INSPIRING MINDS
in conversation with British advertising legends

Sir Frank Lowe

Born 1941, Manchester

Sir Frank Lowe began his career in the mail room of advertising company J Walter Thompson, after leaving Westminster School in 1959. 
He progressed through the ranks, moving to other firms in the US and London, before joining Collett Dickenson Pearce in 1967, as account man working on Birds Eye. By just 31, he was Chief Executive and spent the next ten years building an agency that is universally acknowledged as Britain’s top agency at the height of advertising’s creative revolution. 

In 1981, Sir Frank founded Lowe & Partners Worldwide, which grew to become a top ten global agency with offices in 80 countries by the time he retired in 2003. 

Sir Frank has been associated with some of the best of British advertising including Heineken, Hovis, Benson & Hedges, Stella Artois, Reebok, Fiat and Vauxhall. Under his tenure at CDP and Lowe, an unprecedented number of 50 Grand Prix, Gold and Special Cannes Lions were awarded to his agencies and clients. 

In addition to many accolades awarded to his agency, Sir Frank remains the only account man to have ever received the President’s Award from D&AD (Design and Art Direction) in 1988, and he was knighted for his services to advertising and charity in 2001.

Sir Frank advises: “Aside from achieving sales success, any advertiser entering people’s lives uninvited should always ensure that they leave them a little better or richer for their visit.”