From his distinctive eyeglasses to his natty attire, longtime Salt Lake City advertising executive Skip Branch has exuded a fun-loving aura consistent with the products his clients promoted.

Like to ski? He developed ads to entice people to visit Alta or Deer Valley.

Looking for a good place to vacation? His fingerprints are all over promotions for Lake Powell, the old Utah Travel Council and casinos in Las Vegas and Arizona.

Want to convince people to gather at your place? The Salt Lake and Park City convention bureaus turned to Branch for help luring crowds. So did organizers of Salt Lake City's Olympic bid — a campaign with memorable results.

"My favorite clients were involved in the tourism, entertainment and recreation industries," said Branch, 68, who will receive a lifetime achievement award Wednesday at Little America Hotel from the American Advertising Federation of Utah.

"Each category is about leisure and fun, about time off or time away — about the positive aspects of life."

Having an attitude such as that was vital to connecting with the type of people the Park City Chamber/Bureau targeted in its ad campaigns, said Cathy Miller, the bureau's director of marketing and sales.

"You have to have that perspective if you're in the business of selling fun," said Miller, who worked with Branch for a decade. "He's extremely partner-focused and result-oriented. He has a creative mind, but doesn't take himself too seriously. And he's really effective."

Branch was effective from the beginning of his career, which started in 1963 after he graduated from the University of Utah as an English major.

He landed a job selling radio advertising for the ABC Radio Network in Los Angeles, working with clients as diverse as Wynn Oil Co., Schick and Farmers Insurance. Right away he learned that "communication is talking to people and hearing their stories, which are as different as the number of people you meet."

Branch did so well ABC offered him a plum position in New York City. But he turned it down to return with his family to Salt Lake. "I missed the skiing. I missed the change of seasons. I missed friends," he said.

Branch worked briefly as a copyrighter before George Hatch hired him to sell national advertising for KUTV. After seven years of grueling travel selling local TV ad time to the likes of Coca-Cola and Procter & Gamble, Branch quit and went into agency work for 15 years, first with Bruce Bell, then Brian Jones.

His career path took its biggest turn in 1989, when Don Ware and Mickey Gallivan convinced him to join Harris & Love. Now known as Riester, the ad agency has been his workplace the past 22 years.

"It was a great move," Branch said, noting it offered the stability of a large, tenured firm and the opportunity to forge relationships with the Utah Symphony and other recreation-oriented businesses.

"What they had in common was dealing with the disposable dollar. The name for that is fun and entertainment," he said. "I like dealing with accounts where the glass is always half full."

Branch was a key part of the Harris & Love team that convinced Utah voters in 1989 to pass a referendum allocating sales tax revenue to build Olympic-sport venues, a precursor to hopes of hosting the Winter Games.

"They put the bid on solid ground in the community and did a good job of providing information to those who were skeptical about the Olympics being held here," said Dave Johnson, a leader of the bid.

"They traveled all over the state, from St. George to Logan, because we knew we needed the support of the whole state," Johnson added. "At that point, they didn't know if they were going to get paid or not. They did it to be good community citizens."

Why not, said Branch, who relished the chance of eventually working with Norwegian speedskating star Johann Olav Koss on "Olympic Aid," a program designed to ensure that kids everywhere can play sports.

"One of the fun aspects of the Olympics was working with it before, during and after the Games," he said. "To this day, a lot of us feel that was one of the shining moments for the state of Utah."

mikeg@sltrib.com

Twitter: @sltribmikeg —

Skip Branch bio

Education • Grew up in Salt Lake City, graduating from East High School and the University of Utah.

Employment • Worked at various times for ABC Radio Network, Ross Jurney and Associates, KUTV, Salt Lake magazine and Harris & Love (now Riester).

Also had his own small agencies (Branch & Bell, Branch/Jones), was an adjunct professor at Westminster College for 23 years and is certified in mediation and conflict resolution.

Educational philosophy • "I promote liberal arts education. Learn to think. Don't just pursue a craft. Learn the ability to ask a question."