Tributes paid to former AA Director General Richard Wade

The Advertising Association would like to pay tribute to its former Director General, Richard Wade, who passed away earlier this month at the age of 84.

Richard had a distinguished career in the advertising and media industries. He led the association from 1990-1993 following a 23-year service at the BBC, where he held several senior roles including Editor of Tomorrow’s World and the Deputy to the Head of Radio 4.

The Advertising Association recorded many achievements during his term as the Director General, with his strongest legacy being the foundation of the European Advertising Standards Alliance (EASA) in 1992.

EASA was founded by Richard with a small group of European advertising industry leaders at the height of the drive towards establishing the EU Single Market. EASA was launched following a public challenge from Internal Market Commissioner, Sir Leon Brittan, who told the industry it needed to do more to ensure high standards of self-regulation across Europe, if it wanted to avoid – or at least minimise – intrusive European regulation.

EASA today is an authoritative voice in Brussels and known throughout the world for upholding effective and accountable self-regulation of advertising bringing together the ASA with a total of 27 Self-Regulatory Organisations in 24 countries. As someone who believed in the power of international cooperation, Richard was delighted to see how European SROs spread their influence around the world through the founding of EASA’s sister body, ICAS, the International Council for Advertising Self-regulation – numbering 32 members today.

From his Tomorrow’s World days, he never lost his fascination with science and technology and the opportunities and challenges these bring. When the European Interactive Digital Advertising Alliance (EDAA) was set up, he saw immediately the importance of combining the power and reputation of EASA with the new world of data-driven advertising to develop new programmes for advertising self-regulation.

Richard’s influence on the formation of what we know today as the Data and Marketing Association (DMA) was profound. Over an 11-month period he chaired through diplomacy and a firm hand a steering group set up to merge the four main trade bodies, overcoming vested interests to create a leading association for an important sector. Anyone who remembers that process might recall Richard was a stickler for time-keeping. Having been kept waiting once, thereafter he scheduled meetings to commence at 10.29. Nobody was ever late again!

Stephen Woodford, CEO, Advertising Association, said: “I am deeply saddened by the passing of the Advertising Association’s former Director General, Richard Wade, who was a brilliant champion of the innovation and cooperation that shape advertising’s regulatory systems that we see today. Richard’s work in setting up the European Advertising Standards Alliance (EASA) was a remarkable achievement and poignant that we remember him on the 30^th anniversary of its foundation.”

Sue Eustace, Director of Public Affairs, Advertising Association, said: “Richard was a visionary with relentless drive and focus.  He gave new energy to the AA at a critical time when the industry needed to respond to the new challenges of the European Single Market. It is to his credit that the AA led the thinking and response to those challenges by the ad industry in both the UK and from across Europe”.

Angela Mills Wade, Richard’s wife and Executive Director of the European Publishers Council, said: “While DG of the AA, Richard campaigned tirelessly to protect the freedom of commercial speech from unwarranted state restrictions as he believed passionately that independent financing of the media through advertising is fundamental to the future sustainability of the freedom of the press. He understood this had to be an international cause and that it was the responsibility of media owners to unite to defend their interests at national and EU level, which inspired the foundation of the European Publishers Council which I’ve had the honour to lead since its foundation in 1991.”

Watch Richard Wade explain the inception of EASA, on the Alliance’s 25^th anniversary.

Further information:

Richard began his career as a Management Trainee at Unilever in 1961 after graduating from New College, Oxford with an MA in Oriental Studies. Shortly afterwards he joined BBC television as director and producer – Richard was one of the first foreign TV crew into China while Chairman Mao was still in power.

He held the role of Editor of the BBC’s flagship science and technology TV programme Tomorrow’s World from 1970-75. It was here that Richard developed his fascination with technology, a fascination which continued throughout his life.

On departing the BBC as Chief Assistant to the Managing Director, Richard held a series of roles. Aside from Director General of the Advertising Association, he led urban regeneration as Director of Business in the Cities, part of Business in the Community, and was Fellow & Director of Development at St Edmund’s Hall, Oxford. He became a Freemason of the City of London in 1988.

Later in life, Richard founded the website Freespeling, as part of his passion to modernise English spelling, offering users alternatives to 500 difficult or illogical spellings. The project attracted much public interest and commentary.

Richard is survived by his second wife Angela Mills Wade, Executive Director of the European Publishers Council and by his two daughters by his first marriage and his two step children.

A full obituary will appear in The Times.

Funeral and charitable donation details:

All Enquiries to Reeves and Pain Funeral Directors Kidlington, Oxford, OX5 2PB Tel 01865 371159

Messages and tributes:

These may be sent to tributes@adassoc.org.uk

Gallery credit: Campaign Magazine