Phil Lansdale; Ad Executive Founded 4day Tire Stores

Phil Lansdale, a Southern California advertising executive and creator of the revolutionary 4day Tire Stores chain, has died. He was 83.

Lansdale died Friday night at Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian in Newport Beach after a short illness.

He was co-founder and chairman of Lansdale & Carr, an advertising agency that diversified into the unusual tire store chain in 1969. He and his partner, Don Carr, then added 4day Golf Clinic & Pro Shops in 1973 and bought Dorman-Winthrop discount clothing stores in 1977.

The idea that money could be made by staying open only four days a week seemed preposterous to competitors--until the idea quickly began making money. The tire chain, which is closed Sunday through Tuesday, has become the largest independent tire sales operation in the country, with stores throughout California, Arizona, Texas and several other states.

“When we first started the company, we needed a quick way to separate ourselves from the rest of the herd,” said Lansdale, who was known as a maverick businessman.

His four-day week proved practical by keeping labor costs down and structuring store hours around peak selling times.

Lansdale, who attended USC and the University of Arizona, began writing ads in 1929 as the basement store advertising manager for Bullock’s. Within 10 years, he began his own advertising agency, which is now known as Lansdale, Carr & Baum.

Developing the practice of buying out or into companies that hired their advertising services, Lansdale and his partners also owned Teletire and Macho Tire Enterprises, two mail-order tire companies, and part of Yacht Sales International of Newport Beach.

The tire, clothing and golf stores have all profited from Lansdale’s half-century in advertising. His companies have become household names through cleverly written and illustrated advertisements.

“His approach is so straightforward that no one understands it. And you can’t copy what you don’t understand,” an admiring competitor told the Los Angeles Times a few years ago.

The creative spark behind the little conglomerate, Lansdale typically employed witty, direct advertisements to hustle the boring business of tires, including anecdotes, company credoes and tidbits about how tires get to be tires.

“Nobody really cares how their shoes are made,” Lansdale said, “but they seem to care how their tires are made.”

His ads also included detailed price lists.

“We want people to notice us when they’re not in a market for tires,” he said. “That way, they’ll remember us when they are.”

Lansdale retired from full-time work at age 80, but remained a consultant and board member.

He is survived by his wife, Jean Cameron Lansdale, of Corona del Mar; a son and daughter; a brother, and seven grandchildren.