It has been a milestone year for David Droga.
Less than six months after Accenture acquired Droga5, the agency founder and creative chairman will be awarded with the 2019 Clio Lifetime Achievement Award at the 60th anniversary Clio Awards. Droga will receive the award on stage at New York’s Manhattan Center on September 25.
“From Sydney to Singapore and London to New York, David Droga has earned a reputation as one of our industry’s most iconic and consistent creative leaders. Since David settled in New York to create his own agency just over a decade ago, he has built it into a powerhouse and irrefutable benchmark for the global creative industry. His vision and audacious leadership have fostered some of the most impactful advertising ideas of our generation,” Clio president Nicole Purcell said in a statement. “From the Marc Ecko Air Force One stunt to ‘Decode Jay-Z’ and Newcastle Brown Ale to MailChimp, David helped us redefine and reimagine what advertising could be. With Honey Maid, Prudential and Under Armour, David challenged consumers to think differently about traditional social roles and with the UNICEF Tap Project and The New York Times, he has shown the power advertising can have in highlighting important issues. His contributions are not just a gift to the advertising community, but to the world at large.”
Following news of Accenture’s acquisition of Droga5 in April, Adweek went through a timeline of the agency’s most notable work, including some of the projects mentioned by Purcell.
The agency rose to prominence with “Still Free” for Ecko shortly after its founding in 2006 and the Unicef Tap Project the following year. In 2008, the agency worked with Jewish Council for Education and Research and Sarah Silverman on “The Great Schlep” in an effort to help Barack Obama win the state of Florida. In 2012, Droga5 was named Adweek’s U.S. Agency of the Year and Droga was inducted into the Art Directors Club Hall of Fame.
The following year, Droga5 began its move away from true independence when William Morris Endeavor acquired a 49 percent stake in the agency. 2014 saw the agency’s relationship with Newcastle Brown Ale come to fruition with “If We Made It,” a parodical meta-alternative to Super Bowl advertising for the brand starring Anna Kendrick.
Recent years have brought award-winning, high-profile work for Under Armour, The New York Times, Honey Maid, IHOP and others.
Prior to forming Droga5 in 2006, Droga held a series of creative leadership roles for agencies around the globe, including serving as partner, executive creative director for OMON Sydney and CCO for Saatchi & Saatchi Singapore and Saatchi & Saatchi London.
“Any recognition of a proud creative voice is a celebration for all of us who care about the future of this amazing industry. I can think of many talented, creative individuals who deserve this accolade,” Droga said in a statement. “Clio is such a highly respected awards program in the creative community, and I am both proud and humbled to receive the Clio Lifetime Achievement Award, particularly as they celebrate their 60th anniversary. Thank you.”