After a messy split with Diddy, Diageo needed to reinvent DeLeón Tequila. So we repositioned it from high-intensity to high-style, tapping Shay Latukolan (Jungle, “Back on 74”) for an electrifying tequila ad turned music video called Bold Spirits, Rise.
With in-store visits down and the metaverse rising, Verizon reimagined the iPhone launch with H1DD3N—an AR experience by FriendsWithYou, featuring music by Halsey, where users near 5G hubs in five cities explored a whimsical world for a chance to win an iPhone 13.
To honor Sidney Poitier’s legacy after his passing, we created a raw, moving social video—featuring only the voices of those he inspired—which resonated so deeply that Tim Cook chose it over the official trailer to share in his tribute.
With Super Bowl attendance limited by the pandemic, digital spaces became the new gathering ground. So we made Verizon 5G Stadium in Fortnite—an interactive Super Bowl experience where 40 million fans connected with NFL players, top streamers, and exclusive gameplay.
To launch The OA on Netflix, we sparked obsessive fandom with a single haunting image—the hero leaping off a bridge—unleashing a cryptic Instagram grid that turned sci-fi lovers into detectives, fueling viral theories and a blockbuster opening weekend.
In 2016, as brands flopped on Snapchat with recycled content, we got Chipotle to treat it like TV—launching “School of Guac,” the platform’s first kids' variety show, where daily skits, stunts, and games turned post-class cravings into must-watch entertainment.
To position Boxed as the hassle-free alternative to Costco, we channeled everyday frustration into comedy with a long-gag TV spot—starring an inept dad, an unfazed mom, and a daughter who sees right through it all.
A heartfelt note published in New York Mag to let your mom know that Boxed is here to help lighten your load.
In an era where freedom of information hangs by a thread, we created DEATH Magazine as Espolón Tequila’s tribute to the truth.
Mysterious social teasers and an obit for fake news in the Times.
And an NYC newsstand in SoHo with a secret doorway to a hidden speakeasy to entertain the press.
To make it believable that an NFL quarterback drives a Toyota, we leaned into the absurd—having Eli Manning solve wild problems with telepathic powers, only to drive off in his practical, dependable Toyota.
Toyota wanted a fresh way to bring personality to their dealerships, so we introduced Jan, the unflappable receptionist, who handled absurd customer antics with perfect comedic timing, making the campaign a long-running cultural hit and turning her into a beloved brand character.
My students told me I should delete these. They don’t understand the way I fought for my life to get Toyota to buy this dumb ass pun.
When I was but a wee junior writer, bored to tears on a banner brief, I used to hide haiku’s in the headlines just to entertain myself. (And earn eye rolls from my CD.)
There was a very weird period of time (c. 2012ish) where giant corporations like Toyota would pay shitloads to make very elaborate interactive digital “experiences” inside of medium-production value video ads. Lucky me.
To showcase Rebtel as the VoIP service that lets you connect without limits, we embraced unfiltered expression with Speak Freely—a campaign featuring passionate ranters sounding off on everything from immigration injustice to the tyranny of dating apps, proving that for just a dollar, nothing is off-limits.
For Harry Styles' Love On Tour, AmEx bought a thousand tickets and asked us to give them away Harry-style—so we launched The Love Bus, a playful mobile ticket giveaway in a VW van, hitting the streets of LA and ending inside the LA Forum as an exclusive merch shop, making AmEx a centerpiece of the tour’s unforgettable start.
Kirin Ichiban was fighting for first place as the go-to beer for sushi lovers. So when they sponsored The Sushi Chef on VICE's Munchies, we created The Guide to Japanese Beer Drinking—a playful crash course in sushi and beer etiquette, packed with bite-sized lessons on the dos, don’ts, and unexpected rules of drinking rice beer and eating sushi like a pro.
To introduce Charlotte Cho’s Then I Met You line, we created the first ASMR product showcase, turning her gentle cleanser into a sensory experience by capturing every scoop, lather, and rinse in immersive, tingle-inducing auditory detail.
To show how Clear makes travel seamless, we made this adorably absurd TV spot following Jimmy—a guy who’s spent his entire life proving he’s him.
Couldn’t make a Clear campaign without a bunch of airpot signage.
To make Verizon more than just a place to replace your phone every couple years, we created Techxperts—a web series where real tech pros showed how to use gadgets for everything from leveling up your night photography to training like an athlete. Whether it was smart home setups or desert travel hacks, each episode turned Verizon into a hub for tech that actually makes life better.
A small sampling of some of my students— brilliant young conceptual thinkers who’ve won top honors at The One Show, ADC, D&AD, and gone on to take posts at Wieden+Kennedy, Mischief, FCB, VML, and a bunch of others.
One last thing!
Before there were binge-worthy TV shows, there were big ass books.
Since, A) the best writers are good readers and B) high school is balls for discussing Serious Literature, my wife and I started the Long Hard Book Club to revisit those classic doorstops we were ashamed to admit we’d never read. Some local journos found out about it and blew us up: