George Lois

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George Lois (born in 1931) is an award-winning American Art Director, designer, advertising leader and author. George Lois is best known for the legendary and brilliant covers for Esquire Magazine[1] which he produced as Art Director for Esquire from 1962 to 1972. Lois' Esquire covers offered a controversial statement on life in the 1960's with subjects including Marilyn Monroe, Norman Mailer, Muhammad Ali, Andy Warhol, Germaine Greer, and Richard Nixon. In 2008, The Museum of Modern Art exhibited 32 of Lois' 92 Esquire covers. [MOMA Exhibit]


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[edit] Background

George Lois was born in the Bronx, New York in 1931, the son of Greek immigrants. Lois attended the High School of Music and Art, and received a basketball scholarship to Syracuse University, although he chose to attend Pratt Institute. After leaving college, Lois was drafted by the Army in the Korean War.

[edit] Career

After the war, George went to work for the advertising and promotions department at CBS where he designed print and media projects. In 1959 he was hired by the advertising agency of "Doyle, Dane, & Bernbach".

After two years at "Doyle, Dane & Bernbach", George Lois formed his first ad agency, "Papert, Koenig, Lois". In 1966 he left to form "Lois, Holland, Calloway".

George Lois became famous for what he called "The Big Idea"[2] and his most famous campaigns include the "I Want My MTV" campaign, Jiffy Lube and Tommy Hilfiger ads, USA Today’s "singing" TV campaign, and ESPN’s "In Your Face" campaign.

[edit] Awards

[edit] Bibliography

  • Hilfiger, Tommy and Lois, George (2007). Iconic America: A Roller-Coaster Ride through the Eye-Popping Panorama of American Pop Culture. New York: Universe, 350. ISBN 978-0789315731. 
  • Lois, George (2003). Sellebrity: My Angling and Tangling With Famous People. New York: Phaedon, 272. ISBN 0714842842. 
  • Heller, Steven; Lois, George; Helfand, Jessica; and Rand, Paul (1999). Paul Rand. New York: Phaedon Press, 255. ISBN 978-0714837987. 
  • Lois, George (1996). Covering the '60s: George Lois -- The Esquire Era. New York: Monacelli, 192. ISBN 978-1885254245. 
  • Lois, George and Pitts, Bill (1993). What's the Big Idea?: How to Win with Outrageous Ideas (That Sell!). New York: Plume, 304. ISBN 978-0452269385. 
  • Lois, George (1991). What's the Big Idea?. New York: Doubleday Press, 288. ISBN # 978-0385414869. 
  • Lois, George and Pitts, Bill (1977). The Art of Advertising: George Lois on Mass Communication. New York: Harry N Abrams, 336. ISBN 978-0810903739. 
  • Lois, George (1972). George, Be Careful. New York: Saturday Review Press, 245. ISBN 978-0841501904. 

[edit] External links

[edit] References

  1. ^ "George Lois' Esquire covers are considered among the most memorable propaganda imagery in any medium, and certainly the most provocative in the history of the magazine industry." The New York Times
  2. ^ University of Texas Graduate School of Advertising [[1]]