Barnum Communications founder Dr. James Barnum and Lewis & Gace co-founder Francis Gace have been selected as 2015 inductees into the Medical Advertising Hall of Fame.


After a successful 10-year career at J. Walter Thompson, where he rose to group EVP and president of J.W.T. Affiliated Companies, Barnum founded Barnum Communications in 1975. Under his guidance, the firm became a top-10 healthcare advertising agency.

 

Barnum earned a reputation as an innovator who recognized many trends and concepts ahead of others. He led the way on several fronts in medical advertising, including the use of public relations as part of an overall communications strategy, direct-to-consumer communication of information and opportunities for women at senior levels. To that end, Barnum Communications became the first major medical advertising firm to name a woman as its CEO.

 

Gace, born in South Africa, started his medical career in Johannesburg working on Burroughs Welcome products for a small independent agency. He moved to the client side, becoming Director of Advertising and Marketing for the company that eventually became Sanofi.

 

Many of his award-winning South African campaigns were adopted for use around the globe, resulting in his relocation to the U.S. to become Merrell’s Advertising Director. He returned to the agency side in 1984, joining Medicus.

 

In 1987 he co-founded Lewis & Gace, helping grow that firm to become one of the era’s most successful of that period with a reputation for innovation and excellence. He was a pioneer in the use of DTC, with work on Nicorette and Seldane, and created an ahead-of-its-time pioneering Super Bowl ad in 1992.

 

The inductees will be honored at a February 3, 2015, black-tie dinner at the Pierre Hotel in New York City. For more information, contact David Gideon, MAHF executive director, at [email protected].