Linda Kaplan Thaler

Linda Kaplan Thaler has been responsible for some of the most touching, relevant and famous advertising campaigns during her 25 years in the advertising and entertainment business. She is acclaimed within the industry for her innovative and topical approach.

Much of her work is now 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 Chief Executive Officer and Chief Creative Officer of The Kaplan Thaler Group, which she founded in 1997. Now a billion-dollar advertising and entertainment company, KTG is consistently ranked by industry publications as one of the fastest-growing agencies in the United States, touted for its breakthrough creative and immediate results. KTG’s blue-chip client roster includes Procter & Gamble (Dawn, Swiffer and other brands), AFLAC, Continental Airlines, Champion, Kodak, Kraft Foods, Lunesta, Pfizer, Trojan and US Bank. 

Linda and her agency are responsible for some of the most memorable advertising in America. The hilarious quacking AFLAC Duck campaign is just one of the agency’s cherished accomplishments.

Linda is also a bestselling author. Her latest book which she co-wrote with Robin Koval, titled, THE POWER OF SMALL: Why Little Things Make All the Difference (Doubleday, 2009) shows that in a big picture world, it’s often the small details that count. Her previous bestselling book, THE POWER OF NICE: How to Conquer the Business World with Kindness (Doubleday, 2006), was also co-authored with Robin Koval and debunked the notion that nice “guys” finish last. Following its debut, THE POWER OF NICE was widely featured in the media on television programs like ABC’s “Nightline”, NBC’s “The Today Show” and in print publications including Time, Business Week, Newsweek, O: The Oprah Magazine, USA Today and The Wall Street Journal. Linda and Robin’s first book BANG! Getting Your Message Heard in a Noisy World, a savvy marketing book, was also a national bestseller.

A noted TV personality, Linda will co-star as a celebrity judge on Mark Burnett’s upcoming CBS reality program “Jingles.”  In 2005, Linda starred as the host of Oxygen’s television series, “Making It Big,” where young professionals competed for their dream job. To launch the show, Linda created a promotional campaign which won the 2006 American Women in Television & Radio Gracie Allen Award for Outstanding Commercial Campaign. Linda has also appeared on Donald Trump’s hit NBC reality show, “The Apprentice,” as an advertising expert.

Prior to starting The Kaplan Thaler Group, Linda was Executive Vice President, Executive Creative Director at Wells Rich Greene BDDP where she led the creative team that won the Heineken business with the edgy “True Conversations” campaign. Linda was Senior Vice President, 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.

Linda’s creative vision of how traditional advertising is expanding is exemplified in her agency’s unique positioning as an advertising and entertainment company. For example, in 1998 the Kaplan Thaler team executive-produced the CBS Christmas Eve TV special “Real Life Miracles” for the American Red Cross (a first in the organization’s 117-year history).

Linda’s sense of community responsibility has extended into many arenas, from her support of charitable groups to political campaigns including:

• The emotional song and film “Don’t Turn Away” which raised money for Rwandan refugees and was viewed in more than 5,000 theaters nationwide.
• The dramatic films “Walk This World Together” and “I Need You Now” (written with her husband Fred Thaler) for the United Jewish Appeal have been seen around the world at fundraisers, conferences and other high profile venues.
• Being a member of the Clinton/Gore 1992 advertising team and creating several emotional ads on their behalf.

Linda’s many achievements have garnered awards from:

• New York Women in Film and Television Muse Award (2008)
• American Women in Television & Radio Gracie Allen Award (2006)
• Women’s Leadership Exchange Compass Award (2005)
• UJA Mac Dane Humanitarian Award (2004)
• Advertising Women of New York’s “Advertising Woman of the Year” Award (2001)
• New York Women In Communication’s Matrix Award for Advertising (2000)
• The YWCA’s Academy of Women Achievers
• Advertising Age’s “100 Best & Brightest Women”
• Crain’s “100 Most Influential Women in Business”
• Girl Scouts “Woman of Distinction” Award

True to the company’s charter, Linda’s talents and experience go far beyond the advertising world. She has been involved in:

• Writing and composing a number of theatrical and television projects
• Acting in several off-off Broadway shows
• Co-creating the theme song for the Emmy-nominated ABC children’s television special “Room To Grow”
• Performing in a comedy troupe in the mid-70’s

A native New Yorker, Linda was 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. Married to composer Fred Thaler, Linda’s personal pride is their two children. Their beautiful daughter, Emily, is thirteen and their sixteen-year-old son, Michael, is a three-time National Elementary School U.S. Chess Champion. A book about his chess prowess was published by Little Brown and is titled Opening Moves: The Making of a Chess Champion.