If you’ve ever wondered who might be the most interesting man
in the world, Karl Lieberman can tell you. In fact, he created him.
The concept was the centerpiece of a 2006 advertising
campaign for Dos Equis beer that ran for a decade, helped triple the brand’s
business and earned Lieberman and his co-creator, fellow UD alumnus Brandon
Henderson ’99, awards and widespread recognition. “The Most Interesting Man in
the World” is just one of many creative projects for a wide variety of
businesses that have won Lieberman acclaim in the world of advertising.
Now executive creative director, chief creative officer and
partner at the Wieden + Kennedy (W+K) agency, Lieberman, Class of 1999, has
received a 2020 Alumni Achievement Award from UD’s College of Arts and Sciences
in recognition of his professional accomplishments and public service.
“Karl has won every award possible for creative in his
field,” said William Deering, assistant professor of art and design in UD’s
visual communications program, who nominated Lieberman for the alumni award.
“His leadership with his company and directing a creative staff of 100 is
remarkable.”
He noted that Lieberman’s work over the years has had an
impact on popular culture and has been referenced in such major media outlets
as The New York Times, Wall Street Journal,
Forbes, Saturday Night Live and The
Daily Show, among many others.
Some of Lieberman’s most memorable work includes the 2010
Procter & Gamble “Thank You, Mom” Olympics campaign that won an Emmy in
2012 and the Kentucky Fried Chicken ads that brought back “The Colonel,” a
campaign that helped spark a turnaround for the brand leading to 13 consecutive
quarters of business growth.
Since graduating from UD, Lieberman has worked as an art
director and a copywriter. He became executive creative director of W+K in
2016, and in January 2021 was also named chief creative officer for the
agency’s offices in New York, Portland, Amsterdam, Delhi, London, São Paolo, Shanghai and
Tokyo. With some 1,400 employees, W+K is the largest independent ad agency in
the world and is consistently rated among the best.
Its brands include Bud Light, Nike, Fisher-Price and
Coca-Cola. Lieberman has brought in such brands as HBO, Duracell, Spotify,
Lyft, The Atlantic, Vitaminwater and Fox
Sports.
“As a company, we try to be rooted in the truth—real human
emotions, real thoughts,” Lieberman said. “The truth doesn’t necessarily have
to be this super insightful thing. It’s reflected in how consumers see the
products in their normal lives.”
When Lieberman came to UD as a freshman, he wasn’t even aware
of advertising as a possible career path, but he said he was inspired and
motivated by faculty in the visual communications program, particularly
Deering, Martha Carothers and Ray Nichols. They held their students to high
standards and encouraged them to make use of available opportunities, he said,
noting that he did an internship in London at Deering’s suggestion. Students
took field trips to New York ad agencies and were able to reach out to alumni
for advice.
“The UD alumni network is incredible,” Lieberman said. “I try
to really pay that back.”
Today, he is doing just that, continuing to host visiting
classes at W+K and offering student internships. In April, he joined other
advertising professionals in speaking via Zoom to one of Deering’s classes,
something he does regularly. He serves on the College of Arts and Sciences
Dean’s Advisory Council and in 2020 established the Karl Lieberman Scholarship
award for advertising in visual communication.
Most recently, a new Wieden + Kennedy Scholarship will
support the academic and professional goals of underrepresented Delawareans,
opening doors and fostering diversity in the industry.
The scholarship will award $60,000 in tuition over four years
and provide three summer internships and the option to join W+K full time after
graduation.
“It’s a huge priority for me personally, and for all of us at
Wieden, to make sure underrepresented talent has equal access to a career in
the creative industry,” Lieberman said.
Article by Ann Manser and
Megan Maccherone
Published June 1, 2021
