Janet Champ

"Find the real, unexpected, unspoken truth. Then give it a voice. The work comes first. Always."

Janet Champ's career is a testament to the power of authentic, courageous creative work. For 15 years, she was a pivotal writer at Wieden + Kennedy - and the first female writer ever hired - working directly under the mentorship of Dan Wieden and David Kennedy, whom she credits for teaching her the foundational principle: "The work comes first." During her time at W+K, she created some of the most influential advertising of the era, or any era, most notably defining Nike's voice for women and girls with groundbreaking campaigns like "You Were Born A Daughter' and "If You Let Me Play." Her work has been recognized not just with advertising awards, but with commendations from figures like Oprah, The US Surgeon General, The Women's Law Review, Women's Sports Foundation, NY Times, Washington Post, Copywriter of the Year by Adweek. Her legendary work is held in permanent collections at both MOMA and the Smithsonian. Along with her husband, creative director Rick McQuiston, she was chosen by Hollywood icon Laura Ziskin to launch STAND UP 2 CANCER from the ground up. Now a global freelance writer, creative director, consultant, and speech writer, she continues to partner with top-tier agencies and directors like David Fincher, Alfonso Cuarón, and Jodie Foster. She brought The Girl Effect to the United Nations and Kofi Annan; was chosen by Malala herself to create a gorgeous Manifesto; launched Chicago Cred with Rick McQuiston; and brings her signature "non-phony" humanism to purpose-driven work for clients across the globe. Because freelancers are seldom credited, her name has been left off dozens of Super Bowl ads and endless amounts of iconic, defining brand work recognized by anyone breathing. Where are her fingerprints? Think every agency out there. Think BMW, Cadillac, Rolex, Coca-Cola, Samsung, Google, Microsoft, JP Morgan, Under Armour, Toyota. Think Apple, Airbnb, Levis, Emerson Collective, DocuSign, Mercedes Benz, Pinterest, Netflix, Sony, Uber. Then keep thinking. Whether she gets credit or not, she's the creator of stellar, emotionally resonant work that strips away artifice to provoke, inspire, tantalize, react. She's been called a poet and the one who brought Manifesto writing to the forefront of advertising. She just likes to be called Champ.