Neil French, one of advertising’s most influential and iconic forces, has passed away in Majorca at the age of 81.
Widely admired by many, he leaves behind a legacy that transformed the creative landscape of agencies worldwide, with a particularly profound impact on the evolution of advertising across Asia.
British-born and known for his global creative journey, French found his true breakthrough after relocating to Singapore in 1982 for a freelance assignment with Ogilvy & Mather, where he worked under Michael Ball and later Managing Director Rod Pullen.
A copywriter by craft, he built his reputation through impactful roles at Ogilvy & Mather, The Ball Partnership and Batey Ads throughout the 1980s and into the mid-1990s.
This phase marked the creation of some of his most acclaimed campaigns, featuring memorable work for Chivas Regal and Kaminomoto Hair Tonic, along with the now-iconic XO Beer – a fictional brew marketed so convincingly in The Straits Times that readers actually began requesting it at bars.
French rejoined Ogilvy in 1995 as regional creative director and, within three years, rose to the position of worldwide creative director. He later assumed the senior-most creative leadership role at WPP, guiding the creative direction for Ogilvy, JWT and Rubicam. After stepping down in 2005, he co-founded The World Press Awards with Barbara Levy, continuing to advocate for excellence in print craft with the same commitment that shaped his career.
French earned a series of distinguished honours, including an induction into the Award Hall of Fame, the New York Festivals Lifetime Achievement Award in 2009, and the Lotus Legend title at Adfest in 2015, among several others.
