M&C Saatchi NZ ECD Dave King awarded Irving Wunderman honour at John Caples gala in NYC

The lifetime achievement award honours professionals with more than a decade of experience who have developed their talent, imagination, curiosity and passion into a compelling body of creative work.

King has won over a dozen Cannes Lions, 30 Caples gongs as well as countless other local and international awards. He has been awarded a number of One Show Pencils, plus the coveted D&AD yellow pencil.

King has recently been announced as a judge at this year’s Cannes Lions where he will represent New Zealand on the Direct Jury. He has previously judged at Cannes, Lynx, New York Festivals, AWARD, Caxtons, been Jury Foreman at last year’s D&AD, Jury Chairman at both AWARD and Asia Pacific Adfest and was on the D&AD Direct panel in 2008.

Such was the controversy, the police recruitment drive campaign attracted international press coverage, while the very personal touch for the Fire Service campaign won an Orca radio award for the Fire Service Anthems campaign.            

King joined M&C Saatchi Australia in 1999 and during his seven year tenure the company won Australia’s Direct Agency of the Year award an impressive six years in a row.  Prior to rejoining M&C Saatchi in 2007, King was CD of AIM Proximity Auckland. There, he helped take AIM to the number two ranked DM agency in the world according to the Won Report, and himself to third ranked creative director in the world.

The John Caples International Awards has international chairs in 50 countries, is funded by industry volunteers and judged by 100 active, senior level international creative professionals.

Between 200-300 marketeers from around the world attend the annual dinner and presentation with a celebratory multi-media display of the winning entries.

Previous winners of the Irving Wunderman Award include Alfonso Marian ex Shackleton Spain and Jeff Benjamin of Crispin Porter + Bogusky.