April 21, 2006

The Department of Communications at California State University, Fullerton has named Keith Reinhard its Distinguished Communicator for 2006.  Reinhard is chairman emeritus of DDB Worldwide, which ranks among the largest global advertising agency networks in the world with 206 offices in 96 countries.

In 2005, Adweek magazine named DDB Worldwide its 2004 Global Agency of the Year for the second year in a row. In 2004, Advertising Age also named DDB Worldwide the 2003 Global Agency Network of the Year. At the 52nd International Advertising Festival in Cannes, DDB Worldwide took home a total of 44 Lions, including two Grand Prix awards — the Cyber Grand Prix for online advertising created by DDB Brasil, on behalf of its Henkel client, and the first-ever Grand Prix in Radio that was awarded to DDB Chicago for the “Real Men of Genius” Bud Light campaign for client Anheuser-Busch.

In 1986, Reinhard was one of the architects of the advertising industry’s first and only three-way union, creating Omnicom, one of the world’s largest advertising and marketing services holding companies. Advertising Age has referred to Reinhard as the advertising industry’s “soft-spoken visionary” and in 1999 named him among the top 100 industry influentials in advertising history.

As a working creative man, Reinhard is best known for work on McDonald’s, including “You Deserve a Break Today,” which in 1999 was voted the No. 1 jingle of all time in Advertising Age’s The Century of Advertising. Over the years, Reinhard has served on most of the major advertising award juries. In 1984, he was a member of the Cannes jury and was elected by that jury as its first-ever American president.  In 1999, he was jury president for the Cannes International Advertising Festival.

Reinhard has contributed generously of his time and talents to the industry and the community. He leads the effort he began two years ago, Business for Diplomatic Action, serving as president of the private-sector task force spearheaded by preeminent communications, marketing, political science, global development and media professionals. BDA’s purpose is to enlist the U.S. business community in actions to improve the standing of America in the world.

Nancy Snow, assistant professor of communications at Cal State Fullerton, nominated Reinhard for his advertising legacy, as well as his strong global public interest vision. The faculty vote was unanimous. Snow says, “BDA’s core message to the business sector could be America’s image in the world impacts your bottom lines so you need to pay closer attention to it. Having had the pleasure to meet Reinhard, I’m struck by his incredible knowledge and passion for his life’s work. He’s a patriotic executive who cares about how business impacts and is impacted by national reputation and credibility.” CSUF communications lecturer Jerry Wright calls Reinhard a “luminary” in the field.

Reinhard will address Department of Communications faculty and students and receive the award on May 5 at the department’s annual awards banquet at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Brea. The event begins at 6 p.m.

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