Obituary: Winston Fletcher, founder Chairman of Warc

Winston Fletcher CBE, the founder Chairman of the World Advertising Research Center (Warc), has died at the age of 75.

Born in London in 1937, Fletcher (pictured) went on to read Philosophy at Cambridge before starting his career in advertising in 1959 at Robert Sharp & Partners, and then becoming MD of MCR Advertising.

In 1974, he launched ad agency Fletcher Shelton Delaney Beecham, which was later sold to Ted Bates, where Fletcher became UK Chairman and CEO. He then co-founded agency Delaney Fletcher Delaney, which was eventually sold to Bozell and re-branded Delaney Fletcher Bozell.

Fletcher is the only person to have been both Chairman of the Advertising Association and President of the IPA (the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising), and for more than two decades, he also served in various roles at the ASA, the UK advertising industry's self-regulatory body.

In Addition, Fletcher was involved with Warc - which provides a resource for market research and market intelligence - having become the founder Chairman of the company (then known as the World Advertising Research Center) in 1998.

Warc founder Mike Waterson said of Fletcher: 'Winston was a wonderful friend to many, effortlessly wise, supportive and entertaining. He gave selflessly of his time to individuals, organisations and causes, and will be greatly missed.'

Fletcher was awarded a CBE in 2010 for his services to the creative industries, and his charitable interests included work for children's charity Barnardo's, and for Autistica, which funds research into autism.

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas, 2024- by Nick Thomas, unless otherwise stated.