UWG Inc.
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Advertising |
| Founded | 1969 |
| Founder | Byron Lewis |
| Headquarters | Brooklyn, New York , United States |
Area served | United States |
Key people | Monique Nelson (Chair and CEO) |
| Products | Advertising services, multicultural marketing |
| Parent | WPP plc (49% ownership since 2000) |
UWG Inc. operates as a comprehensive advertising agency based in Brooklyn, New York, with additional branches located in Atlanta, Detroit, Miami, and Los Angeles. Established in 1969, it holds the distinction of being the longest-running multicultural advertising firm in the United States.[1][2][3][4] In 2014, the agency transitioned its brand identity from UniWorld Group to UWG.[3][4]
The agency’s clientele features prominent names such as Lincoln-Mercury, Ford Motor Company, CVS Pharmacy, Marriott International, the U.S. Marine Corps, AT&T, and Burger King.[1][5][2]
History
Byron Lewis, a trailblazer in multicultural advertising, founded UniWorld Group in 1969. The agency gained recognition for developing the marketing campaign of the 1971 film Shaft, which leveraged black power themes to elevate its appeal. In 1974, UniWorld produced the radio soap opera Sounds of the City, which depicted African American migration to Northern cities and contributed to achieving its first million dollars in revenue. The company expanded into television advertising in 1975, initially creating commercials for Avon Products.
In 1997, UniWorld established UniWorld Entertainment, a division dedicated to producing national television specials. The agency also managed promotional campaigns for acclaimed films such as A Bronx Tale, Amistad, Boyz n the Hood, Glory, and Malcolm X. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, UniWorld was responsible for Burger King’s minority advertising initiatives.
The year 2000 marked a significant development when WPP plc acquired a 49% ownership interest in UniWorld Group, facilitating its expansion on a global scale. In 2012, Monique Nelson and her family assumed majority control of the company; Nelson was appointed chair and CEO, signifying a pivotal leadership change. The rebranding to UWG occurred in 2014.
UWG’s extensive client roster includes leading companies such as CVS Pharmacy, Marriott International, the U.S. Marine Corps, Gatorade, AT&T, Mars, Incorporated, Amtrak, Smirnoff Vodka, Colgate-Palmolive, Texaco, Lincoln-Mercury, and Ford Motor Company. This broad spectrum of clients highlights UWG’s expertise in multicultural marketing and underscores its influential position within the advertising sector.
Awards and recognition
UWG has been honored with numerous awards, including multiple rankings by Black Enterprise magazine: #16 on their Industrial/Service 100 list (1994), Advertising Agency of the Year (2000), #5 among Advertising Agencies (2011), and #8 among black-owned advertising firms nationwide (2014). The Association of National Advertisers presented the agency with Multicultural Excellence Awards in 2010, 2012, and 2017.
Founder Byron Lewis received induction into the Advertising Hall of Fame by the American Advertising Federation (AAF) in 2013, acknowledging his visionary leadership and significant contributions to the field.
Additional distinctions include Communications Excellence to Black Audiences (CEBA) awards earned in 1983 and the APAC Effie Awards Gold Award for the multimedia 'Real Talk' campaign created for the United States Marine Corps in 2010. These accolades emphasize UWG’s competitive strength and prominence in multicultural advertising.
Additional resources
- Jessie Smith, Encyclopedia of African American Business: Updated and Revised, ABC-CLIO, 2017, pages 495–499.
- Derek T. Dingle, Black Enterprise Titans of The B.E. 100s: Black CEOs Who Redefined and Conquered American Business, John Wiley & Sons, 1999, page 112.
External links
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