Adweek's Creative 100: 2020's Rising Agency Stars

Creativity, long divided by the agency world into the binary disciplines of art and copy, is today a blurred amalgam of technology, timing, strategy, calculated risk and social responsibility—all brought together by a meticulous commitment to craft. Each day, marketers find themselves surrounded by an infinite landscape of media options, and the creatives below have proven to be some of the best at navigating these new horizons. Jeff Hodgson and Eli Ferrer Creative directors, Gut Based in: Miami [kickout id="1" label="Jeff Hodgson & Eliana Ferrer-CONTENT-2020"] Recent work: Popeyes' "Open Sunday" campaign marking the return of its chicken sandwich. "Popeyes' main chicken sandwich competitor happens to be closed on Sundays, and Popeyes is open," Hodgson says. "What better day to relaunch the sandwich? So, with a well-placed sticker on a road sign, we let everyone know that Popeyes is open and would be selling their sandwich again—on Sunday." [kickout id="20"] Other work: "Bagel That" for Philadelphia Cream Cheese. "We needed to find a way to sell more cream cheese by selling more bagels," Ferrer says. "So we asked ourselves what if everything could be a bagel? So we launched Bagel That, a hole-punching machine that turned anything into a bagel. The device sold out on Amazon." Advice for rising creatives: "Bring some of yourself into projects," Hodgson says. "There's a reason you're the one creating the idea, so let your personality be part of it." Larry Gordon Creative director, Laundry Service Based in: New York [kickout id="2" label="Larry-Gordon"] Recent work: Jordan Brand's live Instagram responses to ESPN's The Last Dance documentary series centered on Michael Jordan. "It’s the brand’s first time ever doing a truly live content series, and we’ve had some really memorable moments,” says Gordon, "like Teyana Taylor recapping her home birth and Carmelo Anthony telling stories about MJ reprimanding him via text message." On living in Harlem: "Growing up, movies like Harlem Nights and Sugar Hill inspired me. Harlem just felt like it should be home,” he says. “Spike Lee is also a huge influence, so I hope he forgives me for not living in Brooklyn with the rest of the creatives." Advice for rising creatives: "Bring your whole, entire, authentic self to work. I mean it," Gordon says. "Come in that door and be who you truly are. Because you are already super dope. So don’t hide it, don’t mask it and don’t ever tone it down." Page Jensen-Slattengren Senior copywriter, The Martin Agency Based in: Richmond, Va. [kickout id="3" label="Page Jensen-Slattengren-CONTENT-2020"] Recent work: "Every Bod" for Hanes. "We noticed [men's apparel] was really lacking in messages of body positivity and diversity—a stark contrast to the body confidence we were seeing in women’s underwear and beauty marketing,” Jensen-Slattengren explains. “We wanted to start a cultural movement to get men to love their bodies. We got told no—a lot—but we persevered, and thanks to an amazing team and brave clients, we created a musical with over 100 men singing in the streets in their underwear." [kickout id="21"] On inclusive casting: "Representation in advertising is so much more than just casting women or POC in a 30-second spot. We need to champion the stories and lift the voices of people who are marginalized in mainstream media,” she says. “And that means hiring, casting, working with and promoting people in the disability community, LGBTQ, women and diversity in age and ethnicity.” Personal mantra: "Anything you can do," Jensen-Slattengren says, "I can do bleeding.” Raphael Franzini Creative director, The Community Based in: Miami [kickout id="4" label="Raphael-Franzini-CONTENT-2020"] Recent work: "Our executive director of creative technology and innovation, Chris Neff, and I partnered to develop Bridge Forecast, an app to help drivers avoid the traffic caused by drawbridges. This system is now in the process of becoming a permanent service with the City of Miami," Franzini says. "Plus, the project led to the creation of a new discipline at The Community, Project Greenhouse, focused on generating ideas that link brands to startups under the power of purpose." Other work: "'Best for a Good Reason' for Verizon. We showcased the true intention behind everything Verizon engineers do through 50-plus videos over the course of a year,” he says. On defying expectations: "People hate ads—until they see one they like," Franzini says. "I strive to create stuff the audience can relate to, enjoy or even use so that, ultimately, they know it’s an ad but don't feel like they’re being advertised to." Rony Castor and Anthony O’Neill Associate creative directors, Goodby Silverstein & Partners Based in: San Francisco [kickout id="5" label="Anthony O’Neil and Rony Castor-CONTENT-2020"] Recent work: “Not a Gun” for Courageous Conversation Global Foundation. "It’s a campaign that deals with police brutality against Black people. As Black men, it’s close to our hearts and will hopefully spark change," O'Neill says. "Despite having a nonexistent budget, the entire team was all in—from the agency partners on down, the team made it great." [kickout id="22"] On the need for inclusive hiring: "We’ve worked at multicultural, African-American and general-market agencies, so we’ve seen firsthand how great it can be to have a diverse group of creative people within an office," Castor says. "If I’m honest, most agencies could do better when it comes to diversity, especially at the leadership level. That’s the biggest change we’d like to see across the board." Side effects of quarantine: "I know a lot more about TikTok than I’d like to," says Castor. Sai He senior creative, freelance Based in: Vancouver [kickout id="6" label="Sai He"] His alter ego: Dong Draper, a social media persona that's become a popular source of insight and community for rising creatives. Recent work: New Zealand Transport Agency PSA "Let Driving Distract You." “We threw hundreds of ideas at the wall before a phrase I absentmindedly jotted down—‘Let driving distract you from your phone’—captured the imagination of our ecd,” He recalls. “We took the line and reverse-engineered a spot that is the antithesis of typical PSAs. Instead of telling viewers what not to do, we gave them a reason to look forward to driving distraction-free." [kickout id="23"] On diversity and inclusion: "The industry’s diversity problem is actually a privilege problem,” says He. “Some of the brightest creative minds will never get a chance because they don’t have the time or money to go to portfolio school. It’s getting harder for self-taught creatives as portfolio schools saturate the entry-level market with a mostly homogeneous stream of talent." Jessica Ghersi and Kevin Kaminishi Creatives, Wieden + Kennedy New York Based in: New York [kickout id="18" label="Jessica Ghersi and Kevin Kaminishi-CONTENT-2020"] Their Super Bowl double appearance: In 2019's Big Game, Ghersi and Kaminishi developed two of the night's biggest ads, both featuring Bud Light: "Special Delivery" about corn syrup and "Joust," which abruptly revealed itself as a co-branded ad with HBO's Game of Thrones. The spots were also created while the duo was also working on three non-Super Bowl ads. "It was sort of hell, but like the kind of hell that you remember as heaven later," Ghersi says. "II definitely cried, but laughed a lot too." [kickout id="25"] Other recent work: "We just released a spot called 'Meet Again' on what would have been MLB's opening day," Kaminishi says. "It shows all the empty stadiums and bars that have been affected by Covid-19, and encourages people to stay home and be safe now, so that we can all meet up again later." [kickout id="26"] Justin Norman SVP and creative director, Doner Based in: Detroit [kickout id="15" label="Justin-Norman-CONTENT-2020"] Recent work: "Last year, I had a blast relaunching JBL with a group of extremely smart brand-side partners. We produced a whirl of work in the family of Harman companies from things as simple as fun explainer videos for web to the three commercials we produced for their portable line of speakers. I was fortunate to get hired on to Doner to lead that business as its creative director." On diversity and inclusion: "For me, as a creative of color and as a black man in the corporate world, I find it incredibly alarming how few people who look like me or have my background are in leadership. I try my best to mentor as many young creatives of color as I can and keep my doors open to anyone needing conversation on anything I can help uplift." Christina Mallon Global Head of Inclusive Design and Accessibility, Wunderman Thompson Based in: New York [kickout id="24"] Recent work: The Tommy Hilfiger Adaptive Alexa skill. "Tommy was the first mass fashion brand to launch an adaptive clothing line for people with disabilities. Many people in the disability community find using their voice for certain tasks easier, so my team and I partnered with them to create a voice-activated personal shopper." Reclaiming her narrative: "A few years ago, my arms became paralyzed from motor neuron disease. The most difficult part of becoming paralyzed was not losing control of my arms but losing the control over my narrative. People assumed that my life was over and that I could no longer add value to the world. Most media and marketing portrays people with disabilities as charity, and most brands don't design with their needs in mind, which devalues them. These were design problems, so I became a designer." Nellie Rego Santee Copywriter, David Based in: Miami [kickout id="8" label="Nellie-Santee-CONTENT-2020"] Recent work: "Edchup," Heinz's collaboration with Ed Sheeran. "It started with the fact that Ed Sheeran had tattooed the Heinz label on his arm years ago, and always professed his love for the brand. We wanted to include him in the creative in a way that was authentic and real to his love, and didn't sound like a paid endorsement." [kickout id="27"] Advice to creatives: "The best strategy to learn to do good advertising at the beginning is reverse-engineering. Looking at good pieces of work and trying to figure out why they are good and why they work. Look at good work every day." On starting out in Goiânia, Brazil: "Because it is not a big center for advertising, a lot of what we learn in terms of advertising is self-taught. That made me learn how to get things done without many resources, and getting inspiration from other markets." Matthew Pullen and Jon Murray Associate creative directors, RPA Based in: Santa Monica [kickout id="12" label="Matthew Pullen and Jon Murray-CONTENT-2020"] Recent work: Honda's "Magic Snow Globe," a VR experience for children hospitalized for cancer treatment. "Since the kids couldn't physically leave the hospital to take part in all the usual holiday activities," Murray says, "we used VR to transport them to a winter wonderland where they could play in the snow, build a snowman, and take part in the magic of the holiday season." [kickout id="28"] On the personal impact of quarantine: "We’re often too busy—or we make the convenient excuse to be—to focus on the things that matter," Pullen says. "The weight of Covid-19 and the world situation has definitely made me appreciate the important things even more. I’m lucky to have my health, my job and to know that my family is safe and well." Advice for rising creatives: "If you find yourself at an agency where you're not making the kind of work you want to make, get proactive," Murray says. "Study your client's business and pitch ideas to your CD that somehow solve one of their business problems." Mietta McFarlane and Luke Chard Senior copywriter and senior art director, Droga5 Based in: New York [kickout id="7" label="Mietta-McFarlane-CONTENT-2020"] Recent work: "A project that we just released and I couldn’t be prouder of was the latest 'Seize The Awkward' campaign, a teen suicide prevention charity that we helped develop two years ago. The first year, we acknowledged the awkwardness that comes with having a conversation about mental health with a friend, and this year we evolved it into all the ways you can break the ice and start the conversation. We created 'Whatever Gets You Talking,' a music video jam-packed with different ways to ask a friend if they are OK. Plus we created over 30 Giphy stickers that people could send to their friends, filters, and a bunch of illustrations that demonstrated other ways to ask." [kickout id="29"] Creating where there's a need: "Something I’ve noticed recently are the long lines outside supermarkets like Whole Foods due to social distancing," Chard says. "So I developed a side project called Queue Cam with some friends that is a livestream of the lines at Whole Foods, so you can check the line before you get stuck in one." Advice for creatives: "Unless you’re very lucky—or have a God-given talent—the best briefs don’t just land on your desk," McFarlane says. "You either need to sniff them out, or better yet, create them." Meredith Kinee and Rachel Cuyler Creative directors, VMLY&R New York Based in: New York [kickout id="11" label="Meredith Kinee and Rachel Cuyler-CONTENT-2020"] Recent work: "This year, we had the opportunity to help New Balance create a campaign around the 40th anniversary of the London Marathon," Cuyler says. "We worked to develop stories that highlighted real runners and their relationship to both running and their home cities in England. Casting is always a highlight for us—getting to connect with those runners and let them each tell their story in their own voice was truly rewarding. The race itself, like many others around the world, was postponed due to Covid-19, but we look forward to sharing those stories alongside the runners during the race, which is scheduled for October." Advice for creatives: "Do your hardest work and thinking in the morning," Kinee says. "If you’re feeling blocked or needing to express something complex, try it first thing in the morning. Your mind is so much more open to approaching difficult things right when you wake up. I think when the world around you is still, it helps quiet the chaos within—which helps you reframe your approach to tackling difficult projects." Joshua Smutko Partner and creative director, Omelet Based in: Los Angeles [kickout id="17" label="Josh-Smutko-CONTENT-2020"] Recent work: "Without a doubt I’m beyond proud of the team for our work on Google Stadia," Smutko says. "Our fall campaign was a beast and the most amazing thing I’ve ever worked on. It was an incredible blend of strategy and insanity. For our spring campaign, Covid-19 had us pivot to a complete remote production, and being part of that was an experience I’ll never forget. I was beyond humbled by the perseverance of our team, our clients, and all of our partners." [kickout id="30"] Advice to creatives: "'If you have to eat shit, it’s best not to chew.' It’s very hard for good creatives to realize that sometimes a beach isn’t worth dying on," he says. "Learning those moments, and learning to accept those moments, can mean a lot less stress." On the lessons of quarantine: "I haven’t learned to bake bread or anything, but I think I’m learning to put things in perspective, and hopefully that’s something that I can continue to learn even when this 'ends,'" he says. "Also, I’ve started using Ring Fit Adventure on the Nintendo Switch, and it is legit exercise. You can endorse me on LinkedIn for squats." Liz Marks Co-founder, Inside.Company Based in: Miami [kickout id="14" label="Liz-Marks-CONTENT-2020"] Recent work: "Sometimes I feel like I’m a secret agent. Most of the tech companies I work with today are very tight-lipped about what they do. Most recently, we wrapped up a project with Airbnb’s policy team. Fun fact: Airbnb was Inside.Company’s founding client. We are also diving deep into launching a new neurotechnology startup." On the value of a virtual business model: "We’ve been fortunate [during the quarantine] in that I’ve been helping run a virtual business for a few years already. inside.company is fully distributed by design. We work with people and companies based on talent and skill set, rather than geography. This methodology has proven invaluable." Advice for creatives: "Show up. Show up when you say you will, for your partners and your team," she says. "Be on time, every time. Work hard. If you have the discipline and the drive, you can out work anyone. No excuses. Get the work done and do it well. Be nice. Be nice and fun to work with. It goes a long way." Paulo Junger Group creative director, DDB New York Based in: New York [kickout id="9" label="Paulo-Junger-CONTENT-2020"] Recent work: "Broadway the Rainbow," the 2019 Skittles musical. "I'm super proud of being part of that campaign as an art director. It's not every day that a guy from Rio de Janeiro has the chance to see his work across a Times Square billboard and plastered in New York buses." [kickout id="31"] On the enduring value of creativity: "As data rises as a vital tool for brands, some clients start questioning the relevance of creativity," he says. "I don't buy that simply stating features and benefits to the right audience is enough. Advertising is all about sparking an emotion, entertaining, and creating this strong connection to earn people’s attention, respect and love. That’s why creativity is the core of this business." Advice for creatives: "Study old ads as much as you can," he says. "The core of advertising hasn't changed. The emotions that drive people's decisions today are not fundamentally different than 50 years ago. An amazing idea will always speak from human truth—and I don't see that changing, ever." Phil Fattore Associate creative director, BarrettSF Based in: San Francisco [kickout id="10" label="Phil-Fattore"] Recent work: "Last year I worked on a launch campaign for the WWE 2K20 video game. For the first time in WWE 2K history, the game’s cover star was going to be a female wrestler. Her name is Becky Lynch, 'The Man.' To highlight this, we concepted a series of spots that all took place around a giant 'boy’s club' mansion party, featuring some of the biggest names from WWE’s past and present wearing tuxedos, sipping cocktails, and doing other dude-like things. We kicked it off with a spot that showed Becky Lynch crashing the all-male party by breaking through the glass ceiling of the mansion. Like the WWE, the symbolism was not subtle." [kickout id="32"] The XFL trophy that wasn't to be: "I also worked on the XFL, the pro football spring league that made its return in 2020, but was cut short when the pandemic struck. We made many things for the XFL, but I’m most proud of a project that died with the league. At the 11th hour, our agency was asked to come up with some XFL trophy designs for their championship game. They said, 'even rough sketches are fine,' and I took that statement very literally. With nothing more than a mechanical pencil, I drew a trophy worthy of a second-grade art class. Somehow my sketch idea struck a chord with the XFL league brass and was ultimately picked as the winning trophy design by Vince McMahon himself. The XFL folded, but my sketch lives on as a folded piece of paper in my notebook." Aline Ridolfi Creative director, The Mill Based in: New York [kickout id="19" label="Aline-Ridolfi-CONTENT-2020"] Recent work: "I changed agencies last year," she says, "so I would say I'm really proud of my first project as a CD at The Mill—Canvas Records, an audiovisual listening bar we did for Spotify, during Austin City Limits. We worked together with Fig to bring to life this really cool concept of a record store/bar that had interactive record covers showcasing video loops of specific Spotify tracks. The team was amazing and it marked the beginning of a new path in my career." [kickout id="33"] Personal mantra: "There's a quote from a Brazilian poet, Ferreira Gullar, 'Art exists because life is not enough.' I think about that a lot," she says. Maggie Bryan Director of user experience, Stink Studios Based in: New York [kickout id="13" label="Maggie-Bryan-CONTENT-2020"] Recent work: "In June 2019, we launched Stonewall Forever, an immersive digital experience and augmented reality app that features previously unheard perspectives from the LGBTQ+ community about the impact of the Stonewall Riots on the last 50 years of Pride," she says. "I worked on the project on and off for almost two years as the UX Lead. The digital experience is an interactive monument that features hundreds of historically significant videos and images that tell the story of the life before, during and after the riots. Site visitors were encouraged to add to the 'living' monument by leaving a personal reflection on what the anniversary meant to them." [kickout id="34"] Advice for creatives: "I didn’t get my dream job right out of college, and I struggled for a long time because I thought I wasn’t on the right path," she says. "I wish I’d known that there isn’t one 'right path.' Take advantage of being junior, when no one expects you to get it 100% right. Explore what drives you and what you’re good at. Ask for feedback and listen to it. It’s OK to end up on a different path than the one you started on." Juliana Ardila Associate creative director, FCB West Based in: San Francisco [kickout id="16" label="Juliana-Ardila-CONTENT-2020"] Recent work: "Clorox Bleach is iconic. It’s long been trusted by consumers to tackle hard-core messes in high-stakes situations. But millennials didn’t know how to use it, and they were afraid of it," she says. "So we did the obvious thing: We created a music video...about bleach. To override Millennials’ bullshit meters, we knew we would have to engage with them ironically, to reflect their provocative and irreverent senses of humor. Sara Mason, the copywriter, created the most amazing lyrics for a song that was edgy, fun and controversial. The perfect mix for a young audience. We disguised instructional information as karaoke-worthy lyrics with a repetitive rhyme pattern and a sticky hook. The whole process took us about eight months and we worked together on everything, from composing the song from scratch to making the music video." [kickout id="35"] Personal mantra: "Question everything, never assume. Everyone has something to teach you," she says. "Trust yourself or no one else will. Do good and good things will come back to you." Check out Adweek’s Creative 100 for 2020 by category: Rising Talents | Senior Agency Leaders | Global Agency Leaders | Media Innovators | Celebrities & Influencers | Creators & Curators | Branded Content Innovators | Directors | Cover Star: Ramy Youssef

The Creative 100

26 Rising Talents Helping Reshape the Agency Landscape

These emerging talents represent a new generation on Adweek's Creative 100 for 2020

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