 |
Eduard MoradpurCEO of advertising agency Leo Burnett
Date of Birth: 28.06.1947
Country:  Iran |
Biography of Edward Moradpour
Edward Moradpour, the CEO of Leo Burnett & Moradpour Moscow advertising agency, has been pursuing one goal for the past ten years - to create the best advertising agency in Russia. Today, it seems that this goal has been achieved.
Early Life:
Edward Moradpour was born on June 28, 1947, in Tehran, Iran. His father, Moradpour Habib (1901-1993), was involved in international trade, particularly in the pharmaceutical industry. His mother, Lihschinsky Yevgeniya (born in 1924), was born in Kiev and currently resides in Paris. His daughter, Moradpour Frederic (born in 1967), has been working in public relations in Paris since 1990.
Education and Career:
Edward Moradpour attended a French primary school in Tehran until the age of ten. He then continued his education in Paris at Lycee Janson de Sailly, followed by a degree in mathematics from a secondary school. In 1971, he obtained a higher education degree in marketing and management from the Higher Commercial School in Paris, equivalent to Harvard Business School.
Moradpour began his career in the advertising industry in 1971 as an intern at NCK advertising agency in Paris (currently FSV). He quickly climbed the corporate ladder in client service, working at five major international advertising agencies: NCK, Navas Advertising, Leo Burnett Paris, EURO-RSCG (with Jacques Seguela), and Saatchi & Saatchi Paris as a board member.
Entrepreneurship and Success:
After several years in client service, Moradpour realized his passion for "advertising creativity." In late 1982, he co-founded his own agency in Paris called MGTB (Moradpour, Gilder, Tréger, Beli), where he served as the chairman and director of the creative department. MGTB quickly gained success with notable advertising campaigns, such as the Timberland shoe campaign. In 1983, the agency was recognized as the "best young agency of the year."
Despite his achievements, Moradpour's entrepreneurial spirit was not satisfied. In 1987, he sold his shares to his partners and joined forces with Young & Rubicam to create the MDLP agency (Moradpour, Dalzas, Langlais, Pizanti). This venture also achieved success, but his passion for risk-taking led him to explore new horizons.
Entrance into Russia:
In 1989, Moradpour, driven by his Russian roots from his mother's side, came to Russia (then the USSR), a country just opening up to the world. He was determined to become a pioneer in the advertising industry in Russia during the 1990s when advertising was in its early stages. His fluency in Russian made working in Russia seem like destiny.
In October 1989, the CARAT Group, the number one media planning and buying agency in Europe, offered him the opportunity to open their Moscow branch. From 1989 to 1993, Moradpour spent significant time in Russia, quickly establishing CARAT URSS and INTERSPACES, two complementary advertising associations.
During this period, Moradpour worked on significant projects and built strong relationships with leaders in politics, economics, and culture. For example, he worked on the first television political advertising campaign for Ruslan Khasbulatov, the Chairman of the Supreme Soviet of Russia, during the 1991 elections. This experience allowed him to gain a deep understanding of Russia's evolution and mentality, essential for developing effective advertising campaigns.
Leo Burnett & Moradpour Moscow:
Many of today's prominent Russian advertising professionals started their careers in Edward Moradpour's team. They hold deep respect for him and consider him the father and founder of modern advertising in Russia, as well as the most prominent creative foreigner in today's Russia.
In 1994, Moradpour's longstanding admiration for Leo Burnett came to fruition. He was invited by Leo Burnett Paris (Bordeleau, Leménie, Leo Burnett) to open Leo Burnett in Russia. Since then, he has been permanently based in Moscow, working to create a large international advertising agency with "Russian roots."
Leo Burnett & Moradpour Moscow, opened in 1995, is currently one of the leading advertising agencies in Russia. Even the financial crisis of 1998 did not undermine its achievements. On the contrary, the agency's reputation and market share strengthened. It retained most of its employees and clients during the crisis and gained new brands from the late 1990s onwards.
The agency has an impressive list of clients and advertised brands, including Marlboro, L&M, Arollo Soyuz, Tide, Myth, Tamrah, Vidal Sassoon, Max Factor, Nevskoye, Tuborg, Ambassador-coffee, Ferrero, Hennessy, Ariston, Tylos Tea, Heinz, and Johnnie Walker, among others.
Edward Moradpour's fluency in five languages - French, English, Russian, Spanish, and Persian - has been instrumental in his success. He personally invented one of the most well-known advertising slogans in Russia: "Chistota - chisto Taid" ("Cleanliness - pure Tide"). His knowledge of Russia and Russian language has been a deciding factor in his achievements.
Outside of work, Moradpour has a passion for cinema, traveling (having visited over 30 countries), photography (taking and developing numerous pictures from his travels), and classical and contemporary music. He also has a profound interest in astrophysics and dreams of uncovering the secrets of the "Big Bang" if he were not an advertising professional.
Edward Moradpour currently lives and works in Moscow, continuing to pursue his goal of creating the best advertising agency in Russia. It seems that this goal has been achieved.
