Linda Kaplan Thaler

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 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, Linda is the Chairman of Publicis Kaplan Thaler, a fully integrated advertising agency with digital, social and technology at its core. The agency is the U.S. flagship within the Publicis Worldwide Network, and its blue-chip client roster includes: P&G, CITI, Nestle, L’Oreal, Merck, Pfizer, and Wendy’s, among many others. 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. In July of 2012, the Kaplan Thaler Group merged with Publicis New York to form Publicis Kaplan Thaler.

Linda is also a best-selling author and television personality. Her three collaborations with coauthor Robin Koval have all received national recognition. Their most recent title, The Power of Small: Why Little Things Make All the Difference, debuted as an instant national bestseller. Linda and Robin’s previous book, The Power of Nice: How to Conquer the Business World with Kindness, debuted on the New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller lists. Bang! Getting Your Message Heard in a Noisy World, a savvy marketing book and their first title, was also a national bestseller.

In 2005, Linda hosted the Oxygen television series “Making It Big,” where young professionals competed for their dream job. To launch the show, Linda starred in a series of promotional commercials, which received the 2006 American Women in Television & Radio Gracie Allen Award for Outstanding Commercial Campaign. She has also appeared on Donald Trump’s “The Apprentice” as a judge.