Advertising saved my life.
Sort of.
If you dig deep enough in the bowels of your computer you’ll find assembly language. It’s the tiniest building block of computer code. The quantum particle of the binary world. It's the same primitive language Bill Gates and Steve Wozniak used in the 70’s to write their operating systems. It took like 10,000 lines of assembly just to type this sentence.
It's meticulous, tedious, time-intensive and generally as sucky as you’d imagine it to be.
And, as a failing computer science major 3-years into my degree at UT Austin, I slammed face first into assembly language. Which was, mercifully, my breaking point.
I switched my major to Advertising fully expecting to get a job looking at graphs, discussing graphs, and if there was time scheduling a meeting to circle back on the graphs.
A graph-centric type occupation if you will.
Then I took Deborah Morrison’s ADV 325 – Intro to Creativity in Advertising. Holy shit! The first day of class she dropped the F bomb, told a dirty joke, and I knew I was in the right place. I wasn’t a computer programmer or a graph maker. I was whatever this weird job was.
To this day, I’m still amazed my job is to come up with ideas. And be creative. And work with amazing, smart people. And we all just go make cool shit. With a budget. They might even throw in a celebrity. A crew of like 500 million people shows up. There’s snacks. Someone brings a crane.
It’s insane. How did this happen?
Oh wait, it’s because I sucked at computer science.
Also fuck assembly language. The worst.
Experience:
The Martin Agency
06/24_
VP/Group Creative Director
Axe Global, Papa Johns, Solo Stove, Oreo
The Martin Agency
06/19_06/24
VP/Creative Director
Buffalo Wild Wings, Axe Global, Oreo, Papa Johns, Solo Stove
The Martin Agency
05/15_06/19
Senior Copywriter/Associate Creative Director
GEICO, Purina, Optimum, Benjamin Moore, Experian, Sabra, Chips Ahoy!, Ritz, Oreo, Buffalo Wild Wings, Subway, Virginia Tourism, Kohl's, Lidl
CP+B Boulder
03/10_ 05/15
Senior Copywriter
Burger King, Microsoft, Windows Phone, Old Navy, Best Buy, Coke Zero, Kraft Macaroni & Cheese, American Express OPEN, Jose Cuervo, Applebee's, Gates Foundation, Domino's, Fruit of the Loom, Hotels.com, Charles Schwab
CP+B Miami
06/08_03/10
Interactive Copywriter
Burger King, Microsoft, Windows Phone, Volkswagen, Domino's, Old Navy, Kraft Macaroni & Cheese, Hulu, The Wolfsonian, Guitar Hero
Publicis in the West
11/07_06/08
Copywriter
T-Mobile, Tap Water Project
Rooftop Communications
09/06_08/07
Copywriter
Music & Arts, Precision Tune Auto Care, Chesapeake Bank, Delsey, Trollbeads, Humidex, Gaines McHale
Eisner Communications
04/04_09/06
Copywriter
Maryland Lottery, National Aquarium in Baltimore, The Century Council, AMF, Bank of America, US Airways, Spirit Airlines, Hostmysite.com, Red Hot, and Blue, Morgan State University, Capital One
Awards:
One Show
Social Media / Social Post - Multi-Platform Series - Merit
Social Media / Stunts & Activations - Bronze
Social Media / Influencer Marketing - Use of Celebrity - Gold
Solo Stove: Snoop Goes Smokeless
Art Director’s Club
Social Media Campaign - Bronze
Digital Craft – Content Strategy - Silver
Solo Stove: Snoop Goes Smokeless
Richmond Show
Interactive: Social - Best in Show
Advertising: Integrated B2C
Solo Stove: Snoop Goes Smokeless
Clio
Use of Talent & Influencers - Silver
Social Media/Social Post - Gold
Social Media/ Use of Talent and Influencers - Gold
Solo Stove: Snoop Goes Smokeless
Webby’s
Advertising, Media & PR / Viral Marketing - Webby Winner
Advertising, Media & PR / Brand Strategy - People’s Choice Winner
Solo Stove: Snoop Goes Smokeless
D&AD
Digital & Social - Use of Talent & Influencers - Graphite
PR - Use of Talent & Influencers - Graphite
Solo Stove: Snoop Goes Smokeless
Cannes
PR + Social / Use of Events and Stunts - Bronze
Social and Influencer / Creator, Influencer and Celebrity Partnerships - Silver
Solo Stove: Snoop Goes Smokeless
LIA
Creativity in PR: Influencer Marketing - Silver
Use of Social Media & Influencers: Social Media Post - Gold
Solo Stove: Snoop Goes Smokeless
Art Director’s Club
Gaming/Brand Integration - Bronze
Axe: The Mistaverse
Webby’s
Advertising, Media & PR - Nominee
In-Game Advertising 2023
Axe: Mistaverse
Adweek: The 25 Best Ads of 2021
#6
Axe: The Walk
Effies
Youth Marketing - Silver
Axe: The New Axe Effect
The One Show
Moving Picture Craft: Animation - Merit
Moving Picture Craft: Production Design- Merit
Craft Direction - Shortlist
Music & Sound - Shortlist
Axe: The Walk
The One Show
Social Media Post - Shortlist
Social Media Series - Shortlist
Axe: DogeCan
Andy Awards
Craft - Shortlist
Axe: The Walk
Richmond Show
Best of Show
Axe: Dogecan
Webby's
Earned Media - People's Choice Winner
Webby Viral Marketing - Honoree
Axe: DogeCan
Webby's
Craft Animation - Nominee
Craft Editing - Nomineee
Axe: The Walk
Shots
Production and Styling - Bronze
Shots Direction - Shortlist
Axe: The Walk
Vimeo
2021 Staff Pick
Axe: The Walk
Clio
Social Media - Bronze
Axe: DogeCan
Cannes
2021 Entertainment Lion - Short List
Buffalo Wild Wings: Boneless Thugs
The Webby Awards
2020 Experimental & Weird - Nominee
Buffalo Wild Wings: Jewel Stool
Cannes
2019 PR Lion - Shortlist
Buffalo Wild Wings: Jewel Stool
CA Photography Annual
2016
Purina: Animals Speak Louder Than Words
LIA: TV/Cinema/Online Film
2015 - Shortlist
Velveeta Shells & Cheese: The Law (TV :15)
FWA Site of the Day
March 2015 Site of the Day
Cpbgroup.com
Cannes Film Lion
2011 - Short List
Windows Phone: Really?
Clio Interactive Mobile
2011 - Shortlist
American Express Travel: Nextpedition
TED Ads Worth Spreading
2010 Honorable Mention
Windows Phone: Really?
Time Magazine
2010 Top 10 TV Commercials
Windows Phone: Really?
Cannes Cyber Lion
2010 Best Copywriting - Bronze
Burger King: Dollar Holiday
Cannes Cyber Lion
2010 Foods & Drinks - Bronze
Burger King: Dollar Holiday
Webby Awards
2009 - Finalist
Burger King: Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy
One Show Interactive
2009 - Finalist
Burger King: Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy
Cannes Cyber Lion
2009 - Shortlist
Burger King: Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy
Lürzers's Archive
November 2004
Salt Lick BBQ: All You Can Eat BBQ