2016 Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient: Linda Kaplan Thaler

Advertising Hall of Famer Linda Kaplan Thaler is responsible for some of America’s most famous, relevant and touching advertising campaigns in the industry, including the Aflac duck quack heard round the world and the daring “Yes, Yes, Yes” for Clairol Herbal Essences. 

Much of her work has become part of the American pop-culture landscape.

She has authored and composed jingles that are among the industry’s gold standard, including “I Don’t Wanna Grow Up, I’m a Toys ‘R’ Us Kid,” and “Kodak Moments.” She holds numerous Clio Awards and Cannes Lions for her ground breaking advertising campaigns.

Linda served as Chairman of Publicis Kaplan Thaler, a fully integrated advertising agency that was the U.S. flagship within the Publicis Worldwide Network. It’s blue-chip client roster included: P&G, Citi, Nestle, L’Oreal, Pfizer, and Wendy’s, to name a few.

Previously, Linda was CEO and Chief Creative Officer of the Kaplan Thaler Group, which she founded in 1997 and grew from a fledgling start-up to a company with over a billion dollars in billings. Linda has worked on several political campaigns, including the presidential runs for Clinton/Gore in 1992 and Hillary Clinton in 2008. Today, Linda is a world renowned motivational speaker and is President of Kaplan Thaler Productions.

Linda is also a celebrated author and television personality. Her collaborations with coauthor Robin Koval have all become national bestsellers: Bang! Getting Your Message Heard in a Noisy World, The Power of Small, and The Power of Nice. Their newest bestseller, "GRIT to GREAT," has been listed as one of the top business books for 2015.

Ms. Thaler is a familiar face in the media, having appeared on "The Apprentice," "Good Morning America," "The Today Show," CNN and Fox News.  Linda hosted the Oxygen television series “Making It Big,” as well being a judge on the Marc Burnett reality series, "Jingles." 

Linda’s talents have earned her the prestigious Matrix Award, the Advertising Woman of the Year Award, the UJA’s Mac Dane Humanitarian Award, the Women’s Leadership Exchange’s Compass Award, and was named one of Advertising Age’s “Most Influential Women in Advertising.” Linda has also won New York Women in Film and Television’s Muse Award, the first woman in advertising to receive this honor.

A native New Yorker, Linda is a Phi Beta Kappa and Magna cum Laude graduate of CCNY, with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s degree in music. Linda currently sits on the Advisory Council for The Colin Powell School at CCNY and also served as the 2010/2011 President of New York Women in Communications. 

Linda is married to composer Fred Thaler and has two children, Michael and Emily.  

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