Legendary Copywriter Bill Jayme Dies at 75
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by Chief Marketer Staff
William North Jayme, whose irreverent copy sold millions of magazine subscriptions and helped put many periodicals on the map, died on May 18 at age 75, DIRECT Newsline has learned.
Jayme, who had been fighting emphysema, died at his home in Sonoma, CA, according to his partner Heikki Ratalahti. As per his request, no memorial service is planned.
Of all the great copywriters who wrote direct mail, none was funnier or more biting than Bill Jayme. Like those of his mentor Frank Johnson, his letters could be read for sheer entertainment value.
For example, he helped launch The DeLay Letter, a direct marketing newsletter, by asking, “If your boss’s zipper is undone, should you say something or just keep on smiling?”
But he wasn
