Linda Thaler

Education

A native New Yorker, Kaplan Thaler graduated from The Bronx High School of Science in 1968. She studied at City College of New York, earning a Bachelor of Science in psychology and later a Master of Music from the same institution.

Career

She has written and composed advertising jingles such as: “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). She is responsible for the “Yes, Yes, Yes” Herbal Essences campaign, and her agency created the well known Aflac duck advertising.

In 1997, she founded the Kaplan Thaler Group, which merged with Publicis New York in July 2012 to form Publicis Kaplan Thaler.

Prior to founding the Kaplan Thaler Group, she was Executive Vice President, Executive Creative Director at Wells Rich Greene BDDP. Before that, she spent 17 years at J. Walter Thompson, where she held the post of Senior Vice President, Group. Kaplan Thaler has worked on several presidential campaigns.

Most recently, she worked on Hillary Clinton’s 2008 presidential campaign.

Achievements

• Kaplan Thaler has received: the New York Women in Communications Matrix Award, the Advertising Woman of the Year Award from Advertising Women of New York, the United Jewish Appeal’s Mac Dane Humanitarian Award, the Women's Leadership Exchange’s Compass Award and the Girl Scout’s Woman of Distinction Award. Of her 13 Clio Awards, two were for Best Original Music and Lyrics. She was also the first woman in advertising to receive the New York Women in Film and ’s Muse Award. In 2010/2011, Kaplan Thaler served as the New York Women in Communications" President. She currently sits on the Advisory Council for The Colin Powell Center at City College of New York and is a member of the Advisory Board for the Branding and Integrated Communications master"s degree program at City College of New New York

Membership

She is a member of the Phi Beta Kappa honors society. In 1992, she was a member of the Clinton/Gore advertising team, and a member of Bill Bradley’s in 2000. She currently sits on the Advisory Council for The Colin Powell Center at City College of New York and is a member of the Advisory Board for the Branding and Integrated Communications master"s degree program at City College of New New York