PATTAYA – Lo Sheung Yan, chairman of J. Walter Thompson’s Asia Pacific Creative Council and member of its Worldwide Creative Council, is this year’s recipient of the Lotus Legend, the equivalent of joining ADFEST’s hall of fame.
Joining China’s advertising industry at J. Walter Thompson in 1996, Yan (also known as Mayan) went on to become the agency’s Executive Creative Director, North East Asia and China Chairman. He eventually became its Chairman of Asia Pacific Creative Council in 2013. He has been given this honor for his talent, creative inspiration, and gaining many prestigious regional and global advertising awards for J. Walter Thompson.
“Mayan is the teacher,” Tom Doctoroff, CEO APAC J. Walter Thompson says. “His wisdom has inspired generations of communications people in China across more than twenty years. He has defined the creative voice of China. His understatement and his perceptiveness, not to mention his talent have been the fuel of J. Walter Thompson for two decades.”
“Let’s work hard and prove to everyone in society that advertising can actually do good,” Lo said upon accepting the award.
He has helped the agency garner top global advertising awards over the years. J. Walter Thompson Asia Pacific was named by ADFEST “Network Agency of the Year” in 2008. In 2009, JWT Asia Pacific was named by Media Spikes and ADFEST “Network Agency of the Year.” JWT Shanghai, meanwhile, was named “Agency of the Year” in 2009 by ADFEST, and “Agency of the Year” by Campaign Asia in 2011.
Lo produced many firsts in China’s advertising industry, from winning China’s first gold Clio to helping to lead China to its very first Grand Prix at Cannes in 2011, a press ad for Samsonite luggage called “Heaven and Hell.”
He again made history in 2012, becoming the first Chinese jury head of Cannes’ Outdoor Advertising Awards. Lo is a regular juror at regional awards like Longxi Chinese Advertising Awards, Spikes Asia, and ADFEST, and international shows like Clio, Cannes, and ADC.
“I am proud that Mayan has been my partner for 18 years,” said Doctoroff. “He has always been an inspiration, not only to me but thousands of creatives who strive to fuse their culture’s voice with international standards of breakthrough. His wisdom, generosity, and leadership have made JWT in China, and Asia, what it is today.”
“Leadership, training, and growing of local talent is always on his agenda,” noted J. Walter Thompson’s North Asia Chief Creative Officer and China Chairman, Norman Tan, who has known Lo for 20 years. “I am so glad that our industry recognized his contribution with this very well deserved award.”
Now in its fourth year of existence, the Lotus Legend is given in honor of long-serving creative excellence in the region. To be considered as a recipient of the Lotus Legend, candidates must first be nominated by an ADFEST judge. Fifty-seven judges on this year’s Lotus Awards Juries were asked to put forward a contender who has achieved creative excellence while working in the Asia Pacific region. If there was more than one nomination the jury then voted on the shortlist. Mayan’s creative excellence throughout the years and many achievements stood out in making him this year’s Lotus Legend.
