“I Love New York”. We’ve all seen or heard about the extremely clever and catchy TV commercials for New York City. They feature both celebrities and everyday people gushing about the sight of the city they know and love (check it out here). Meet the face behind this enormously popular ad campaign: Jane Brown Maas, Bucknell class of 1953.
While at Bucknell, Jane did everything. She was a member of Cap and Dagger and Phi Beta Kappa, editor of L’Agenda, and acted, sang, and dance in various theatrical productions. In addition to being a busy Bucknellian, Jane graduated summa cum laude, received the William Bucknell Prize for Women in English Literature, and achieved the highest grade point average in her class. Betsy Powers, retired biology lab director recalls: “In each class there was probably a very strong woman student who led most of the others. The first one to come to mind is Jane Brown Maas who is now a trustee. She was here as a little petite teeny bopper. That was really the best description…Her senior year she directed a play. In addition, she was editor of the yearbook, she took Mildred Martin’s 9 hour seminar and took a seminar in French I think at the same time. She worked in the Bucknellian and was in every student activity you could think of. She was a dynamo and there were always women like that on the campus. They didn’t pay attention to the men who were suppose to lead. They just pushed and they wanted to do things and they did it.”
After graduation, Jane was awarded a prestigious Fulbright Fellowship, allowing her to study for a year at the University of Dijon in France. Upon her return to the states, Jane received her master’s degree from Cornell University.
Are you amazed yet? Soon after graduating from Cornell, Jane moved to New York City to write and produce for major television networks. After six years in the Big Apple, she turned her interests toward advertising, and Jane has since become one of the most respected women in the industry.
Jane’s most notable advertising project is the “I Love New York” campaign, which helped to restore city tourism following September 11th. She has won the New York Advertising Woman of the Year award and the Matrix Award from Women in Communications as well as co-author the successful book, How to Advertise.
Jane is currently a creative consultant for many corporations around the world and a member of Bucknell’s Board of Trustees. She is still one of the leading forces in advertising, and Jane is undoubtedly a major factor in paving the way for female industry professionals.
Sources
http://www.b-link.bucknell.edu/s/754/default-template.aspx?sid=754&gid=1…
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http://www.bucknell.edu/x7806.xml
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