A leader in the marketing communications industry who has helped create notable campaigns for Coca-Cola, Alka-Seltzer and Exxon is set to speak Friday (May 30) at West Virginia University.

Bruce Nelson, vice chairman of the Omnicom Group, will give the keynote address at the kickoff dinner event for WVU s2008 IMC (Integrated Marketing Communications) Weekend, May 30-31. His presentation is expected to begin around 8 p.m. at the Touchdown Terrace at Milan Puskar Stadium.

The IMC masters degree programis an exclusively online degree program offered by thePerley Isaac Reed School of Journalismat WVU . During IMC Weekend, prospective and current students, graduates and faculty from around the world will gather for two days of informational and social events.

Nelson, whose responsibilities include accelerating the growth of the operating companies and business development across marketing disciplines, is the co-director of Omnicoms MBA Residency Program.

One hundred IMC students, graduates and faculty are traveling to Morgantown to hear Nelson speak about his experiences in the dynamic and evolving marketing communications industry,said Chad Mezera, IMC program director.Hes one of the industrys leading pioneers, and we are honored and excited by his visit.

Nelsons career highlights include serving as executive vice president and chief marketing officer of Interpublic (IPG) from 2000-05. He built Magna Global, the first aggregated media negotiating company, and the 16-company marketing communications network for Bank of America. He also was the architect of Interpublics licensing entity, Magna Licensingaligned with Bragman Nyman Cafferelliand in 2004, he built FLAG , a dedicated specialist agency serving Bank of America for its enterprise-wide projects.

In addition, Nelson was the architect of Draft Worldwidesgo-to-market strategy,Behavior Path Marketing, and from 1998-99, he was vice chairman of Young&Rubicam Inc., the holding company of Y&R Advertising, Wunderman, Burston-Marsteller and Landor Associates. Prior to that, he had a multidisciplinary career at McCann-Erickson Worldwide for 19 years, holding executive vice president titles as director of Worldwide accounts and director of strategy for Worldwide accounts. He was also the youngest executive creative director in the agencys history.

Nelson is the author of three proprietary frameworks in which to view brands that have been institutionalized by marketers around the world. They areImmediacy Marketing: Selling in Real Time,The Brand FootprintandManaging Leadership and Challenger Brands.He has also been the author and architect of long-running campaigns that have redefined their categories, includingHigher Standardsfor Bank of America,Minds Over Moneyfor Shearson Lehman Brothers,Common Sense. Uncommon Resultsfor Fidelity Investments andThese Times Demand The Timesfor The New York Times.

Additionally, Nelson was responsible for the successful repositioning of the Gold Card from American Express in 1980 and the successful launch of the Platinum Card three years later. He has been a lecturer on both branding and global branding at the Columbia Business School and at the Yale School of Management.

Other IMC Weekend activities include an informational session about the program, panel discussions and a campus walking tour on Saturday (May 31). The IMC program also will host four breakout sessions in Brooks Hall, focusing on a few of the hottest topics in the industry today. Sessions includeThe RISE of Emerging Media,Green Marketing: Understanding the PhenomenonandPublic Relations for Non-Profits and Entrepreneurship.

Guests can attend the Friday night dinner featuring Nelson for $15 per person. Saturday sessions are free and open to the public.

For more information on the IMC program and the 2008 IMC Weekend, visithttp://www.imc.wvu.edu/.