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EXPERIENCE:

 

Writer + Creative Director

CAMPBELL EWALD, New York, NY

2021 - 2022

In early 2021 I was the last piece of the puzzle added to the new and revamped creative leadership of this renowned advertising force. I was brought in to lead the NY creative department and help revive New York State’s tourism and business development after the pandemic hiatus, which we did successfully while also working on a number of other amazing projects, such as branding and launching Constellation Brands' new Ahora Tequila Seltzer, rebranding NYC’s area airports like LGA, JFK, and EWR (how’s that for a challenge?), finding high-quality recruits for the Port Authority Police Department, and expanding the commercial reach of a beloved Arizona dairy farm.

Clients: I❤️NY, Garanimals, Empire State Development (pretty much the state of NY), Port Authority of NY and NJ, New York Power Authority, Shamrock Farms, Palantir, Mutual of Omaha, Clyde May's, Constellation Brands' Casa Noble Tequila, Mi Campo Tequila, and Ahora Tequila Seltzer

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Writer + Creative Director

CASANOVA//McCANN, New York, NY

2006 - 2020

I was hired to start the creative department from scratch in their brand new New York office. At the time the office only had one account, the U.S. Army, and then one creative, me. I changed that quickly. See the long list of national and international clients we pitched and won below. I led the NY office creative department all along, through all the growth, the day to day work, the more than 160 creative awards,

and the many successful new biz pitches. 

Clients: Coca-Cola, UNICEF, Denny’s, U.S. Army, Microsoft, U.S. Postal Service, NY Lottery, Miller Lite, Nestlé, Nescafé, Nesquik, Ulta, L'Oreal, MasterCard, Michelle Obama's LetsMove.org, Cigna, Cigna Healthspring, Corona, Nestlé Pure Life, Minute Maid, Chobani, Stouffer’s, Ad Council, Staples,

Time Warner Cable, OK Cable, Verizon, Nature Valley, Madison Square Garden, The Rockettes, Negra Modelo, Bud Light, Nestlé Boost, Lovaza, GSK, Invokana, Janssen, Entresto, Novartis, Taiho, ProMujer.org, WWF (the panda, not the wrestlers)

 

Writer + Creative Director

TBWA\CHIAT\DAY True Agency, Los Angeles, CA

2005 - 2006

I was hired as Creative Director. Promptly the ECD that hired me left, and I took over the creative reins for all the brands at the agency, helping launch the new Nissan Murano models, the brand new Nissan Versa, and even the Nissan Micra in Europe. We also successfully repositioned the weakening AARP brand and gave it a refreshed jolt of life.

Clients: Nissan, Infiniti, AARP, Hilton Hotels

 

Senior Art Director

DEUTSCH, Los Angeles, CA

2004 - 2005

I did a lot of fun and effective work for great beer, food and fashion brands. I got to try them all too.

Clients: Coors, Coors Light, Old Navy, TGIFriday’s, Cici's Pizza, Mexicali beer, Aspen Edge beer, Cultural LA

 

Writer & Art Director + Associate Creative Director

THE VIDAL PARTNERSHIP, New York, NY

2001 - 2004

I co-led the creative teams on the below brands. We helped the agency become "Agency of the Year", won 3 Radio Mercury Awards 3 years in a row, a first in the industry, and won over 20 other awards, including a couple of "Best of Shows" in creative festivals. I was an integral part of the "New Biz Team", pitching and winning about 10 accounts in one year. It was intense but satisfying.

Clients: Heineken, Amstel Light, Wendy’s, Old Navy, MasterCard, DirecTV, McDonald’s, Target, Kohl’s, Citibank, Johnnie Walker, Buchannan’s, Century 21, Helzberg Diamonds

 

Writer & Art Director + Associate Creative Director

LEO BURNETT, Prague, Czech Republic

1999 - 2001

After a successful year at Leo Burnett's headquarters in Chicago, I was promoted to ACD and was asked to go to Leo Burnett's Prague office to lead their international brands' creative team. As much as I tried to write in Czech for their local brands, they didn't let me, but I did some pretty great work in English for their international brands, helping the agency become "Agency of the Year".

Clients: Coca-Cola, Sprite, Fiat, CV Online, GE Capital Bank, Prague Zoo, Pilsner Urquell beer, Hospodarske Noviny newspaper, Radegast beer, World Online (Czechia's AOL), Kooperativa Insurance

 

Art Director

LEO BURNETT, Chicago, IL

1998 - 1999

I started at Leo Burnett in Chicago as a student/intern and within 2 weeks earned a job offer after selling 2 campaigns for Nintendo, including one for the new Star Wars game. My first client presentation ever was to George Lucas and Nintendo's President. My ECD advised me to make them laugh. I did. It worked.

Clients: Nintendo, Disney, Disney CruiseLines, Kellogg’s, Keebler, Phillip Morris anti-smoking division

 

 

 

JUDGING EXPERIENCE:

 

•Radio Mercury Awards (Chief Judge for 2022, 4X Executive Final Jury)

•Addy’s - National (2023)

•Addy’s - Miami

•Addy’s - New York

•Ad Stars Festival (4X, 2X Executive Jury) - South Korea

•Mobius Awards (3X)

•New York Festivals (4X)

•NYF’s Midas Awards

•Ojo de Iberoamerica (2X Final Jury) - Argentina

•The O’Toole Award

•ThinkLA Interactive Awards

•Tomorrow Awards (2X)

•USH Idea Awards (2X)

 

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OTHER THINGS I'VE BEEN BLAMED FOR:

 

•Member of the Ad Council National Creative Review Committee

•Member of the Radio Mercury Awards Advisory Council

•Nominated “Creative Director of the Year” by Hispanic Ad in 2011 and 2012

•Nominated for the American Advertising Federation Hall of Achievement 2011

•Nominated for AdColor’s Rising Star Award 2011

•Speaker at Ad Stars 2011 & 2019 Advertising Festival in Busan, South Korea

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EDUCATION:

 

MIAMI AD SCHOOL (Miami / Minneapolis / Chicago)

Art Direction & Copywriting

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BERLIN SCHOOL OF CREATIVE LEADERSHIP (Miami, FL)

Creative Leadership​

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KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY (Manhattan, KS)

Microbiology & Pre-Veterinary Medicine (I know, I have questions too.)

 

CENTRAL OF VISUAL ARTS HIGH SCHOOL (San Juan, PR)

Graphic Design & Advertising

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LANGUAGES:

 

ENGLISH - Fluent​

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SPANISH - Fluent​

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GERMAN - My half Austrian kids laugh too hard when I attempt it, so no.

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CZECH - Meh

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