George Lois was born in the Bronx, New York on June 26, 1931. He went to the High School of Music and Art and later attended Pratt Institute, despite receiving a basketball scholarship from Syracuse University. Lois attending Pratt for only a year before he was drafted for the Korean War.
After returning from the war, Lois got a job at CBS working for the advertising and promotions department. Here he designed both print and media projects. Lois received a Job at the advertising agency, DDB for one year and left with two partners to form Papert, Koenig, Lois in 1960. Then, in 1967, Lois once again departed to form Lois, Holland, Callaway.
George Lois is known to be a pioneer of the Creative Revolution in American Advertising and became famous for what he called “The Big Idea.” Lois and his agencies under his guidance are known for their many “marketing miracles” and triggered changes in American culture.
Lois worked on many campaigns over the years. One was his “I Want My MTV” campaign which made the failing MTV a success. Lois also helped create and launch VH1. Other campaigns include introduce the new category of “Gourmet Frozen Foods” with Lean Cuisine, he changed the image of ESPN, and worked on many senatorial and political campaigns as well. George Lois, however, is most known for his Esquire Magazine covers. Lois was a consultant from 1962 to 1972, but was never an actual employee. His covers were a statement on life in the 60s, that were often controversial. The subjects included Marilyn Monroe, Norman Mailer, Muhammad Ali, Andy Warhol and Richard Nixon.
George Lois has been inducted into the Art Directors Hall of Fame in 1978, the Advertising Hall of Fame,Copywriters Hall of Fame, was named Advertising Age magazine’s “100 Most Influential Advertising Practitioners of the Twentieth Century,” AIGA Gold Medal: 1996, and was a Society of Publication DEsigners Herb Lubalin Award Winner in 2004.
There is some controversy surround Lois. On June 19, 2009, a radio program was aired where Lois’ former associates made claims that Lois took credit for ad campaigns, copy and Esquire covers that were partially or totally the work of others.
