Frederic Cammann of Greenport Remembered as Pioneering Adman

Frederic Cammann, who had a four-decade career in television, advertising and filmmaking in New York City, died on April 16 at his home in Greenport. He was 94.

He leaves two sons, Peter and Philip; granddaughter Grace; and many cousins, nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his wife, Nora, and his brother, George. He was a graduate of St. Mark’s School and Harvard University.

Cammann began his career after his honorable discharge from the US Army at NBC television, working on the show Robert Montgomery Presents which ran on the network from 1950-57. He was later hired by Compton Advertising, then by Young and Rubicam and eventually returned back to Compton, where he remained until the late 1970s. During this time he worked on a variety of groundbreaking advertising campaigns, winning a Clio award for his work on TV ads for Firestone Tires.

As the ’70s came to a close, he and his wife Nora branched off on their own, creating Cammann Productions, which successfully landed contracts to shoot films for advertising agencies and for other public and private sector clients, including IBM and American Express. The two of them traveled to China in the early 1980s twice to shoot and produce films on the Chinese silk industry and on the country’s famous handtied rug trade. While he was running his production company, Cammann established Harvest Acres. The tree nursery business planted saplings on pieces of land that he leased from various landowners and sold them to retailers throughout Suffolk County.

Cammann was always interested in politics and government, playing an important role in the 1965 Lindsay for Mayor campaign. While he also was part of Lindsay’s reelection effort four years later, he became much more involved with specific issues in Bridgehampton. He was a member of Zone, Inc. and of the Long Island Sound Study (LISS) Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC). He also joined other Suffolk County residents to form the Group for America’s South Fork, which is now known as the Group for the East End, before moving from New York City to Bridgehampton permanently in 1985.

The Cammanns loved to travel and took numerous trips to Europe, Asia, and Central America. Cammann enjoyed playing squash, racketball, tennis and paddleball. He was also an avid golfer.

A celebration of his life will be held on Saturday May 11, 2024 from noon–2 p.m. at the Bridgehampton Golf Club, 301 Ocean Road, Bridgehampton. Donations can be made to the Group for the East End in lieu of flowers.