Strasser, 24, and Sgro, 26, are “straight out of

Strasser, 24, and Sgro, 26, are “straight out of central casting,” says their boss, group creative director Barry Burdiak. “Joe has cropped hair and is built like a spark plug, and Dan is a skinny bean pole,” he describes. Their work styles differ, too: Strasser describes himself as loud and overcompetitive, while Sgro is more laid-back.

Fortunately for DDB, the combo seems to be working. Barely in their mid-20s, the two created the popular Bud Light “Sky Diver” Super Bowl ad, showing a pilot jumping out of a plane after a case of the beer; the Capital One “Payback” spot, showing an irate customer chasing a bank employee; and several “Real Men of Genius” radio ads.

“The lights are on in their heads. They are really good for their age,” says Burdiak. “They get it. The attitude is, ‘We can do it.’ They keep coming at you with ideas.”

Canadian Strasser and Sgro, from Drexel Hill, Pa., started working together at Miami Ad School four years ago, cementing their bond through semesters in London and Minneapolis. “We just seemed to get along. Ideas flowed a lot better” together, says Strasser, who also holds a Swiss passport and skipped college to travel Europe and dabble in real estate before heading to the Ad School. They were hired by DDB via an internship program in 2003.

They made their mark with “Skydiver,” but the spot, one of 100 scripts they wrote for the game, almost didn’t get produced. “It was technically dead. Then Mark Gross, group creative director, really believed in the idea strongly, so it turned into a spec spot,” says Strasser. “We just kind of pulled in favors and worked it with a production company.”

While it was great to see their ad on the Super Bowl, it put the pressure on, says Sgro, who remembers U.S. chief creative officer Bob Scarpelli seeing them after the ad ran and saying, “Congrats, do it [again] next year.” Adds Sgro, “It’s awesome, but there’s constantly pressure to hit the next home run.”

Since moving into the beer group in January, they’ve worked nearly every weekend. They’ve created a Budweiser ad, “Talk Show,” a Napster spot, “Double Click,” and two “Real Men of Genius” radio spots. They’re currently producing print and outdoor for Super Glue and prepping for their next Capital One spot, as well as more work for Bud Light. “We’re trying not to get the sophomore curse,” says Sgro. “I think we’re doing all right.”