Advertising legend 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 around 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 campaign jingles that are among the industry’s gold standard. Some examples are: “I Don’t Wanna Grow Up, I’m a Toys ‘R’ Us Kid” (Toys ‘R’ Us); “Kodak Moments” (Eastman Kodak) and “The Heart of Communication” (Bell Atlantic). Of her 13 Clio Awards, two were for Best Original Music and Lyrics.
Today, Thaler is Chairman of Publicis Kaplan Thaler, which is the U.S. flagship within the Publicis Worldwide Network, whose blue-chip client roster includes: P&G, Citi, Nestle, L’Oreal, Merck, Pfizer, Tri-Honda and Wendy’s, among many others. Previously, Thaler 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. In July of 2012, the Kaplan Thaler Group merged with Publicis New York to form Publicis Kaplan Thaler.
Prior to starting the Kaplan Thaler Group, Thaler was Executive Vice President, Executive Creative Director at Wells Rich Greene BDDP and Group Creative Director at J. Walter Thompson where she spent 17 years. In this position, she ran major accounts like Burger King, Kodak, Northwest Airlines, Pepsi and Clairol.
Thaler is also a best-selling author and television personality. Her three collaborations with coauthor Robin Koval: The Power of Small, The Power of Nice, and Bang! have all received national recognition.
Thaler’s creative talents have earned her the prestigious New York Women in Communications Matrix Award, the Advertising Woman of the Year Award from Advertising Women of New York, the UJA’s Mac Dane Humanitarian Award. Thaler was also presented with a New York Women in Film and Television’s Muse Award, the first woman in advertising to receive this honor. Most recently, she was named one of Advertising Age’s “Most Influential Women in Advertising.\"
A native New Yorker, Thaler was a Phi Beta Kappa and Magna cum Laude graduate of CCNY, with a B.S. in psychology and a M.A. in music. Thaler is married to composer Fred Thaler and has two children, Michael and Emily.