Martin Lewis (humorist) - Publicity and Marketing Strategist

Publicity and Marketing Strategist

Lewis also works as a publicity and marketing consultant through his company Springtime! which he founded in 1977.

Bob and Harvey Weinstein - founders of Miramax Films and the Weinstein Company have credited Lewis with providing the inspiration and prototype for their own expertise in movie marketing. A story about Lewis in the Hollywood Reporter in June 2001 included a joint statement by the Weinstein Brothers: "Back in 1982 when we were starting Miramax Films, Martin Lewis was the producer of what became our first hit movie - The Secret Policeman's Other Ball starring the Monty Pythons. Martin had a background in publicity and marketing and came up with a great campaign for the movie, creating a huge buzz and getting us free publicity, which was crucial to the film's success. We learned a lot about publicity and marketing from our experience with Martin Lewis."

Early in his career, Lewis had been a protégé of former Beatles publicist Derek Taylor - then working for the UK division of Warner/Elektra/Atlantic Records. Lewis subsequently worked at British independent record company Transatlantic Records as Director Of Publicity & Marketing - where he worked on campaigns for musicians and comedic artists such as Gerry Rafferty, Billy Connolly, Ralph McTell, Gryphon, the Sadista Sisters, Mike Harding, the Pasadena Roof Orchestra, and the Portsmouth Sinfonia.

In 1994-1996 he reunited with Derek Taylor when he was engaged by Capitol Records as US marketing strategist for the Beatles' Anthology and Live at the BBC projects.

Other notable projects in recent years include the worldwide launch of Sir Paul McCartney's Music & Animation Collection DVD of animated musical films for children (2004), the 50th anniversary of the movie Blackboard Jungle and the 50th anniversary of the song Rock Around the Clock (2005).

His work as a marketing and publicity strategist includes two successful Oscar campaigns for movies that won the Academy Award for Best Picture: the 2005 Best Picture winner Crash and the 2011 Best Picture winner The King's Speech.

The promotional website Lewis created and wrote for the 2000 theatrical reissue of A Hard Day's Night won the Gold Pencil Award - the advertising industry's equivalent of the Oscar - for the Best Promotional Website of 2000 – awarded annually by The One Club.