Lester Wunderman, the man widely credited with coining the term “direct marketing” more than four decades ago, is the 2010 winner of the Andi Emerson Award. It is presented each year to an individual for outstanding service to the direct marketing community.
“Wunderman the agency and Lester Wunderman the person created direct marketing as we know it,” said Patrick Fultz, president and CCO at the DM Creative Group and president of the Caples Awards.
Wunderman serves as chairman emeritus of Wunderman, the agency he founded as Wunderman, Ricotta & Kline in 1958. He has also been a member of the boards of The Advertising Council, the Direct Marketing Association, and the American Association of Advertising Agencies. Wunderman also contributes outside of the industry. He has served on the board of directors of the Children’s Television Workshop and the US Fund for UNICEF.
“The central lesson is that the consumer, not the product, is our target,” said Wunderman, who added he is “terribly optimistic” about the industry’s future.
“Through the books he’s written and his involvement in so many different industry organizations, and the reputation that he has, you have a heritage of commitment from Wunderman to direct marketing,” said Gary Scheiner, managing partner and CCO at Rosetta and a Caples director.
