Neil French (businessman)
Neil French, born Robert Neil Hyde French on September 9, 1944, in Warwickshire, England, was a British advertising executive. He began his career in Singapore in the 1970s, working with Ogilvy & Mather and other agencies. He created famous ads for Kaminomoto Hair Tonic, Chivas Regal, and XO Beer. A fake XO Beer campaign in 1993 highlighted the power of print advertising.
French rose through the ranks at Ogilvy, becoming Regional Creative Director in the mid-1990s and Worldwide Creative Director in 1998. In 2003 Martin Sorrell named him Worldwide Creative Director of WPP Group, where he oversaw major agencies such as Ogilvy & Mather, JWT, and Young & Rubicam.
His career faced a setback in 2005 after he made remarks at a Toronto event that many called sexist. WPP distanced itself, and French resigned as Worldwide Creative Director. The incident sparked ongoing debate about gender and advertising.
Later he remained active in the industry: he founded The World Press Awards (print advertising) around 2006, published his memoir “Sorry for the Lobsters” in 2011, and served as a judge at various festivals, including Busan. In 2015 he received the Lotus Legend award from ADFEST for long‑time creative excellence in the Asia region. He was known for an innovative, minimalist style and for shaping advertising in Asia. He also wrote Cutting Edge Advertising (1999) and was said to have won more than 500 awards during his career.
Personal life: He had an adopted son named Daniel. He died from a stroke in Mallorca, Spain, on November 20, 2025, at the age of 81.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 08:09 (CET).