carol h. williams – one of the most powerful african american advertsing executives in america
 photo by Sreed Media Service |
Pres/CEO, Carol H. Williams Advertising
Carol H. Williams is a titan in the world of advertising. She’s been hailed as a pioneer, and was honored as a legend at the 2008 AdColor Awards. The president/CEO of the advertising agency that bears her name; she has been a part of some of the industry’s most iconic campaigns. Her rise to the top has been an inspiring and eventful journey, and she’s got many more power moves to make. “I began my career sometime ago at Leo Burnett Advertising in Chicago,” recollects Williams. While there, she wrote the infamous slogan for Secret® antiperspirant: ‘Strong enough for a man, but made for a woman.’ “The [ads] that were on the air showed beautiful women in slow motion,” she says, laughing. “I always thought that the women that I knew were very hard-working–[but] still wanted to be beautiful for their man.”
Williams is a creative spirit, and she’s been able to channel that creativity, combine it with an acute business sense and reaped 30 years of success in advertising. “A lot of people ask me how I come up with advertising ideas for commercials,” she muses. “It happens somewhere deep inside. It just begins as an idea and blooms and flourishes, and you [allow] other people to add to it.”
As the president/CEO of the largest independent ad agency in the country, Williams has been an integral part of campaigns for some of the world’s best-loved brands, such as Disney and Pillsbury. “I love this industry because it’s an incredible blend of science and art,” shares Williams. “It [combines] great intelligence with an explosion of creativity. It’s a marvelous field for young people to come into.” – todd williams
