science. 

As one of the most successful African American women in advertising, Caroline Jones left her mark. She worked her way up from secretary to copywriter and became the first black woman creative director at J. Walter Thompson.

She worked for large Madison Avenue shops and founded or helped found several agencies that specialized in advertising aimed at African Americans and other minorities. Over the years, her clients included American Express, Anheuser-Busch, McDonald’s, Prudential, Toys ‘’R’’ Us and the Postal Service. In many cases, the clients were making their initial forays into marketing to black consumers through her and her agencies.

She rose to creative director and in 1968, she helped form Zebra Associates, unusual for that era because it was a full-service agency with black principals. In the 1970’s and 80’s, she alternated between general market agencies. She helped found the Black Creative Group and Mingo-Jones Advertising now the Chisholm-Mingo Group.

Jones held executive positions at BBDO and other general-market agencies. Later she launched and co-founded several well-respected specialty shops, including Caroline Jones Inc., where she was president at the time of her passing in 2001.