Hal Riney, 75

Advertising copywriter, executive

Hal Riney, the iconoclastic copywriter who helped build San Francisco into a creative center for advertising with low-key, upbeat campaigns for Saturn cars, Bartles & Jaymes wine coolers and the re-election of President Ronald Reagan, died this week at his home in San Francisco. The cause was cancer, said his wife, Elizabeth Sutherland Riney.

Mr. Riney spent almost 50 years in advertising, all in San Francisco, in a career arc that began in a mailroom and ended with him as chairman and chief executive of his own agency. Mr. Riney honed his style as the creative director of four San Francisco agencies that became known as breeding grounds for creative talent.

Mr. Riney was married five times. Besides his wife, Mr. Riney is survived by two children from his marriage to Liz Myers, Benjamin and Samantha, both of San Francisco.