In part one of a two-part series, LBB hears from this year’s Hall of Fame inductees — including David Lubars, Lisa Sherman, Rishad Tobaccowala and Linda Boff — about the campaigns and creative lessons that shaped their storied careers.
On Thursday night, April 24th, the American Advertising Federation will host the ‘Biggest Night in Advertising’, the induction ceremonies for the 2025 Advertising Hall of Fame. Eight legendary leaders, along with one corporate icon, will be inducted. The are as follows:
To mark the occasion, LBB reached out to this year’s honourees to reflect on their careers and share the lessons, campaigns and moments that shaped them. In part one of this two-part series, they look back — offering insights not only into what they’ve learned, but what the next generation of creative leaders might carry forward.
A summary of their reflections follows. LBB’s Addison Capper curated the conversations.
Linda Boff> I believe in the power of ‘yes’. Saying yes has led me to partner with amazing creatives whose ideas are bold and new and at times a little scary. But it has also led to outstanding never-been-done before work that helped GE remain modern and relevant. Like partnering with Zac Posen to design 3D printed dresses for the Met Gala. Or designing an anniversary pair of sneakers made of the same materials GE used to help manufacture the Moonboots that Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin wore when they first stepped on the moon. And I would add that saying yes to staying at GE for 20 years gave me the chance to be part of an all-star team who brought the company back to a place of vitality.
John Hayes> The biggest lesson I learned is avoiding mistakes at all costs only makes you less effective. I learned to put my energy into trying new things and preparing for recovery when a mistake was made. This meant owning up to mistakes early and working to solve the problem. Great brands are built by being bold and recovering effectively when problems occur.
David Lubars> That you always want to be a chef, not a waiter. The waiter takes the order and brings back something expected and acceptable. OK, fine. Whereas the chef prepares an extraordinary meal with amazing sauces you never imagined existed - and now that you’ve tasted it, you love it and want more. A great chef surprises and delights, goes above and beyond, creates something truly memorable. It’s what a great creative agency does.
Lisa Sherman> I’ve been uplifted by friends, family and partners in the industry at every step of this journey. With their support, I’ve developed the ability to stay nimble and accept that if there’s one thing that’s constant, it’s change, but you can navigate anything with the right people around you. Learning to build and maintain these relationships with care has been the most valuable lesson in both my career and in life.
Rishad Tobaccowala> To thrive we have to adapt to the forces of change since they do not adapt to us. Change is difficult and it sucks. But irrelevance is even worse.
Gülen Bengi (on behalf of Corporate Inductee Mars, Incorporated – lead chief marketing officer, Mars, and chief growth officer, Mars Snacking)> At Mars, across all our snacking, food and pet brands, we don't just talk about our purpose, we live it. PEDIGREE was able to live its purpose to end dog homelessness by personalising adoption for shelter dogs. The PEDIGREE Adoptable campaign uses AI to put real, adoptable dogs at the centre of global advertising by turning every PEDIGREE ad into a digital ad for a shelter dog that is adoptable near the viewer. This was an incredibly impactful campaign, increasing dog adoption rates and driving increased website traffic to local shelter site profiles for the dogs. With each campaign we launch, we aim to learn something, and PEDIGREE Adoptable was a great learning in how technology, communities and brands engage to have great results for shelter dogs, our PEDIGREE® brand, and our business.
Alex Lopez Negrete> Every advertising professional will tell you that every single campaign, every body of work provides unique lessons that push you forward, inform your perspective. However, the one that comes to mind is our first campaign for Walmart that dates back to the mid-1990s and lasted a bit more than a decade (campaigns surely don’t last that long anymore). This was the ‘real stories’ era of Walmart advertising (in those days, Wal-Mart). We had a creative and production crew looking for customer stories across the entire nation, 50 weeks a year. And while we did uncover some great stories in the store, the most powerful stories about the connection between customers and their (making special note on their) Walmart were those we found outside the store. Community centres. Church gatherings after mass. Festivals. Family reunions. Schools.
As an Hispanic agency and an Hispanic marketer, I always felt we had a real connection, a true understanding of our community – but this took it (and us) to an entirely new and higher level. Yes it was a lot of work, a lot of time away from home, and thousands of miles of travel. But the honour, the privilege of meeting Hispanic America personally, to get such a personal and deep understanding of my market, my community, my people in this country is something that I think is uncommon and a real gift. I will always be thankful to Paul Higham, our Walmart CMO at the time, for this challenge and this gift.
Among the many lessons we learned, aside from getting the deepest possible understanding of our own community in situ, I would cite:
I guess, bottom line, what this campaign taught me was a deep, sincere love and appreciation for the customer. Granted, Walmart culture is built upon this tenet, but having the privilege to go in so deeply, year after year, store after store, town after town took me deep in the weeds and it was the experience of a lifetime. There’s not a day I don’t think of this ‘tour’ and consistently glean lessons from it all still today.
Raja Rajamannar> It is hard to pick just one, but I would say Touch Card, which was actually a product innovation that marketing pioneered to help those who are blind or partially sighted pay independently with their cards. To bring the need to life, close your eyes and take one of your cards out of your wallet – can you tell which card it is? Or which way to orient it to pay? Likely not, so we created a set of notches that help people to distinguish between debit, credit and prepaid cards with touch alone, as well as know the orientation. Simple but super effective.
The Touch Card development and subsequent campaign was deeply personal for me because my grandmother was blind. Growing up, I saw how difficult it was for her to navigate the world — and that always stayed with me. Later in my career, when I finally had the influence and opportunity to do something about it, I knew I had to act. Since then, it has been immensely gratifying to hear from parents, caregivers and others — as well as those who are blind or partially sighted themselves — who’ve shared how much of a game changer this has been for them. That kind of feedback truly makes all the effort worthwhile. Today, the Touch Card is available in dozens of markets around the world, making life just a bit easier for countless people.
What made this campaign such a valuable learning experience was what came after the launch. We had a beautiful creative that showcased powerful, heartwarming moments of people experiencing the Touch Card for the first time. It resonated emotionally, but as we listened to feedback from the community, we realized that this traditional, visually heavy marketing medium wasn’t fully accessible to the very audience we were trying to serve. That was a pivotal moment. Instead of seeing it as a setback, we saw it as an opportunity to innovate further. We quickly launched Spotlight, a video campaign with audio descriptors that provided a clear explanation of the feature. Launching Spotlight was not only incredibly rewarding, it was also a reminder that when you are motivated by the right intentions, and stay open and agile, the results can truly be transformative.
The lessons we learned on this journey were invaluable. By staying closely connected to the people we’re serving – and being open to their feedback – we were able to refine and elevate our creative in ways that truly made a difference in people’s lives. In the end, we were not only proud of what we built, but how we built it: with empathy, purpose and a desire to make a difference.
Lisa Sherman> When covid-19 turned our nation upside down in early 2020, it became immediately clear that the Ad Council had a role to play. We were in the market just five days after the World Health Organization declared the global pandemic, and already laying the groundwork for a new coalition that could mobilise as soon as vaccines became available.
Our Covid-19 Vaccine Education Initiative was unlike any singular campaign we’d done before. An unprecedented crisis called for an unprecedented communications effort, centred on a strategy to align facts and resources with trusted messengers who could authentically and effectively relay them. It combined all of the Ad Council’s greatest assets to deliver a multi-faceted public education initiative with multiple campaigns designed to reach specific communities and their individual reasons for hesitancy. Through this tailored strategy, we reached over 75% of eligible Americans with our messaging.
This enormous effort brought to light an incredible opportunity to deepen our impact across all of our campaigns at the Ad Council, ultimately solidifying the blueprint for our large-scale, multi-year initiatives. Now, five years later, we’ve built on the successes and learnings from our Covid-19 Vaccine Education Initiative to apply the same model – big tent coalitions, trusted messengers, optimized research and multiple campaigns designed to reach individuals with the messages that will resonate – to mental health, gun violence prevention and more. All with the empathetic approach that has always set us apart.
In the final part of the series, LBB hears from this year’s Hall of Fame inductees — including Alex López Negrete, John Hayes, Raja Rajamannar and a representative on behalf of the late Susan Wojcicki
Part one of this two series focused on the lessons from their storied careers that had stuck with them. Today, in part two, we are focusing on creativity, media and offering a chance for them to get something off their chests.
A summary of these reflections follows. LBB’s Addison Capper curated the conversations.
Linda Boff> Fun question! When GE was developing the Industrial Internet, no one thought of us as a software company. We needed to change perception in order to entice customers and to hire hundreds of software engineers. With help from the team at BBDO and fellow AAF Hall of Fame honoree David Lubars, we created a campaign where ‘Owen’ had to explain to his bewildered parents and skeptical friends that he was going to work on software at GE. It was the perfect use of self-effacing humour and literally overnight, the resumes started flowing in!
John Hayes> American Express isn’t the world’s biggest financial services company. It doesn’t have the war chest of some of its competitors. It doesn’t always have a dominant share of voice. Amex has had to consistently find creative ways to punch above our weight. To stand out from the crowd and capture a disproportionate share of mind and heart.
‘Shop Small and Small Business Saturday’ was conceived to demonstrate the resounding AEXP commitment to local community retail businesses. And what better way to launch this new initiative than on the day after the biggest Big Box retail moment of the year - Black Friday.
So Small Business Saturday was born.
And from that acorn, the oak tree of Shop Small has grown to become one of Amex’s most powerful, enduring and valuable marketing assets. An asset that has consistently rewarded card members and merchants alike.
And continues to reinforce AEXP’s mission to be the world’s most special and respected service brand.
David Lubars> It would be easier to give an example where I didn’t use creativity to solve a business problem. And now that I think about it, I can’t think of one.
Gülen Bengi (on behalf of Mars, Incorporated)> To be a global leader in snacking, food, and pet care, Mars is constantly and creatively reimagining how our brands show up in the world. Take for example what we’ve accomplished in the gum category with our iconic brands like ORBIT, EXTRA, FREEDENT and YIDA. With over 100 years of experience making and selling gum, we’ve literally written the playbook on it. When the category faced headwinds during and after the covid-19 pandemic, we responded by launching the Chew Good brand platform. This platform redefined gum not just as a breath freshener, but as a tool to help people recenter and reset — a small act of self-care. We’re never satisfied with the status quo, leading to a culture of innovation and creativity. We’ve seen gum reinvent itself with every generation — from a symbol of rebellion in the ’50s and ’60s to a modern tool for focus and performance among gamers — and this is the next stage. Through Chew Good, we’re continuing to stay culturally relevant and shape the future of gum to ensure it remains meaningful for generations to come.
Tara Walpert Levy (on behalf of the late Susan Wojcicki)> At Davos, addressing the challenge of misinformation, Susan stated, "I think there'll always be work that we have to do because there will always be incentives for people to be creating misinformation." She emphasised the ongoing effort required to stay ahead of misinformation and maintain public trust in media platforms. In an age of AI, that challenge will only get bigger.
Rishad Tobaccowala> Everyone today has the capacity to be a media company due to a combination of tools of creation including generative AI and tools of distribution from TikTok to podcasts to Substack.
Most marketers have failed to see that what they call influencer media is many times bigger than what we refer to as mainstream media and is often more trusted.
This has major implications on how brands will be built in the future and also will increase the importance of trust.
Tara Walpert Levy (on behalf of the late Susan Wojcicki)> Prior to her passing, Susan wrote a farewell message emphasising the importance of cherishing the present. She shared, "Probably the most important lesson I have learned is just to focus and enjoy the present! Life is unpredictable for everyone, with many unknowns, but there is a lot of beauty in everyday life.
Alex Lopez Negrete> My response is less ‘getting something off my chest’ and more of making a comment that I believe is timely and salient: like many, the AAF is where I found my footing in this industry. It’s where I made life-long friendships. And where I learned that in this business (like in any, I guess), you get back what you put in. I am fortunate I learned this very early in my career. Having said this, I am equally proud of being part of a thriving, talented, resourceful Hispanic advertising industry. We are a band of brothers and sisters, long united by the purpose of marketing to this incredible Latino community in relevant, innovative, effective ways. This community transcends agencies, media, and production entities. Being the seventh Latino inducted into the AAF Hall of Fame fills me with immeasurable pride. Yet, considering the longevity and extraordinary talent within Hispanic advertising, we should have reached double-digit inductees by now. My hope is that we'll accelerate recognition for those who deserve this honour as much as - if not more than - myself. These individuals aren't just exceptional Latino professionals; they're advertising luminaries whose contributions have shaped our entire industry.
Raja Rajamannar> I am truly honoured to be inducted into the Advertising Hall of Fame alongside some of the greatest minds in this field. But for me, the work is far from over.
When I first entered marketing, it was considered one of the most prestigious professions. Over time, though, some of that luster began to fade. Marketers became increasingly focused on capturing attention however they could, often in ways that felt disruptive rather than creating meaningful connections with customers. Even the 4Ps of marketing–which we once believed were unshakable – began to feel outdated. As a result, marketing’s influence diminished and, in many ways, was pushed to the sidelines.
But today, I genuinely believe we are living through the best moment in the history of marketing. Technology has given us tools we could once only dream of–tools that empower marketers to rise to the top and make the impossible possible. We now have a real opportunity to reclaim the gravitas we once had.
When done right, marketing isn’t about intrusion – it’s about crafting meaningful moments that people want to engage with. It’s about striking a chord on a deeper, emotional level. And when we find the right balance of creativity, human empathy and the power of technology, we unlock something truly extraordinary.
The road ahead will no doubt bring challenges, but I’m energised by the possibilities. We must keep pushing boundaries, keep listening and keep evolving. After three decades in this field, I’m more passionate than ever - and I have absolute faith that the future of marketing is incredibly bright.
Source: LLBOnline
- Lessons That Last
- Off My Chest
