By Mitzi Manzano
Advertising executive, Carol H. Williams, leads the longest-running independent multicultural marketing shop in the country, as its CEO and Chief Creative Officer. Photo by Mitzi Manzano.
To make an ad memorable, it sometimes takes a catchy jingle that you can’t shake off your head, humor, or an iconic character. But for many Fortune 500 brands, it took a special woman with a fiercely creative mind to turn brands into household names.
Carol H. Williams began breaking the glass ceiling almost 44 years ago as a pioneer in the male-dominated field of advertising. Her career began at the famed Leo Burnett Company in Chicago. While there, she spearheaded some of her most famous campaigns that have been known to turn brands into overnight and lasting successes. The Secret antiperspirant ad - strong enough for a man, but made for a woman - contributed to it becoming one of P&G’s greatest success stories. Similarly, her Pillsbury Frosting Paper Knife campaign and the “Say Hello to Poppin’ Fresh Dough!” ads turned them into one of the most trusted brands in every home across the nation.
Photo: courtesy of Carol H. Williams
There was no shortcut to this fascinating success story as Ms. Williams worked her way up, becoming the very first female and first African-American Creative Director and Vice President at Leo Burnett. She has been honored with multiple awards in the advertising field, including several CLIO awards which recognizes innovation and creative excellence in advertising, design and communication. The Ad Age Vanguard awardee is also the first African-American creative inductee into the American Advertising Federation Hall of Fame and continues to be recognized as a pioneer in her field.
Blazing trails and breaking glass ceilings for all women in Advertising. Photo by Mitzi Manzano.
She started her own agency, Carol H. Williams Advertising, a 100% minority-owned and woman-owned advertising agency, now with offices in Oakland, Chicago and New York, the country’s hubs for advertising. The agency specializes in multicultural and African-American focused integrated campaigns. Some of their clients have included General Motors, Wells Fargo, the U.S. Army and most recently, the U.S. Census.
To be as successful in a career, one would assume it to be a lifelong passion. But Ms. Williams wasn’t always drawn to the advertising world. “Medicine was my first love. Advertising was a little pivot,” she shared. “I love the athleticism of the mind.” And that continues to shine throughout her highly-decorated creative career.
Today, Ms. Williams continues to be an inspiration to many people, even beyond her field of advertising. She has been heralded as a living legend as the accolades keep piling on. To add to the long list of achievements, Carol H. Williams was named Woman of the Year for the State of California and most recently, received a Matrix Award for the Association for Women in Communication. Not bad for a girl who grew up in the South Side of Chicago.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Mitzi Manzano is a luxury brand makeup artist, having worked with Chanel, Dolce & Gabbana, and Dior. Her work has been published in magazines. Mitzi is also an avid foodie and produces the weekly show Kulinarya Live with the Filipino Food Movement.