- Member of Theta Chi Fraternity (Alpha Rho Chapter, University of Washington)
- In 2001 was inducted into the Advertising Hall of Fame.
- Is a 1954 graduate of the University of Washington as an art major.
- Created and narrated the "It's Morning Again in America" ads for Ronald Reagan's 1984 re-election campaign. Other campaigns included Saturn automobiles and Bartles & Jaymes Wine Coolers.
- In late 1969, advertising executive Hal Riney asked Paul Williams to write a song for a commercial Riney was creating for Crocker National Bank (now part of Wells Fargo). Williams (lyrics) partnered with Roger Nichols (music) and the Riney produced "wedding theme" commercial debuted on California television stations shortly after New Years 1970. Soon after the premiere of the commercial, Richard Carpenter of The Carpenters approached Williams (they were both under contract to the same record label, A&M) to ask whether there was a bridge and a third verse, or whether Williams and Nichols could write one. The bridge and verse were added, and the song was recorded by The Carpenters and released by A&M as the second single on their "Close to You" album in August 1970. The name of the song was "We've Only Just Begun" and it held the number one spot on the charts for seven weeks in October and November 1970. The Crocker Bank commercial was produced in a style similar to MTV music videos which became popular a decade later. Crocker specifically requested that the song lyrics not include the name of the bank so that the song (and the ad) would be more memorable, catchy, and marketable, although the bank did not know (at the time the commercial was produced) just how marketable and memorable the song would be! Some feel that the bank commercial version of this song, envisioned and created by Riney, an advertising executive, was one of the first music videos.
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