Adweek Announces 2016 Brand Genius Class of Top Marketers

NEW YORK, Sept. 20, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Adweek, the leading resource for news and commentary covering media, marketing and advertising, today announced its 2016 Brand Geniuses, the masterminds of marketing, and Brand Visionary and Brand Save honorees. The 27^th annual Adweek Brand Genius celebrates the best and brightest minds in marketing across ten distinct categories. The 2016 award show, sponsored by Heat + Deloitte Digital, will take place on Tuesday, October 25 at The Rainbow Room in New York City.

Adweek's Brand Geniuses represent the leading thinkers of the marketing world whose creative vision, innovative marketing tactics and dynamic leadership have been instrumental in launching, reinvigorating or expanding a brand. This year sees the first return winner, Olivier François for Jeep. Previously, François was honored in 2012 as the creative force behind Chrysler's "Imported from Detroit" campaign.

The 2016 Brand Genius class, as chosen by Adweek Senior Editors, are:

Automotive: Jeep, Olivier François, Chief Marketing Officer, FCA - Global and Head of the Fiat Brand
Financial Services: TD Ameritrade, Denise Karkos, CMO
Health & Beauty: Estée Lauder, Jane Lauder, Global Brand President, Clinique
Hospitality: Airbnb, Jonathan Mildenhall, CMO
Lifestyle: Shinola, Bridget Russo, CMO
Pharmaceutical: Flonase, Meredith Herman, Digital Marketing Director Consumer Healthcare North America, GSK
Restaurants: Taco Bell, Marisa Thalberg, CMO
Technology: Intel, Steve Fund, CMO
Toys: Barbie, Lisa McKnight, SVP, GM
Travel: Jet Blue, Elizabeth Windram, Director of Brand Management & Advertising

Arnold Schwarzenegger has been named Brand Visionary for 2016 and will accept his honor at the gala. Brand Visionary acknowledges and celebrates a career's worth of achievement in creating a world-renowned brand. Schwarzenegger's personal reinvention and brand brilliance led him to the top spot this year. He joins an elite group of Visionaries that include 2015 honoree Arianna Huffington, Bono, Russell Simmons and Michael Bloomberg.

Brand Save commemorates one pro-social brand that brings excellence, innovation and ingenuity to cause marketing and the world of charity. This year's honoree, Pencils of Promise, is a for-purpose organization that builds schools, trains teachers and funds scholarships around the common goal of education for all. One hundred percent of online donations go to Pencils of Promise programs. The nonprofit joins past honorees Every Mother Counts and (RED). Accepting the award is founder, Adam Braun.    

"Adweek's 2016 Brand Genius class is truly representative of the innovative and daring work being done to push brands through a cluttered marketplace and into the spotlight," said Adweek Editorial Director James Cooper. "These honorees deserve recognition for supporting their teams and producing the highest-quality work this year."

Each honoree will be profiled in Adweek's dedicated Brand Genius Issue (October 24) and on Adweek.com. During the award ceremony, Adweek will also name the Grand Brand Genius from the 2016 class, whose exemplary achievements are in a category of his or her own.

Every year, Adweek Senior Editors select 10 notable and leading marketers from around the world for a Brand Genius class. These nominees must play a key leadership role in developing or growing a brand, conceive or lead the development of a truly innovative marketing campaign or otherwise guide the overall marketing of a brand in a new direction, deploy the full arsenal of marketing tactics to maximum effect, and prove the value of his/her marketing vision by producing measurable results in terms of fiscal results and customer counts.

Last year, Brand Genius honorees included Adrienne R. Lofton, Under Armour; Michael Moynihan, Lego Systems; Michèle Baeten, Always; Morgan Flatley, Gatorade; Lee Applbaum, Patrón Spirits; Gary Osifchin, Modelez International; Elizabeth Cutler and Julie Rice, SoulCycle; Tim Mapes, Delta Airlines; Kim McCullough, Jaguar North America; and Jen Neal, E! Entertainment and Esquire Network.

To attend Adweek's Brand Genius Gala go to www.adweekbrandgenius.com or email [email protected]. 

About Adweek

Adweek is a leading resource for news and commentary covering all aspects of media, marketing and advertising. In print and online, Adweek features industry coverage and analysis from top reporters along with perspective from thought leaders. Every year, Adweek recognizes those who shape the media culture with editorial franchise awards, honors and live events. In 2015, Adweek announced the Adweek Blog Network, containing specialized industry blogs as a part of the content platform.

SOURCE Adweek

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