Donna Weinheim

Donna Weinheim is one of the most celebrated and boundary-breaking creative forces in the history of advertising. As one of the first women to shatter the glass ceiling in a male-dominated industry, she didn't just earn her seat at the table — she redesigned the entire room. Her career is a masterclass in fearless originality, built on a relentless refusal to play by anyone else's rules. From the very beginning, Donna operated with a rare creative instinct: the ability to find the absurd, human truth inside a brand and blow it up into something the entire world couldn't stop talking about. At Cliff Freeman & Partners, Donna created what would become one of the most iconic campaigns in advertising history — the "Where's the Beef?" campaign for Wendy's. The phrase transcended advertising and embedded itself permanently into American pop culture, a testament to her gift for comedy, simplicity, and cultural timing. She later joined BBDO, where she forged a legendary creative partnership with copywriter Phil Dusenberry, producing blockbuster Super Bowl commercials for Pepsi, GE, and Gillette that redefined the scale and cinematic ambition of advertising. Her work is held in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) and has earned her induction into The One Club Creative Hall of Fame and The ANDY's Hall of Fame, among countless Cannes Lions, Clio Awards, and One Show Pencils. As an instructor at Ad Legends Academy, Donna brings her signature out-of-the-box thinking and rule-breaking philosophy directly to the next generation of creative professionals. Students can expect a masterclass in comedic timing, cinematic storytelling, and the art of creating cultural moments — not just advertisements. Donna teaches that the best ideas are the ones that feel impossible until they're done, and that the courage to be unconventional is the single greatest creative skill anyone can develop. Donna's legacy is not only defined by the work she made, but by the doors she kicked open for every female creative who came after her. She is proof that being fiercely, unapologetically yourself — and refusing to accept creative limitations — is the most powerful strategy of all.