Ad Council Dinner …. Latina Heavy Hitter Makes Come Back?

The Ad Council, the prestigious organization that acts as the social conscience of the corporate world through the advertising industry, held its 52nd Annual Public Service Awards Dinner on November 16, at the New York’s Waldorf Astoria, naming Kenneth Chenault, Chairman/CEO of American Express Co., its Public SAervice Award Honoree of the Year. Comedian Ellen Degeneres served as MC. The night was CALIENTE.

Raising Awareness

In what amounted to a “Who-Is-Who” of the advertising, marketing, media, communications and the corporate world in general, the gala emphasized 63 yeas of raising awareness and inspiring people to save lives and valued ideals. Peggy Conlon, President of the Ad Council, gave a powerful speech in which she told the moving story of two adopted children. The impressive list of social initiatives headed by the Ad Council covers areas as vast as blood donation, disease prevention, domestic violence prevention, parental involvement, First Amendment Freedom, and the Tsunami and Katrina relief efforts, among many others.

Nuestra Gente

A number of Hispanic luminaries gave a Latino tinge to the banquet. Ad Council’s Board of Director’s member Daisy Exposito-Ulla, along with husband-partner Jorge Ulla, hosted a table intriguingly under the name d.exposito communications.

A Free Daisy ………

When asked if this marked her return to the business, after her resignation that sent shock waves through the industry last year, the former Chairman of The Bravo Group expressed she was “showing my continuos support of the Ad Council initiatives and enjoying the event among friends.” However, for industry insiders, the November date appears to coincide with the end of any restrictions Exposito-Ulla might have had since her November 2004 departure.

Another Hispanic to the Ad Council: Manny Vidal.

Until now, the Advertising Council of the United States had only two Latinos on its Board of Directors, Ray Rodriguez, President & CEO of UNivision Communications and Daisy Exposito-Ulla.

However, effective November 17, 2005, the duo became a trio. Manny Vidal, Chairman of The Vidal Partnership, has been invited to join the Board.