The American Advertising Federation (AAF) will induct eight individuals into the Advertising Hall of Fame, and IBM will be inducted as a corporate honoree during a ceremony dubbed the “Biggest Night in Advertising” on Tuesday, April 26, at Cipriani Wall Street in New York.
The lineup of individual honorees consists of Annie Leibovitz, renowned photographer; Nina DiSesa, former chairman and chief creative officer, McCann; Richard Edelman, CEO, Edelman; Judy McGrath, Former chairman and CEO, MTV Networks; Wenda Harris Millard, vice chairman, MediaLink; J. Melvin Muse, founder and chairman emeritus, Muse Communications; Andrew Robertson, president and CEO, BBDO Worldwide; and Michael I. Roth, retired chairman and CEO, The Interpublic Group.
Collectively, the honorees represent the 71st Class of the Advertising Hall of Fame. Honorees are selected by the AAF’s Council of Judges and is one of the industry’s most revered distinctions.
“The Hall of Fame is comprised of true pioneers who have made profound contributions to advertising and our communities,” said Carter Murray, chairman of the Advertising Hall of Fame Council of Judges. “Their innovative thinking and creativity will continue to influence our industry for generations to come, and it’s a true honor to be able to recognize these legends and pay tribute to their outstanding accomplishments.”
Leibovitz will be awarded the President’s Award for Lifetime Contributions to Advertising by Anna Wintour, editor-in-chief, Vogue; global editorial director, Vogue; chief content officer, Conde Nast. This distinction is given to an individual whose career is not primarily in advertising but who has proven to have made a significant impact on the industry, nonetheless. The President’s Award is given at the discretion of the AAF Council of Judges; the last recipient was actor Robert De Niro in 2017.
Harris Millard will also be presented with the distinguished David Bell Award for Industry Service, which recognizes extraordinary, unique contributions and service to the advertising industry as a whole. The award is named in honor of David Bell (Hall of Fame Class of 2007), a visionary leader and mentor to several generations of advertising professionals.
IBM will be inducted as the corporate honoree, just the 11th company to ever receive this distinct recognition. As one of the world’s most valuable and universally recognized business brands, IBM continues to remain on the forefront of cutting-edge ideas and innovations in advertising while powering new possibilities of decision making, informed by billions of data sources, and enabled by AI technology.
Inductees to the 2023 Advertising Hall of Fame will be revealed later in the year. Carolyn Everson will serve as the chair of the Council of Judges.
