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20 Shyama Golden 61 Posters
by Randi Bergman 73 Miscellaneous
Dipping her brushes in surrealism, the Los
Angeles–based artist blends worlds both real 82 Digital Advertising
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28 Upstatement 106 Public Service
by Joe Shepter 114 Public Service Television
By grounding its digital designs in strategy and
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COVER 36 Charles Harris
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Source images (from top to
bottom): OOH from a series for A photographer based in Raleigh, North
Carolina, seizes unscripted opportunities to 126 Student Work
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Group, p. 64; poster from
a series for Serramalte, p. 70; 44 WWAVE DESIGN
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consumer magazine ad from
Undistracted by fleeting graphic design trends,
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this studio in Macau refines beautiful ideas
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to last.
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The latest and best in visual communication
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FRESH
Editor/Designer
Patrick Coyne
Executive Editor
Jean A. Coyne
Managing Editor
Esther Oh
Associate Editors
142 144 146 Michael Coyne
Demande Spéciale Tracy J Lee Mohamad Abdouni Michelle Yee
In Montréal, two graphic This San Francisco–based Based between Beirut and Istanbul, Editor At Large
designers’ embrace of duality illustrator sets her subjects a photographer conveys the beauty Anne Telford
results in simple yet bold work. afloat in their own inner worlds. of untold stories into print.
Production Director
Lauren Coyne
Design/Production Associate
Julia Wilkins
Production Assistant/Customer
COLUMNS Service Representative
Khader Yanni
10 11 12 Competition Coordinator/
Design Culture Advertising Business Administrative Assistant
Amid the ongoing pandemic Ernie Schenck has advice for Lauren McEwen asks Black Rachel Whitaker
and social unrest, Wendy ad creatives who find their creative leaders to share their
Richmond questions how flame for advertising flickering. advice to the next generation Archivist
Nancy Clark Lewis
she sees public spaces. on navigating workplace racism.
Software Engineer
Srividhya Gopalakrishnan
16 148 152 Technology Administrator
Design Details Design Issues Insights Michael Hoyt
Experiential designers are When is character design In a Q&A, author, UX designer Advertising/Circulation Director
envisioning how to navigate truly inclusive? Illustrators, and community builder Kat Vellos Dirk Moeller
shared spaces from the new designers and animators shares how she’s making adult
normal toward a better one, discuss with Ricardo Roberts friendship more user-friendly. Accounting
Cesar Queirolo
as Leslie Wolke finds. of BIEN studio.
Contributing Editors
Sam McMillan
Wendy Richmond

DEPARTMENTS Ernie Schenck

Founder
5 Contributors/Directory Richard Coyne (1926–1990)

6 Editor’s Column
154 Favorites
156 Book Reviews
158 Index to Advertising Annual 61
162 Overheard

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CONTRIBUTORS DIRECTORY
Features Featured in this issue
Randi Bergman (randibergman.com) is a writer, editor and consultant focusing on Shyama Golden shyamagolden.com
a wide range of topics, including fashion design, art and culture. Recently, she authored Charles Harris charlesharris.com
the book Toronto Makes. In this issue, she discovers how Los Angeles–based illustrator Upstatement upstatement.com
and artist Shyama Golden is putting a magical twist on reality. WWAVE DESIGN wwavedesign.com
Monica Kass Rogers (monicakassrogers.com) writes and photographs from her home
base in Evanston, Illinois. A letterpress printer who creates ephemera at Little Blue Exhibit
Press, she also cohosts the arts incubator Pig & Weasel. In this issue, she finds that BUCK buck.co
Raleigh-based photographer Charles Harris has an eye for unscripted moments.
Butler, Shine, Stern & Partners bssp.com
Joe Shepter (shepter@gmail.com) is a freelance copywriter and ghostwriter who has Droga5 droga5.com
written for global chief executive officers as well as for brands such as AT&T, Coca-Cola
For The People forthepeople.agency
and Microsoft. In this issue, he writes about Upstatement, a Boston-based firm that’s
heightening its digital projects by grounding them in thoughtful content strategy. Mood Peru mood.pe
Non-Format non-format.com
Tonya Turner (tonyaturner.journoportfolio.com) has worked as a journalist in
newspapers across Australia and is now based in Brisbane, writing about design, Pupila behance.net/pupila_co
architecture, home interiors, food, the arts and travel. In this issue, Turner profiles Samosoboy Branding Buro samosoboy.com
WWAVE, the Macau design studio that’s crafting simple ideas to last. Serviceplan Group serviceplan.com
VMLY&R vmlyr.com
Columns
Lauren McEwen (laurenmcewen.net) is an Atlanta-based writer. She also works as Fresh
a partnerships strategist for the Tempest. She has written for The Washington Post, Mohamad Abdouni mohamadabdouni.com
AJC.com, Bitch, the Baltimore Sun, EBONY.com and more. In this issue’s Business column, Demande Spéciale demandespeciale.ca
she writes about navigating workplace racism, with insights from Black creative leaders. Tracy J Lee tracyjlee.com
Wendy Richmond (wendyrichmond.com) is a visual artist, a writer and an educator
whose work explores public privacy, personal technology and creativity. Her latest book Advertiser’s Index
is Art Without Compromise* (Allworth Press). In her Design Culture column, she learns Creative Hotlist 13, 153
how to see built spaces anew.
Schumann & Company C4
Ricardo Roberts is executive producer at BIEN (thisisbien.com), an inclusive motion
design studio based in Los Angeles. In the Design Issues column, Roberts asks Call for Entries
colleagues for their thoughts on how to design a diverse cast of characters.
Illustration 2021 7, 151
Ernie Schenck (ernieschenck.myportfolio.com) is a freelance writer and a creative Photography 2021 17
director. He is an Emmy finalist, a three-time Kelly nominee, and an award winner at
Cannes, the Clios, D&AD, the FWAs and the One Show. In his Advertising column, he Submitting Work
encourages disillusioned ad creatives to rediscover their passion for advertising.
commarts.com/submissions
Leslie Wolke (lesliewolke.com) is a writer and founder of MapWell Studio, a wayfinding
practice based in Austin, Texas. Wolke founded the Society for Experiential Graphic
Design’s annual design and technology event Xlab. In the Design Details column, she
Writer’s Guidelines
commarts.com/write-us
sees how experiential designers are envisioning new possibilities for shared spaces.
No responsibility will be assumed for
Book Reviews unsolicited editorial contributions.

Rebecca Harris is a former longtime writer and editor at Marketing magazine. She is
currently a freelance writer for a variety of business publications and B2B companies.
Correction
In the 2020 September/October issue, on page
Dave Kuhl (davekuhl@gmail.com) is a writer and creative director. He has cofounded 66, Olivia Rohner should have been included as
a boutique agency and is a four-time Cannes Lion winner. He works as a brand creative art director of the documenting photographers
director/writer for Bauer Hockey. for the Sapsucker project.
Amanda McCorquodale (amandamcc.com) is a New York–based freelance writer and
former Arts & Culture editor of the Miami New Times.
Kimeko McCoy (kimekomccoy.com) is a feature reporter turned digital marketer,
mixing her habit of being extremely online with storytelling to build a digital narrative
around brands.

Communication Arts | commarts.com 5

 EDITOR’S COLUMN Patrick Coyne
T his year’s Advertising Competition felt the full brunt of the
economic downturn caused by the global pandemic. We saw
a significant decline in entries, a direct result of the morato-
rium on entering competitions instituted by several agencies and
holding companies. Still, there were some bright spots this year,
namely the strong showing by independent agencies and students.
“Considering that most big holding groups had pulled out of award
competitions this year, I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of
a significant number of entries,” says juror Farrokh Madon. “This
shows that independent agencies are keeping the fires burning and
that great work will always find a way. It’s a reminder to all of us in
the industry to keep the faith.”
“It was great to see voices from the regional markets in North
America,” juror David Guerrero says. “There were a lot of quite
localized cases that perhaps we would not normally see in
a global context.”
“Many of the entries surprised me, such as Jeep Gladiator, Snickers
Hunger Insurance, Oreo × Game of Thrones and Canadian Women’s
Foundation: Smells Like Inequality,” says juror Marcelo Reis. “These
works were impressive for the quality of their production, and for
being truly bold and memorable.”
“I found the most refreshing and inspired work to be by students,”
juror Jennifer Putnam says. “I admired and applauded their per-
spectives on world and cultural issues, and the problem-solving
they brought to the table to truly engage through innovation,
technology and relevant channels. With this kind of talent in the
pipeline, I’m excited for the future of our industry and how we can
more effectively use our powers for good.”
“The student work was amazing,” says juror Rob Sweetman. “There
were a few times I had to
“The seismic double-check I was still judging
events of 2020 the right category and hadn’t
accidentally slipped into the
are going to professional work. Most of the
continue to shift student entries were really well
thought out, and trying to solve
everything, and I real business problems instead
believe it will be of just winning awards.”
for the better.” “I was blown away by the
student work,” juror Will
—Will McGinness McGinness says. “The quality
6 Advertising Annual 2020
“It’s an asterisk
year—but that
doesn’t diminish
of thinking and the overall
craft was pretty amazing.
The fact that high-quality
production is more accessible
than ever is really going to
the great thinking change our industry for the
better. It gives me great hope
that did get put for the future of creativity.”
out there.” Several jurors commented on
how their perception of the
entries was altered by
—Laura Fegley
current world events.
“Obviously COVID-19 has changed everything, so it felt nostalgic to
see work that was entered from a pre-COVID time,” says juror Nellie
Kim. “I think I even recall seeing an ad for disinfectant wipes that
were meant for pet cleanups and not lethal viruses, and it felt kind
of nice. There were a few ads about COVID-19 that were entered,
and I imagine there will be a whole lot more coming our way in the
near future.”
“It’s stating the obvious, but it’s a weird year,” juror Laura Fegley
says. “There were plenty of bright spots, but less of them. It’s like
we only got half a year of our best creativity. Judging during COVID
also skews your eye a bit—things that you might have loved six
months ago now can seem tired. But great creativity will always be
great creativity.”
“Creativity is still here and is as important as ever in producing work
that matters in the world,” says McGinness. “There’s been so much
talk of commoditizing creativity in recent years, and it’s refreshing
to sit back and take stock of the work that truly moves brands and
businesses forward. That being said, most of this work was created
before the world changed dramatically this year, so it was hard
to not feel oddly disconnected from the time and place in which
it was created. I think that reality is simply a reflection of how
monumental this year has been.”
In addition to praise for the quality of submissions, several jurors
also offered some criticism of the work and the industry as a whole.
“I don’t feel there’s a revolution or evolution happening in the craft
of writing. If anything, it seems to be slipping,” Madon says. “That’s
a real pity, as usually work coming out of the United States tends to
have a bold slant to it. Adversity can be the mother of invention, so
I’m hoping we will see bolder and fresher writing next year.”
© Julia Kerschbaumer

DEADLINE: JANUARY 8, 2021

Categories include Advertising, Books, Editorial, work produced For Sale,
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 EDITOR’S COLUMN
LAURA FEGLEY DAVID GUERRERO
is chief creative is chairman and
“I derive a childlike joy when I get a fresh officer of Chicago, chief creative
CA Annual and see those beautifully Illinois–based officer of Makati,
crafted long-copy ads that you could O’Keefe Reinhard Philippines–based
spend endless hours with,” says Kim. & Paul. Fegley has BBDO Guerrero, the
“I didn’t see many of those this time learned from the best agency he founded in
around, which is probably more telling and made up the rest. In her more than 1998. Guerrero gained his experience in London,
of the pace at which we’re all working 20-year career, she’s worked on everything Hong Kong and Manila. In the years since, he has
right now.” from cars and beer to diapers and frozen won the Grand Prix in both the creativity and
lasagna at agencies including BBH, Cliff effectiveness categories for clients including
“Like every industry, ours is being hit
Freeman and JWT. A recovering New Yorker and Pepsi, Procter & Gamble and the Philippine
hard,” Sweetman says, “and as a result,
relapsed Midwesterner, she’s won most of the Department of Tourism. He has also won
we’re working longer hours and
major awards and some really weird and hundreds of international and local awards and
delivering faster, safer work than ever
random ones. She’s thrice been named one of judged numerous times at AdFest, Ad Stars, the
before. For many clients, they’ll have
“the most creative women in advertising” Clios, D&AD, LIA, the One Show and Spikes Asia.
a hard time going back to the way
by Business Insider. Fegley began working at He was also the first Cannes jury president from
things used to be done.” her first agency after seeing its work in the Southeast Asia. This, however, is his first time
“I am astonished by how many agencies pages of a Communication Arts Annual. judging at CA, of which he is a great admirer.
and brands are still not recognizing that
how consumers feel about a brand today
is often a reflection of whether they can
WILL MCGINNESS JENNIFER PUTNAM
see themselves or their views in the
is partner/chief is chief creative
ads,” says Putnam. “There was little
creative officer officer at Allen
attention to cultural diversity—or
of San Francisco, & Gerritsen in
worse, homogenization of the people California–based Boston, Massachu-
in the actual work.” Venables Bell setts, and Phila-
I asked the jurors how advertising is & Partners (VB&P). delphia, Pennsylvania.
utilizing the ever-expanding number of McGinness joined the agency in 2010, helping Putnam’s career arc reveals her unquenchable
media platforms to reach increasingly to win significant new business, and garnering thirst for memorable experiences, purpose-
diverse audiences. a Breakthrough Agency of the Year honor from driven marketing and innovation. From DDB, Leo
Adweek and inclusion in Fast Company’s 2017 Most Burnett and Ogilvy Chicago to the forefront of
“With all the precision targeting these
Innovative Companies list. McGinness came to digital at Digitas and SapientNitro, her dynamic
days, it is easy to get complacent,” says VB&P after seven years at Goodby, Silverstein & vision, team-building style and passion for
Madon. “We can say with a degree of Partners, where, as a creative director, associate results have helmed integrated work, awards and
certainty that we can serve up the right partner, he assisted in the agency’s transition firsts for a range of clients as diverse as Blue
message to the right person. But to get from a traditional to an integrated business Cross Blue Shield, global nongovernmental
them to engage with brands positively, model. He’s won awards at every major award organization CARE, General Motors and Procter
we still need creativity. The better show, including the coveted Titanium Grand Prix & Gamble. She actively mentors women in and
communications still manage to keep at Cannes. His wife remains unimpressed. outside of the industry.
a strong, yet often simple, idea at the
core to make an impact.”
“We’re still looking for a big idea that can
live everywhere seamlessly, and it feels like we’re not doing each as understanding that it’s a dynamic landscape out there that will
medium justice,” Sweetman says. “I think we’re our own worst probably just continue to expand.”
enemies sometimes. One idea that can reach everyone equally “You either need big, meaty brand ideas that can flex for many
might not exist for every brief. It still feels like we’re trying to figure audiences while being true to the mother ship, or really know who
out how to extend our big ideas from the screens into all the nooks you are and be confident in speaking to a very selective swath of
and crannies, instead of doing what’s right for the space we’re the world,” Fegley says. “People have little interest in brands with
working within.” no point of view and massive interest in brands that do have one.”
“Sometimes ‘the big idea’ is what you need to keep it all together in “Media and audiences have always been dynamic, which is why it’s
a cohesive way, and sometimes you just need to create what’s right so critical to be thinking about the fluid and rapidly changing
and relevant in that moment for that particular project or demo- context to how creative work is experienced,” says Putnam. “In
graphic,” says Kim. “Without it sounding too meta, I think the way today’s world, change has accelerated exponentially, so it’s essential
that we are adapting is by being open to adaptation itself, as well we rethink our approaches.”

8 Advertising Annual 2020

 NELLIE KIM is
partner/executive
creative director
in the Toronto,
Canada, office of
lg2. With more
than fifteen years of
experience, Kim currently leads brands such
as Casper, Rethink Breast Cancer, State Farm
and Under Armour. In 2014, she was tasked
with launching the lg2 Toronto office to help
solidify the independent agency’s national
creative presence in Canada. Since then, lg2
has gone on to win Canadian Agency of the
Year at the Advertising & Design Club of
Canada, the Clios and the Marketing Awards.
Kim has sat on juries including the ADC
Awards, Cannes Lions, the Clios and the One
Show, to name a few.
FARROKH MADON
is chief creative
officer of
Singapore-based
PIRATE. In a career
spanning Singapore,
the Netherlands and
India, Madon has garnered more than 200
prestigious advertising awards. He has also been
the global and Asian regional creative lead on
numerous multinational brands. Madon is
a winner of the Creative Director of the Year
award at the Institute of Advertising Singapore’s
Hall of Fame Awards. And he’s the only creative
director to have won the Grand Prix in the
history of Singapore’s Effie Awards. Outside
advertising, he has written a novel, Offside,
which briefly sat on the best-sellers shelf in
bookstores in Singapore.
VIDYA
MANMOHAN is
executive creative
director of Grey
Dubai in the United
Arab Emirates. From
walking out of the
medical school gates to entering an art campus
and then switching to copywriting from art
direction halfway through her advertising
career, Manmohan has always followed her
passion. After four decades in Dubai and having
witnessed sand dunes transform to skyscrapers,
Manmohan creates work that reflects the pop
culture around her. Her work has won numerous
international awards in the print, outdoor,
radio, design, integrated and advertising for
good categories, and she has also been a part
of many international and local award juries.

MARCELO REIS ROB SWEETMAN LISA TOPOL is

is chief creative
officer and co–chief
executive officer of
Leo Burnett Tailor
Made in São Paulo,
Brazil. Recognized by
Ad Age as one of the most awarded creative
professionals in the world, Reis started at
Leo Burnett in 2011 as business partner and
chief creative officer, managing the agency’s
creative team. In 2014, he became co–chief
executive officer, the same year the agency
was the most awarded Brazilian company at
Cannes, with 22 Lions. Reis was born in Belo
Horizonte and arrived at São Paulo in 1999.
Since then, he’s worked at agencies including
W/Brasil, DM9DDB, Loducca, Y&R and
Lew’Lara\TBWA.
is cofounder and
creative director at
One Twenty Three
West in Vancouver,
Canada. He helped
launch the agency in
a garage to embrace the current realities of
the industry. Today, the agency proudly boasts
a senior team with twelve working creative
directors, and clients all over the world.
Sweetman has had his work featured in
Communication Arts and at Cannes, D&AD and
the One Show. As a result, he’s been ranked
the top-awarded art director three times by
Strategy and a top ten creative director.
However, according to his mother, nothing
tops having an ad featured on The Ellen
DeGeneres Show.
co–chief creative
officer at DDB New
York with her
partner, Derek
Barnes. Since their
arrival, they’ve won
multiple gold Cannes Lions for their Tribeca Film
Festival work. As an executive creative director
at Grey New York, Topol oversaw accounts
including Best Buy, Bose, Pringles, the NFL and
TNT Networks, which won her several gold and
other nice-colored Cannes Lions. Before Grey,
she was a group creative director at TBWA\
Chiat\Day New York. Topol’s other interests
include tennis, knee surgery and competitive
dog agility, for which she recently represented
the United States in the world championships
with her rescue dog, Plop.

And what might advertising’s near future look like?
“I think the great change in the advertising industry will come from
the pandemic we’re going through,” Reis says. “We are going to see
changes in creative work and in production, probably by the next
Advertising Annual.”
“It will be really interesting to see what this body of work looks like
a year from now,” says McGinness. “In the wake of the murder of
George Floyd and countless others, as well as the global Black Lives
Matter movement, the industry is finally waking up to the
importance of diversity, equity and inclusion. More diverse
perspectives within agencies and more underrepresented talent in
every aspect of the production process will make the work in these
competitions better. The agencies who empathize, learn and
fundamentally change will be the ones who succeed in the future.”
“Advertising is so baked into our nature that it will always exist,”
says Guerrero. “But we will constantly need to reinvent it. That’s
what makes our business so interesting.”
Selection for this year’s Advertising Annual required a minimum of
six out of ten votes. When judges’ pieces were in the finals, I voted
in their stead. I would like to extend our grateful appreciation to
our jurors for their conscientious efforts in selecting our 61st
Advertising Annual. ca

Communication Arts | commarts.com 9

 DESIGN CULTURE Wendy Richmond
Learning Spatial Justice
A s I write this column, I consider the built environment around
me, and it is different from how it was six months ago. I’m
not talking about the lines that are now on the floor to
keep us six feet apart, or the boarded store windows, or the signs
that say “Masks Required.” I’m talking about the way I am seeing
public space. The ongoing global pandemic and social unrest
permeate every perspective, outright or subconsciously.
Before I enter an elevator, I check if anyone is inside. When I prepare
for a six-hour car ride, I read a half dozen articles about how to
safely use a public restroom. And when I walk along a narrow
sidewalk and a stranger coming toward me crosses to the other
side of the street, I wonder, “Is this courtesy or fear?”
Six months ago, I didn’t obsess about the built spaces I navigated.
But now, they beg for attention. What am I seeing that I have never
looked at before? What do I need to learn?
Public access: Who benefits?
July 26, 2020, was the 30th anniversary of the Americans with
Disabilities Act (ADA). A new documentary called Crip Camp: A Disa-
bility Revolution tells the story of the disability rights movement and
the activists who spent decades fighting for the ADA. In the film,
archival footage shows Judy Heumann, coauthor with Kristen Joiner
of Being Heumann: An Unrepentant Memoir of a Disability Rights Activist,
describing how she feels after the act is signed. “On the one hand,
I’m … feeling like I should say everything is wonderful. [But] I’m very
tired of being thankful for accessible toilets... If I have to feel
thankful about an accessible bathroom, when am I ever going to be
equal in the community?”
When one is unequal in the community, her/his/their importance is
being discounted or ignored. People with disabilities were, and are,
undervalued as contributing members of society. This is ironic when
we consider what nondisabled people have gained from the work of
disability activists. Think about universal design. When you roll your
luggage or grocery cart on a curb cut, or watch closed captions on
TV, you are benefiting from their activism. And people with disa-
bilities have long been advocating for better remote work and
learning options—exactly what is needed now for the majority of
the population.
Street signs: What’s in a name?
During the first months of the pandemic, I spent a lot of time walk-
ing in the town where I was sheltering in place. I began to notice
street names—hiking up the steep hill of Mountain Avenue or
10 Advertising Annual 2020
stopping to admire the view at Prospect Place. When I came upon
Washburn Road or Gregory Lane, I wondered whether these were
named after people, and who they might have been.
Street names are part of the language of our neighborhoods,
whether or not we take note of them. Those that commemorate
people can convey narratives that don’t reflect the population.
When there’s a movement to change a name, the street can
become a site of controversy.
In January 2019, the city council in Kansas City, Missouri, voted to
change the name of a major thoroughfare from Paseo Boulevard to
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. Nine months after the street
was dedicated to the civil rights leader, voters decided to have the
street returned to its former name. I wondered why, and found
a New York Times article by John Eligon, who writes, “The Paseo was
named after Paseo de la Reforma, a grand thoroughfare in Mexico
City.” As Alissia Canady, a then–council member who had voted
against the renaming ordinance, told Eligon, the Paseo has become
“synonymous with black success.” “There is pride of having a home
along the Paseo,” she said.
How many unseen chapters of this battle are still waiting to be
fought? This is how a city’s residents must interact when they all
have a stake in its history and its future.
Monuments and memorials: What needs to
change?
In The Observatory podcast’s “Episode 129: Spatial Justice,” Jessica
Helfand interviews De Nichols, principal of design and social practice
at Civic Creatives in St. Louis, Missouri. Referencing her work as
a 2020 Monument Lab Fellow, Nichols said, “There is such a rich
history to our city that’s not being taught in schools. … What are the
ways that we can use art and sculpture … to uplift a lot of those
histories? ... Now, as Confederate monuments come down in cities
and towns across the nation … what goes there?”
Nichols’s comments bring me back to my own neighborhood in
Brooklyn, where there are physical messages of hope appearing in
the parks and on the pavement and the sides of buildings. But they
are literally overshadowed by the 60-story luxury apartment towers
that are being erected.
As we continue to confront devastating illness and political upheaval,
there will always be two questions to ask: What should we tear
down? What should we build? ca
© 2020 W. Richmond
 ADVERTISING Ernie Schenck
Is It Time You And Advertising Saw
A Marriage Counselor?
I t happens.
One day, you fall in love. Rose petals are tumbling from the sky.
Every song on Spotify is Barry White’s. Cold showers are the order of
the day. You can’t eat. You can’t sleep. You can’t get that stupid grin
off your face.
You are smitten.
The years go by. Things are good. You’re the perfect couple. Every-
body says so. The two of you were made for each other. Romeo and
Juliet. Cleopatra and Antony. Meghan and Harry. You are inseparable.
Two peas in a pod.
You are advertising and advertising is you. What a time to be alive!
Then, one day, you feel it. It’s not much. A hollowing. Shallow at first
but deepening little by little with every year that passes. The all-
nighters you once gleefully spent together have lost their luster.
Where once those nights bouncing ideas around were electrifying,
now all you want to do is go home and watch reruns of 30 Rock.
Some of us are lucky. We never fall out of love. The flame never so
much as wavers. But for so many others, well, the flame is all but
a faded ember.
“[Advertising] can only stay relevant if the
people who are part of it help it evolve.”
—David Angelo
But all is not lost. Maybe the feelings are still there. Maybe they’ve
just gotten beaten down. Smothered. Lost in the drumbeat, the
incessant sameness of it all. At a time like this, you need help. The
kind of insights you can only get from people wiser than you.
Kathy Hepinstall is one of the finest creatives in advertising and the
best-selling author of The House of Gentle Men, The Absence of Nectar
and Blue Asylum. I asked Kathy what she would tell advertising if she
suspected the bloom wasn’t on the rose anymore.
“First of all, I’d tell my husband to stop working me 24 hours a day
and paying me as little as he can just because he can right now. One
day the world will shift, and other husbands will be available. And
I’ll remember.”
No relationship is going to last if one of you feels like you’re doing
all the work while the other can’t lift a finger. It’s hard to put in all
those long hours, all those crappy pizzas with extra cheese, all those
lost weekends when you could have been out surfing or hiking or
playing hopscotch with your kid, if your partner takes you for
granted. Lesson for you: Don’t take this business for granted. You
are blessed to have fallen into it. Give it your everything. Lesson for
advertising: Don’t take these people for granted. You are blessed
to have them. And don’t you dare think for a millisecond that you
aren’t. Take care of them. Love them.
Charlotte Moore and I have been friends and colleagues for a long
time. I am such a fan that when she kicked my ass at the Kelly
Awards with her Nike campaign a few years ago—er, oh alright, a few
more than a few—I didn’t bat an eyelash. When Charlotte speaks,
I listen.
“I remember my partner, Janet Champ, was considering quitting
advertising to write, but in the end she decided not to do that. ‘I’m
just going to go deeper,’ she told me. I’ve thought a lot about what
that means, that going deeper idea. It’s about trying to take what
you do and have done and see where else it can take you. Which is,
yes, very much like sticking with a marriage.”
They say the grass is always greener on the other side.
And whoever they are, they’re saying it a lot more now.
Let’s face it. Advertising isn’t what it used to be. And
what it used to be bears little resemblance to what
it’s turned out to be. But wait. Before you pack up the
U-Haul and hightail it out to Silicon Valley, maybe if
you dug a little deeper, tried a little harder, you’d see something in
this marriage you hadn’t seen before.
“The first question I would ask is, why are you in it?” That’s David
Angelo of David&Goliath in El Segundo, California. When I talk with
David, the passion he exudes is infectious. Especially when you
understand where it comes from. “If the answer is self-serving, then
you’re in it for the wrong reason. Advertising is a creative-driven
business that has so much potential to help shift the world for the
greater good. It can only stay relevant if the people who are part of it
help it evolve.”
Look at it this way. Maybe the problem isn’t that you don’t love
advertising anymore. Maybe you two just need to rediscover
each other. ca
Communication Arts | commarts.com 11
 BUSINESS Lauren McEwen
Black Creatives on Navigating Racism
in the Workplace
ANDREA PIPPINS MELISSA KIMBLE
JOSHUA KISSI
I t didn’t take long for the Black Lives Matter movement to reach
the workplace. As uprisings began following the deaths of George
Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Tony McDade, brands clambered to
post messages of support for the fight for racial justice. However,
the messages rang tepid and hollow for the former and current
Black employees who had spent years being stereotyped, under-
mined, passed over, underpaid, left out or placed in awkward
situations at the very companies that were now purporting to
be supporters of racial justice, and those Black Lives Matter
posts were also hypocritical and made them feel like they were
being gaslighted.
For people of color, handling workplace racism, from daily micro-
aggressions to hiring discrimination, has long been another part of
holding a job. Although creative work is often romanticized, Black
creatives can encounter the same structural and interpersonal
racism that Black professionals in other spaces face. What does that
mean for the young Black creative who is just starting out?
No amount of advice could come close to fixing this problem.
Creating antiracist organizations and policies is going to require
a lot of honesty and intentional, systemic change. But as we wait
to see how the events of this year play out in the long run, here is
a road map for navigating racism within creative fields, with advice
from people who have been there.
12 Advertising Annual 2020
TYNESHA WILLIAMS
EDDIE OPARA
Have confidence in what you can do
At the urging of one of his art class friends, Eddie Opara decided to
study graphic design. His father, who had worked in advertising in
London, United Kingdom, was supportive and knew what would be
required of Opara if he were to seriously pursue a design career,
and his mother was actually his first client, paying him to create
a design for her Nigerian women’s association. “They came back
with comments, and I was like, ‘What the hell are comments,’” says
Opara, laughing.
When he was around eighteen, Opara was accepted into the London
College of Printing, and his father told him, “This is where your life
starts.” With the support of his family and friends, Opara went on
to become a partner at Pentagram, where he has been working
since 2010.
“Part of me was a bit lucky, as I think I would have had some barriers
in Britain. But I moved here, and I’ve got to say, when I walk into
a room, I can identify that, yeah, I’m Black right? But when I open
my mouth, I’ve got their attention. I’ve been in rooms where
[clients] actually thought my employee was the boss, and I’m like,
‘It happens, but let’s get [to work],’” says Opara.
“You have to be strong-headed, strong-minded,” he says. “You’re
going to feel anger a lot of the time, but channel that anger into
articulation. Really articulate very clearly what you can do, and
how you can prove what you can do.”
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 BUSINESS
Give yourself the freedom to explore—
and grow
As a teenager, photographer Joshua Kissi worked at an amusement
park to save up for his first camera. He went on to cofound the
creative agency Street Etiquette, which became a tastemaker for
style and fashion.
“Street Etiquette gave us the opportunity to play around. Not
necessarily to become a boss. Not necessarily to play by the rules.
Not necessarily to look into the infrastructure that was in motion
when it comes to fashion, style, blogging and media. We got the
opportunity to create our own playground and just test things out,”
says Kissi.
Creating your own safe space can be a way to explore and to work
on your craft without as much pressure to be perfect and to
represent your people well.
“When I think about what Street Etiquette provided, it was the
freedom to create. To do it well or to do it OK. It was really like, hey,
Black mediocrity needs to exist as well. Even if we feel excellent at
the moment, there’s always growth, right? A lot of times, we try to
be at level ten, when there’s so much value from two to nine, not
just ten,” says Kissi.
Find your community
When consultant and Black cultural storyteller Melissa Kimble grad-
uated from college in 2009, the Great Recession was well underway.
She took odd jobs in order to sustain herself financially, but crea-
tively, she was looking for more. So, she launched My Creative
Connection, the site that would become today’s #blkcreatives
(blkcreatives.com).
“Rather than being another brand selling and co-opting Black ideas
without supporting Black people, we aim to help you unpack what
you’ve been taught about what’s possible so you can remember
the creative freedom that is alive within you,” Kimble says. “I think
that’s important because a lot of us are first-generation college
[educated], the first generation of doing something that’s not
considered a blue-collar job.”
“I think that’s what makes us such a safe space because [even] if
nobody else gets it, we get it. We understand the specific challenges
and issues that we have to face as Black creatives in America,
specifically,” Kimble says.
Photographer Joshua Kissi knows firsthand the importance of having
a support system of people who not only understand you, but also
challenge you. “A lot of the work I did early on was because I was
inspired by the people around me who held me accountable in the
same way I held them accountable. I think that’s really important
because it doesn’t happen in just an individual funnel, at least from
my experience. Everything I’ve ever created was at the benefit of
people outside of myself,” says Kissi.
In order to find community among your peers, Pentagram’s Eddie
Opara recommends networking directly. Earlier in his career, he
14 Advertising Annual 2020
reached out to graphic designers whose work he admired, and
requested informational meetings and tours. He also underscores
the importance of joining the nearest local chapters of creative
professional organizations. “Please do it: join your chapter, get to
know people, communicate with them, [listen] to lectures and
network. If you can, make friends,” says Opara.
Finding community might also mean seeking out a mentor. One
popular method has been cold emailing prospective mentors, but
chances are, you want to connect with people who already get
plenty of emails. You can stand out by being respectful of their
time, intentional about the questions you ask and well informed
about what they actually do. Illustrator and author Andrea Pippins
says, “Do your research about them. Google them and mention
specific reasons why you would like to connect with them,” like
bringing up a technique or tool they use well, or what they’ve done
that you find inspiring.
Tynesha Williams, a self-described “advertising nerd” and creative
director of lifestyle marketing collective Cashmere Agency, warns
against having a narrow-minded vision of who can offer you help
and guidance. “It’s great if it’s a person of color, but it doesn’t have
to be,” she says. Your mentor might not even be in the same
industry as you. “Look for people who inspire you. People who
you’ve seen forging a path that you want to be on. Someone that
you think is like, ‘Wow, they have a way of navigating that I want
to learn more about,’” she says. “Reach out. It doesn’t hurt.”
Recognize workplace racism for what it is
“I think the key call to action for [Black creatives] now is to utilize
our community in order to really discern what’s what,” says
#blkcreatives’ Melissa Kimble, emphasizing that, as a Black person
who has spent years in the United States, you’re probably an
expert in accurately identifying racism for what it is.
She advises ensuring that your managers and superiors know what
you stand for and what your goals are, as well as advocating for
yourself and others, and connecting with trusted peers to compare
your experiences and get feedback on how to navigate the issues at
hand. “Sometimes, we get stuck in our own heads, or our own
experiences, like our sense of self-worth, cloud our judgment, and
that can manifest in the workplace too. Have people around you
inside and outside the workplace who you trust and who can listen
to you and create the space for you to unpack those [issues] and
navigate those experiences,” she says.
She stresses that it’s important to take control of your own pro-
fessional advancement and well-being. “If you have to make
adjustments or need to do things just for your overall professional
wellness, then do it,” she says, suggesting that Black creatives try to
remember Toni Morrison’s always poignant quote about racism:
“The function, the very serious function of racism, is distraction.
It keeps you from doing your work. It keeps you explaining, over
and over again, your reason for being.”
“You didn’t enter this job to teach White people about race,”
says Kimble.
Cashmere’s Tynesha Williams says that if you do choose to have
a conversation with human resources (HR) about your concerns,
whether it’s about a specific episode or about systemic problems
in the company culture, you can still opt to take your talents
elsewhere. “I can have this conversation with HR, but if this is the
type of person who is in this company, this company might not be
for me, because how did this person get in this company?” says
Williams. Your HR complaint may help the next person, but she says
you should still explore the option of going where your talent and
skills will be appreciated.
The key, according to Williams, is not to internalize workplace
racism and to know when it’s time to leave. “There are going to be
people who don’t believe in you. There are going to be people who
say weird things and have weird microaggressions. It happens all
the time,” she says. “But you have to believe in your talent and your
“If you are valued in the way that they say you are valued, you can set
ability. That is always your North Star.”
Work to create change
You can find more fulfilling ways to direct your career toward making
a difference in your respective industry. Andrea Pippins originally
started working in graphic design, but discovered that she was more
interested in illustration and improving representation for Black
What can White creatives do to help make their industries better?
“Microaggressions happen so much in the workplace because
people don’t get it. There’s a learning curve,” says Tynesha
Williams. “It’s a hard conversation because it goes to that
implicit bias, and [people] don’t recognize they have it.” For
that reason, she’s been advising her non-Black friends to
start by educating themselves, like reading White Fragility:
Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism by Dr.
Robin DiAngelo. “In that book’s opinion, and in my opinion,
it is always better when it comes from someone who is in
“People have to be able to let somebody know when some-
your group because the defenses are down. Nobody’s going
to say, ‘You’re just being too sensitive,’” she says.
Acknowledging your own bias also requires internal reflection.
For example, Williams hones in on the use of the word
aggressive in the workplace, a label usually levied at Black
people through her work. It was what inspired her to create the
coloring book I Love My Hair and the interactive journal Becoming Me,
and to write We Inspire Me, which is, according to her website,
“a collection of essays, interviews and advice on cultivating and
empowering one’s own creative community.”
It was the same kind of drive that led Joshua Kissi and social
entrepreneur Karen Okonkwo to cofound the diverse stock photo-
graphy company TONL. Moved to action by the deaths of Alton
Sterling and Philando Castile in 2016, Kissi was looking for tangible
ways to use his craft to support his values. Given that stock
photography is so present in our daily lives—on billboards, in print
media, on posters, in social media posts, on websites—the lack of
diversity in stock photography is a major issue.
In this moment of so much change, Black creatives may feel pressure
to respond to everything happening in the world, but Melissa Kimble
advises that you continue in your career and life at your own pace.
the tone and set the pace, and it doesn’t have to be based on
whatever is trending,” Kimble says. “We should continue to play the
long game and know that it’s not enough to just have these symbols
and these statements and these campaigns and things. That we’re
really working toward long-term, sustainable change so that things
are not like this for our children.” ca
women who express an opinion at work. “Ask yourself, ‘Why
did I think that was aggressive, and would I feel the same way
if so-and-so said it?’ And then, if you feel that you have done
something unjustly, bring it up [and apologize],” says Williams.
While self-reflection and correcting interpersonal interactions
are needed, the only way to create real, lasting change is for it
to be a company-wide effort, complete with bias training
and open communication.
thing’s not right. It can’t just be people of color correcting
others,” says Williams. “There’s got to be other people who
believe the same thing, who don’t want to work in a place
that feels like that. And once that becomes the culture,
we’re all better off.”
Communication Arts | commarts.com 15
 DESIGN DETAILS Leslie Wolke

Designing for Distance

Rethinking experiential design

The temporary signage for NI’s corporate campus, developed by Austin, Texas–based experiential design and branding consultancy Asterisk, became the
basis for GamePlan, a system of sign templates to address the changing navigation needs of almost any public space. Asterisk principal Susanne Harrington
recalls all the temporary signs she encountered in those �rst months of the pandemic: “It’s a real-time study in iterative design by the masses, faster and
more critical than I ever thought possible.” GamePlan utilizes a bold design vocabulary with an authoritative tone. As Harrington says, the sentiment of the
time was “tell me what to do with some certainty because there is almost no certainty right now.” In addition to the sign templates, Asterisk identi�ed
simple, ubiquitous materials with which to produce and install the signs, such as brightly colored paper and multipurpose tape. Harrington challenged her
team: “What could we build out of the average admin supply closet?” GamePlan is available for free for all nonpro�ts, and small businesses employing fewer
than 50 people (asteriskdesign.com/gameplan).

“Eventually, people are going to come back.” with bold iconography and concise messages. Four weeks later, the

T
hat’s how Scott Strzinek, NI’s director of global facilities,
started his conversation in mid-April 2020 with Susanne
Harrington, principal of Asterisk, an experiential design and
branding consultancy in Austin, Texas. They had been working
together to roll out the company’s new brand—NI was the new
name for National Instruments, an engineering tools company
headquartered in Austin. Strzinek had hired Asterisk to design
and deploy the new brand as signage at seven major facilities
around the world. In the midst of that project, he called her with
a new challenge.
It was about a month after COVID-19 had been declared a pandemic
by the World Health Organization and the City of Austin had issued
its �rst shelter-in-place order. Strzinek was already focused on how
to keep his colleagues safe when they would go back to work at the
70-acre campus in northwest Austin. He asked Harrington, who
happened to have expertise in way�nding as well as branding, to
collaborate on messaging to convey all the safety measures that
would be in place for returning employees.
Working remotely over the weekend, Harrington; her husband and
fellow Asterisk principal, Shawn; and their four designers tackled
the problem. By Monday’s check-in with Strzinek, they had sketched
out a visual vocabulary for a family of modular, temporary signs
whole system of vehicular, exterior and interior signs was in place,
awaiting the return of NI employees. As Harrington says, the signs
convey a simple message: “There’s a system here. It looks like this.
Follow the signs.”
But while the Asterisk team was implementing the signage program,
Harrington envisioned further applications. “I recognized the few
places I went, everyone was struggling with providing clear on-site
guidance and instructions. As a small business owner, I knew I had
so little time to think about this,” she says. “From the nail shop to
the pizza place, they could use something really easy, and we should
just make it available to them.” Strzinek agreed: “Go do the most
good you can with it.”
In May, Asterisk launched GamePlan, a free collection of down-
loadable sign templates based on the NI program, with links to
commonly available fabrication materials, and planning instructions
for nonpro�ts and small businesses. In the next six weeks, GamePlan
swept Instagram, and the documentation was downloaded more
than 100 times. Large-property owners licensed the program or
engaged Asterisk to customize it for their use. Harrington sums up
GamePlan’s mission: “Briefly and authoritatively, we want to give
you some con�dence that you are going the right way and doing
the right thing.”

16 Advertising Annual 2020

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 DESIGN DETAILS

Mijksenaar, a wayfinding consultancy based in New York and Amsterdam, developed a series of white papers reimagining how people could experience rail
transit, airports and museums in a post-COVID world. For rail transit (left), the team envisioned major changes to every aspect of a passenger’s train journey.
“Where passengers wait and the pauses in the visitor flow need to be considered just as seriously,” notes Mijksenaar managing director Cesar Sanchez. For
the airport white paper (right), Sanchez explains that one question they explored was, “How can digital systems keep that flow going, make that experience
a lot smoother without alienating us too much?” The white papers are available for free at mijksenaar.com/stories.

Experiential design is defined expansively—placemaking, wayfinding
and interventions in shared spaces that help us understand and nav-
igate the built environment—and since the spring and summer
of 2020, experiential designers all over the world have been
brainstorming how they might use their skills to help people nav-
igate, literally, the new conditions imposed by the pandemic. Anna
Crider serves as the president of the board of directors for the
Society for Experiential Graphic Design (SEGD), and in her Zoom-
powered conversations with designers around the United States,
she’s taken the pulse of her profession. “We’ve all been facing our
own unique aspects of the challenge, and everybody’s been rising
to the occasion,” she says.
Like the Asterisk team in Austin, designers at Mijksenaar’s studios in
New York City and Amsterdam were working at home during those
early months of the pandemic. Mijksenaar, a design consultancy
with expertise in wayfinding, is best known for its iconic signage
system at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. Managing director Cesar
Sanchez remembers that conversations with clients quickly turned
from addressing immediate needs, like designing social distancing
signs for ProRail, the Dutch national railway, to the longer-term and
larger-scale implications of COVID-19.
The Mijksenaar team held a series of internal visioning sessions to
discuss how designers, owners and architects could transform
the visitor experience in reimagined shared spaces. Three white
papers—on airports, museums and rail transit—were the result.
Diagrams describe “ambitious interventions” that reconstruct visitor
circulation through train stations, airport terminals and museum
galleries at a safer cadence. “We’d like to think of this not just as
a solution for the moment, but an opportunity for how we can
improve the passenger experience,” Sanchez says. “If we start doing
the right things, like [designing] better digital tools and enhanced
communication, hopefully the result of COVID will be a smoother,
easier journey.”
He sees parallels between how the attacks of September 11 rewired
our use of public space and how the coronavirus health crisis is
redrawing those same places. And he wants to help ensure that
this round of change, albeit disruptive, will not further erode the
travel experience. “If ten years down the road, COVID is a memory,
at least we can say we weren’t saddled with huge security lines
like post-9/11, but instead we gained larger waiting areas and more-
interactive and -seamless experiences.”
“It’s a shake-up,” says Crider. Aside from her duties for SEGD, she also
coleads the New York studio of place branding and experiential
design firm Entro. Like Sanchez, she started to see a shift in her
clients’ thinking in the spring of 2020. “The norm had become
‘cram more people in.’ Now clients want more space for the human
aspect of the experience. We have a lot of spaces that need to
change across the board, and new wayfinding and experiential
design is an easy way to retrofit and rethink those spaces,” she says.
Bluecadet, an experience design agency with offices in Philadelphia
and New York, specializes in interactive experiences, and at first
meetings with new clients, “interactive” often meant touchscreens.
During their engagements, Bluecadet designers frequently trans-
formed those expectations into truly imaginative experiences, like
a tabletop game played with a banana as a controller.
Recently, Lilly Preston, managing director of the New York studio,
has been pondering the concept of “touch” and its recently required
and perhaps hereafter preferred opposite, “touchless.” “The conceit

18 Advertising Annual 2020

 © Chris Huban
Digital displays that wrap existing structural columns at the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation (left) were designed by Philadelphia- and New
York–based Bluecadet to react to visitors’ presence, gestures and touch, revealing layered biographies of innovators including Rosa Parks, Buckminster Fuller
and Amelia Earhart. When Lilly Preston, managing director of Bluecadet’s New York office, thinks of them today, she wonders, “What is an individual visitor’s
comfort level and what can you imagine them doing or not doing—how will people behave when they return to these shared environments?” For the
development of the museum at the Obama Presidential Center (right), New York–headquartered Ralph Appelbaum Associates (RAA) hosted a number of
community storytelling sessions. Aki Carpenter, an associate and creative director at RAA, believes that “as we plan for a postpandemic future, it is important
that we continue our dialogue with communities to envision how these spaces can support their own comfort levels and needs in a post-COVID reality.”

of broadening the vocabulary of modalities of interaction was
already percolating for us in the studio,” she says. For example, last
year at the Henry Ford museum, Bluecadet wrapped twelve-foot
architectural columns with stacked digital screens to tell the stories
of American innovators. As a visitor approached, the screens came
to life. Make a gesture or touch a screen, and the story continued.
Visitors engaged with the columns via multiple modes: presence,
movement and touch.
The pandemic, she says, has “accelerated a trajectory already in
progress: What is interactive that doesn’t start with a touchscreen
or a monitor? Before it was a provocation. Now it’s a mandate.”
Preston believes that this new era of design will “not define a single
new interaction style,” but, like the columns, will invite “multiple
entry points to be mindful and inclusive.”
Inclusivity is also on the mind of Aki Carpenter, an associate and
creative director at the New York headquarters of Ralph Appelbaum
Associates, a planning and design firm celebrated for its work with
museums all over the world. “As an advocate for inclusive design,
I have to be committed to keeping tactile [touch] in some form
because it’s such an effective communication tool in museums,”
Carpenter says. The question becomes, “How do we ensure that we
are still creating affordances for inclusive design? It’s an important
aspect of an experience in a physical space.”
Another interesting point of tension that Carpenter is exploring is
the omnipresent cell phone and its role in the evolution of the
museum experience. “For so long, we’ve been focused on how to
ensure that people are connecting to the story not just on their
phones. Now people are going to trust their own devices more
because they know where they’ve been,” Carpenter says. She sees
an opportunity to use our own devices to create and contribute to
communal experiences in a space. Inspired by emoji and comments
floating by in a live stream on social media, Carpenter envisions
a museum experience in which visitors can virtually “gather around
something, interact with each other, and see their own reflections
and reactions to a piece of content.”
Carpenter is hopeful about this moment in exhibition design, in spite
of the difficulty of safely congregating in museum galleries. “In
museums, there are a lot of good challenges. The shelf life is very
long, so there’s the timeless aspect of the design and the story, and
now there’s another challenge,” she says. “How do we design for
distance and be creative with it?”
Great experiential design is always born of constraints, whether the
requirements come from our evolving definition of the workplace, our
ever-entangled relationship with technology, or, as we are expe-
riencing now, the anxieties and necessities imposed by a pandemic.
One early and potentially enduring outcome may be a new sensitivity
about what makes a place feel safe, comfortable and welcoming
for everyone.
“We’re all trying,” says Anna Crider of SEGD and Entro, “in some cases
not always hitting the mark, but at least taking the shot.” ca

Communication Arts | commarts.com 19

 A s is the preferred method of contact in 2020, I meet
Shyama Golden over Zoom one morning in May.
I couldn’t tell you the exact date, because time is but
a figment of one’s imagination in a state of lockdown, but
we’re both feeling the deluge of complex emotions that have
become commonplace during these strange times: listless,
worried and yet wildly creative. “Time can be very confusing,”
she tells me.
A few months before the pandemic hit North America, Golden
and her husband, director Paul Trillo, had relocated to Los
Angeles from New York. The move was just the latest in
more than a decade spent dotting the country with career
transformations—from her start in the branding department
at Seiko Instruments in Austin, Texas, to the self-actualized
illustrator and artist she is today. Golden refers to her style
as “magical realism,” combining surreal, vibrant patterns with
her assured portraiture that often features women of color
front and center.
Growing up in Clear Lake, Texas, a suburb of Houston, Golden
was always drawing. “I was a daydreamer, so I would just
do these drawings and express myself that way,” she says.
In middle school, she explored the burgeoning digital realm,
and taught herself how to write HTML code and draw portraits
of the Spice Girls using MS Paint. Her parents, who immigrated
“I hired her to just do these because she would really put in
from Sri Lanka before Golden was born, would often take her
back on trips to visit family. “My uncle ran a very small family-
owned print shop, where they produced newspapers and
books,” she says. “On visits, I would see him designing
typefaces, and I guess it was always there in the back of my
head.” She studied graphic design at Texas Tech University,
and after graduation, flexed a wide variety of strengths,
from packaging design to logos and GIFs at Seiko, Texas Monthly
magazine and elsewhere.
A decade later is when things got interesting, according to
Golden, who was increasingly feeling the pull toward illustra-
tion. She went freelance and asked herself, “What is my
contribution to the world?” She kept visualizing portraits of
women of color, done from her unique perspective. “I was
just so tired of the images of women that are done by horny
guys,” she says. “Everyone should have their perspective out
there. I wanted to see something different, and I knew
I would do things differently.”
So, she started drawing. “I drew a portrait of my friend Maria
on her birthday with an owl on her shoulder,” says Golden.
She shared the portrait on Instagram and word spread. “I was
combining my graphic design taste with patterns and colors,”
she says. “Also, the fact that they are looking straight at you
creates a very active gaze.”
Golden was contacted by Dian Holton, a deputy art director
at AARP Media, who commissioned a series of celebrity
portraits for The Girlfriend, a newsletter for Gen X women.
“I wanted someone of color and of her caliber to illustrate
women who are equally as great in their respective disciplines,”
says Holton. The illustrations were big hits with those she
portrayed and were reposted on Instagram by the likes of
actress Lupita Nyong’o and stylist June Ambrose.
the care and capture the essence of each of them in a fresh
way that was respectful to their culture,” Holton says. “When
she rendered the Issa Rae [portrait], I literally lost my shit.”
For Golden, the series helped her crystallize her vision, and
was the catalyst for similar gigs designing art for the film Little,
the HBO show Insecure and The Washington Post’s commemo-
ration of the Women’s March. On continuing to paint women
of color, Golden says, “I don’t ever like to limit myself or say

Right: “Tree of Life is a personal piece inspired by Mexican folk art, mango trees from Sri Lanka and my own boredom with the typical representations
of the feminine nude in art. It’s a seamless pattern created for a wallpaper backdrop for We Are Not Alone, my solo show in Brooklyn in 2019. I was thinking
about the effects of isolation and who gets defined as the ‘other’ when the demographics of the world would tell a different story. The wallpaper was
awe-inspiring in person as it covered a massive 30-by-16-foot wall, and each tile of the pattern was 50-by-90 inches. The women are isolated, but we
can see how they are connected to each other by the tree. The piece explores the concept of our private sense of self, while the paintings hung on the
wallpaper explored the social performance of identity we do in public.”

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Communication Arts | commarts.com 21
 SHYAMA GOLDEN

that I only draw this the outdoors. “Even sad things can be good inspiration,” she
or that. It’s more like, it says. As I scroll through recent patterns on her website,
felt necessary, and I’m immediately drawn to one in punchy, tropical colors,
it still feels necessary.” portraying discarded smartphones, plastic bottles, cutlery
and beach balls that are strewn about on tiny landmasses.
Though Golden also
Indeed, Garbage Islands is a study of areas of the Pacific
works in oil and acrylic,
Ocean completely engulfed in discarded plastic from around
several of her naturalistic
the world. “I think what’s kind of manipulative about that
pieces are done on the
work is that I want people to look at it and think, ‘Oh, it’s
iPad. “I have always had
pretty!’” she says. “And then you start thinking about it,
this phobia of wasting
and it makes you self-aware.”
© Paul Trillo

materials. I have all

these nice Muji sketch-
books that still have
never had a single page drawn in them,” she says. Digital
sketching allowed Golden freedom to explore her own thought
process, and, later, complete her masterpieces. “It can be
a bad idea—it costs nothing to sketch more and more bad
ideas, which you have to get out to get to the better ones,”
she says. These days, Golden swears by Procreate, a digital
illustration app developed by a small team of artists and
coders in Tasmania. “It’s like no other app I’ve ever used,” she
says of its ability to mimic canvas texture, realistic paint
blending and more.
“I’ve always admired her willingness to switch mediums as
well as platforms,” says designer Caleb Bennett about Golden.
“She’s like an athlete, always training and practicing her craft.
She’s always had the talent and skills, but she constantly
finds ways to push herself.” Bennett, a former schoolmate,
gave Golden some of her first illustration jobs. “I believe
her work has become stronger conceptually over the years,
and she embraces the digital space to help further its impact.”
In 2018, Golden illustrated the cover of Fatimah Asghar’s book
of diasporic identity poems, If They Come for Us, combining
pattern with surrealistic elements. “Fatimah is a queer Muslim
woman, and what she’s writing is really radical,” says Golden.
“I felt like, oh my god, I’m not worthy to do this!” So, she
looked to history—specifically, to Frida Kahlo, whose blend
of darkness and light would most profoundly communicate
the writer’s verses. On the cover, three South Asian women
sit cross-legged, framed by flowers whose roots transform
into blood vessels.
Nature is never far from Golden’s work, and many of her
patterns begin with iPhone photos she takes while exploring
Before leaving New York, Golden mounted an exhibit of her
work in Brooklyn that explored themes of isolation and
online identity. “When you’re completely alone, isolation is
almost a lack of identity,” she says. “I was thinking about
how people join [online] hate groups because they’re looking
for identity and community, and people join good things for
the same reasons.”
The exhibit, which turned out to be quite prescient, featured
a wallpapered pattern of nude women in repose on the
leaves and branches of a stylized mango tree. Slouching,
eating, lying down with their laptops—these women reflected
the versions of ourselves we often keep private. By contrast,
the paintings hanging on this patterned wall represented our
most public, pulled-together selves. At the center hung an
interpretation of a rare family photo of Golden’s mother, aunt
and a woman they believed to be the reincarnated spirit
of their aunt, taken in Sri Lanka in the 1970s. The artwork,
painted by Golden in vivid acrylic colors, was animated by
glowing patterns that swirled around the women’s clothes
via a stencil-like technique and the use of a projector. “It was
such a cool moment in the show because it was so experi-
mental and, at the same time, personal,” she says. “To me,
it was showing expression—how people express themselves
with how they choose to dress.”
Lately, Golden has been embracing the slowness of 2020 by
art-ifying her new home on the West Coast. When we
chatted, she had just completed a painting for the bedroom
using leftover samples of house paint. The painting, inspired
by a photo she took on vacation in Jamaica, features two lush,
vine-covered trees that look uncannily human. “It’s interesting
how you see yourself in nature,” she says. “I saw the trees
and just thought, that looks just like us.” ca

Right: “These portraits were all separate commissions from art director Dian Holton, who curates a series of quotes from influential women, accompanied
by illustrated portraits, for AARP’s The Girlfriend and Sisters from AARP. They appear on the website and in the newsletter, so they need to be easily readable,
iconic and, of course, recognizable for who they are. I studied dozens of portraits and videos for each commission to make sure that I didn’t copy any photo
directly, and to try to capture the essence of each person beyond what photography is capable of. I also enjoy fashion as a means of creative expression,
so I made up the clothes based on each woman’s unique style. The pose of these portraits meets your gaze in a way that is confident. My intention was to
emphasize the subjects’ power rather than having them demurely looking down or smiling to please us.” Dian Holton, art director; AARP, client.

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Communication Arts | commarts.com 23
24 Advertising Annual 2020
SHYAMA GOLDEN

Left: “The Washington Post reached out to me, asking for a piece about
the Women’s March, and I wanted to make it more intersectional than
the other feminist art out there at the time, which was usually White
and cisgender focused. The women featured include Rosa Parks, Bella
Abzug, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Gloria Steinem, Dorothy Pitman Hughes, Flo
Kennedy, Dolores Huerta, Shulamith Firestone, Cecile Richards, Elizabeth
Cady Stanton, Maxine Waters, Angela Davis, Danica Roem, Laverne Cox,
Ruby Bridges, Angela Duckworth, LaDonna Brave Bull Allard, Anita Hill,
Gloria Anzaldúa, Sylvia Rivera, Ibtihaj Muhammad, Ashley Graham,
Michelle Obama, Kalpana Chawla, Beyoncé, Sacheen Littlefeather, Dr.
Maya Angelou, Alana Nichols, Ernestine Shepherd, Margaret Cho, Sheryl
Sandberg, Maggy Guzman, Serena Williams, Sonia Sotomayor, Mindy
Kaling and Yoko Ono.” Michael Johnson, art director; The Washington
Post, client.
Personal work. “I started reading about different kinds of garbage islands
in the South Pacific and the North Pacific Gyre, and what I learned gave
me the idea for this pattern. After many tedious days of drawing, I still
couldn’t come close to the density of trash found in the real versions.
These places are untouched by humans, but tons of plastic get washed
in from halfway across the world by ocean currents. A plastic water
bottle takes 450 years to decompose, so you can imagine the cumulative
effect over time.”
This page: “This project opened my eyes to an incredible true story
written by Susana Ferreira. The artwork depicts Anas Aremeyaw Anas,
a Ghanaian undercover investigative journalist who wears a signature
beaded curtain over his face and risks his life to out corruption and human
rights violations. I aimed to capture the mystique around him by incor-
porating Ghanaian patterns in a haloesque shape around his figure. He
is both disguised by his veil, and a target. The interconnected dots
evoke his network of collaborators.” Alissa Levin, art director; Point Five,
ad agency; Columbia Journalism Review, client.
“This is the cover for If They Come for Us, a book of poetry by Fatimah
Asghar. When I read the manuscript, I fell in love with Fati’s poetry. The
tone of the book is of defiant celebration, and I wanted to reflect that
in the cover. The various elements have symbolic meanings attached to
the author’s life and metaphors referenced in her poetry. The lotus and
jasmine represent Kashmir and Pakistan. Both are cut and dissected,
showing male and female parts in reference to her feeling like a boy-girl.
The rose represents the United States; and a stone and a saffron flower,
her late parents. Roots turn to veins and form a connection at the
bottom, which are visuals she uses a lot—both blood and veins. They
reference India’s dark past during the partition era, but also the connec-
tion she feels to her people. The faint rainbow pattern in the background
celebrates Fatimah’s queer identity.” Sharanya Durvasula, art director;
Penguin Random House, client.

Communication Arts | commarts.com 25

 SHYAMA GOLDEN

This page: Personal work. “Catsquatch is a 4-by-6-foot oil-on-canvas

painting. The intention is to one day illustrate the origin story of
Catsquatch in a children’s book format. This painting depicts a scene
near the beginning of the story, which I have already written with my
partner, Paul Trillo. It begins with bored house cats who run away from
their homes in droves to look for independence and adventure. They
stand on each other’s shoulders to take on a Sasquatch-like form to
become more powerful and independent than ever before. Catsquatch
keeps growing until it’s Godzilla-sized. The US government tries to take
it down, but ultimately it’s up to Nina, whose cat Ken is in the squatch,
to save all the cats and Ken.”
Personal work. “With the rise of conspiracy theories of all stripes, the
psychology behind them has been on my mind. This pattern includes
a few that you are meant to find by searching: Loch Ness, the Illuminati,
lizard people, Bigfoot and a crashed UFO. The color palette is inspired by
infrared photography.”
Right: “This portrait of Indian activist and writer Arundhati Roy was
published alongside a review of her newest novel, The Ministry of Utmost
Happiness. The illustration depicts three causes she fought for. Inside
her figure are the Naxalists she marched through the jungle with and the
villages flooded by the government’s dams, and she sits in the Pokhran
desert nuclear testing site as a reference to her opposition of India’s
nuclear activity. I got to meet her briefly at a book signing, where she
said that she had seen the portrait and was surprised to meet the artist
who made it. She seemed pleased with it!” Zak Bickel, art director;
The Atlantic, client.
“This illustration was for a short story by Nnedi Okorafor called ‘Mother
of Invention,’ about a woman named Anwuli who gives birth during
a deadly pollen storm in a declining Anthropocene Nigeria assisted
only by her smart home. Her doctor appears as a hologram early in the
story, and, later on, her baby is delivered by a drone. The story is boldly
futuristic, and I wanted the illustrations to reflect that energy. I learned
how to create the Igbo patterns I used in the artwork from Antonia
Anni, who is a Nigerian user experience consultant, designer and author.
She has a great blog detailing patterns from Nigeria and their meanings.
The pattern around Anwuli’s belly is a talisman for pregnant women. The
illustration is animated in its original form, with the objects around
her hovering in space.” Lisa Larson-Walker, art director; Slate, client.

26 Advertising Annual 2020

Communication Arts | commarts.com 27
 C ontent may be king, but it is not necessarily well
defined. The word is largely a capitulation, a grab-bag
term for the incredible proliferation of communication
formats that have come online in the last fifteen years, from
video sharing and podcasts to virtual environments and
fake news. Everyone claims to do content, but few do it as
seriously and elegantly as Upstatement.
The roughly 45-person, Boston-based digital studio was
founded by Syracuse University grads Mike Swartz, Jared
Novack and Tito Bottitta. After working together at the
university’s independent student newspaper, they each spent
at least a few years at publications like the Boston Globe, the
San Jose Mercury News and the New York Times—primarily in
editorial design, interactive graphics and data visualization.
In 2008, interactive designer David Small helped them land
a job designing and building a website for an integrated
exhibit at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in
Washington, DC. The project was a success and led to one
with the MIT Media Lab’s Nicholas Negroponte for his non-
profit initiative One Laptop per Child, in which the firm built
a website based on a high-level design from Pentagram.
With the recognition gained from these projects, Upstatement
quickly became a go-to digital firm for Boston’s many univer-
sities and news publications, before winning international
recognition in 2011 for helping to create the world’s first
large-scale, fully responsive website, for the Boston Globe.
Upstatement’s role on the multifaceted project was to
establish the creative and visual direction of a design that
adapts to different devices.
“We had no idea that would be the project that caught every-
one’s attention,” says Swartz, “but at the same time, we had
to be strategic. We wanted to be careful not to get pigeon-
holed as a company that does responsive design and keep
doing a wider variety of projects.”
A singular vision
Given Upstatement’s nontraditional background, it shouldn’t
be surprising that it is unlike most other digital studios.
Among other things, the firm requires its designers to able
to code at a reasonable level. More visibly, in an industry
that struggles to recruit a diverse workforce, Upstatement
has rough parity between men and women in senior roles,
and half of its engineering team are women.
“We intentionally hire for diversity at Upstatement,” says
creative director Holly Copeland. “It’s not a policy, but
we hire very slowly and a lot of it is word of mouth; we
might have an engineer who knows someone else who
might want to work here, and that’s how a lot of our growth
has happened.”
Maybe the most interesting difference is that the studio
practices something it calls “single threading.” This is a work-
flow in which a small team focuses almost entirely on one
project for its duration. According to Vivian Shibata, director
of digital products at nonprofit organization Everytown for
Gun Safety, an Upstatement client, single threading gives
the team a much higher level of insight and responsiveness.
“It’s very different from other agencies,” she says. “All their
time is spent on one thing, and they really get to know you.
They understand exactly what we’re doing, and suggest
ways we can improve it or rethink it. It works really well.”

Captions supplied by Upstatement.

Right: “Our challenge was to design and build a new digital home for Tito’s Handmade Vodka. It needed to be a place for the Tito’s team to share all
of their amazing stories, and it needed to stay true to the fun, quirky, warm brand that is distinctly Tito’s. Our goal was to establish a stronger
relationship between recipe content and store content, so we built a system that allows any part of a recipe to be potentially purchasable. That means
you can buy the copper mug and the vodka for your American mule directly from the recipe. This content was previously isolated in separate areas of
the site.” Qusai Akoud/Keri O’Brian, design; Kim Miller, lead designer; Tito Bottitta/Scott Dasse, creative direction; Nick Braica/Michael Pelletier,
programmers; Mike Burns, technology director; Jenny Mackintosh, producer; Tito’s Handmade Vodka, client.

28 Advertising Annual 2020

Communication Arts | commarts.com 29
 UPSTATEMENT

fans. People come for a recipe but suddenly realize how

passionate the brand is about rescuing dogs.”

Moms Demand Action

Finally, there’s the way that Upstatement approaches content.
You would be hard-pressed to find an agency that does
not claim to do content today, but relatively few are built
around the idea of doing editorial content. In addition to
designing news sites, Upstatement creates publishing
systems and even advises on processes and team building.
“Content isn’t just about tools and strategy,” says Bottitta.
“It’s about how the organization is set up to handle it. I feel
we have a real practical streak, so we always try to find the
doable path to something.”
Tito’s Handmade Vodka
A good example of the firm’s approach is the website for Tito’s
Handmade Vodka (titosvodka.com). Tito’s is an unusual
brand in its strong dedication to charity, especially rescuing
dogs. Everything is geared towards philanthropy, with little
waste. As a result, the brand makes do with an extremely
small marketing staff, even though it is the best-selling
vodka in the United States.
The inspiration for the project came from a visit to the
ramshackle building in Austin, Texas, where founder Tito
Beveridge distilled his first batch of vodka. The team noticed it
was filled with all sorts of curious objects, and this set off
their reportorial instincts. They found themselves wanting
to tell the story of this strange brand and its random nature.
With an irregular grid and expressive typography, including
the typeface Suti by Mika Melvas, which evokes the friendly,
casual lettering of sign painters, the resulting website focuses
more on exploration than linear storytelling. It’s not a site
where visitors can instantly access every bit of content, but
that’s not the point.
“It’s about tripping over something,” says Scott Dasse, one of
Upstatement’s principals. “There are always things that pop
out in the corners, and the idea is to give people something
that pulls them in one step closer and converts them into
Tito’s Handmade Vodka is unusual for Upstatement with its
nontraditional layout and typography. For a contrast, when
the studio designed and built the website for Moms Demand
Action (momsdemandaction.org), it strove for a clean,
straightforward look with a hopeful, welcoming feel. The
organization, which sprang up in response to the Sandy
Hook shooting, is part of Everytown for Gun Safety, the largest
gun violence prevention organization in the country. With
nearly six million supporters, it focuses on local, state and
national action to bring about large-scale change.
When researching for the project, Upstatement again put on
their journalism hats. Rather than working from a brief, they
conducted extensive interviews with volunteers to under-
stand what motivates them.
“Our insight was that when you’re working on something
that’s never ending, and it’s hard to make progress, you
don’t always feel like you’re winning,” says Bottitta. “What
keeps you going is a community, so we tried to make the
website about connecting with others and showcasing the
progress that’s being made.” Among other things, the site
features uplifting messages (“Winning against the gun lobby,”
says one), images of engaged and happy-looking women, and
a scrollable timeline that lays out the achievements of the
group thus far.
Upstatement also built a companion app designed to make
it easy for supporters to take action. Suggested actions, such
as sending a message to a senator, are listed in a tab that
makes it easy for members to keep track of and complete
tasks, which should eventually increase the speed and volume
at which the organization responds to events.
PBS data visualizations
For all its digital chops, Upstatement does not merely create
online homes for brands (it designed Northeastern University’s
identity in 2019, including everything from the custom
logotype and color scheme all the way to the Husky mascot).
But its longest-running and most notable offline achievement
is its data visualization work for the PBS NewsHour (the work

This page: From left to right: Cofounders and principals Tito Bottitta, Jared Novack and Mike Swartz.
Right: “In a world where mass shootings are startlingly normal and progress toward reasonable action feels enragingly slow, one organization and its nearly
six million supporters offer a glimmer of hope. Founded in 2012—one day after Sandy Hook—Moms Demand Action has become the largest grassroots
movement working to end gun violence in America. We built both a website and a set of apps for Moms Demand Action. The website helps new volunteers
sign up and get started while the app keeps them engaged over time. In both cases, joining the movement needed to be effortless, and taking action
needed to feel immediate.” Kim Miller, lead designer; Tito Bottitta, creative director; Emma Gardner, senior developer; Jon Heller, technical lead; Jenny
Mackintosh, producer; Stephanie Gent/Vivian Eri Shibata, Everytown for Gun Safety, clients.

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Communication Arts | commarts.com 31
32 Advertising Annual 2020
UPSTATEMENT

also appears online). NewsHour is a respected public news

program known for its thoughtful, in-depth news coverage.
Upstatement’s task has been to help it make sense of
US elections, which can be confusing even to citizens of
the country.
For example, it’s common to find electoral maps of the United
States where it seems like the entire country is Republican.
This is misleading because much of the United States is
sparsely populated, and rural areas tend to vote that way. To
give a truer picture, Upstatement created visualizations with
circles that represent population, rather than just showing
geographical regions colored red or blue. Knowing that
NewsHour staff would be busy during the 2020 election season,
the firm ensured that the graphics would be populated with
the latest data in real time and made it easy for editors and
producers to copy code snippets to use the graphics on
different websites.
“Everyone experiences elections through maps and data
visualizations,” says Bottitta. “We came up with a bunch of
novel ways of looking at the data. These are complex projects
in that you don’t merely have strategy and design, but
engineering and real-time data that have to be incorporated.”

Left: “To promote professional golfer Jack Nicklaus’s annual golf tourna-
ment in his hometown of Columbus, Ohio, we teamed up with the PGA
TOUR to create an experimental site with an immersive storytelling format.
In 36 chapters, the site dives into Nicklaus’s golfing career, from his
serendipitous introduction to the sport to his college years to his post-
retirement charity work, divided by portraits of the golfer from illustrator
Nigel Buchanan. The majority of the PGA TOUR’s traffic is mobile, especially
social media referrals, so we made this website feel as close to a mobile
app as possible, using multidirectional swipe and tilt gestures as ways to
navigate—the result is something akin to a Snapchat Story. The story is
also developed as a progressive web app, enabling users to read it offline.”
Andy Rader, designer; Scott Dasse, creative director; Emma Gardner,
developer; Emily Theis, producer; Sloane Kelley, PGA TOUR, client.
This page: “Most recently, PBS NewsHour and Upstatement worked together
to develop graphics for the 2020 election season. We set out to design
clear, informative graphics that work everywhere NewsHour audiences might
encounter them—on the broadcast, the web and social media—and replace
a laborious and error-prone workflow of manual edits with automated,
always-up-to-date components; and build a centralized app and easy
workflow that empower NewsHour for future election seasons. The suite
of components includes race results tables, ‘winner called’ graphics, visual-
izations of voter survey responses and maps that enable users to explore
county-by-county results. All of these are populated in real time by a data
feed from the Associated Press. Editors access a dashboard where they can
create broadcast graphics, download perfectly sized social images and
copy small code snippets to use the live-updated graphics anywhere on
the web.” Matt Lee/Will Millar/Kim Miller/James Muspratt, designers;
Tito Bottitta/Scott Dasse, creative directors; Scott Batson/Andrew Garcia
Phillips/Jon Heller/Michael Pelletier, developers; Emily Theis, senior
producer; PBS NewsHour, client.

Communication Arts | commarts.com 33

 UPSTATEMENT

One to watch
Taken as a whole, it’s hard not to smile when
looking at Upstatement’s work. Quirky yet
charming, its team members live in a highly
competitive and high-pressure world but have
managed to carve out a well-balanced and quiet
niche. While, like everyone, they now must
navigate an uncertain environment, Upstatement
is the kind of well-run business that tends to
come through crises intact. That’s why it’s a good
idea to start thinking of it not as an anomaly,
but as a leader and a model moving forward. ca

This page: “The Harvard University Graduate School of

Design (GSD) is a global leader in design and design
research, and we’re honored that it trusted Upstatement
to reimagine how it exists on the web. Before beginning
work on the user interface or anything the public would see,
our engineering team worked with the GSD to make its
information systems more accessible to the web. We built
an API and management layer that combines its many
back-end systems, from courses to people, events, projects,
media and resources. The result is a content-forward
approach to a university site that positions the GSD as
a global center of thought leadership in design as well as
a top-tier educator. The site unlocks the GSD’s creativity
and showcases its ideas and community in an inspiring and
approachable way, while the new set of back-end tools and
a data layer can be used beyond the website. We built an API
that houses student work, news and other content so
outside websites or apps can use and aggregate that
content.” Regis Biron/Holly Copeland, designers; Andy Rader,
lead designer; Scott Dasse/Mike Swartz, creative directors;
Beatrice Huang, developer; Mike Burns, technical lead; Jenny
Mackintosh, producer; Harvard University Graduate School
of Design, client.
Right: “Venture capital firm Emergence is warm, personal
and laser-focused on its mission: to find and support
visionary people who are going to change the way we work.
With Salesforce, Box and Zoom among its portfolio com-
panies, it also has the track record to prove it. We worked
closely with its team to build a site that better reflects
who they are today, starting with a refreshed identity that
emphasizes Emergence’s core values, human touch and
unique approach. You’ll see it reflected in everything, from
the beautiful illustrations to the fast, friendly, modern
tech stack. We also wrote new positioning statements,
designed a destination for the firm’s big ideas and answered
the question, What makes a website feel friendly?” Rayna
Jhaveri, writer; Ali Aas/Vanessa Gregorchik, user experience
designers; Tito Bottitta, creative director; Jon Heller/
Beatrice Huang/Ashton Hunter, programmers; Emily Theis,
producer; Emergence, client.

34 Advertising Annual 2020

Communication Arts | commarts.com 35
 L ooking out from the garden at his home in Raleigh, North
Carolina, photographer Charles Harris calls it green.
“Green, green, green, as far as the eye can see,” says
Harris, describing the 700 rambling acres of forested land
across the way. But as we talk via laptops on this bright
afternoon in May, the visual landscape shifts to make dra-
matic global leaps on our screens: A little boy kicks a ball
across a red clay pitch in Rwanda. An old boxer, sweaty back
flexed and gloved hands held high, shelters from the rainy
evening in a dark Havana gym. Kigali villagers, baskets bal-
anced on dhuku-wrapped heads, walk to work in Rwandan
tea fields as clouds gather overhead. A Kuna fisherman
perches in the bow of his dugout canoe as he heads out
to sea off the coast of Panama. And then, we are back in
the States, perched with a surfer on rocky Californian
coast, having cut a coast-to-coast swath through Harris’s
creative landscapes.
We parse the images, and one after another, Harris says, “Oh,
I took that shot when we were going from point A to point
B.” Or, “That was on the way to an assignment.” Or, “That
was a side job.”
As this pattern emerges, Harris admits, “A lot of these are
something I saw along the way. I think you find your best
stuff there. You can script things all day, and I work with
scripts all the time. But you know? You can’t predict life and
all the weird elements that are going to happen when you
are on your way someplace else. That seems to be what
I look for, what I’m thrilled to find. I am always working along
the edges.”
In a world where specialization is more common than versa-
tility, Harris, who has a portfolio full of lifestyle and portrait
and corporate photographs, says he has wrestled with what
to put out there when showing his work. “I’ve always strug-
gled with analyzing market forces,” says Harris, “trying to
figure out what people want to see. You hear, ‘You need
Right: “While on an assignment in Dubai, we took advantage of the location for a personal shoot in the desert. Our producer hired two beautiful Middle
Eastern models in traditional attire. My goal was to create a timeless and evocative image in this stunning location.”
36 Advertising Annual 2020
to be concise.’ Or, ‘You need to narrow your focus.’ But to
counter that, there is, ‘Be true to yourself.’ And that’s the
road I’ve chosen. I can’t just do one thing, be one thing.
I’m just never gonna be the guy who shoots everybody on
a blue background.”
Harris’s mastery and comfort with many photographic styles,
and his skill at capturing what he finds along the edges, has
not gone unnoticed. “It’s amazing, the breadth of work he
has done for us,” says Claudia Royston, design director at Our
State magazine in North Carolina. “He’s been knee-deep in
a creek; paparazzi at the Biltmore [historic house museum];
photographed fighter jets at the air force base and flowers
at the flower show. Whatever the assignment, we know that
he is going to deliver.”
“That’s what I really love about his portfolio,” says Jeff Griffith,
of Jeff Griffith Creative in Minneapolis. “You don’t look at it
and go, ‘Oh, that again.’ You’re more like, ‘Whoa! How did
he get that?’ With Charles, it feels like he’s always experi-
menting, trying something different. He’s always got a new
perspective, a freshness to his work.”
The perspective that Harris has developed over more than
30 years of work started with what he calls a “wilding youth”
in the South. Harris’s dad was an Air Force officer and aviator,
who headquartered the family in Waco, Texas. And Harris’s
mother’s family lived a few hours away, on the outskirts of
Shreveport, Louisiana, along the swamps and bayous near
Caddo Lake. “I spent a lot of my early childhood on visits
there with my cousin Hoss, chasing bulls, stealing boats, all
the normal boyhood stuff,” says Harris. “I think that freedom
and being dropped into all kinds of unexpected and some-
times weird situations bred in me my love for adventure.
It also made it easy for me to go into completely unfamiliar
places and just take each for what it is.” That adaptability,
plus Harris’s easygoing nature, has opened doors for him in
tricky situations.
Communication Arts | commarts.com 37
 CHARLES HARRIS

Griffith, who launched Before getting a degree in photography at the Colorado

Atomic magazine in New Institute of Art, Harris followed his father into the air,
York City while he was spending two years in the aviation program at a nearby
working for the ad agencies community college. “I loved flying—amassed a bunch of flight
Young & Rubicam and hours in single engine, multiengine and instrumental flight,”
Doremus in the 1990s, was says Harris. “But after all that training, I realized I didn’t want
doing a series on Medal to do that for a living. Too many rules.”
of Honor recipients for the
© Christopher Wilson

magazine. He hired Harris
to photograph veteran
Jack Lucas in Hattiesburg,
Mississippi. “Jack was
a real pistol,” says Griffith.
“When we got to his house, Jack told us he’d give us ten
minutes, and where he wanted us to shoot. Charles wasn’t
taken aback. He just said, ‘OK, Jack, let’s shoot that, but
then I want to shoot something for me, OK?’ Jack grumbled
but agreed. So we took Jack’s shot, and then Charles asked
to do his shot. Sure enough, right on the front porch was
the American flag, and from the angle that Charles took his
shot, Jack looked monumental, like he was seven feet tall,
with the flag behind his head. When Jack saw that shot, he
was thrilled.”
The flight experience did lead him to work as an aerial pho-
tographer in Denver for a short stint. But, perhaps more
importantly, “being a pilot made me very aware of how much
things change depending on your vantage point,” says Harris.
“We all walk around in a six-foot world. So few of us actually
see anything from a different perspective. Change the van-
tage point, and you change everything.”
After years of assisting in Dallas and North Carolina, Harris
ran a photography collective called Stone Soup with four
other associates in Raleigh until 2006. He has been based in
Raleigh ever since, throughout a career that has taken him
around the world. He’s shot for ad agency, editorial and
corporate clients that run the gamut from the New York Times
to the Royal Caribbean Cruises lines to Duke Energy.

Harris first grew interested in photography when a friend’s
older brother showed him his darkroom and camera. “We’d
always had some little snapshot cameras and Polaroid
cameras around the house growing up,” Harris says. “But
seeing that friend’s camera, I thought, ‘Man, I would really
love to have one like that.’” Harris’s wish was granted with
a simple 35mm Vivitar that he toted around through junior
high, picking up what skills he could from the Kodak reference
book that came with the camera.
But when he dropped the Vivitar from the top of a set of
metal bleachers at school, “and that thing just bounced down,
hitting all the girders like a pachinko ball,” the camera was
stuck at the depth of field preview-mode setting forever after.
“Every time I went to stop down the lens, the viewfinder
went dark. So I just never stopped down. And I got used to
it. It made me accept this not-so-sharp background in photos
as normal. When I finally went on to shooting without that
defect, I’d grown so used to that soft background, I never liked
having everything in sharp focus,” he says with a laugh. To
this day, Harris says he is a “wide open junkie.” His favorite
lens is the Leica 50mm f/0.95 Noctilux.
Many of his global explorations were at the side of photog-
rapher and former ad agency creative Christopher Wilson.
“I met Charles long before I even considered becoming
a photographer,” says Wilson. “I was the creative director
for Audi North America at McKinney & Silver, and we hired
Charles to shoot some work.” Wilson admired Harris’s
skills, how he worked and how he shot. So when Wilson
started doing more photography, he brought Harris on as
a camera consultant, and, eventually, to be the second
shooter on jobs.
“It was like I was Oz—the not-so-great-and-powerful—and
he was the man behind the curtain pulling all of the levers,
making me look great,” says Wilson. “I will forever be indebted
to him for helping me start my photography career. There
aren’t many out there who would be that generous.”
The working relationship between Harris and Wilson prog-
ressed to become symbiotic, as they traveled to jobs in
Ethiopia, Rwanda, South Africa and India. They photographed
in Brazil, England, Belgium and Singapore. Also, Dubai and
Mexico, and all over the United States.

Right: “My friend Christopher Wilson and I were on an assignment in Colorado, and tacked on a personal trip to the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah to
photograph the cars and racers at Speed Week. Our friends Andy Anderson and Shaun Fenn joined us one day, and we drove out to the ‘drop,’ which is where
the racers slow down after a run to get picked up by their team members. We had a hilariously uproarious time chasing down the racers and attacking
them like paparazzi.”
“Shot on assignment for the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton Chamber of Commerce, which is essentially the tourist bureau. After a long three days with a ton of
talent and crew, I was left alone for a couple of days to finish up a few ideas I had. The subject is a local fisherman casting his net. Another shot from these
two days on a boat was in the Communication Arts Photo Annual a couple of years ago.” Charles Harris, art director/photographer; Kathy Winings, project
manager; Hilton Head Island-Bluffton Chamber of Commerce, client.

38 Advertising Annual 2020

Communication Arts | commarts.com 39
40 Advertising Annual 2020
CHARLES HARRIS

“Charles has a really good eye for seeing things in the

moment,” Wilson says. “That’s a real gift. He can be very
spontaneous, and can just look and see what’s in front
of the camera and shoot it quickly. We would divide and
conquer. I might do the more formal stuff, while he did
the lifestyle stuff. And he is so easy to be with.”
“Charles just gets it,” Griffith concludes. “When you are on
a shoot with him, he takes everything you give him—all
the information, the background, the side stories, how you
got to this day—and he just distills it and does his thing.
I think that is magical. Working with a photographer, you
don’t want to have to tell them what to shoot or how to
shoot it. That’s their job. With Charles, you give him the
info, and he just runs with it. And you are always pleased
with the result.”
For his part, Harris is looking forward to the next assign-
ment “so I can continue to wander and see what’s along
the road,” he says. “Photography is like a backstage pass
to life. You are given the opportunity to peek inside, behind
the door, view things others might not normally see. It’s
unpredictable, but it certainly keeps things fresh.” ca

Left: “Shot in the courtyard of the famed Rafael Trejo Boxing Gym in
Havana during a personal trip to Cuba. While roaming the streets on
a rainy evening, I came across the gym and ambled in to have a look.
The only one there was the caretaker, a 75-year-old retired boxer. He
spoke no English, and my Spanish is minimal, but we had no real need
for words. He showed me around and was kind enough to sit for a few
photos. It was so dark that I could not even see to focus, so the
whole thing was a leap of faith. This image was used as cover art for
Workbook 36.”
“A personal photograph of my daughter Dani. We were visiting her in
New York City and having ice cream at the Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory.
It being dark out, I asked her to light herself with her phone with the
Brooklyn Bridge in the background. I used the Leica 35mm Summilux
to achieve a luscious and stylized look.” Dani Harris, model.
This page: “From an unpublished feature in Our State magazine about
the potential partnership between the North Carolina government and
tourism resources such as river guides and outfitters. The writer and
the director of the North Carolina program are pictured while fishing along
a river deep in the Pisgah Forest.” Eddie Nickens, writer; Claudia
Royston, design director; Our State, client.
“For the nonprofit IntraHealth International, which has worked in more
than 100 countries. Christopher Wilson brought me along as a second
shooter on the assignment. Our goal was to create dignified, compelling
and empathetic portraits of locals who come to the clinics and the
other services IntraHealth funds. One of the things we did was set up
simple white and black backgrounds for the subjects, which Christopher
and I would trade between. This portrait was taken in Ethiopia. We
traveled all over Ethiopia and Rwanda, including an adventurous side trip
to hike the dense mountain jungle to see the giant silverback gorillas.”
Christopher Wilson, art director; IntraHealth International, client.

Communication Arts | commarts.com 41

 CHARLES HARRIS

This page: “After completing a personal assignment for a friend in Mumbai,

I set off for a two-week solo journey across India. While I considered
myself fairly well traveled, I was not prepared for the emotional impact
of what felt like an upside-down world. It was intense, and I’ve since
returned once on a commercial assignment. I would love to go again. This
image of a mother and child, taken in the Agra Fort not far from the Taj
Mahal, captures the near-mystical quality of India and its beautiful people
(top). This hookah-smoking holy man was found as is in the alleys of the
golden city of Jaisalmer (bottom). Both were taken with a Leica film
camera using Kodachrome.”
Right: “This portrait of Jack Lucas was shot at his home in Mississippi for
an Atomic magazine feature on Medal of Honor recipients. Magazine
creator Jeff Griffith and I drove there from New Orleans after quite a big
night in the French Quarter. Jack was a tough and ornery firecracker. After
taking some token shots of him at his desk with memorabilia—his idea,
not ours—I wanted to portray him as the larger-than-life hero he was,
a real hero who saved lives in Iwo Jima by throwing himself on hand
grenades. His jacket, his medal, the flag, the low angle and his obvious
pride created exactly the look we wanted.” Jeff Griffith, writer/creative
director; Leslie Rosenberg, editor in chief; Atomic, client.
“For an Our State magazine feature on North Carolina swimming holes.
This young girl was in one of the many swirling pools of Looking Glass
Creek, which feeds the insanely fun Sliding Rock, deep in the Pisgah
Forest. I’ve long been drawn to the abstract patterns of ripples of water
and could not help but notice the similarity in her bathing suit top. She
graciously allowed me to photograph her just below the surface of the
cold rushing stream.” Claudia Royston, design director; Our State, client.
“Shot for an unnamed credit card company at a restaurant in New York
City. I was hired as second shooter with Christopher Wilson. While he
had specific conceptual and layout concerns, I was free to shoot lifestyle
images of our talent. I used the Leica Noctilux extensively to achieve
a luscious and stylized look.” Kristin Haley, art director; Teddy Brown,
creative director; FCB Chicago, ad agency.

42 Advertising Annual 2020

Communication Arts | commarts.com 43
 A casino, not a design studio, is where Kenneth Ho
always thought he’d end up working. In Macau, the
world’s biggest gambling center by revenue, a large
number of citizens find employment in its glitzy casinos and
five-star hotels. Ho very nearly became one of them.
The creative director of branding and design studio WWAVE
DESIGN counts himself lucky. In high school, he took a short
summer course in design hosted by the Macau Polytechnic
Institute. The spark for design was lit, and he soon abandoned
his plans to study gambling management. “I realized I had
other talents and there was another way besides the casinos,”
he says.
Not content with following life’s beaten paths, Ho decided
to open a studio to cut his own—hence the name. “I wanted
to be part of the new wave—something new and something
different,” he says. The two WW’s were a reference to Ho
and his brother, who was involved in the early stages of the
business but soon left. The lettering, however, stuck.
Wearing his signature round frames, Ho sits with his transla-
tor, Kam, in his small studio in Macau’s commercial and
creative precinct. With the rest of the team working from
home due to COVID-19, only his wall of well-tended plants
now keep him company most days. More than decor, they’re
a tiny representation of what matters dearly to him both
personally and professionally. “The idea of environmental
preservation and being environmentally conscious is some-
thing I always think about,” he says over video chat. “It’s
natural for me to be environmentally conscious. Macau is
a place where everything is imported and bought. People
consume a lot, but there is always a price for economic
consumption. A few years ago, a developer was trying to
develop Coloane, the only island left in Macau that is green.
I was very upset about that, so I was involved in an installa-
tion and campaign to help preserve that place.”
Passion comes easily to Ho, especially when it comes to the
environment, sustainability, design and the creative epicenter
that is New York City. After cutting his teeth at MO-Design
in Macau, where he learned to bring a sense of adventure to
his work, Ho was hungry for more. An internship in Hong
Kong exposed him to a broader range of industries, and a stint
in Shenzhen followed. It wasn’t until he got to New York,
however, that he felt the world open up to him. “That was
definitely one of the most defining moments in my life. New
York City changed and influenced me a lot. It felt like every
day, there were always new ideas and thoughts coming to
my mind, the entire atmosphere was very vibrant and, of
course, influenced my work,” he says. While working at
design studio Math Practice, he also discovered the working
style he would use as the foundation for his own studio. “It
was very studio oriented in New York City. They had lots of
time to discuss ideas and projects. I also saw lots of designs

Captions supplied by WWAVE DESIGN.

Right: “This biscuit collection from Macau-based French pastry shop ROCCA Pâtisserie features six boxes of biscuits with different flavors, shapes and
textures. We designed a set of packaging using six types of paper in different colors and textures, paired with six typefaces for the product name on
the box, each relating to the mood and the flavor of the biscuits. The greatest challenge was that we needed to lower the cost while keeping the elegance
and simplicity. Our approach was to pack the biscuits as compactly and delicately as possible in a metal box, around which we wrapped a colored paper
sleeve with a key visual of foil stamping on it, which gives a classy touch.” Amy Un, art director; Colinn Ho, creative director; ROCCA Pâtisserie, client.

44 Advertising Annual 2020

© Andrew Kan

Communication Arts | commarts.com 45

 WWAVE DESIGN

by people from different
parts of the world. It’s
very diversified. Until
then, I didn’t often see
designs that were bold
or experimental,” he
says. The whole experi-
ence built on what
he’d discovered while
working in Macau—
© Andrew Kan
whole idea, which creates a holistic experience,” she says. For
ROCCA’s La Lune biscuit collection celebrating the Mid-Autumn
Festival and the full harvest moon, delicate round bamboo
cases were chosen for the packaging. From there, simple
paper sleeves in different textures were added along with
3-D embossing and holographic foil to depict a luminescent
moon. “The paper sleeve complements that sense of handi-
craft and avoids using too many materials. The bamboo case
can also be recycled and used as a container for other things,”
Ho says. From ROCCA’s elegant logo, with artful typography

that approaching design
in the same old ways
wasn’t enough for him.
“In New York City,
design is not safe. It doesn’t matter how unrealistic your
thoughts are; there is always an audience for that because
of the diversity the city offers. Nowadays there are lots of
short-lived trends in the design field, things that pop up and
fizzle out. I want to create something that is long lasting—
that’s one of my goals,” he says.
With that in mind, Ho doesn’t hire designers who simply
toe the line. “Firstly, they must have their own ideas and
thinking. This helps enrich ideas and lets ideas clash,” he
says. When recruiting, he also looks for potential as much as
talent. “Your design capabilities are not the most important
thing. Skills can be nurtured, but you need to have the will
to learn,” he says.
Simple and exquisite are the two words Ho uses to describe
his design aesthetic. More specifically, a simple idea executed
in an exquisite way. It’s what helped him secure his first
major client, ROCCA Pâtisserie. Founder Candii Un says Ho’s
attention to detail is second to none. “We are both perfec-
tionists, and it also helps that he likes French pastries so
much,” she says. Good taste aside, Un also likes that he’s
a good listener, and believes his work helps elevate her
creations. “Kenneth’s designs make our cakes look even more
appealing. He can always seize the detail in our cake design
and make use of the elements to complete and express the
and a classic oval shape referencing its pastries, to other
projects celebrating Valentine’s Day, Alice in Wonderland,
forest- and circus-inspired collections, summer fruits, and
Christmas, the collaboration has produced a smorgasbord
of delicious work.
For lifestyle boutique and espresso bar Quarter Square, Ho
took things to another level. After five years in business,
Quarter Square was looking to expand and rebrand. Picking
up on its different facets, Ho created an adaptable logo. “It’s
a gallery, a showroom, a coffee bar—it’s not just one thing,
it’s multifunctional, so I created a multidimensional logo
using the letter Q,” Ho says. In one incarnation, the tail of
the Q sits beneath the letter. In another, it sits over the top,
and in a third, it crosses over and underneath. “It’s dynamic.
There are lots of different forms it can be morphed into,
and it gives new possibilities and potential to the project.
Essentially, it’s a circle with a stick in various forms. It’s
not one fixed logo, it changes,” he says.
Ho thinks carefully before answering questions during the
interview, stopping, pausing as thoughts form in his mind,
and finding truth before allowing himself to speak. It’s
a quality that Quarter Square founder Alberto Chan admires
in Ho. Even more so when he lets his work do the talking.
“Kenneth communicates better visually than verbally. Some-
times without him saying much, we could tell what he was
trying to achieve. I think this is a strength since a powerful
brand and logo should convey a message without having
to explain it in words,” Chan says. The subdued color palette

This page: Founder and creative director Kenneth Ho.

Right: “INÁGE is a Taiwanese beauty brand. Most of its competitors present multifunctionality as their selling point. On the contrary, we hoped that the
language of this packaging could be more direct and focused, to present ‘moisture’ as the brand core. The packaging design focuses on the expression of
different movements, forms and densities of water. The extendible graphics effectively communicate the brand message we want to convey to consumers,
reducing unnecessary and excessive interpretation of the packaging.” Kenneth Ho, art director; INÁGE, client.
“This Mid-Autumn gift box is a set of two cookie boxes pairing traditional Chinese style with modern European flavor, featuring the ideas of old meets new,
and East meets West. We noticed that the traditional-style Mid-Autumn gift box had a weak link between the package design and the product itself, so we
explored the relationship between form, taste and cultural meaning to help create a product that gives sentiment to the receiver and those who enjoy it.
We used two types of traditional paper and two color palettes to express the themes and flavors of the cookie set: textured English Conqueror paper in
inky jade for the tea collection, and Oriental Earth paper in coral red for the floral collection.” Colinn Ho/Amy Un, art directors; Kenneth Ho, designer; ROCCA
Pâtisserie, client.

46 Advertising Annual 2020

© Andrew Kan

Communication Arts | commarts.com 47

48 Advertising Annual 2020
WWAVE DESIGN

and the minimalistic and clear approach of the rebrand

perfectly matched Quarter Square’s own pursuit of modest
elegance and quiet luxury. “It’s easy to read and flexible too,”
Chan says. “Kenneth is one of the best in Macau.”
While much of his work emanates from his home city, Ho has
his sights set much further abroad. His latest venture has
seen him working closely with Michelin-starred chef André
Chiang and his company AC Global on a new guesthouse in
Japan. Called Mitsuma-Ya, it translates to “Three Houses.” The
logo cleverly uses the Chinese characters used to write
Mitsuma-Ya illustratively to depict the number three and
a house. The overall effect is like that of a puzzle, or a window
looking into a house. “Kenneth is a young, dynamic designer
in Asia who I saw a lot of talent and potential in. He doesn’t
simply create beautiful concepts, but also has this ‘making
a statement’ kind of mindset, which I appreciate,” Chiang says.
In six short years, Ho has produced work for big names such
as Nike and Häagen-Dazs and received a number of awards,
including a nomination for the 2021 German Design Award.
With clients based in Hong Kong, Japan, Taiwan, Australia
and the United States, he hopes to continue on a global
trajectory. “It’s not necessarily about doing more business,
but getting in touch with more people from different places.
I have this urge or need to go beyond Macau,” he says.
Let the next adventure begin. ca

Top left: “Mitsuma-Ya is a special hotel brand located in Kanazawa, Japan.

It was co-created by three professionals from different fields, who refur-
nished and renovated three local, old houses. We were responsible for the
branding and visual identity of the hotel brand. The logo concept is derived
from the negative space of the Japanese-style window, combined with three
‘houses,’ which are the three characters of the Chinese name of the hotel.
We also incorporated the appearance of a house in the middle character
to experiment with using Chinese characters as a logo. With this unique
brand positioning, we hope to set aside Mitsuma-Ya from the rest of the
hotel brands.” Kenneth Ho, creative director; Mitsuma-Ya, client.
Bottom left and this page: “We designed the Fly Away exhibition for the
opening of a new café in Macau. For the visual design, we used the origami
bird as inspiration, featuring its posture and outline with geometric shapes.
We invited Hong Kong–based paper artists to create a collection of giant
origami bird artworks for the café. In addition, we designed a DIY miniature
origami bird postcard, which visitors could fold in simple steps to create
their own bird, adding interactivity to the event.” Kenneth Ho, art director;
Colinn Ho, creative director; CAFÉ VOYAGE, client.

Communication Arts | commarts.com 49

 WWAVE DESIGN
This page: “Quarter Square is a well-known boutique
coffee bar and curated shop in Macau. Our client and we
believe that the brand needs to embody the core concepts
of ‘open’ and ‘imaginative space.’ For the brand typeface and
logotype, we chose Raisonné for its open stroke designs in
the structure of the characters, which resembles the
attitude of the brand’s core concepts. We also made use of
the letter Q, which represents Quarter Square, as a logomark
and as graphic extensions for more visual possibilities. Its
appearance can constantly change and different textures
and materials can be applied, enabling a diverse usage for
brand visualization and promotion as well as expressing the
brand’s core concept of viewing things from multiple angles.”
Kenneth Ho/Colinn Ho, art directors; Kenneth Ho, designer;
Quarter Square, client.
“TOMOBO is a smart home brand in Shenzhen, China. We
were responsible for naming, logo design, product packaging
and app interface design. For the logo design, we trans-
formed the owl into a pattern resembling an intelligent
robot butler, a metaphor for the product’s positioning as
a functional item. Our goal is to break the use of product
photos as the main method of expression in domestic
mainstream electronic product packaging, so that consumers
have a new experience with smart home brands.” Kenneth
Ho, art director; Ion Fat Ho/Colinn Ho, designers; Hong
Chong Ip, creative director; TOMOBO, client.
Right: “We designed packaging for a limited edition of Hirai
Brewery’s famous sake product Asajio. The sake brand
Hirai was founded more than 300 years ago in Otsu, Shiga
Prefecture, Japan. Hirai Tsuruko, the eighteenth successor
and sake brewer, teamed up with various designers and
artists for this Sakeraku project in the hopes of creating
distinctive sake packaging. We wanted to reflect the value
of the limited edition sake in the design. Taking inspiration
from Lake Biwa, a famous local scenic spot, we printed
a collection of three sake labels with different times and
color tones to express how the light uniquely shines on
the lake at different points in the day, which also connects
the value of Asajio with the preciousness of time.” Kenneth
Ho, art director; Ion Fat Ho, designer; Colinn Ho, creative
director; Hirai Brewery, client.
“This Mid-Autumn gift box enables customers to enjoy
moon cookies with the brightest moon. Appreciating the
moon and enjoying festive foods such as moon cakes with
family is traditional and is still a trend in the Chinese region
during the Mid-Autumn Festival. Our package design
features the unique beauty of the moon. We framed more
than 100 photographs of the moon—from different angles,
and from light to shade, and far to near—inside an octagon,
a traditional shape for window frames in China. As the key
visual, this re-creates ‘moon appreciating’ through the
window with family. The box was handmade using Sycamore
wood to give a warm touch and a sense of traditional
Chinese craftsmanship.” Colinn Ho/Amy Un, art directors;
Kenneth Ho, creative director; ROCCA Pâtisserie, client.

50 Advertising Annual 2020

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Communication Arts | commarts.com 51

 1

52 Advertising Annual 2020

2

1 City of Sydney identity

To visually unify the city of Sydney’s heterogeneous departments,
Sydney-based design firm For The People created a simple, easy-to-
use brand system that worked across a broad array of materials. “A key
criterion was to overhaul the visual identity while evolving the city’s
logo,” says Jason Little, For The People’s cofounder and executive
creative director. “Due to the nature of the city’s circular logo, we
built the holistic identity system on this foundation of geometry
and [circular] DNA.”
Oliver Bussell/Rebecca Cini, designers; Oliver Bussell, writer; Mel Baillache,
creative director; Jason Little, executive creative director; Amanda Gordon,
strategy; Ilana Bodenstein, illustrator; Dave Coleman, typographer; For The
People (Sydney, Australia), design firm; Karl Herger/Steve Howlett, City of
Sydney, clients.

2 Hennessy film
“Unfinished Business” 1:45
Ad agency Droga5’s film for cognac distiller Hennessy draws attention
to the company’s values by highlighting entrepreneurs of color in the
United States and their struggles during the COVID-19 pandemic. De-
parting from the typical “life under lockdown” commercial, a microcrew
combed city streets using cameras that give the spot a homemade
feel. In keeping with Hennessy’s new initiative, Droga5 connected
with musician of color Julius Rodriguez to provide the soundtrack.
Jason Gold, senior art director; Craig Gerringer/Ted Meyer, senior writers;
Owen DiRienz, user experience designer; Adrian Koenigsberg, designer; Jen
Lally/Craig Wong, design directors; Rich Greco, senior design director; Joel
Francke, associate creative director; Thom Glover, creative director; Dan Kelly,
group creative director; David Droga, executive creative director; Sally-Ann
Dale/Tim Gordon/Neil Heymann/Felix Richter, chief creative officers; Greg
Berard/Mariel Milner, strategists; Jonny Bauer/Dean Challis/Christina Fieni/
Delphine Mckinley/Harry Román-Torres/Drew Simel, strategy; Justin Clagette,
senior brand strategist; Jack Moore, The Quarry, assistant editor; Jonnie
Scarlett, The Quarry, editor; Jomo Fray, Second Child, director of photography;
Paul McGeiver, Second Child, photographer; Haley Anderson, Second Child,
director; Aaron Reynolds, Wave Studios, sound designer/audio mixer; Mike
Ladman/Orbital Music and Sound, music; Julius Rodriguez, Orbital Music and
Sound, composer; Connor Hagan, associate producer; Chris Anthony,
Framestore/Chelsea Greenwood, Second Child/Henrio Henning, Framestore,
producers; Ian Graetzer/Forrest Holt, senior producers; Tor Adams, The
Quarry, executive producer; Danielle Gibbons, project manager; Simon Bourne,
Framestore, colorist; The Quarry, editorial company; Framestore, post-
production company; Second Child, production company; Jesse Brihn/Jordan
Cappadocia/Scott Chinn, Second Child/Lindsay Cole/Justin Durazzo/Bianca
Escobar/Vanessa Foinquinos/Marissa Guerra/Cliff Lewis/Ruben Mercadal/Susie
Nam/Alexander Nowak/Mosito Ramaili/Dan Simonetti/Anne Marie Turbitt,
project design and development; Droga5 (New York, NY), ad agency; Michael
Aidan/Seth Kaufman/Vanessa Kay/Jacqueline Long/Giles Woodyer/Seth
Zaharako, Moët Hennessy, clients.

We’re looking for new, outstanding collateral, packaging, print ads, television
commercials, direct mail, books and exhibits. For submission details, visit
commarts.com/submissions.

Communication Arts | commarts.com 53

 EXHIBIT 1

1 Made in Fukushima book

After the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster, more than 60,000
acres of farmland were decontaminated. But even then people
would not buy rice from the region. The book Made in Fukushima,
created by ad agency Serviceplan Group and Munich-based
digital design firm Moby Digg, familiarizes readers with data on
decontamination while itself being printed on paper made out of
rice from Fukushima’s decontaminated fields. To disseminate the
information, Made in Fukushima utilizes photography, interviews,
reports, background information and data visualizations.
Eduardo Alvarez/Saurabh Kakade, art directors; Quentin Lichtblau/
Carolina Soto, writers; Ricardo Abbaszadeh, Moby Digg, designer;
Gabriela Baka, Moby Digg, lead designer; Maximilian Heitsch, Moby
Digg/Lorenz Langgartner/Franz Röppischer, creative directors; Alex
Schill, chief creative officer; Johannes Maierbacher, Albert Coon,
editor; Ivan Kovac/Andreas Wolf, Albert Coon, directors of photography;
Nick Frank, photographer; Yuta Matthew Kato, SAS - Shoot in Japan/
Rumi Tominaga, producers; Robert Kaminski, Serviceplan Solutions,
production manager; Moby Digg, design firm; Serviceplan Group
(Munich, Germany), ad agency; Dr. Colin Campbell/Kersten Campbell/
Scott Campbell/Christian Hertel/Julia Mumford/Kirsten Ralph, METER
Group/Dr. Masaru Mizoguchi, The University of Tokyo/Yoichi Tao,
Fukushima Saisei, clients.

2 Lucifer is a Flower album cover

Design duo Non-Format, partnering with Norway-based design
firm ANTI, created this album cover for French electronic music
artist Black Devil Disco Club’s final album, Lucifer is a Flower.
“Most of our designs for Black Devil have featured an expressive
photo-illustration with one of our custom typefaces,” says Jon
Forss of Non-Format. “We finally hit on the pairing of simple
black-and-white photos with deconstructed type, all floating on
an unbroken sea of red.”
Kjell Ekhorn/Jon Forss, art directors/design; ANTI, development
partner; Non-Format (Minneapolis, MN/Oslo, Norway), design firm;
Lo Recordings, client.

3 Viagra short film

“Love Story” 2:00
Departing from typical “success” images used in erectile dys-
function treatment ads, VMLY&R created a short film mirroring
reality instead. “We opted for a longer-form film to give us space
to build an emotional story arch that would strike a chord,” says
Tamryn Kerr, creative director at VMLY&R. “We wanted the
characters’ interactions and movements to be as natural as
possible in the hopes that we all see ourselves in them and
their relationship.”
Chris Willis, design director; Marcelo Garcia, Zombie Studio/Tamryn Kerr,
VMLY&R/Daniel Salles, Zombie Studio, creative directors; Laurent Simon,
chief creative officer; Josh Taylor-Dadds, strategist; Wallan Oliveira,
Zombie Studio, technology director; Paulo Garcia, Zombie Studio,
director; Zombie Studio, animator/visual effects company; Mauricio
Sampaio, Zombie Studio, 3-D modeling; Anthony Moore, Factory, sound
designer/audio mixer/music; André Carvalho, Zombie Studio/Lucy Spong,
Factory/John Woolley, Blinkink, producers; Charlotte Davis, senior
producer; Bart Yates, Blinkink, executive producer; Blinkink, production
company; VMLY&R (London, United Kingdom), ad agency; Alison Dixon/
Rob Elliott/Stephen Harrison/Teresa Lau/Justin Nnawuchi/Hayley Perez/
Paula Taylor/Paul Withers/Toygan Yamanel, Upjohn, clients.

54 Advertising Annual 2020

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 1

56 Advertising Annual 2020

3
EXHIBIT
1 Mr.Pops identity
A Ukrainian ice cream popsicle brand well loved by an active crowd,
Mr.Pops tapped design firm Samosoboy Branding Buro for an identity
rebrand that would not only visually set it apart from its competitors,
but also be easily scalable to cover its myriad brand assets. The
design firm’s solution was to create a popsicle shape from the
negative space in the letter o in Mr.Pops. From this, the design firm
built an entire design system that included wrappers and dessert
boxes. “We were even able to organically fit the logo onto an ice
cream stick,” the design firm notes.
Oleksandr Sydorenko, art director/graphic designer/design; Andriy Selimov,
designer; Samosoboy Branding Buro (Kiev, Ukraine), design firm; Jane
Antipova, Mr.Pops, client.

2 Blue Shield of California TV spot

“Save Lives” :60
Blue Shield of California and Butler, Shine, Stern & Partners (BSSP)
combat misinformation surrounding mask wearing and the COVID-19
pandemic with this 60-second spot, which is part of a campaign
aptly titled Medical, Not Political. By pairing earnest imagery with
copy comparing the stereotypes surrounding masks with contrary
proof, BSSP conveys a simple, empathetic message. “This project felt
more like a reminder versus learning something new,” say BSSP’s
group creative director Sinan Dagli, creative director Jeff Hornung and
strategy director Jake Bayham. “We were once again reminded that
advertising can have a message and a point of view, especially when
you’re not afraid of what people think.”
Jeff Hornung/Ed Patterson, creative directors; Sinan Dagli, group creative
director; John Butler, chief creative officer; Jake Bayham, strategy; Jason
Apple, editor; Alex Farnum, photographer; South Music, music; Lauren
Chatman, associate producer; Fearghal O’Dea, executive producer; Tony
Bossard/Caitlin Bricker/Megan Siewert, project managers; Cleaver Content,
production company; Butler, Shine, Stern & Partners (Sausalito, CA), ad
agency; Betsy Bellotti/Suzanne Buffington/Blair McGrain/Jeff Robertson, Blue
Shield of California, clients.

3 Wealthsimple brand film

“Zero” :30
Motion design firm Buck created this catchy film in the vein of
Animaniacs and Schoolhouse Rock! to communicate the zero–commis-
sion fee benefit of this online investment management service app.
“We had been working with Wealthsimple on another branding
project when COVID hit and the app began to get a lot of interest,”
says Buck. “In the spirit of R.E.M.’s ‘It’s the End of the World as We
Know It,’ we wanted to cycle through all of the investment sectors in
a playful way, with everything compositionally taking the form of
a zero in the middle of the frame.”
Doug Hindson/Yeojin Shin, art directors; Liron Ashkenazi, senior art director;
Liron Ashkenazi/Anthony Furlong/Renaud Futterer/Doug Hindson/Yeojin
Shin/Zuheng Yin/Guillermo Zapiola, design; Orion Tait, executive creative di-
rector; Deanna Rivera, content coordinator; Sean Merks/Rachael Park/Zuheng
Yin, animators; Chris Ribar/Arvid Volz/Zuheng Yin, 3-D animators; Filipe
Machado/Arvid Volz, 3-D modeling; Heard City, sound designer; Walker
Music, audio mixer/music; Alistair Donkin, voice talent; Kevin Hall, senior
producer; Joe Nash, executive producer; Bill Dorais/Aarvid Volz, visual effects
supervisors; Bill Dorais/Michael Lampe/Shane O’Hara/Ylli Orana/Chris Ribar/
Katriel Smith/Meng Chwen Joy Tien/Arvid Volz/Zuheng Yin, lighting
designers; BUCK (Los Angeles, CA/New York, NY), design firm; Mike Giepert/
Greg Tharp, Wealthsimple, clients.

Communication Arts | commarts.com 57

 EXHIBIT 1

1 Numu packaging
A premier craft brewery located in Guanacaste, Costa Rica, Numu
turned to San José, Costa Rica–based design firm Pupila for a new
brand and packaging design. “Costa Rica has recently enjoyed a gas-
tronomical revolution with many new craft beer proposals, which
have successfully disrupted the monotone landscape of big commer-
cial beers,” says Matti Vandersee, partner and senior designer at
Pupila. “Nevertheless, almost every craft brewery had a similar visual
aspect: brown bottle with a sloppy illustration sticker.” Based on
a proposal from Numu to use a can for the packaging and to draw
inspiration from the regional Chorotega Indigenous people—Numu
means “sun”—Pupila reinterpreted ancient visuals as a polished,
contemporary design, honoring the historical and cultural wealth of
the Guanacaste region.
Matti Vandersee, graphic design; Bruno Campos/Alfredo Enciso, art directors;
Pupila (San José, Costa Rica), design firm; Numu, client.

2 Generade print ad
Sports drink brand Generade and ad agency Mood Peru came
together to hydrate essential workers during the pandemic through
social media requests. Users suggested and voted for institutions

© Mateos Muñoz
and workers in their own cities to which Generade could deliver its
drinks. Meanwhile, Mood Peru created ads detailing the physical
demands of such jobs, raising awareness of the difficult, life-threat-
ening tasks that workers execute every day for others’ comfort and
safety. “It was … difficult getting the profiles for these photos,” says
the ad agency. “Since Peru is still in quarantine, we couldn’t go
outside and photograph. So, we asked photographer Luis Cáceres
2
Álvarez to shoot this outdoor job, which required realistic and
tough art styling.”
Jorge Koki Piscoya, art director; Paulo Ballón, writer; Alejandro Lato La Torre,
executive creative director; Luis Cáceres Álvarez, photographer; Mood Peru
(Lima, Peru), ad agency; Industrias San Miguel, client.

58 Advertising Annual 2020

 “ The 2020 Advertising Annual
brought forth many disruptive,
fresh ideas. In my view, it was
a real opportunity to see
innovative and creatively risky
ideas.” —Marcelo Reis

ADVERTISING
ANNUAL 2020

“
I was really impressed with the
quality of the student work. A lot
of it was very creative, strategic
and turnkey, with a good grasp of
media, platforms and apps.”
—Nellie Kim
 1

60 Advertising Annual 2020

 POSTERS
1 (series)
Tim McGrath, art director
Jason Rohrer, writer
Sam Maclay, creative director
Salty Travellers, photographer
3 Advertising (Albuquerque, NM), ad agency
Sackwear, client

Communication Arts | commarts.com 61

 1

POSTERS
1 Doug Pedersen (Excelsior, MN), art director
Dean Buckhorn, writer
Marty Senn, chief creative officer
Carmichael Lynch, ad agency
Zombie Boardshop, client

2 (series)
Dan Shearin, art director
Scott King, writer
Bryan Judkins, group creative director
Carolyn Hadlock, executive creative director
Cassie Conklin, creative contributor
Derek Hulsey, designer
Nils Ericson, photographer
Jeff Durham/Lynn Kendall, production managers
Samuel Hanes/Marie MacWhorter/Kari Peglar/Dave Theibert,
strategists
Thomas Denari, chief strategy officer
Bess Browning/Colleen O’Mara, associate producers
Young & Laramore (Indianapolis, IN), ad agency
Hotel Tango Distillery, client

62 Advertising Annual 2020

Communication Arts | commarts.com 63
 1

POSTERS
1 (series)
Ken-Tsai Lee, art director/creative director
Ruo-Jieh Chen/Pei-Rong Chen/Chan-Ming Hsu/Ming-Huei Lyu/
Brynn Wang, design
Ken-Tsai Lee Design Lab (Taipei, Taiwan), ad agency
Bauhaus-Universität Weimar/National Taiwan University of
Science and Technology, clients
“The spirit of Bauhaus design was condensed into a picture
composed of straight and horizontal lines. Through audience
participation, a variety of types and graphics were created
on this grid, which was made into posters by students to
promote a workshop and exhibition in Taiwan.”

2 (series)
Reinaldo López, art director
Florencio Ros/Sandra Weisinger, creative directors
El Autobús (Miami, FL), ad agency
David Weisinger, Uplight Group, client

64 Advertising Annual 2020

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Communication Arts | commarts.com 65

 1

POSTERS
1 (series)
Jonatan Maldonado, art director
Sharon Cleary, writer
Sharon Cleary/Jonatan Maldonado/Harvey Marco/Dino Spadavecchia,
creative directors
Johnny Sampson, illustrator
Gallegos United (Newport Beach, CA), ad agency
Stephen James, California Milk Processor Board, client

2 Todd Nolley, art director

Ryan Coleman, group creative director
Todd Aldridge, executive creative director
Steve Dunkley, chief creative officer
James Quantz, Jr., photographer
Natalie Bailey/Peggy Brookhouse/Stacey McCray, strategists
Luquire George Andrews, Inc. (Charlotte, NC), ad agency
Bojangles, client
“In 2019, NBA’s All-Star Weekend came to Charlotte, North Carolina.
Bojangles, known for its biscuits made fresh every 20 minutes,
wanted to create some buzz. We took the iconic chalk-throwing
ritual of the game and made it our own by featuring Bojangles’s
biscuit-making flour thrown into the air, simulated with fog
machines. The fire department promptly received dozens of calls
that our billboard was ‘on fire,’ but after Bojangles delivered to
their station, they gave us the green light to turn the fog back on.”

66 Advertising Annual 2020

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Communication Arts | commarts.com 67

 1

moustache fedora

slugs getting to first base drowning camel

68 Advertising Annual 2020

 POSTERS
ghost 1 Evan Vosburgh, associate creative director
Deacon Webster, chief creative officer
Valerie Hope, executive integrated producer
Walrus (New York, NY), ad agency
Wells, client

2 (series)
Carmen Fenech, art director
Ronen Goldfarb, writer
Dan Cantelon/Marc Levesque, associate creative directors
Alexis Bronstorph/Kelsey Horne, executive creative directors
BUCK, illustrator
Eastern Yoo, agency producer
TAXI (Toronto, Canada), ad agency
SiriusXM, client

very ineffective condom

bottle cap bird

frisbee for sadomasochists butt

Communication Arts | commarts.com 69

 1

POSTERS
1 (series)
Marcelo Maciel/Andrés Puig/Victor Toyofuku, art directors
Guigo Oliva, writer
Adriano Alarcon, creative director
Paulo Coelho, chief creative officer
Benson Chi/Firmorama/Shun Izumi/Rogério Puhl/Shiko, illustrators
Studio Norte, production company
DM9DDB (São Paulo, Brazil), ad agency
Ambev, client

2 Roger Frank/Joey Parlett, creative directors

Little Jacket (Cleveland, OH), ad agency
Cuyahoga County Public Library, photographer/client

70 Advertising Annual 2020

2

Six feet, please. Keep it safe. Keep us open.

Communication Arts | commarts.com 71

 1

72 Advertising Annual 2020

2

POSTERS
1 (series)
Craig Brandon, art director
Rob Gendron, writer
Craig Brandon/Rob Gendron, creative directors
Brian Sheppard, executive creative director
Dave Todon, Instil Image Co., photographer
Mike Halbwachs, Instil Image Co., photo editor
Saatchi & Saatchi Canada (Toronto, Canada), ad agency
GSK Canada, Buckley’s Syrups, client

MISCELLANEOUS
2 (consumer magazine ad series)
Alejandro Bottas, art director
Fabián Chimbo Ponce/Jairo Lezaca, writers
Jairo Lezaca/Andrés Redrován, creative directors
Publicis Ecuador (Quito, Ecuador), ad agency
Gabriel Freire, Movistar Ecuador, client

Communication Arts | commarts.com 73

 1

MISCELLANEOUS
1 (self-promotion)
Michael Siegers, art director
Jonah Flynn, writer
Zak Mroueh, creative director/director
Paul Steinberg, director of photography
Eric Whipp, Alter Ego, colorist
Jessie Posthumus, editor
Dino Cuzzolino, audio mixer
Rob Morrice, sound engineer
Kayla MacDonald, project manager
Colleen Allen, producer
Tom Evans, executive producer
Zulubot, production company/post-production company
Zulu Alpha Kilo (Toronto, Canada), ad agency/client
“Billy’s Lemonade” 2:00
“‘Billy’s Lemonade’ is the story of a young boy who sells his thriving lemonade
stand to a holding company from New York. Satirizing the downsides of
losing agency independence, the film is Zulu Alpha Kilo’s salute to independent
agencies everywhere.” 

74 Advertising Annual 2020

2 (self-promotion series)
“All Wheel Beer” :30
MUSIC: Rockin’ stock track.
Anncr.: The all-new four-wheel-drive Himalaya
Outlander is built to be tough—tough as an
antiperspirant formulated to give men the edge.
Like the edge of a razor blade that delivers a shave
as clean and crisp as beer brewed from a rocky
mountain stream of high-viscosity motor oil,
engineered to perform. Because when everyone
uses the same stock music, everything sounds
the same. Get an original track from TA2 Sound
+ Music. And sound different.
“Fiber Clean” :30
MUSIC: Perky stock track.
Anncr.: Nothing keeps my kids’ clothes their
whitest like the lemony-fresh scent of a credit
card that’s high in fiber and earns bonus
points while eliminating stubborn, caked-on
grease with a rich and creamy softness so
discreet the only thing you’ll feel is that all-
day clean in tough-to-reach places more
dentists recommend chewing. Because when
everyone uses the same stock music, every-
thing sounds the same. Get an original track
from TA2 Sound + Music. And sound different.
“Nature Card” :30
MUSIC: Folksy stock track.
Anncr.: Somewhere out there is a family desti-
nation waiting to be discovered, like discovering
a better-than-prime mortgage that can reduce
flakey, itchy scalp with a diversified portfolio of
vitamins with minerals so I don’t have to worry
about gray hair when I talk to my financial advisor
about erectile dysfunction. Because when every-
one uses the same stock music, everything
sounds the same. Get an original track from TA2
Sound + Music. And sound different.
Tim Zimmerman, art director
Alex Bird, writer
Matt Fraracci, creative director
Jeffrey Da Silva, executive creative director
Josh Mancuso, engineer
Steve Gadsden, director
Amanda Loughran, agency producer
Christine Leslie, production company producer
Sid Lee (Toronto, Canada), ad agency
TA2 Sound + Music, client
Communication Arts | commarts.com 75
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76 Advertising Annual 2020

3

MISCELLANEOUS
1 (self-promotion series)
Stephen Flynn/Mike Postma, creative directors
Wunder (Halifax, Canada), ad agency/client
“To promote our agency, Wunder, during the holidays, we ran completely
blank ‘ads’ for the month of December. Most may not have noticed
these white ads at first, but that was the point. Our intention was to
give people a break during the busiest advertising season of the year.
After a week in market, we shared the reason for the ads on social and
got people talking about our small creative agency all around the world.”

2 (sales promotion)
Hayley Hinkley, art director
Jacquelyn Parent, writer
Mike Dubrick/Joel Holtby/Aaron Starkman/Christina Yu, creative directors
Erin Maguire, designer
Adrian Armstrong, photographer
Adora Beatty, retoucher
Conor Fisher, colorist
Dustin Gamble, editor
Sean McDonald/Julian Morgan, strategists
Narine Artinian/Alex Butt/Spencer Houghton, producers
Crimson Fish/Fuze Reps, production companies
Alter Ego/R+D Productions/Vapor Music Group, post-production companies
Rethink (Vancouver, Canada), ad agency
Kraft Heinz Canada, client
“For as long as there has been Heinz Ketchup, people have tried to figure
out how to get it out of the bottle. In fact, if you search ‘how to get
Heinz Ketchup out of the bottle’ on Google, you get 74 million results.
So, as experts, we saw an opportunity to help. We found the perfect
pouring angle. To tell the world about it, we put the message on our
bottle. We shifted the labels so when Heinz’s iconic keystone was
straight, the bottle was at the perfect angle for pouring ketchup: 31
degrees. We finally gave the world the answer it’s been looking for.”

3 (self-promotion)
Sarah Ross, art director
Mike McGuire, writer
Anders Gustafsson, group creative director
Matthew Curry, chief creative officer
Nico Litonjua, editor
Jason Apple/Ian Boyd, directors
Lauren Chatman, line producer
Forrest Quinn, talent
Tara Kennedy, agency producer
Vince Genovese, executive integrated producer
Evan Grainger, associate broadcast producer
Cleaver Content, production company
Butler, Shine, Stern & Partners (Sausalito, CA), ad agency
Ad Age, client
“As per tradition, Butler, Shine, Stern & Partners handed over the Ad
Age 2018 Small Agency of the Year trophy to the incoming 2019 winner,
JohnXHannes. As part of the proceedings, we were asked to create
a ‘hand-off’ film. With apologies to Wieden+Kennedy and Nike.”

Communication Arts | commarts.com 77

 1

MISCELLANEOUS
1 (consumer newspaper ads)
Marie Rockett/Pete Valle, creative directors
Jennifer Putnam, chief creative officer
Dale Nixon, print producer
Allen & Gerritsen (Boston, MA), ad agency
Robert Strauss, Camp Wigwam for Boys, client

2 (consumer magazine ad series)

Juliana Cardona/Michelle Crespo, art directors
José Lizarzaburu/Jonathan Rodríguez López, writers
Jairo Lezaca/Pablo Naval, creative directors
Juan Castellanos, illustrator
Publicis Ecuador (Quito, Ecuador), ad agency
Marcelo Quiros Torres, Cinemark Ecuador, client

78 Advertising Annual 2020

Communication Arts | commarts.com 79
 1

MISCELLANEOUS
1 (self-promotion series)
Doug Pedersen, art director
Doug Pedersen Art Direction & Design (Excelsior, MN), ad
agency/client

2 (sales promotion)
Amber Arezes, art director
Shane Rodak, writer
Travis Cowdy/Lyranda Martin-Evans, executive creative directors
Zeinab Panahi/Mickey Spinosa, print producers
Rajesh Bhalsod, senior producer
Presslinx, production company
dentsu mcgarrybowen (Toronto, Canada), ad agency
Lexus Canada, client
“Most direct mail ends up directly in the trash, so to entice
our adventure-seeking, high-income audience, we created an
engaging demonstration of the Lexus GX’s hill-climbing ability
using a Manila envelope. Once unwound, an insert revealed that
the recipient had just traced the elevation of a drive between
Vancouver and Banff. This led them to a landing page where
they could win an adventure on that exact drive in a GX.”

80 Advertising Annual 2020

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 MISCELLANEOUS 1

1 (self-promotion)
Rudolph Troncone (New York, NY), art director/writer/CGI artist/editor
Frank Scalzo, Millennium Tattoo, artist
Charles Troncone, videographer
R/GA, ad agency/client
“R/GA reached out to Rudolph Troncone about a potential internship opportu-
nity for the summer of 2019. He responded with a video of himself getting
what appeared to be the ad agency’s logo tattooed on his forehead, clearly
stating that he didn’t want to work anywhere else. Shared across social media
and picked up by major ad publications, it left everyone with one major
question: Was it actually real?”

DIGITAL ADVERTISING
2 Dina Zolan, art director
Stephen Litner, writer
Leigh Browne/Jon Williamson, creative directors
Tom Hamling, group creative director
Jay Russell, chief creative officer
Linda Nhan/Lindsay Wakabayashi, consultants
Ben Steinbauer, The Bear, director
Joel Miller, Cut+Run, editor
Lacey Bobo/Liam Doherty/Carrie Hines/Morgan Spencer, project directors
Angela Brown/Gracen Cohen/Samantha Cowley/Randy Romero/Janice Suter,
strategy
Rolando Romero, producer
Helena Abbing, senior producer
Erika McKay, executive producer
Lucas Dean Fiser/Christie Lyons, project managers
Jack Epsteen, head of production
The Bear, production company
Cut+Run, post-production company
GSD&M (Austin, TX), ad agency
Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, client
“After the Popeyes chicken sandwich went viral and its entire supply sold out,
we knew restocking would take time. So we created a BYOB offer: Bring Your
Own Bun. A video showed people they could bring in a bun, order tenders
and make a sandwich. It was a joke, but people really did it. And they kept
talking. Popeyes’ word-of-mouth score hit a record high, and this campaign
earned 1.5 billion impressions, worth $17 million.”

3 Vincent Bastien-Masse/Mathilde Beaudoin-Tessier/Edouard Coune/Maxime

Sauté, art directors
Xavier Blais, writer
Nicolas Quintal, creative director
Benjamin Lussier, online editor/director
Ariel Méthot, director of photography
Simon BøisX, colorist
Jean-Pierre Demers, editor
P.O. Rioux, sound design
Marianne Lévesque, production coordinator
Antoine Lortie-Ouellet, production manager
Marc-Antoine Lambert, producer
Marie-Ève Rocheleau, executive producer
Rethink (Vancouver, Canada), ad agency
National Film Board of Canada, client
“To celebrate International Women’s Day on March 8, the National Film Board
of Canada, in collaboration with the Université du Québec à Montréal,
launched Clit Me, a mobile interactive game about female sexual satisfaction.
We launched with a video that focused on penises to show that penises
are everywhere: anyone could draw a penis when prompted, but, sadly, the
same could not be said for a clitoris. We leveraged real-life images, drawings
and graffiti found in public restrooms, among other places, to promote Clit
Me. The end result was a 250-penis-waltz launch video that was shared on
social channels, followed by a PR rush.”

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84 Advertising Annual 2020

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DIGITAL ADVERTISING
1 (series)
Ryan Wesley Peterson, art director
Elizabeth Bassett, writer
Nick Cohen/Jan Jaworski, creative directors
Amanda Goodspeed, managing director, creative
Sarah Henning/Russ Nadler, consultants
Courtney Hori, program manager
Seth Andrews/Adrian Syben, editors
Adrienne Walpole, project director
Maura “Molly” Fleet, producer
Mallory Gordon, executive producer
Creative X, Facebook (Menlo Park, CA), ad agency
Jason Bedeccare/Chloe Shaughnessy, Facebook, clients
“Every four years, leap day babies celebrate their real
birthdays. To make up for missed parties, we hosted
a celebration on our Facebook page featuring real
members of the Honor Society of Leap Year Day Babies
Facebook group.”

2 Kirk Shintani, art director

Andy Hall, creative director
Elastic (Santa Monica, CA), production company
360i, ad agency
HBO/Oreo, clients
“Oreo Game of Thrones” :50
“The brief was simple yet incredible: make a version of the
Game of Thrones main title out of Oreos. More specifically,
it was important to design a world with Oreos first and
then add elements of Game of Thrones’ main title sequence.
We wanted to give this spot its own personality and
look, not just take some cookies and put them into our
existing work.”

3 BRF, production company

B-Reel (Stockholm, Sweden), ad agency
Nike, client
“Àlex Roca Campillo is an athlete like no other, with a story
of grit, determination and power. His journey to become
the first athlete with cerebral palsy to finish the 900-kilo-
meter Garmin Titan Desert race broadened the definition
of Nike’s Dream Crazier campaign.”

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DIGITAL ADVERTISING
1 Scott Muska, senior writer
Chelsea Anderson/Gari Cruze/Sarah Holcombe, associate creative
directors
Mick Sutter, executive creative director
Jason Musante, chief creative officer
Richee Chang/Hannah Shams, designers
Zachary Saale, technology director
Steph Loffredo, producer
Arista Ware II, agency producer
Colby and Han Productions, production company
Huge (Washington, DC), ad agency
PERIOD., client
“Toilet paper is free in public restrooms, so why aren’t tampons? To
help men empathize, Huge partnered with PERIOD., an organization
that works to create period equality. We built a coin-operated
toilet-paper dispenser designed to work like a tampon dispenser
and installed it in men’s restrooms. If they needed toilet paper,
they would have to pay for it just like women pay for tampons. The
stunt helped men understand the movement.”

2 Alexandra McGuirk-Penedo, art director

Geoff Baillie, writer
Dhaval Bhatt, creative director
Aaron Starkman/Christina Yu, chief creative officers
Mann Casting, consultant
Duncan Christie, director
Phil Choe, colorist
Allison Gordon, editor
Grayson Matthews, sound production
Sean McDonald/Hannah Newport, strategists
Kyle Hicks/Sarah Vingoe, producers
Francesca Marchese, production company producer
FROLIC Studio, production company
Tendril, visual effects company
Nice Shoes, post-production company
Rethink (Vancouver, Canada), ad agency
WestJet, client
“The hardest part of traveling for work is being away from the ones
you love. To help make business travel easier on families, WestJet
created the Flight Light, a night-light that uses live flight data to
project parents’ flight paths onto their child’s bedroom ceiling.”

3 Ivan Djayaputra/Kelsey Eaton, art directors

Sue Anderson/Nick Cohen, creative directors
Amanda Goodspeed, managing director, creative
Sarah Henning/Russ Nadler, consultants
Courtney Hori, program manager
Seth Andrews/Adrian Syben, editors
Barking Owl, sound design
Jennifer Weinberg, producer
Mallory Gordon, executive producer
Believe Media, production company
Whitehouse Post, editorial company
The Teenage Diplomat, music company
Carbon VFX, visual effects company
Scholar, animation company
Creative X, Facebook (Menlo Park, CA), ad agency
Jason Bedeccare/Monica Busch/Chloe Shaughnessy, Facebook, clients
“Women’s Day 2020” :58
“This unapologetic, empowering ode to women everywhere was
created in celebration of International Women’s Day. It was
a female-led film, featuring the artistry of a female director, editor,
drummer, composer, animators, creatives and crew.”

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DIGITAL ADVERTISING
1 (series)
Katie Greco, art director
Bob Harrison/Vanessa Suarez/Nicholas Wolaver,
Wolaver, writers
Denise Arnold, associate creative director
Mitch Bennett, chief creative officer
Markus Beige, design director
Tunde Noibi, technology director
Michael McFarland, developer
David Brothers, editor
Greg Bass, voice talent
Brad Lyons, music
Van Gunter, sound designer
Teresa Caro/Mary Winslow, strategy
Daniela Gonzalez, strategic planner
Mandee Harvey/Bhumika Ray, researchers
Karen Kizzire/Lane McGiboney, Boutwell Studios,
producers
Mary Eitel, MKE Communications, principal
Cara Blaine/Caroline Pitts, project managers
Boutwell Studios, music company
Luckie (Duluth, GA), ad agency
Bridge Senior Living, client
“Social distancing is hard on everyone, but it’s
especially difficult for retirees in senior living
communities, where feelings of isolation are
a problem even in the best of times. How could
we help residents feel connected even though
they’re confined to their rooms? We created Radio
Recliner, a digital radio station designed to turn
dedication radio into a new social media for
seniors. We knew it couldn’t come from staff; it
had to be truly 100 percent run by the residents,
so we worked with lifestyle directors across the
country to identify seniors to host their own
radio shows. These resident DJs share stories and
songs from the comfort of their recliners, record-
ing their shows by phone. Any retiree—and
anyone who’s missing one—can participate by
calling 855-863-0050 to tell a story and dedicate
a song. With zero media investment, the story
garnered $9 million in earned media, including
features on CBS This Morning, Live with Kelly and
Ryan, NPR, ABC, NBC and FOX.”

2 Travis Kleiner, art director

Rebecca Sommers, writer
Travis Kleiner/Rebecca Sommers, creative directors
Brian Brooker, worldwide executive creative
director
Owen Gurwell, video director
Ryan Wallace, editor
Caleb Brattrud, producer
Maggie Wasserman, executive producer
Megan Richards, project manager
Garmin Ltd. (Olathe, KS), ad agency/client
“Any Body Can Do It” 1:50
“Ultrarunner, author and advocate Mirna Valerio
sets big, scary, audacious goals. Race times typically
don’t factor in; finishing and defying expectations
do. Mirna inspires fans on the trails and off,
advocating for inclusion and health awareness.
An in-house team at Garmin created the short
film ‘Any Body Can Do It,’ starring Mirna, for the
Garmin Women of Adventure series.”

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1 Michael Romaniuk, art director

Jackson Kemp, writer
Vic Bath/Daniel Cummings, associate creative directors
Zak Mroueh, creative director
Ashlee Mitchell, editor
Sean Bell/Tim Hopkins, strategic planners
Colleen Allen/Tom Evans, production company producers
Violet Karbalaei/David Tremblay, project managers
Zulubot, production company
OMD, media agency
Zulu Alpha Kilo (Toronto, Canada), ad agency
Vivianne Gauci/Niary Toodakian/Yvonne Ziomecki, HomeEquity Bank,
clients
“HomeEquity Bank partnered with the Royal Canadian Legion to
launch #PauseToRemember, a campaign that recruited famous video
game streamers worldwide to organize an online gaming cease-fire
on Remembrance Day at 11:00 a.m. They livestreamed a moment of
silence on their channels, reaching younger generations with the
message that war is not a game.”

2 Dina Zolan, art director

Stephen Lintner, writer
Leigh Browne/Jon Williamson, creative directors
Tom Hamling, group creative director
Jay Russell, chief creative officer
Linda Nhan/Lindsay Wakabayashi, consultants
Lacey Bobo/Liam Doherty/Carrie Hines/Morgan Spencer, project
directors
Angela Brown/Gracen Cohen/Randy Romero/Janice Suter, strategy
Lucas Dean Fiser, project manager
GSD&M (Austin, TX), ad agency
Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, client
“When Popeyes launched its new chicken sandwich, it was the under-
dog in the category. But then ‘the tweet heard around the world,’ as
titled by Business Insider, made Popeyes 2019’s hottest brand, sold
a ten-week supply of sandwiches in eight days and forever changed
its business. This perfectly executed and timed two-word tweet earned
more than 8 billion impressions worth $87 million, and Popeyes had
its best sales ever, up 42 percent.”

3 Eddy Allen, art director

J.J. Kraft/Riley Shine, senior art directors
Kelly Cabaniss/Matt Klugman/Cory McCollum, writers
Marcus Brown, creative director
Rob Baird, chief creative officer
Nathan James/Michael Nielsen, designers
Brisseaux/ILOVEDUST/Ornamental Conifer, illustrators
WATTS, director
Company3, Telecine colorist
TBD Post, sound design
Dusty Albertz, sound engineer
Candice Balbuena/Jenna Krackenberger, production designers
Krystle Loyland/Stephanie Smith, project directors
Seth Gaffney/Paola Ortega/Marika Wiggan, strategists
Ellen Nelson/Tamara Stoddard, producers
Shane Smith, senior producer
Stacey Higgins, executive agency producer
John Gaglio, project manager
London Alley, production company
Cabin Editing Company, editorial company
Good Ear Music Supervision/New Math, music companies
Preacher (Austin, TX), ad agency
The Coca-Cola Company, client
“Fanta partnered with Snapchat to create a unique AR-enabled experi-
ence for each core flavor, accessible via OOH posters, national lenses,
filters and stickers. Average playtime was 2 minutes and 48 seconds,
fifteen times higher than Snapchat’s average.”

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 INTEGRATED CAMPAIGNS
1 (series)
Taylor Ottaviano, art director
Pepa Cummins, writer
Rachel Mitrani, creative director
Sean Cummins, executive creative director
Monish Khara, designer
Jeremy Cohen/Janie Fitzgerald/Gill Heppell/Frank
Pellegrino/Mike Redman, photographers
Jen Beerman/Jack Koplin/Finn Stent, contributing artists
Samantha Arena, production coordinator
Olivia Santilli, strategist
Tracy Stent/Mark Stent/Nicky Turley, associate producers
Ryan McKinnon/Diane Villavieja, producers
Cummins&Partners (New York, NY), ad agency
Koalas of NYC, client
“In the summer of 2019–2020, Australia was ravaged by
its worst bushfire season on record. One billion of the
country’s unique wildlife population was killed. To
raise awareness of this heartbreaking tragedy among
New Yorkers, Koalas of NYC placed plush koalas in
prominent locations around New York City. Attached
to the koalas was a QR code directing folks to donate
to WIRES, Australia’s largest wildlife rescue and reha-
bilitation charity. The campaign was championed by
fans in London, Los Angeles, Las Vegas and beyond,
with people all over the world bringing the initiative
to their own cities. With more than 40 celebrities,
152 news outlets and ongoing fundraising events world-
wide, Koalas of NYC captured the hearts and minds
of the world, with more than 1.9 billion people reached
from activation and a donation target exceeding more
than 400 percent.
“At the request of one of Australia’s most distinguished
institutions, Koalas of NYC has been enshrined in
the National Library of Australia as part of the library’s
ephemera collection in an effort to capture not just
the relief effort, but also the ‘amazing assistance and
support received from across the globe in response to
the devastating bushfires.’”

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 INTEGRATED CAMPAIGNS
1 (series)
Michael Romaniuk, art director
Jackson Kemp, writer
Zak Mroueh, creative director
Ashlee Mitchell, editor
Stephen Stepanic, audio engineer
Stephanie Gyles, strategic planner
Marko Stevelic, producer
Rob Feightner/Haley Holm/Eric Kormos, project
managers
Zulubot, production company
Jake Edwards, interactive developer
UM, media agency
Zulu Alpha Kilo (Toronto, Canada), ad agency
Jana Bell, Amazon Rainforest Conservancy, client
“This campaign hijacked the holiday tradition of gather-
ing around the Yule log by replacing the classic
fireplace channel with real footage of the Amazon
burning. The footage streamed live throughout
the holiday season, spreading awareness of the one
fire we should all be watching closely.”

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INTEGRATED CAMPAIGNS
1 (series)
Veronica Kraus, art director
Annika Lapakko, writer
Allison Hayes, group creative director
Marty Senn, chief creative officer
Gabriela Trejo, strategic planner
Amanda Jensen, producer
Orlee Takarta, head of production
Carmichael Lynch (Minneapolis, MN), ad agency
Helzberg Diamonds, client
“Helzberg Diamonds is known for exceptional in-person
customer service and long-lasting relationships, but it faced
a challenge: current changes in the market and culture, from
how people shop to their views on love and relationships.
Modern couples weren’t seeing themselves or their version
of love being portrayed, especially in marketing campaigns from
national retailers like Helzberg. When we were tasked with
reinvigorating the brand, we learned that 91 percent of millen-
nials considered eloping over a traditional wedding. So we
created Hitched at Helzberg. Now you can get the ring and
elope on the spot at any Helzberg location nationwide.
“In a first-ever partnership with Universal Life Church, we
ordained more than 1,000 Helzberg associates—at least one
at every store—making Helzberg Diamonds the first brand
ever to offer legal weddings as a standard service. The cam-
paign sparked a national conversation and generated more
than 550 million earned impressions, but, perhaps more
importantly, this new retail experience enabled Helzberg to
be part of one of life’s most major milestones.”

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INTEGRATED CAMPAIGNS
1 (series)
Brad Harrison, art director/creative director
Dean Buckhorn, writer/group creative director
Michelle Lippman, senior writer
Randy Hughes, executive creative director
Marty Senn, chief creative officer
Tal Tahir, designer
Francis Catania, photographer
Shawn Michiezi, director/director of photography
Stephen George/Charlie Gerszewski, editors
SisterBoss, sound production
Meagan Pagliara, strategic planner
Rich McGeheran/Michale Sevy, interactive producers
Henni Iwarsson, senior broadcast producer
Orlee Tatarka, head of production
Channel Z, post-production company
Carmichael Lynch (Minneapolis, MN), ad agency
Subaru of America, client
“Shelter dogs with disabilities are the last to be adopted, if at all. As
a longtime partner of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty
to Animals, Subaru was determined to fix this. Instead of relying on
pity or tugging at the usual public service heartstrings, we decided to
celebrate these magnificent animals as the Underdogs. We did an
exhaustive nationwide search and found the seven least-adoptable
dogs—old dogs, three-legged dogs, deaf dogs or dogs people considered
ugly—and made them the unforgettable faces of our national Underdogs
campaign, which included TV, social, PR, outdoor and adoption events.
All throughout, we showcased the dogs’ abilities, not their disabilities.
We even replaced all the cars on the Subaru homepage for a day with
our Underdogs and partnered with the legendary animal photographers
at National Geographic to make our dogs look even more heroic. It was all
designed to debunk the many myths and misperceptions surrounding
these dogs and give them the one thing every Underdog needs: a chance
to defy the odds.”

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 INTEGRATED CAMPAIGNS
1 (series)
Zachary Bautista, art director
Andrew Chhour, writer
Mike Dubrick/Aaron Starkman/Christina Yu, creative directors
Jake Lim/Hans Thiessen, designers
Shasta Lutz, Jigsaw Casting Ltd., consultant
Chris Gordaneer/Westside Studio, photographers
Alex Fleming/Dustin Gamble, motion graphics
Brad Pickard, retoucher
Sean Cochrane, online editor
Mark Zibert, director/director of photography
Wade Odlum, colorist
Graham Chisholm, editor
Shauna Dowie, assistant editor
Grayson Matthews, sound production
Sean McDonald/Zach Simbrow, strategists
Narine Artinian/Heather Blom/Shelby Spigelman, producers
Rita Popielak, line producer
Kelly McCluskey, executive producer
Scouts Honour, production company
Print Pro Services, production service company
Alter Ego/Married to Giants/The Vanity, post-production companies
PHD Canada, media agency
Rethink (Vancouver, Canada), ad agency
Government of Ontario, client
“In 2019, the Ontario government enacted Rowan’s Law, a new
concussion protocol legislation, after teenage rugby player Rowan
Stringer’s tragic death from sustaining multiple concussions. While
awareness of the signs and symptoms of concussion is extremely low,
the bigger challenge was the win-at-all-costs culture that keeps
athletes in the game even when they’re hurt. For an awareness
campaign that would change perceptions of concussions, we decided
to create our own sports marketing campaign—one that showed
the dangers of pushing too hard after a concussion.
“The hero spot, titled ‘The Risk,’ follows a young soccer athlete through
training and several matches, each scene reminiscent of a big sports
brand look and feel. She pushes past limits and injuries, but all is not
as it seems. The seemingly triumphant ending is bluntly halted by
her collapsing, with the statements ‘Don’t risk everything’ and ‘Know
the signs of a concussion’ appearing.
“Just like all sports brands, we needed a brand icon, but our icon would
be different: something with enough stopping power to get players
to sit out after an impact. The icon was thoughtfully designed to
resemble a stop sign and was divided in half to represent the two
sides of the human brain. We left the mark all over arenas, uniforms,
apparel and posters.
“To help people further identify the signs of concussion, we used the
icon’s design system to create a series of symbols representing
concussion symptoms, which was distributed via brochures, stickers
and posters to schools, community centers and hockey rinks across
the province. Social videos were created that flashed through symp-
toms, leveraging our brand icon. That content was amplified through
influencers and sports personas to round out our campaign.”

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INTEGRATED CAMPAIGNS
1 (series)
Peter Kehr/Alex Lukacs/John Stapleton, creative directors
Curt Mueller, group creative director
Matt O’Rourke, chief creative officer
Daniel Brown, design director
Mike Bodge, m ss ng p eces, developer
Mike Woods, m ss ng p eces, director
Kalie Acheson, m ss ng p eces, production designer
Lawrence T. Lewis, m ss ng p eces, line producer
Chris Parke, senior producer
Edward Grann/Ari Kuschnir/Brian Latt/Kate Oppenheim/
Dave Saltzman, m ss ng p eces, executive producers
Rob Auten, m ss ng p eces, game developer
Rebecca Davis, m ss ng p eces/Chris Kyriakos, heads of
production
m ss ng p eces, production company
22squared (Atlanta, GA), ad agency
Baskin-Robbins, client
“As a Netflix partner for Stranger Things season three,
Baskin-Robbins was invited to read the scripts months
before the premiere. From these reads, we learned that
a fictional ice cream parlor called Scoops Ahoy would be
at the center of the season’s action. A few days before
the premiere, Baskin-Robbins stores in the United States
and Canada were flipped into fully operational Scoops
Ahoys overnight. We re-created U.S.S. Butterscotch, the
hit flavor from the show, and fans waited in lines for
eight hours just to get in. Additionally, the Scoops Ahoy
Ice Cream Ship, a mobile ice cream shop, made its debut
at the Stranger Things premiere in Santa Monica and then
made stops around the country, where cast members
surprised fans.
“A few days later, a Scoops Ahoy commercial appeared,
urging fans to call a 1-800 number. A cryptic voice mail
directed fans to Baskin-Robbins stores to translate Morse
code and Russian ciphers. This turned out to be the first
step in Operation Scoop Snoop, an alternate-reality game
(ARG) that extended the Stranger Things storyline and
took fans back to 1985 to become characters in the story.
To make the ARG experience feel real, we had players use
1985 technology to play, like landlines, fax machines and
telnet, an early form of the internet. For two weeks,
players descended into a rabbit hole of more than 160
pages of storyline, using season three plot points, real-
world events from 1985 and clues from Stranger Things
character Dustin Henderson to identify and shut down
portals. Communities developed on Reddit and Discord
for players working together to solve missions. Realizing
this, we integrated their names and comments into the
game in real time. And at the end of Operation Scoop Snoop,
the first eleven finishers were given the prize that Stranger
Things characters longed for: free ice cream for life.”

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 INTEGRATED CAMPAIGNS
1 (series)
HyunSeo Yoo, art director
Jason Velasquez Burayag, writer
Jamie Kennaway, creative director
Ali Rez, executive creative director
Paul Shearer, chief creative officer
Richard Hernaez Gandiongco/HyunSeo Yoo, designers
Varun Dhanak, developer
Emma Jane Randall, program manager
George Kanj, retoucher
Joris Bosdriesz, director
Sajan Abraham, production manager
Frances McCabe/Tennyson Torcato, project directors
Ann Geleen Amparado/Marvin Burayag/Rebecca Ooi/Abdulsalam Painthoth/
Nouran Saleh, producers
Salma Shahin/Bridget Weber, project managers
Impact BBDO (Dubai, United Arab Emirates), ad agency
Mars, Snickers, client
“Snickers launched the first and only insurance of its kind to cover people
for mistakes they made because they were hungry, paying out Snickers bars
for almost anything, as long as it was due to hunger. An AI bot, developed
by real underwriters, judged claims based on keywords and Google data
while factoring in time, mood and location to calculate a payout between
one and 50 Snickers bars, redeemable at stores across the United Arab
Emirates. Just like any insurance, the campaign kicked off with an infomercial
and testimonials, while social, outdoor, in-store and radio ads reached as
many hungry souls as possible.”

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PUBLIC SERVICE
1 Luan Pirola, art director
James Leake/Dylan Wagman, associate creative directors
Josh Budd/Dave Federico, chief creative officers
Christian Bielz, director of photography
Nick Marinelli, technology director
Hali Gale/Jonah Venneri/Eric Whipp, colorists
Colin Murdock/Shane Preston, editors
SNDWRx, music company
Didier Tovel, sound designer
Will Dempster, director
Erin Banting, program manager
Nicole St. Jean, production manager
Mackenzie Biddie/Jessica Hoffeldt/Nick Wong, planners
Spencer Butt/Will Dempster/Alanna Homuth/Damian
Wright, producers
Melissa Kahn/Alison Lawee/Hilda Pereira, executive
producers
WDI Media Inc., production company
Alter Ego, visual effects company
Rooster Post/WXM, post-production companies
No Fixed Address (Toronto, Canada), ad agency
SickKids Foundation, client
“Welcome to SickKids Airbnb, an immersive overnight stay
that lets the public experience the dire conditions inside
the pediatric intensive care unit firsthand. We raised
awareness of the hospital’s critical need for a new building
while giving people an honest look behind the curtain.”

2 (series)
Brunno Cortez/Luciano Griessi Peyreyra, art directors
Lucas Casão/Guilherme Rácz, creative directors
Max Geraldo/Fred Saldanha, executive creative directors
Icaro Doria/Sean McBride, chief creative officers
Vincent Dixon (Newtown Square, PA), photographer
Julio Freitas, photo editor
Kathy McMann, print producer
FEEL GOOD, post-production company
Arnold Worldwide, ad agency
Red Cross Brasilia, client

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 PUBLIC SERVICE
1 Leia Rogers, art director
Morgan Tierney, writer
Leia Rogers/Morgan Tierney, creative directors
Eric Arnold, photographer
Jan Day, typographer
Ken Malley, technology director
Leigh O’Neill, editor
Abrie Miller, videographer
Spencer Chan/Samantha Cheng/Aliz Tennant/Darren Yada, strategists
Jillian Arsenault/Kerry Bhangu, producers
PrismTech Graphics/R+D Productions, production companies
Rethink (Vancouver, Canada), ad agency
Battered Women’s Support Services, client
“Each year, more than 30,000 women and children in British Columbia
are affected by intimate partner violence, with one woman killed
every week in Canada. During the 16 Days of Activism Against
Gender-Based Violence, we installed an interactive transit ad that
appeared to be a nondescript apartment door. But when the viewer
looked through the peephole, they saw an angry man in the hallway,
banging on the door and trying to get in. At the end of each video
loop, text appeared inside the peephole, reading, ‘You can just walk
away. Some women can’t.’ The campaign was picked up by
TV and radio news outlets across Canada, receiving more than
2 million impressions.”

2 (series)
John Larigakis, art director
Pierre Chan, writer
Bryan Collins/Jeff Harrison/Rob Sweetman, creative directors
Gabriel Hall, production designer
Alexandra Speirs, project manager
Natasha Khatwani-Lakhani, producer
Scot Keith, chief executive officer
One Twenty Three West (Vancouver, Canada), ad agency
Vancouver Mural Festival, client
“The art of Vancouver’s mural district is distinct, diverse and
untraditional. And unless you see it for yourself, you won’t really
get it. But we took a stab at explaining it anyway.”

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 PUBLIC SERVICE 1

1 Michael Romaniuk, art director

Patrick Godin, writer
Zak Mroueh, creative director
Ryan Booth, designer
Joe Szabo, user experience designer
Martin Szomolanyi, creative technologist
Jake Edwards, developer
Max Lawlor/Daniel Shapiro, editors
Rob Feightner/Matthew McGrath, project managers
Spencer MacEachern, strategic planner
Nadaa Baqui/Ola Stodulska, agency producers
Zulubot, production company/post-production company
Zulu Alpha Kilo (Toronto, Canada), ad agency
Wendy Cukier/Meagan Trush, Coalition for Gun Control,
clients
“Dodge the Bullet is a web app that uses geolocation and
data from the Toronto police to show users exactly how
close they were to a shooting, driving them to a petition
that called for stricter gun regulations. The petition
prompted the Canadian government to pass Bill C-71 for
stricter gun control regulations.”

2 Will Cuthbert, art director

Michael Mehrasa, writer
Dan Cantelon/Marc Levesque, associate creative directors
Frank Macera, creative director
Alexis Bronstorph/Kelsey Horne, executive creative directors
Debbi Vandeven/Jason Xenopoulos, chief creative officers
Norm Li, 3-D modeling
Anna Vershinina, editor
Andrew O’Driscoll, photo editor
Kelsey-Lynn Corradetti, producer
Dennis Soler, print producer
Array of Stars, production company
TAXI (Toronto, Canada), ad agency
United Way Worldwide, client
“The #UNIGNORABLE Tower is an augmented reality experi-
ence designed to visualize the more than 116,000 families
in Toronto struggling to put a roof over their heads. If it
were real, it would be the world’s tallest building.”

3 David Glen, art director

Lee Cristiano, writer
Ryan Chiasson/Randy De Melo, associate creative directors
Josh Budd/Dave Federico, chief creative officers
Nikki Ormerod, photographer
Jono Lawley, director of photography
Alex Beals/Joel Osis, artists
Erik Bayley/Conor Fisher, colorists
Naseem Loloie/Monica Remba, editors
Adrian Cheung, line producer
Katie Muir, program manager
Erin Banting, planner
Dino Demopoulos, strategist
Ben Robinson, producer
Bruce Ellis, print producer
Julie Axell, executive producer
Jane Garrah, post-production producer
16Tonnes/HeydSaffer/Westside Studio, production
companies
Alter Ego/Married to Giants, post-production companies
Lachlan Brown/Lindsay Duplessis, project design and
development
No Fixed Address (Toronto, Canada), ad agency
Canadian Centre for Child Protection, client
“Sex offenders call their victims ‘Lolli.’ To get the attention
of the public and policy makers, we created Lolli: The Exhibit
Nobody Wants to Talk About, where 10,824 lollipops
represented another child pornography image uploaded to
the internet every twelve hours.”

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PUBLIC SERVICE
1 Alexandra McGuirk-Penedo/Laura Vardy, art directors
Geoff Baillie, writer
Joel Holtby, creative director
Aaron Starkman, chief creative officer
Erik Bayley/Jane Garrah/Pallavi Joshi-Firby/Eric Whipp,
colorists
Tyler Erdelac/Dustin Gamble/Stephen Parker, editors
Emily Langridge, director
Sean McDonald/Savannah Onofrey, strategists
Heather Blom/Todd Harrison/Kyle Hicks, producers
Narine Artinian, print producer
Stephen James/Taylor Zeller-Newman, executive
producers
Ted Rosnick/Kat Stewart, post-production producers
Crimson Fish/R+D Productions/Vapor Music Group,
production companies
Alter Ego, post-production company
Rethink (Vancouver, Canada), ad agency
Cassie and Friends Society, client
“There are an estimated 7 million children affected by
juvenile arthritis. Doctors recommend daily baths of at
least fifteen minutes to alleviate severe pain, stiffness
and swelling. The problem is that kids hate staying in the
bath. So we created Foam Ease, slow-release bath bombs
with toys hidden inside. The disintegration of the bath
bombs takes approximately fifteen minutes, so while
kids wait for their toy, they’re staying in the bath long
enough to get the treatment they need.”

2 Reid Plaxton, art director

Allegra Wiesenfeld, writer
Alexis Bronstorph/Kelsey Horne, creative directors
Debbi Vandeven/Jason Xenopoulos, chief creative officers
Kelsey-Lynn Corradetti, producer
TAXI (Toronto, Canada), ad agency
Canadian Women’s Foundation, client
“The Canadian Women’s Foundation created a ridiculous
candle to ignite conversation about an even more
ridiculous statistic: despite it being illegal in Canada to
pay women less than men, women still make 75 cents
on the dollar.”

3 Sam Benesh/Brad Connell, art directors

Chris Lihou, senior writer/associate creative director
Nick Asik, creative director
Monique Gamache, design director
Braden Dereniwski, director of photography
Chris Vail, engineer
Noah Fallis, editor/director
6 Degrees/Dan Mcmanus, sound design
Greg Damus, strategist
6 Degrees, talent
Sean Parker, production company producer
Glean Productions, production company
WAX Partnership (Calgary, Canada), ad agency
Society of Professional Journalists, client
“Thanks to president Trump’s constant misuse of the
term, many Americans now use the phrase fake news to
describe factual stories that simply don’t align with
their politics. So, how do you stop people from labeling
real news as ‘fake news’ in an effort to discredit and
silence the free press? You trademark it.”

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PUBLIC SERVICE TV
1 “The War Inside” :60
“This combative dance, staged by Israeli choreog-
rapher Danielle Agami, represents the internal
struggle of living with moral injury, the anguish
caused by believing you’ve done something
against your ethics. Eighty-two percent of Amer-
icans have never heard of moral injury, but
many people, especially veterans and medical
professionals, struggle with the condition. This
spot, which features a man battling himself, aims
to raise awareness of the Volunteers of America
and ultimately save lives.”
Amanda Jackson, art director
Katie Bernet, writer
Gregory Christensen/Rob Hollenbeck, creative
directors
Isaac Ravishankara, director
Ellie Johnson, Cartel, editor
Mophonics, music
Matt Day/Kamila Prokop/David Richards, producers
Kristen Martin, agency producer
DIVISION7, production company
Method Studios, visual effects company
The Richards Group (Dallas, TX), ad agency
Volunteers of America, client

2 (series)
“Plumber” :42, “Homework” :50, “Weather” :36
“Say it. Period period period, period period. If we
say it enough, will people stop being weird about
something that more than half of us will get
at some point or other? Isn’t it time to end the
stigma surrounding menstruation?”
Listya Nindita, art director
Austin Parkin, writer
Doug Robinson/Matt Syberg-Olsen, creative
directors
Ella + Michael, director
Paul Jutras, editor
Toast + Jam, sound design
OPC, production company
Studio Feather, post-production company
doug&partners (Toronto, Canada), ad agency
Jana Girdauskas, The Period Purse, client

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PUBLIC SERVICE TV
1 “The Risk” :60
“‘The Risk’ follows a young soccer athlete as she powers through her
injuries and pushes past her limits. The film begins with a sports brand
look and feel, but its seemingly triumphant end halts with the
athlete’s collapse on the pitch as the lines ‘Don’t risk everything’ and
‘Know the signs of a concussion’ appear on screen. Delivered by the
Government of Ontario, the message challenges how sports brands
teach young athletes to tough it out when, in reality, there are
dangers of pushing too hard.”
Zachary Bautista, art director
Andrew Chhour, writer
Mike Dubrick/Aaron Starkman/Christina Yu, creative directors
Jake Lim, designer
Shasta Lutz, Jigsaw Casting Ltd., consultant
Sean Cochrane, online editor
Mark Zibert, director/director of photography
Wade Odlum, colorist
Graham Chisholm, editor
Shauna Dowie, assistant editor
Grayson Matthews, sound production
Sean McDonald/Zach Simbrow, strategists
Heather Blom/Shelby Spigelman, producers
Rita Popielak, line producer
Kelly McCluskey, executive producer
Scouts Honour, production company
Alter Ego/Married to Giants/The Vanity, post-production companies
Rethink (Vancouver, Canada), ad agency
Government of Ontario, client

2 “For Jason” :60

“To illuminate the devastating impact of COVID-19 on the Black commu-
nity, Burrell Communications created a PSA campaign to pay tribute to
Detroit bus driver Jason Hargrove, who died from COVID-19 complications
eleven days after posting a plea for public safety on social media.”
Christine Saldanha, creative director
Lewis Williams, chief creative officer
Desha Johnson-Hargrove, contributing artist
Nathaniel Jones, interactive creative director
Linda Jefferson/Adele Lassere, program managers
Steve Sunner, editor
Linda Glover/Adele Green, production managers
Tracy Anderson/Camille Johnson/Jihan West, strategy
Brandi Rand, strategist
Kevin Brockenbrough/Jeffrey Fortune, planners
Carlo Treviso, senior producer
Burrell Communications (Chicago, IL), ad agency
Black is Human, client

3 “What’s Love?” 1:10

“The Los Angeles LGBT Center wanted to raise awareness of its services
to support families of LGBTQ+ youth on October 11, National Coming
Out Day. The parents who need to hear this message are those who are
struggling to accept their teen’s coming out. By demonstrating the
impact their rejection has on their teen’s well-being, we proved that
they have the power to change the outcome of their family’s story.”
Ashley Cardwell, art director
Krystle Mullin/Ariel Shukert, creative directors
Jason Sperling, executive creative director
Joe Baratelli, chief creative officer
Rose Cousins, voice talent
Terry Britten/Graham Lyle, music
Hannah Messner/Hanna Samad/Tyler Sweeney, strategy
Wynt Curliano, digital producer
Tyler Brockington, project manager
Isadora Chesler, executive director of production
Station Film, production company
Union Editorial, editorial company
Electric Theatre Collective, post-production company
RPA (Santa Monica, CA), ad agency
Los Angeles LGBT Center, client

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 PUBLIC SERVICE RADIO
1 (series)
“The Power of Words (D)” :30
Anncr.: D’s are a strange beast. They’re like big,
goofy, toothless smiles—total mouth
breathers. They’re the kind of letter that slurps
its soup, has opinions on gun rights and farts at
the table. But when it appears in a line like
“Double, double, toil and trouble,” that big,
gassy, toothless, gun-toting, mouth-breathing
smile ain’t so goofy anymore. Every letter.
Every word. A power all its own. See Crippled
this summer at Cupids. For more info, visit
PerchanceTheatre.com.
2 “You People” :30
Don Cherry: I tell you right there! You people
love—you—y—you come here, whatever it is.
You love our way of life... Right here you
love our milk and honey...
SFX: Voice speed ramps all the way down, then
back up.
Don Cherry: Rows on rows... You—you people
running. You people are not a waste. You—
you people are our small cities. Come here, you
people. You are the biggest sense of what
Canada is. You are our way of life. You people.
We love you people.
Anncr.: Our country is stronger when we stand
with refugees. Help us and show refugees they
are welcome at ChristieStreetRC.com.
Nick Blagrave, writer
Brian Howlett, creative director
Chris Cobain/Vlad Nikolic, Grayson Music, music
Nicholas Shaw, Grayson Music, producer
Agency59 (Toronto, Canada), ad agency
Christie Refugee Welcome Centre, client
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“The Power of Words (Q)” :30
Anncr.: Q’s are nothing more than pretentious
O’s. The kind of letter that collects obscure
modern art prints and listens to jazz musicians
nobody has ever heard of. The kind of letter
that wears turtlenecks in July. But when
Hamlet talks about a “quintessence of dust,” all
that weird jazz begins to melt away, and you’re
left with something a little more human. Every
letter. Every word. A power all its own. See
Julius Caesar this summer at Cupids. For more
info, visit PerchanceTheatre.com.
3 “The Ad That Aired Once” :60
Anncr.: Listen closely. Because the ad you’re
about to hear will only air once. Not because we
don’t have enough money to pay for it. Not
because it’s for some special, limited-time
offer. It is because of the things that I’m about to
say: “We should create a group to make faggots
disappear.” “If my daughter were a lesbian, I’d
cut out her tongue.” “You fucking gays are
a disgrace to the human race.” Some of you are
outraged right now, and rightly so. But consider
this: This ad will be taken off the air in a matter
of minutes, but these homophobic comments
have been online for more than four years. So
the next time you see the things you just heard,
report them. A message from the Emergence
Foundation for Pride Month.
Maxime Sauté, art director
Xavier Blais, writer
Nicolas Quintal, creative director
François Bélanger, sound engineer
Studios Apollo, sound production
Pascal Routhier, strategist
Marie-Pière Poulin, producer
Espace M, media agency
Rethink (Vancouver, Canada), ad agency
Fondation Émergence, client
“The Power of Words (R)” :30
Anncr.: R’s are funny, aren’t they? A silly little
letter. Think of the way it sounds: R. Every time
you say it, you feel like a pirate at a kid’s birthday
party. And nobody wants to feel like a pirate at
a kid’s birthday party. However, when Juliet says,
“Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou, Romeo?”
you tend to forego the plank-walking and
listen. Every letter. Every word. A power all its
own. See The Servant of Two Masters this summer
at Cupids. For more info, visit PerchanceTheatre
.com.
Amanda Blackwood/Jason Hill, art directors
Dave Sullivan, writer
Jason Hill, creative director
Jane Hall/Jessica Hill/Noel O’Dea, producers
Target Marketing and Communications Inc.
(St. John’s, Canada), ad agency
Perchance Theatre, client
RADIO COMMERCIALS
4 “Escape Room” :30
Tom: Hi, Tom Bodett. Seems everyone’s into
escape rooms, where it’s supposedly fun to solve
clues or do math problems to get out. Personally,
I’d rather just open a door and leave. Luckily,
Motel 6 offers a less complicated room to escape
to, whether across the country or just across
town. And the only math you have to do is to see
how much money you saved. I’m Tom Bodett for
Motel 6 and you’ve got 20 minutes to figure out
how to leave the light on. Just kiddin’.
Wendy Mayes/Chris Smith, writers
Chris Smith, creative director
Tom Bodett, voice talent
Russell Smith, audio engineer
Sheri Cartwright, agency producer
Charlie Uniform Tango, post-production company
The Richards Group (Dallas, TX), ad agency
Motel 6, client
 RADIO COMMERCIALS
5 (series) “BBQ Grill” :30 “Shim Sham” :30
“Premium Paint” :30 SFX: Family at a backyard cookout. SFX: Kids and parents laughing.
MUSIC: Piano. MUSIC: Guitar. MUSIC: Energetic guitar.
Anncr.: Your home is a refuge. A place of Anncr.: The Sampson Barbecue Grill is the Anncr.: It’s the game everyone’s talking about:
countless memories and... official grill of backyard fun for you and your... Shim Sham! A laugh-out-loud adventure for you
Music stops. Music stops. and your...
Man: Termites. Man: Mosquitoes. Music stops.
Anncr.: Coulston Premium Paint brings out the Anncr.: Whether you’re grilling for one, or Man: Cockroaches.
natural beauty of your home and all of its... feeding the whole... Anncr.: Part board game, part dance-off, Shim
Music stops. Music stops. Sham is loads of fun for...
Man: Termites. Man: Brood of mosquitoes. Music stops.
Anncr.: Coulston Paint makes a house a home. Anncr.: ...our durable and portable grills are Man: Cockroaches.
Music stops. perfect for patios, backyards and... Anncr.: ...of all ages! Just spin the wheel, strike
Man: For termites. Music stops. your pose and get ready for a...
Anncr. 2: Don’t let termites ruin the moment. Man: Engorged mosquitoes. Music stops.
Orkin. Home is where the bugs aren’t. Anncr. 2: Don’t let mosquitoes ruin the moment. Man: Scurrying cockroach.
Orkin. Home is where the bugs aren’t. Anncr. 2: Don’t let roaches ruin the moment.
Orkin. Home is where the bugs aren’t.
Dustin Ballard/Ryan Bates, writers
David Morring/Tim Tone, creative directors
Gordon Gibson/Ron Henderson/Aaron Kelly/
Ira Lipson/Sally Vahle, voice talents
Mark Murray, audio engineer
Marcee Gasikowski, agency producer
Richards Outpost Audio, post-production
company
The Richards Group (Dallas, TX), ad agency
Orkin, client

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TELEVISION COMMERCIALS
1 “Stuff Monster” :60
“Letting go of stuff that’s weighing us down feels good. Letting go of it
responsibly feels even better. Instead of throwing old furniture away, pass
it on to a new home and witness the beautiful possibilities that can come
from giving old things a new life.”
Joel Holtby, art director
Dhaval Bhatt/Karine Doucet, writers
Dhaval Bhatt/Joel Holtby, creative directors
Aaron Starkman/Christina Yu, chief creative officers
Mark Zibert, director
Christopher Mably, director of photography
Conor Fisher/Jane Garrah/Jonah Venneri/Eric Whipp, colorists
Marc Langley, editor
Chloe Vankoughnett, assistant editor
Kevin Chamberlain/Julian Rudd, sound design
Vapor Music Group, sound production
Sean McDonald/Stacy Ross, strategists
Lindsey Bates, Vapor Music Group/Simon Dragland, Scouts Honour/Erica
Metcalfe, Scouts Honour/Rita Popielak, Scouts Honour/Marie-Pière Poulin,
Rethink/Ted Rosnick, Vapor RMW, producers
Melissa Kahn, executive producer
Scouts Honour, production company
A52, visual effects company
Rooster Post, post-production company
Rethink (Vancouver, Canada), ad agency
IKEA Canada, client

2 “Comfortable” :60
“The last thing anyone wants to talk about is mortgages. Our mission for
the Super Bowl was to get America talking about Rocket Mortgage while
demonstrating our understanding of the true meaning of home. In
‘Comfortable,’ starring Jason Momoa, the world sees Jason like they’ve never
seen him before. He’s at home, the one place where he can shed his
Hollywood illusion and be himself.”
Jerome Marucci, art director
Pat Burke/Steve McElligott, writers
Jorge Pomareda, creative director
Pat Burke/Mark Gross, group creative directors
Chad Broude/Mark Gross, chief creative officers
Another Country, audio mixer
Checks in Motion/Lindsay Vetter, producers
Molly Flynn Scoggin, senior producer
Jen Passaniti, executive producer
O Positive, production company
Cutters, editorial company
Comma Music, music company
The Mill, visual effects company
Creative License, development partner
Highdive (Chicago, IL), ad agency
Quicken Loans, Rocket Mortgage, client

3 “Smaht Pahk” :60

“During the Super Bowl, we launched the ’20 Sonata with an eye to its
advanced style and technology, mainly the new Remote Smart Parking
Assist. Shortened to ‘Smart Park,’ the feature, when delivered in the
uniquely ‘R-challenged’ Boston accent, became ‘Smaht Pahk.’”
Chris Dyer, art director
Eddie Babaian, writer
Jeff Bossin/Ryan Scott, group creative directors
Barney Goldberg, executive creative director
Bryan Buckley, director
Devondra Dominguez/Melissa Moore, producers
Nicolette Spencer, executive producer
Hungry Man, production company
INNOCEAN USA (Huntington Beach, CA), ad agency
Paul Imhoff/Monique Kumpis/Angela Zepeda, Hyundai Motor America, clients

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1 “Groundhog Day” 1:44

“For just the second time ever, Super Bowl fell on Groundhog
Day, creating a chance to remake the film Groundhog Day
for the Jeep Gladiator. Unlike the film, no day is ever the
same in a Jeep Gladiator because it’s the only pickup with
a removable top. So instead of being stuck in misery, the
Gladiator allows Bill Murray to break free, having tons of
fun in the process.”
Conner Schrock, writer
Casey Stern, associate creative director
Jorge Pomareda/Eduardo Vea Keating, creative directors
Pat Burke, group creative director
Chad Broude/Mark Gross, chief creative officers
Mark Wetzel, designer
Another Country, audio mixer
Lindsay Vetter, producer
Jen Passaniti, executive producer
O Positive, production company
Cutters Studio, editorial company
Warner Music, music company
The Mill, visual effects company
All Creatures Great & Small/Creative License/Sony Pictures
Consumer Products Inc., development partners
Highdive (Chicago, IL), ad agency
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, Jeep, client

2 “Nails” :60
“Icon meets icon in this spot for Reebok’s Sport the
Unexpected campaign. During an unexpected moment at
the beauty shop, hip-hop star Cardi B stays laced up
thanks to her iconic nails.”
Barking Owl, music
Biscuit Filmworks, production company
Cut+Run, editorial company
The Mill, visual effects company
Venables Bell & Partners (San Francisco, CA), ad agency
Reebok, client

NON-TRADITIONAL ADVERTISING
3 Anthony Asmar/Bijoy Purayil, art directors
Rohan Kodialbail, writer
Yasmina Boustani/Georges El Ten, creative directors
Joe Abou-Khaled/Ali Rez, executive creative directors
Paul Shearer, chief creative officer
Ahmed Nawara, designer
Suresh Nair/Rani Tannous, editors
Boomtown Productions, editorial company
Jean-Marie Riachi, music
Charly Hatem, videographer
Noor Hassanein, strategic planner
Omar Frangieh, producer
Mannu Singh, post-production producer
Impact BBDO (Dubai, United Arab Emirates), ad agency
An-Nahar, client
“When Lebanon was plunged into its sixth revolution in
history, An-Nahar, the nation’s leading paper, looked to
empower women to lead the revolution and avoid the
violence that marred previous protests. We spotted a glar-
ing injustice in Lebanon—the absence of women in the
Lebanese national anthem, as it only refers to Lebanon as
‘the birthplace of men.’ We changed it to ‘of women and
men,’ and An-Nahar printed it on the front page of its special
edition dedicated entirely to women. This immediately
became the chant for the now-peaceful revolution, and
the edition became An-Nahar’s best selling ever.”

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© Blue Ox Studios
2

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NON-TRADITIONAL ADVERTISING
1 Schawk!, print producer
Fast Horse (Minneapolis, MN), ad agency
Heineken, client
“How does a beer company celebrate Dry January? With beer, of
course. Introducing the Heineken 0.0 January Dry Pack, available
only at januarydrypack.com. The limited edition, alcohol-free
31-pack is designed like an Advent calendar to keep beer lovers
covered all month long. Featured across the news and social, this
campaign proved you could generate buzz—and, more importantly,
sales—without the buzz.”

2 Tim Eger, art director/writer

Terry Baughman, latitude/Glenn Dady/Stan Richards/Tim Tone,
creative directors
Cassandra Greenfield, latitude, producer
Merestone, production company
The Richards Group (Dallas, TX), ad agency
Choctaw Casinos & Resorts, client
“The failed demolition of an office building in Dallas left much of
the eleven-story structure still standing, and crews were having
no luck in their repeated attempts to bring it down. Dubbed
the ‘Leaning Tower of Dallas,’ it immediately became a joke in the
national press and on social media. We saw an opportunity to
juxtapose this with the luck you could be having at the nearby
Choctaw Casino. In six hours, we had a mobile projection system
in place powerful enough to cast the image from across a highway.
Our unexpected addition to the Dallas skyline shocked the social
media world and made Choctaw Casinos & Resorts instantly famous,
garnering 30 million impressions, more than 150 media hits and
a 44 percent increase in direct site traffic.”

3 Jorge Pomareda/Casey Stern, creative directors

Chad Broude/Mark Gross, chief creative officers
Midcoast Studio, retoucher
Another Country, audio mixer
Lindsay Vetter, producer
Jen Passaniti, executive producer
US Sweepstakes & Fulfillment Company, development partner
Highdive (Chicago, IL), ad agency
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, Jeep, client
“For the highly anticipated release of Terminator: Dark Fate, Jeep
partnered with Linda Hamilton, who plays Sarah Connor, to sell
her character’s ’83 Jeep featured in the original film. This classified
ad appeared in newspapers all over the country, leading callers to
Sarah Connor’s voice mail. There, they could enter for a chance to
meet Linda Hamilton in person at the movie premiere.”

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NON-TRADITIONAL ADVERTISING
1 Whitney Downing/David Trujillo, art directors
Tyler Archibald, writer
Jarrod Higgins/Lawrence Melilli, creative directors
Jason Bagley/Eric Baldwin, executive creative directors
Travis Barron/Matt Blum/Dave Hagen/Vicki Liu/Fazel
Sayeh/Beth Schuenemann/David Trujillo, designers
Kyle Pero/Saskia Thomson, photographers
Chase Farthing/Greg Radich, 3-D modeling
Frazer Goodbody, retoucher
Britton Taylor, strategist
Ademar Matinian, fabricator
Amy Streger/Victoria Tengblad-Kreft, agency producers
Denise Hanggi/Ellen Osborn, print producers
Alicia Kuna, executive agency producer
Wieden+Kennedy (Portland, OR), ad agency
Kentucky Fried Chicken, client
“Kentucky Fried Chicken and Crocs partnered together to
create limited edition Crocs. Artist MLMA debuted the
shoes at New York Fashion Week. We partnered with Paper
magazine to launch the campaign, which was supported
through social, PR, dot-com and influencer efforts.”

2 Joel Holtby, art director

Mike Dubrick, writer
Mike Dubrick/Joel Holtby, creative directors
Aaron Starkman, chief creative officer
Joel Holtby/Jake Lim/Brandon Methner, designers
Brad Stapleton, developer
Sean McDonald, strategist
Narine Artinian/Erica Metcalfe/Wes Schyngera, producers
Rethink (Vancouver, Canada), ad agency
Raptors Republic, client
“In May 2019, the Toronto Raptors were entering the NBA
playoffs with incredible momentum. With a bolstered
roster featuring one of the best players in the NBA, Kawhi
Leonard, a championship title for the team and the
city had never been within such close reach. Raptors
Republic launched Ka’Wine and Dine, an initiative where
restaurants placed a badge in their windows, pledging
to give Kawhi free food for life if he re-signed to the
Toronto Raptors.”

STUDENT WORK
3 Coni Ramirez, art director
Sam Carlson, writer
Emily Ellis, illustrator
Amanda Rasmussen, photographer
Jeff Sheets, instructor
Brigham Young University, BYU AdLab (Provo, UT), school
“The modern surge of technology has made communication
more accessible than ever. With the help of certain
innovations, this can include all kinds of communication—
even the nonvocal kind.”
© Sam Carlson/Emily Ellis/Coni Ramirez/Amanda Rasmussen

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STUDENT WORK
1 (series)
Sam Luo, art director
Mel White, instructor
Syracuse University, S.I. Newhouse School of Public
Communications (Syracuse, NY), school
© Sam Luo

2 Cam Tribe, art director

Stew Tribe, writer
Connor Dean/Bentley Rawle, photographers
Jeff Sheets, instructor
Brigham Young University, BYU AdLab (Provo, UT), school
“Lionheart” 2:00
“Trapped by misfortune and poverty in Ghana, two young
men named Emmanuel and Felix devote themselves to
boxing as their way out.”
© Connor Dean/Bentley Rawle/Cam Tribe/Stew Tribe

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STUDENT WORK
1 Mario Dahl, writer/director/editor
Berg & Dahl Audio/Florian Mania/Philipp
Reinheimer, artists
Marvin Schatz, director of photography
Stefanie Gödicke, producer
Johanna Alscheken, project design and
development
Zoran Bihac/Martin Schmidt, instructors
Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg (Ludwigsburg,
Germany), school
“It Works” :60
“Deodorants promise a lot. Compliance is only
limited. Anyone who has not showered for 96
hours and checked the announcements of their
deodorant’s packaging for its truthfulness knows
this will never work... Unless the deodorant is
called Yerka.”
© Mario Dahl

2 Cerinn Park, art director

Marta Lala, writer
Mel White, instructor
Syracuse University, S.I. Newhouse School of
Public Communications (Syracuse, NY), school
“uTINTsil is a set of plastic utensils that can detect
allergen molecules in food by changing the color
of the utensil, showing children that the food
is unsafe for them to consume. The product’s
concept video demonstrates how uTINTsil is used
and the technology that would go into creating
it. With this product, we hope to ease the worries
of parents and help children eat carefree again.”
© Marta Lala/Cerinn Park

3 Sam Luo, art director

Olivia Gormley, writer
Mel White, instructor
Syracuse University, S.I. Newhouse School of
Public Communications (Syracuse, NY), school
“Greenscreen’s campaign is based on a brief that
asked us to inspire meaningful behavior change
toward a sustainable lifestyle. Our target audience,
young people, struggle to find a practical solution
that can be easily incorporated into their daily
routine. With Greenscreen, they’re only one click
away from a greener lifestyle. We want their effort
to be individual and pragmatic, but the impact
to be collective and comprehensive.”
© Olivia Gormley/Sam Luo

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STUDENT WORK
1 Rachel LeBlanc, art director
Shelby Guerrero, writer
Mike Dubrick, instructor
Miami Ad School (Toronto, Canada), school
“Due to the fatal risk of cross infection, people living with
cystic fibrosis should never come within six feet of each
other. However, there’s no way of knowing if or when
people with cystic fibrosis may be dangerously close. Since
millions of mobile users share their location with friends
and family to find one another, we decided to leverage the
same technology and help those with cystic fibrosis stay
away from each other.”
© Shelby Guerrero/Rachel LeBlanc

2 Lee I/Ted Pedro, art directors

Hatem El Akad/Refaat Rico, writers
Manolo Garcia, instructor
Miami Ad School (San Francisco, CA), school
“People are not aware of hostile architecture, a form of
deliberate violence against the homeless population,
which creates animosity between the homeless, youth and
authorities. So +Peace partnered with IKEA to highlight
hostile architecture to the public and force the authorities
to take it off the streets. If we want to halve violence
and bring peace to our cities, we need to meet people’s
basic needs.”
© Hatem El Akad/Lee I/Ted Pedro/Refaat Rico

3 (series)
Yotam Ohayon, writer
Tom Scharpf, instructor
VCU Brandcenter (Richmond, VA), school
© Yotam Ohayon

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STUDENT WORK
1 Lavina Chandwany/Rachel LeBlanc, art directors
Rhea Kumar, writer
Mike Dubrick, instructor
Miami Ad School (Toronto, Canada), school
“Six standard Lego bricks can be combined in more than 915 million
ways, which means that six bricks can replace a lot of single-purpose
products. And since 80 percent of our carbon footprint is caused by
overconsumption, living off of less could help save the planet. So
to appeal to a generation of planet savers, we got teens to fight
overconsumption by building products instead of buying them.”
© Lavina Chandwany/Rhea Kumar/Rachel LeBlanc

2 Changkyu Ku, art director

Juan Andrés Kebork/Massimiliano Rossi, writers
David Stadtmüller, instructor
Miami Ad School (Berlin, Germany), school
© Juan Andrés Kebork/Changkyu Ku/Massimiliano Rossi

134 Advertising Annual 2020

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 1

136 Advertising Annual 2020

3

STUDENT WORK
1 Seine Kongruangkit, art director
Matithorn Prachuabmoh Chaimoungkalo, writer
Niklas Frings-Rupp, instructor
Miami Ad School (Berlin, Germany), school
“Social distancing helps decrease the spread of
COVID-19 drastically. That is why #StayTheFuck-
Home is a thing. But some people think it is
OK to go out and chill. To discourage people from
doing that, we put up billboards filled with
spoilers from Netflix shows in gathering spaces,
since people will try to stay away from spoilers
for their favorite shows. We then warn people of
these billboards at train and bus stations so they’ll
think twice before going out.”
© Matithorn Prachuabmoh Chaimoungkalo/
Seine Kongruangkit

2 Abdelrahman Galal/Jean Quarcoopome, art

directors
Pranav Sabharwal, writer
Ashesi University (Accra, Ghana)/Miami Ad
School (Hamburg, Germany)/Seneca College
(Toronto, Canada), schools
“Pantone, the world’s authority on color in all
shades and tones, is a brand uniquely equipped
to act in support of people of color. We created
PAIN TONES, a first-of-its-kind Pantone color book.
We picked colors from the last moments of some
Black lives taken by racial police brutality. After
matching each PAIN TONE color to the Pantone
Matching System, we renamed them as an immor-
tal reminder of the innocent Black men, women
and children whose last living moments were
colored by hate. We changed the Pantone Color of
the Year to Transparent and boldly showed it in
outdoor and digital media as a call to action for
the world to see beyond a person’s skin color.”
© Abdelrahman Galal/Jean Quarcoopome/
Pranav Sabharwal

3 Cam Tribe, art director

Connor Dean/Quinn Frehner/Enoch Lui, writers
Jeff Sheets, instructor
Brigham Young University, BYU AdLab (Provo, UT),
school
“Journalism not only informs society but also influ-
ences society. To promote independent thinking,
the Los Angeles Times challenged readers to be an
influence on the world, one decision at a time.”
© Connor Dean/Quinn Frehner/Enoch Lui/Cam Tribe

Communication Arts | commarts.com 137

 1

STUDENT WORK
1 Rachel LeBlanc/Shirley Xu Wang, art directors
Marly Dichter, writer
Stephen Jurisic, instructor
Miami Ad School (Toronto, Canada), school
“Nike’s mission is to expand human potential. However, doing
everything is dangerous, especially for 61 percent of teen girls who
struggle to find downtime. Nike Minus uses the membership model
to enhance performance by getting girls to stop. Users toggle on Nike
Minus to enable the detection of burnout, and recommendations are
incentivized with exclusive gear. To spread the word, we posted on
social at 2:00 a.m., a prime scrolling time better suited for shut-eye.”
© Marly Dichter/Rachel LeBlanc/Shirley Xu Wang

2 (series)
Sam Luo, art director
Olivia Gormley, writer
Mel White, instructor
Syracuse University, S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications
(Syracuse, NY), school
© Olivia Gormley/Sam Luo

138 Advertising Annual 2020

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Communication Arts | commarts.com 139

 STUDENT WORK
1 (series)
“Stockholm” :30
Man: I was walking down the sidewalk when
suddenly, I got hit by a cyclist who was rushing
to the cinnamon bun store right next to my
house before it closed down for the day. What is
it with these kanelbullar? I see all these huge
lines hela tiden. Maybe this is the sign I needed
to prova dem en gång för alla. En sak är säker, en
el-skoter som är sönder är inte värd en kanelbulle.
Oavsett hur goda dem är.
Anncr.: Become a local in Stockholm. Airbnb.
140 Advertising Annual 2020
“Amsterdam” :30
Man: It was Monday morning, and it started
as every other week: I grabbed my backpack
and took my dog out for a run at the kanaal.
Suddenly, my dog ran away from mij en jumpte
op de boot that was passing by. Het was
funny to see dat hij gelijk straight naar die man
ging dat een stuk kaas in zijn hand had. Oh
ja, mijn hond houdt van kaas.
Anncr.: Become a local in Amsterdam. Airbnb.
“Mexico City” :30
Man: This morning, I suddenly decided to go for
a walk. A really long walk. So I put on my good
sneakers and set off to the neighboring town. I’ve
covered about cuarenta miles on foot, y so far,
no tengo ningún interest en regresar a mi home.
Supongo que eso me hace un explorador... o un
indigente. Pero es algo que sabré con el tiempo.
Anncr.: Become a local in Mexico City. Airbnb.
Leon Celay/Reinier Wortman, art directors
Juan Andrés Kebork, writer
Sarah Buggle, instructor
Miami Ad School (Berlin, Germany), school
© Leon Celay/Juan Andrés Kebork/Reinier Wortman
2

STUDENT WORK
2 Julia Pimentel, art director
Nicolas Bori, writer/director
Martin Ludwig, director of photography
Ernst Lattik, editor
Daniel Kottirsch/Simona Weber, producers
Martin Schmid, instructor
Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg (Ludwigsburg,
Germany), school
“The Decision” 2:39
“A mother facing personal tragedy has to make a deci-
sion that might mean life or death. As she confronts
her memories and insecurities, we see that her decision
impacted others as well as herself.”
© Nicolas Bori/Julia Pimentel

Communication Arts | commarts.com 141

 © Vincent Castonguay
1

FRESH Every designer dreams of elevating brands to new heights, but

for Montréal-based design firm Demande Spéciale, that elevation

DEMANDE
is an ethos. “It’s more exciting when we can take a client to
somewhere completely new for them, while still anchoring the
brand in its values,” say Guillaume Lavallée and Maude Turgeon,

SPÉCIALE who founded the design firm in 2017. “We see projects and briefs
as a problem-solving experience, where the client gives us the
pieces and our job is to design a brand system that embodies
those pieces in a clever, fun manner.” Working across the many
forms that branding can take, the pair has created identities,
posters, editorial design, packaging, apparel and more for clients
as disparate as musical artists and liquor brands. Two common
threads that bind their work are their ability to reveal the un-
expected, and the humble sense of humor in their approach.
© Alex Blouin/Jodi Heartz “The things that differentiate us from other creatives are our
transparency and the fact that we don’t take ourselves too
seriously,” say Lavallée and Turgeon. “We want to have a good
time making great design. We don’t want to put limits on our-
selves. We love duality and contrast; it’s something that comes
out of all of our projects, and it’s something that represents our
team very well.”
demandespeciale.ca

142 Advertising Annual 2020

 2 3

4 5
© Nathan Lang

6 7
© François Ollivier

1. “Business cards from a complete rebrand for Enclume, an urban planning organization.” David Song, designer; Guillaume Lavallée/Maude Turgeon, creative
directors; Enclume, client. 2. “Album design for musical artist Matt Holubowski’s Weird Ones.” Soleil Denault, art director; Guillaume Lavallée/Maude Turgeon,
creative directors; Matt Holubowski, client. 3. “Editorial design for photographer François Ollivier’s photo diary Bises Floride.” Guillaume Lavallée/Maude
Turgeon, creative directors; François Ollivier, photographer/client. 4. “Identity and packaging for BleuRoyal Gin.” Guillaume Lavallée/Maude Turgeon, creative
directors; Francis Bluteau, BluePearl Distillery, client. 5. “Album design for musical artist Alex Nevsky’s single ‘Chemin sauvage.’” Guillaume Lavallée/Maude
Turgeon, art directors; Jérémie Saindon, creative director; Royal Gilbert/Ménad Kesraoui/Nathan Lang, photographers; Henrietta Harris, artist; Alex Nevsky,
client. 6. “Posters from our identity for the 2019 iteration of the MAPP MTL music festival.” Guillaume Lavallée/Maude Turgeon, creative directors; David
Song, animation; Thien Vu Dang, MAPP MTL, client. 7. “Tote bag from our complete rebrand for architectural design, interior design and industrial design
firm Rainville Sangaré.” David Song, designer; Guillaume Lavallée/Maude Turgeon, creative directors; Nicole Kamenovic, illustration; Lawrence Durand,
programmer; Lambert Rainville/Nicholas Sangaré, Rainville Sangaré, clients.

Communication Arts | commarts.com 143

 1

FRESH Born in Seoul, South Korea, and now living in San Francisco,
illustrator Tracy J Lee creates surreal worlds that transport viewers

TRACY J into the emotional minds of her characters. Lee draws from the
sentiments of everyday life to ground her fantastical scenes,

LEE transforming reality through her own experience. “While a commis-

sioned illustration may be based on an existing theme or a story,
I always imbue it with my own interpretations and values,” Lee
says. “I love to imprint a part of myself in a piece, and I think this
has enabled my art to have that unique, emotive aspect that
draws people in.” It is this emotional depth present in Lee’s images
that has garnered her work from NPR, WIRED, the Atlantic and
L’Oréal. Lee credits her relocation from South Korea to the United
States as an influence on her approach. “My art inherently ex-
© Laila Moiré-Selvage presses [a] tension of being in-between, something that became
more pronounced since I moved away from my hometown of
Seoul,” she says. “Being influenced by both Eastern and Western
views has definitely instilled a unique perspective on how I ap-
proach my art stylistically and conceptually.”
tracyjlee.com

144 Advertising Annual 2020

2 3

4 5

6 7

1. “For Current Futures: A Sci-Fi Ocean Anthology, published by the nonprofit XPRIZE. The anthology focuses on a future when technology has helped unlock the
secrets of our oceans.” Eric Desatnik, art director; XPRIZE Foundation, client. 2. “For short story ‘The Farm’ by Charlie Jane Anders, part of WIRED’s fiction issue.”
Alyssa Walker, art director; WIRED, client. 3. Persona. Personal work. 4. Gate of Pain. Personal work. 5. “For a National Public Radio article about overcoming
social anxiety during the holidays.” Meredith Rizzo, art director; National Public Radio, client. 6. “Created for a L’Oréal internal project.” Antoine Jaubard, art
director; L’Oréal, client. 7. “For short story ‘The Third Petal’ by Nisi Shawl, part of WIRED’s fiction issue.” Alyssa Walker, art director; WIRED, client.

Communication Arts | commarts.com 145

 1 2

FRESH Based between Beirut and Istanbul, photographer Mohamad

Abdouni’s love for print media and periodicals began at a young age,

MOHAMAD
antedating the internet. “I used to have my parents drive me to the
only importer of foreign publications in [Lebanon], to the actual

ABDOUNI
warehouse, so I could find back copies of [primarily photo-based]
magazines that I loved,” he recalls. “I grew up admiring photographs
and the way they’re laid out in print, [and] eventually realized that
I could create photos myself and publish a magazine, or several, of
my own.” With a photography portfolio mostly shot with a 35mm
camera, Abdouni has worked for media organizations and publi-
cations such as VICE, Slate and i-D and has exhibited in institutions
such as the Foam museum, the Institute of Islamic Cultures in Paris
and the Brooklyn Museum. He also founded his own photo journal,
Cold Cuts, to provide a platform for the Arab queer community to
which he belongs. “When it comes to my personal work, I tend to
focus on the … rise of [Beirut’s] queer culture through documen-
© Clara Abi Nader
taries and photo stories, several of which have been … published in
queer publications around the globe,” Abdouni says. “I hope for Cold
Cuts to grow, enabling me to showcase the beauty of the Arab
queer community to a much larger audience.”
mohamadabdouni.com
146 Advertising Annual 2020
3

4 5

1. “Taken from musical artist Thoom’s upcoming album campaign.” Thoom, model/client. 2. “Taken from a 2019 Gucci editorial in Sorbet magazine.” Kate
Hazell, stylist; Inès Ablaoui, assistant stylist; Issa Kandil, set designer; Amanda Charchian, model; Jeremy Boudjok, lighting design; Jinane Chaaya, producer;
Studio Sorbet, production company; Sorbet, client. 3. “Behind the scenes of ‘Trance,’ a short film for Burberry directed by Mohamad Abdouni and produced
by Mille TV.” Sofia Guellaty, creative director; Leena Al Ghouti/DADDYAAZ/Ali Latif/Meryem Tilila, models; Pauline Maroun, lighting design; Yusra Abulaban/
Sarah El Kays/Ayah Halilah, associate producers; Mille TV, production company; Burberry, client. 4. “Actress Yumna Marwan for an editorial titled ‘Fuck You
If You Judge Me In This State’ in King Kong magazine’s migration issue.” Charles Nicola, stylist; Yumna Marwan, model; King Kong, client. 5. “Images
taken from fashion brand RAFA Homme’s fall/winter 2019 campaign Sightings. Shot in the north of Lebanon near the Syrian border.” Charles Nicola, stylist;
Raquel Pintado Rosa, contributing artist; Mark Eke/Dan Haddad/Ronald Zerbé, models; RAFA Homme, client.

Communication Arts | commarts.com 147

 DESIGN ISSUES Ricardo Roberts

The Exclusive on Inclusive

Candid conversations with creatives and motion designers

© Carlos Alegría
Y ou’ve seen the rainbow-colored people. They are blue, green
and purple, with abstract, uniform bodies and faces. They idle
within the apps of large tech corporations and smile at
viewers from short films. They are part of a trend in illustration and
motion design that has less to do with a specific artistic aesthetic,
for example, where you’ll find a lot of the same features and
uniformity across characters. I think this has to do with who is
commissioning these works and who’s being hired to execute.

like Memphis design or flat illustration, and more to do with the

issue of representation.
But if a character’s limbs are exaggerated, does that avoid the body
type conversation altogether? If everyone’s faces are the same, does
that signal inclusivity without actually showing it? And if someone’s
skin is colored in red rather than a more realistic skin tone, is
that designing our way around diversity?
To better understand this issue, those of us here at BIEN, an ani-
mation and motion graphics studio based in Los Angeles, California,
asked ten freelance designers, illustrators and animators from
around the world about their experiences. We wanted the perspec-
tive of the people in the trenches, doing the hard work of actually
making things every day with a variety of studios. We’ve worked
with many of these creators on various projects, but have never had
deep discussions on diversity and inclusion with them. What we
learned was pretty fascinating.
Do you think drawing people with the same features and
switching out natural skin tones for wild colors, like green and
pink, are cop-outs to avoid dealing with diversity issues?
MONIQUE WRAY, director, illustrator, animator, San Francisco, CA
SAM BASS, art director, animator, Atlanta, GA
The benefit of having characters in the “Mr.
Potato Head” style is things are easily man-
aged. If you make one walk cycle, the rest are
all pretty much done with minor tweaks and color changes. This
makes it easier to work on small budgets and tight turnarounds,
but makes diversity seem like something expensive and time
consuming. Which it shouldn’t.
JACKIE LAY, designer, illustrator, animator, Washington, DC
I don’t think it’s a cop-out. I did one video
about the African author Chimamanda Ngozi
Adichie where I initially portrayed her with purple
skin, and I was excited by the color palette I had chosen of purples,
oranges and yellows. My boss wasn’t sure if it was offensive or not
to make her purple, and we had a long discussion about creative
license, and I eventually asked my coworker, the journalist Ta-Nehisi
Coates—who writes extensively on race issues—for his thoughts,
and he ended the argument for us by simply saying, “It’s fine.”

I do think there are a lot of companies doing
this intentionally in an attempt to shy away
from the conversation and some who, frankly,
are ignorant of the fact. Though, it does seem that different
industries handle this differently. I find work in editorial to be more
open to more-accurate depictions of people of color than tech,
JORDAN LYLE, designer, creative director, Los Angeles, CA
Wild colors are one way of representing
a “diverse” cast of characters, but it is more
just an illusion of diversity than how it exists in
real life. It puts all the onus on the viewer to find themselves or

148 Advertising Annual 2020

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 DESIGN ISSUES
a version of their image in the abstract colors and hairstyles and
body types of characters as opposed to taking on the responsibility
of deciding on which combination of skin tones and body types is
appropriately representative enough. There will always be creative
limitations set by brands and production processes, so, in some
ways, it’s the best compromise, but not necessarily a solution.
I-NU YEH, art director, illustrator, Brooklyn, NY
At the end of the day, any project which is
public facing must deal with the challenge
of any groups of people feeling excluded. Some-
times the easiest way to create an inclusive project is by designing
characters that don’t leave anyone out, even at the cost of being
unrealistic and nonpersonified to the customer. Most clients are
aiming for a campaign that is pleasing to everybody, so it is a viable
solution, even if it can be a cop-out at times.
Are you ever afraid of portraying people in a way that could be
offensive (button nose vs. aquiline, round eyes vs. almond,
skinny vs. stocky)?
Wray: Never. For me, I’d be afraid to not make these distinctions
in characters. I think there’s negativity in not wanting to show
these varieties of features that make us all different and are
identifiable elements. It suggests that these differences are wrong
or bad. Eliminating them creates a negative connotation.
MARGARET TO, art director, designer, animator, Los Angeles, CA
No, but I think about the context I’m putting
these characters in. For example, if I’m de-
signing characters representing certain careers,
I make sure they are also age-, gender-, ethnically- and culturally-
diverse. Or, making sure women are equally represented in
leadership and positions of power in a story.
REECE PARKER, director, illustrator, cel animator, Seattle, WA
Yes! I think it is difficult. Just from a technical
perspective, it’s not always easy to get correct
attributes in a simplified form. But that’s more of
a challenge than it is a prohibitor, and challenges keep it fun.
I would hope to never offend with my work.
As an artist creating the work, how much say do you have when
portraying people a certain way? Have you received creative
instructions to draw people as uniformly as possible or extremely
exaggerated as a way to be ethnically agnostic?
Wray: I draw women in a specific style, sometimes very curvy, and
once was told by a colleague that another woman at our company
told him I should consider not drawing my women so curvy. In
her mind, it was reestablishing negative ideals of how women
150 Advertising Annual 2020
should be shaped. Unbeknownst to her, I grew up with women
shaped like this, and it’s part of the reason why I include these
body types in my work. Imagine being told that depicting the
body types of women you know to exist is perpetuating a negative
ideal. I’m hopeful that continuing to represent these women in
my work will normalize them.
To: Once I was working on a project that required the designing
of senior characters. I actually received feedback from the client to
include more diverse facial features. I realized that sometimes
I don’t have the full perspective of portraying people in a certain
demographic, and took it as a lesson to be more mindful of my own
personal biases. In the future, I will do more research to represent
people more accurately and authentically.
Lyle: I have taken it up as a personal duty—admittedly quite
biased—to include and champion images of dark-skinned people
whenever possible as hero imagery in my work. Representation
matters, especially for people of color to see themselves and be
seen in nicely designed things.
What has been your own experience with clients regarding
diversity and inclusion?
SIANEY MONTES DE OCA, art director, designer, animator,
Los Angeles, CA
Diversity and inclusion was never brought up
in any studio I’ve worked for, except one. It
was a project for Lifetime network where the target
audience was middle-aged women. The team was all women who
could design and animate. There was also a studio in New York
City that “used” me to win an account for Telemundo. I fit the
demographic. They asked me to come to a pitch meeting, and they
promised that if they won the account, they would hire me to work
on it. Which they never did!
Yeh: I think only 5 percent of clients care about diversity, such
as Universal Channel (Latino). Most clients want trendy styles
and colors. 
Bass: I have had my fair share of projects that were noninclusive.
One was a pitch for a luxury car company. Because photography
was the most compelling way to show a customer how they could
look and feel if they bought into this brand, I looked through their
website to find some photos to help sell my ideas. It was almost
impossible to find photos of people on their site who weren’t
White. Being a Black man, it was a bit uncomfortable working
on the pitch knowing that someone who looked like me wasn’t
included in what this brand thought of as its clientele. 
BRITTAIN PECK, illustrator, storyboard artist, animator, Raleigh, NC
I am thankful to work with creative partners
who seek to create work that is diverse and
inclusive. However, I can look back at numerous
experiences where clients expressed preference for characters to
be portrayed as more “normal,” “less ethnic,” lighter or, just simply
put, as “White.”
Live-action commercials and films have become more inclusive
in the past few years. Why hasn’t that translated into illus-
tration and motion design yet?
To: People design characters and create stories they are familiar
with. So if the designers and decision-makers themselves are not
diverse, then, naturally, what we see on screen would be limited
to a certain perspective.
Lyle:  Film has become more inclusive over the last few years,
particularly because the players involved are real people who have
taken specific actions to speak up about their own inclusion—not
only on-screen, but overall for film productions to have diverse
production crews. No one is immediately economically disad-
vantaged or put out of work by decisions to have or not have
diverse illustrations represented in campaigns because illustration
ability is independent of most factors of diversity. As it pertains
to illustrated artwork, there are attempts to make illustration
inclusive, but it still falls lazily into pockets of just needing to show
characters as different from each other than to accurately represent
real people and abilities in order to be “inclusive.”
sharing our work and getting critiques from people of diverse
backgrounds can help us create more authentic representations.
Promoting underrepresented artists and encouraging them to share
their perspectives is crucial in reaching inclusive design.
Does inclusive motion design matter from a societal and/or
business perspective?
Wray: Absolutely. From a business perspective, content that speaks
to underrepresented demographics consistently does well—Black
Panther, Insecure, Atlanta, Us, Parasite and “Hair Love”—and everyone
enjoys this work. I think people as a whole are now more than ever
interested in content that is reflective of all people. From a societal
perspective, we all deserve to see ourselves represented in content,
whether illustrated, animated or live action.
Bass: One hundred percent yes. Seeing content that I relate to makes
me more invested in what they’re selling me. Collaborating with
people from different backgrounds makes the work stronger. Also,
having minorities in positions to make impactful decisions embeds
a unique perspective in the work. Building a team of diversity after
the ideas have been solidified doesn’t result in an inclusive product.
Padilla: We are at a moment when we can help to make diversity
more “common.” So in the future, we don’t need to be so “conscious”
about “including” everyone. We will simply draw. ca

SALVADOR PADILLA, illustrator, cel animator, Mexico City, Mexico

I think it has. It’s just going at a slower
pace. It probably has to do with the fact that
they are drawings—they may be orange, purple
or green. They are so obviously not real people that maybe the need
to portray diversity doesn’t feel as urgent.
Parker: I don’t know that I would argue it hasn’t, and I don’t know
that it has to follow live action and its trends. Characters can be
fun and quirky, animals and monsters, circles and squares! Why
limit it to only what we see in the real world; that’s more boring
than anything, I think. That being said, if the piece is real-world
character-driven and is not being inclusive at all in its physical
portrayals or even in its attributes and actions, I would be disap-
pointed in 2020.
When illustrating people, what can we do to be more inclusive
and authentic?
Wray: Consider all people, ethnicities and genders in an authentic
way. Pull up photo references of people of color and make an effort
to create a visual that reads as that race. Clients and studios should
hire more POC illustrators. © Julia Kerschbaumer

Peck: Many times, we create characters that could just as easily be
non-White, with no impact on the story or message, yet we choose
by default to make them White. We should take more of these
opportunities to challenge ourselves away from this default and find
how easy it is to imagine a world where “White” is not “normal.”
DEADLINE: JANUARY 8, 2021
Categories include Advertising, Books, Editorial, work produced For Sale,
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If selected, your award-winning work will be beautifully reproduced in the 2021
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Each winning entrant will receive a personalized Award of Excellence, milled
from solid aluminum.

To: I’m always aware of portraying women in leadership, power and ENTER ONLINE NOW COMMARTS.COM/COMPETITION/2021-ILLUSTRATION
“unconventional” jobs. As illustrators, I think that doing research,

Communication Arts | commarts.com 151

 INSIGHTS
Kat Vellos
The art of intentionality

Kat Vellos’s passion for helping people connect authentically shines

through her own projects, whether it is forming a supportive
community for Black designers in the San Francisco Bay Area or
researching the loneliness epidemic and sharing solutions for it in
her book We Should Get Together. Approaching life through the eyes of
a designer, Vellos applies her expertise in user experience design to
everyday human problems, as seen in her Better than Small Talk
events, which she created to revive the art of meaningful conver-
sation and ultimately facilitate stronger relationships. Having
previously worked at companies like Slack and Pandora, Vellos now
provides design and product strategy consulting for startups whose
products and services aim to create a more ethical and just world—
something she continues to strive for in actions both big and small.
—Michelle Yee

How did you get started as a user experience
(UX) designer? I got my BA in graphic design and
then worked as an editorial art director for an
alternative newsweekly focused on investigative
journalism. It was meaningful, but I wanted to
make a bigger impact. I spent the next several
years as a facilitator and nonprofit program
director at organizations focused on creative
© Jamie Nease
self-expression, youth development, personal
empowerment and social change. That’s design work too, but it’s
experience design for people’s real lives. During that time, I became
more intrigued with human behavior, decision-making and psychology,
which are all critical components of being a UX designer too. UX was
the best way to combine my existing skills in experience design and
graphic design. Six years ago, I earned a certificate in UX at General
Assembly, and that’s been my focus ever since.
How has your background as a designer helped you create connec-
tions and build community? Design is the art of intentionality. As
a designer, I see no limits on what can be considered a design project.
My approach to creating community is rooted in the same principles.
I’ve created and run groups on everything from professional develop-
ment for Black designers to photography skill building to authentic
connection to TED-style events where people share specialized
knowledge to inspire and educate others. All of this is rooted in my
guiding principles of community, creativity and connection.
When and why did you start Bay Area Black Designers? During my
first ten years after college, I only met one other Black woman
designer. When I moved to the Bay Area in 2014, I was going to many
design events and meetups, but rarely saw anyone who looked like me.
I was sick of it. I didn’t want other Black designers to feel that way
either. So in the summer of 2015, I invited the few Black designers I knew
to come explore the creation of a community group for us. I could see
the need. In the tech industry, less than 5 percent of the workforce
is Black. We work in companies where we feel isolated, where our
talents are underestimated and where we’re not given the same
opportunities as our non-Black peers. We’re frequently “the only one”
in conferences, meetups and college classrooms. To cope and move
past these obstacles, we need supportive communities where we can
talk about our challenges, get and give support, and access a nonjudg-
mental place to learn and grow. When I started the group, there were
about five of us—now we’re more than 500 members.
You’ve written about how people can support Black Lives Matter.
What are some specific ways you think the design industry can
also be a positive force in this movement now? Design is about more
than making cute app animations, smart toasters and logos on
overpriced backpacks. Designers are responsible for creating the

152 Advertising Annual 2020

world around us. The unjust systems that lead to the oppression of
Black people in our society were designed to work this way—it’s
a horrible design, but it was intentional.
Designers need to take action. Accept your role in the implementation
of policies and practices that lead to either oppression or liberation.
Nonaction means that you’re choosing to retain oppressive systems.
You have to pick a side. You’re either kidding yourself by thinking
that being a designer just means creating color palettes with nineteen
shades of gray, or you acknowledge that your role as a designer in
society means participating in the ethical design of a world in which
all people can be safe and free.
If you don’t work in government, law enforcement or the justice
system, then get involved and influence the “designers” who are
working there. Those people’s titles don’t say designer, but if you’re
paying attention, it’s obvious that they are the designers of the
world we live in. If you don’t want that job, then use your voice and
platform to demand that they create ethical systems.
Designers must be dedicated to using their skills for the highest good
in all ways. The fulfillment of that goal goes beyond getting Webby
awards, likes on Dribbble or meaningless trophies—it means that you
help create an ethical and just world. The reward is that you and the
people you care about get to live in it.
You also wrote the book We Should Get Together, which aims to
help readers cultivate stronger friendships. How has your study of
adult friendship influenced your understanding of UX design, or
vice versa? UX design is about paying attention to humans, caring when
they have unmet needs or when they face difficulty accomplishing
a goal, and then methodically using research and design to devise
solutions to their problems. Adult friendship is such a universally
frustrating experience that it’s become a meme where people joke
that they’ll just keep texting “We should get together” back and
forth forever until they die. It’s a joke, but it’s not funny. The medical
community has proven that in the absence of meaningful connection,
people are more likely to die earlier, and with greater health compli-
cations along the way.
I approached this problem like any other usability issue. I conducted
qualitative research that I bolstered with an extensive literature
review of the academic and scientific quantitative studies about
connection, belonging, communication, bonding, health and well-
being. I used my experience as a facilitator to experiment on my
hypotheses. The culminating book offers solutions for adults who are
having difficulty making or maintaining friendships. This is UX design
in practice. Helping the world have more meaningful friendships is not
a task that anyone hired me to do; I did it because I saw that it was
a need that the world had.
What’s one thing you wish you knew when you began your career?
When you’re young and early in your career, it’s easy to fall into the
trap of thinking that in order to maintain your professional reputation,
you can’t rock the boat. That you can’t say anything that complicates
or slows down the process. But that kind of self-censoring is damaging
to the soul and the businesses and worlds we are trying to create.
I wish I knew at the start of my career that it is always a better choice
to open your mouth and take that risk. I know that now, and I am
grateful every day for the freedom and empowerment this knowledge
gives me. ca
Communication Arts | commarts.com 153
 Five Ad Creatives Share Their Treasured Finds
NICOLAS GEAHCHAN VALERIE MADON
Mirum VMLY&R
Beirut, Lebanon Asia
Classic accessory: A beautiful, complicated, Promising tool: Our gut. We’ve forgotten
old-fashioned Swiss watch like Rolex, which to listen to our instincts in our pursuit to
is good at safeguarding its own traditions be innovative while being distracted by many
and values. The brand has mastered modern media channels, gadgets, data and all things
marketing and communication techniques to make it more desired executional. The creative process is never linear, and it’s our instincts
than ever. And most importantly, Rolex watches are aesthetically that will take it to places that are unexpected but relevantly magical.
perfect, with supremely well-crafted movement, while being Creative solution: VMLY&R’s The Last Ever Issue for porn magazine
relentlessly attentive to detail. Your Weekend. I love ideas that have a real, tangible impact rather
Product ideas: CES, the annual trade show in Las Vegas, is a gold than just communicating a problem.
mine for white-label tech ideas. If you link the right dots, there are Guilty pleasure: Blanking out in front of television programs like
a multitude of brands that are a perfect match for every idea. MasterChef Australia and travel-related shows. I used to blank out in
Mind-blowing work: The Nike brand communication over the front of E!, but recently it was made unavailable in our cable package.
past two years, which has been handled by Wieden+Kennedy, has Lasting footprint: The
been extremely relevant, authentic, engaged and effective. Fearless Girl statue. It
Dream team: I’ve always wanted to be part of a dream team. In is my constant reminder
this team, you would have the likes of John Hegarty as a creative that what we do can
director, David Ogilvy as a writer, Marcello Serpa as an art director make an impact that
and Stephen King as a planner, with all of them sitting at Pixar’s extends beyond a few
headquarters in California. months. Besides being
End-of-day reward: Talking a great solution for the
to and playing with Marco, brief that was given, it
my two-and-a-half-year- has become an icon that
old son. reminds me to be braver.
I am sure many other
girls in the world feel
the same way.

154 Advertising Annual 2020

DONNA LAMAR
Twitter
Santa Monica, CA
Workday necessities: A cup of tea and
a fountain pen. I still write the most
important things down before going to my
laptop. Also, making tea clears my mind,
warms my hands, and gives me an excuse
to get up and move.
Engaging novels: Sofía Segovia’s The Murmur
of Bees and Jeanine Cummins’s American Dirt.
Creative fuel: I like to take a walk and listen
to music or podcasts like The Broad Experience,
The Moth, The New Yorker: Fiction and Selected
Shorts, and just about everything on NPR.
I find inspiration in movement. Then, once
I get back, I turn to the many art and pho-
tography books I own.
Trendsetters: Gen Z at the moment. Millen-
nials and Gen Z have a set of values that
are based on being raised in a world that has
always had social media. I’ve even started
talking about “creative ID,” which is a curated
expression of creativity for the purpose
of securing brand sponsorship or becoming
the brand, versus “creative core,” which is
where everyone has a core identity that is
based upon
personal
exploration,
experience
and belief.
ANDREA SIQUEIRA
BETC São Paulo
São Paulo, Brazil
Nurturing culture: We like to invest in
culture and in moments where the creative
team is chatting together and exchanging
tips, even during the quarantine. We also
have a radio station called rádio beepop that
plays music and interviews 24 hours a day.
Inspirational reads: Maya Angelou’s poems.
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s book Purple
Hibiscus. Shaun Usher’s compilation Letters
of Note.
Monthly reset: I’m from a city on the
northeast coast of Brazil, and I’ve lived in
São Paulo, an urban city, for more than
20 years. So, I go to the beach at least one
weekend a month.
Moving projects: Droga5’s short film for
Facebook, “Never Lost,” which features
Kae Tempest’s poem “People’s Faces,” made
me cry. David Miami, Publicis and Ingo’s
Moldy Whopper campaign for Burger King
made me jealous. Goodby Silverstein
& Partners’ Super Bowl spot “Can’t Touch
This” for Cheetos made me laugh.
Dream collaborators: I’d love to work with
Bozoma Saint John—she’s a strong woman.
Netflix is also a brave client I’d love to collab-
orate with. And if I could meet Alexandria
Ocasio-Cortez, that would be wonderful.
I saw her at the 2019 South by Southwest
Film Festival, and she was inspiring.
JAMIE VENORSKY
Marcus Thomas
Cleveland, OH
Go-to planning tools: Everything either
gets written on the pages of my Moleskine
notebook or added to one of a stack of index
cards I keep next to my laptop. I’ve tried
other apps, like Evernote and Trello, but in
the end, I prefer my old-fashioned Moleskine.
Insightful: The book Rebel Ideas by Matthew
Syed, which focuses on the concept of
“cognitive diversity” and speaks to the
importance of diversity in thinking.
Marketing to watch: Almost anything from
Burger King under the direction of global
chief marketing officer Fernando Machado.
He believes in creativity and uses it as his
competitive advantage, which is clearly on
display in unconventional campaigns includ-
ing Meltdown, Moldy Whopper, Traffic Jam
Whopper and Whopper Detour.
Bottling memories: I have a pretty solid
collection of more than 100 different bottles
of hard-to-find bourbon and rye whiskeys.
I have to find them “in the wild,” so every
trip out of town includes visits to liquor
stores and
conversations
with the store
owners. Just
about every
bottle I have
has a great
story behind it.
Communication Arts | commarts.com 155
 The Angel
in the
Marketplace
The Art of Advertising Adwoman Jean
Wade Rindlaub
By Julie Anne Lambert
and the Selling
256 pages, hardcover, $45
Published by Bodleian Library Publishing
of America
bodleianshop.co.uk By Ellen Wayland-
Consider what future generations would Smith

make of us if they had only our pop-up Contrary to Mary Wells Lawrence, Jane
ads and commercials as clues. Whether Maas and other adwomen who climbed
advertising is an accurate account the corporate ladder to beat their male
of society is the subject of The Art of counterparts at their own game, ad pioneer
Advertising, released in tandem with an Jean Rindlaub believed a woman’s success
exhibit at Oxford’s Bodleian Libraries, home to one of the largest collections of printed was of a domestic nature in the home. In
ephemera in the world. In this astutely curated book, librarians, professors and curators The Angel in the Marketplace, author Ellen
present more than 200 British handbills, trade cards, novelties and posters from the Wayland-Smith weaves the complex story
mid-eighteenth century to the 1930s to explore what print advertising can reveal of how Rindlaub adopted the adman’s
about the agitations and aspirations of the day. voice and leaned in to, instead of away
from, the cultural narrative of gender
Early chapters present straightforward historical context, like the evolution of the printing
roles to create award-winning campaigns
process and the language of advertising, and how retailers nimbly shifted their advertising for Betty Crocker, Campbell’s Soup and
with the emergence of the middle class and department stores. Much more compelling, Chiquita bananas. Wayland-Smith’s por-
however, are the later chapters that walk readers though various ephemera to discuss trayal of Rindlaub is rhythmic, setting the
the subtext of the images and language. Some examples: a print ad for a luxurious innovator’s industry standard–defining
convertible bed is marketed to the affluent while noting that the design keeps sleepers career to the backdrop of American history,
away from “vermin” likely crawling on the floor; the image of a woman on a bicycle capitalism and the free market. 288 pages,
became code for expanding gender roles; the sheer amount of advertisements noting softcover, $30, University of Chicago Press.
“free from” claims proves just how unsafe most products were in those days. —Kimeko McCoy

By examining how a twenty-first-century observer can untangle the idealized vision

promoted by advertisers from the underlying reality, The Art of Advertising exposes all InstaBrain
the moving parts that go into advertising and, in doing so, reveals the nature of society The New Rules
itself. —Amanda McCorquodale for Marketing to
Generation Z
By Sarah Weise

The world has

definitely changed
since author Sarah
Weise published
InstaBrain: The New
Rules for Marketing to Generation Z in 2019,
but the book still has a lot to offer. Weise
uses research, albeit qualitative, to paint
a picture of a stereotypical Gen Z teen,
writing that their emphasis is on commu-
nity, authenticity and, of course, social
media. While the book is written for
marketers, Weise ends each point with
a call to action that is digestible enough for
anyone from educators to creatives. She
makes it easy to understand the con-
sumers of tomorrow. 236 pages, softcover,
$17.99. —K.M.

156 Advertising Annual 2020

 Rethink the ways to inspire her team. The book is also an interesting dive into

Business of the inner workings of Rethink. Readers get a peek at everything from
how the agency rewards employees (think $300 restaurant dinners);
Creativity to how they handle meetings (some are “unskippable”); to their
By Ian Grais, Tom Shepansky and process for developing ideas (the first step is 1+1=3), brought to life
Chris Staples
with examples of Rethink’s marketing campaigns for clients. Though
248 pages, hardcover, $36.99 CAD
Published by Figure 1 Publishing the book’s advice doesn’t come across as overly self-promotional,
figure1publishing.com Rethink the Business of Creativity as a whole is one big advertisement
Rethink, a leading Canadian ad for Rethink, showcasing the agency’s culture and creativity to
agency, wrote the book on its prospective employees and clients. Brilliant marketing, indeed.
playbook. In Rethink the Business —Rebecca Harris
of Creativity, agency founders
Ian Grais, Tom Shepansky and Chris Staples share their 55 best tips,
tools and processes that “can help create a culture that inspires
great ideas, without sacrificing people’s lives or the bottom line.”
The book is divided into three sections—People, Product and Profit—
with each section introduced by one of the founders and created
with contributions from employees (or “Rethinkers”) across the
country. Written in a concise and fun style, the book has pithy
chapters including “Never Fight A Battle Over Email” and “Find It,
Steal It & Make It Your Own,” as well as playful illustrations like the
“Are You An Asshole?” diagram. As a step-by-step guide, Rethink the
Business of Creativity is packed with advice and how-tos that will help
not just creatives, but any business leader or manager looking for

Advertising He reserves a special ire for Facebook, warning of the immense

For Skeptics dangers created by its tracking and online surveillance. His aim is not
to convince readers subtly, but instead by grabbing their shoulders
By Bob Hoffman
161 pages, softcover, $7.99
and shouting. He wants you to take the red pill, wake up from igno-
Published by Type A Group rance and focus only on what advertising should actually accomplish,
bobhoffmanswebsite.com which is to make people feel good. It’s that simple. —Dave Kuhl
If you’re already familiar
with Bob Hoffman from his
popular Ad Contrarian blog,
you know what to expect
from this book, and it’s
not sunshine and roses.
For 161 pages, Mr. Hoffman
puts forth an all-out as-
sault against the ills of the
advertising industry. He
details its hubris, delusions, click rate obsession, egos and genuflec-
tion of data, drops them all into a garbage can, and lights it on fire.
He truly pulls no punches and asks blunt questions: Do we really
think people care about our banner ads? Do we actually believe
consumers want to have relationships and experiences with a brand?
Call him a curmudgeon if you like, but he backs up his opinions with
solid reasoning. His humor shines in a section where he delightfully
mocks the pomp of Cannes. He states that there are only two
reasons to attend a marketing conference. The first: “to get as far
away as possible from the dreary reality of marketing.” And the other
reason is if he is a keynote speaker at the event.

Communication Arts | commarts.com 157

 INDEX TO ADVERTISING ANNUAL 61
a
Abbing, Helena 82
Abou-Khaled, Joe 122
Abraham, Sajan 105
Acheson, Kalie 102
Ad Age 77
A52 121
Agency59 118
Alarcon, Adriano 70
Aldridge, Todd 66
All Creatures Great & Small
122
Allen & Gerritsen 78
Allen, Colleen 74, 90
Allen, Eddy 90
Alscheken, Johanna 130
Alter Ego 74, 77, 101, 106, 110,
113, 117
Amazon Rainforest
Conservancy 95
Ambev 70
Amparado, Ann Geleen 105
An-Nahar 122
Anderson, Chelsea 86
Anderson, Sue 86
Anderson, Tracy 117
Andrews, Seth 85, 86
Another Country 121, 122, 125
Apple, Jason 77
Archibald, Tyler 126
Arena, Samantha 93
Arezes, Amber 80
Armstrong, Adrian 77
Arnold, Denise 89
Arnold, Eric 109
Arnold Worldwide 106
Array of Stars 110
Arsenault, Jillian 109
Artinian, Narine 77, 101, 113,
126
Ashesi University 137
Asik, Nick 113
Asmar, Anthony 122
Auten, Rob 102
Axell, Julie 110
b
Babaian, Eddie 121
Bagley, Jason 126
Bailey, Natalie 66
Baillie, Geoff 86, 113
Baird, Rob 90
Balbuena, Candice 90
Baldwin, Eric 126
Ballard, Dustin 119
Banting, Erin 106, 110
Baqui, Nadaa 110
Baratelli, Joe 117
Barking Owl 86, 122
Barron, Travis 126
Baskin-Robbins 102
Bass, Greg 89
Bassett, Elizabeth 85
Bastien-Masse, Vincent 82
Bates, Lindsey 121
Bates, Ryan 119
Bath, Vic 90
Battered Women’s Support
Services 109
Baughman, Terry 125
Bauhaus-Universität Weimar
64
Bautista, Zachary 101, 117
Bayley, Erik 110, 113
Beals, Alex 110
The Bear 82
158 Advertising Annual 2020
Beatty, Adora 77
Beaudoin-Tessier, Mathilde
82
Bedeccare, Jason 85, 86
Beerman, Jen 93
Beige, Markus 89
c
Bélanger, François 118
Believe Media 86
Bell, Jana 95
Bell, Sean 90
Benesh, Samantha 113
Bennett, Mitch 89
Berg & Dahl Audio 130
Bernet, Katie 114
Bhalsod, Rajesh 80
Bhangu, Kerry 109
Bhatt, Dhaval 86, 121
Biddie, Mackenzie 106
Bielz, Christian 106
Bihac, Zoran 130
Bird, Alex 75
Biscuit Filmworks 122
Black is Human 117
Blackwood, Amanda 118
Blagrave, Nick 118
Blaine, Cara 89
Blais, Xavier 82, 118
Blom, Heather 101, 113, 117
Blue Ox Studios 125
Blum, Matt 126
Bobo, Lacey 82, 90
Bodett, Tom 118
Bodge, Mike 102
BøisX, Simon 82
Bojangles 66
Boomtown Productions 122
Booth, Ryan 110
Bori, Nicolas 141
Bosdriesz, Joris 105
Bossin, Jeff 121
Bottas, Alejandro 73
Boustani, Yasmina 122
Boutwell Studios 89
Boyd, Ian 77
Brandon, Craig 73
Brattrud, Caleb 89
B-Reel 85
BRF 85
Bridge Senior Living 89
Brisseaux 90
Britten, Terry 117
Brockenbrough, Kevin 117
Brockington, Tyler 117
Bronstorph, Alexis 69, 110, 113
Brooker, Brian 89
Brookhouse, Peggy 66
Brothers, David 89
Broude, Chad 121, 122, 125
Brown, Angela 82, 90
Brown, Daniel 102
Brown, Lachlan 110
Brown, Marcus 90
Browne, Leigh 82, 90
Browning, Bess 62
BUCK 69
Buckhorn, Dean 62, 98
Buckley, Bryan 121
Buckley’s Syrups 73
Budd, Josh 106, 110
Buggle, Sarah 140
Burayag, Marvin 105
Burke, Pat 121, 122
Burrell Communications 117
Busch, Monica 86
Butler, Shine, Stern & Partners
77
Butt, Alex 77
Butt, Spencer 106
BYU AdLab 126, 129, 137
Cabaniss, Kelly 90
Cabin Editing Company 90
California Milk Processor Board
66
Camp Wigwam for Boys 78
Canadian Centre for Child
Protection 110
Canadian Women’s Foundation
113
Cantelon, Dan 69, 110
Carbon VFX 86
Cardona, Juliana 78
Cardwell, Ashley 117
Carlson, Sam 126
Carmichael Lynch 62, 96, 98
Caro, Teresa 89
Cartel 114
Cartwright, Sheri 118
Casão, Lucas 106
Cassie and Friends Society
113
Castellanos, Juan 78
Catania, Francis 98
Celay, Leon 140
d
Chaimoungkalo, Matithorn
Prachuabmoh 137
Chamberlain, Kevin 121
Chan, Pierre 109
Chan, Spencer 109
Chandwany, Lavina 134
Chang, Richee 86
Channel Z 98
Charlie Uniform Tango 118
Chatman, Lauren 77
Checks in Motion 121
Chen, Pei-Rong 64
Chen, Ruo-Jieh 64
Cheng, Samantha 109
Chesler, Isadora 117
Cheung, Adrian 110
Chhour, Andrew 101, 117
Chi, Benson 70
Chiasson, Ryan 110
Chimbo Ponce, Fabián 73
Chisholm, Graham 101, 117
Choctaw Casinos & Resorts
125
Choe, Phil 86
Christensen, Gregory 114
Christie, Duncan 86
Christie Refugee Welcome
Centre 118
Cinemark Ecuador 78
Cleary, Sharon 66
Cleaver Content 77
Coalition for Gun Control 110
Cobain, Chris 118
The Coca-Cola Company 90
Cochrane, Sean 101, 117
Coelho, Paulo 70
Cohen, Gracen 82, 90
Cohen, Jeremy 93
e
Cohen, Nick 85, 86
Colby and Han Productions
86
Coleman, Ryan 66
Collins, Bryan 109
Comma Music 121
Company3 90
Conklin, Cassie 62
Connell, Brad 113
Corradetti, Kelsey-Lynn 110,
113
Cortez, Brunno 106
Coune, Edouard 82
Cousins, Rose 117
Cowdy, Travis 80
Cowley, Samantha 82
Creative License 121, 122
Creative X, Facebook 85, 86
Crespo, Michelle 78
Crimson Fish 77, 113
Cristiano, Lee 110
Cruze, Gari 86
Cukier, Wendy 110
Cummings, Daniel 90
Cummins, Pepa 93
Cummins, Sean 93
Cummins&Partners 93
Curliano, Wynt 117
Curry, Matthew 77
Cut+Run 82, 122
Cuthbert, Will 110
Cutters 121
Cutters Studio 122
Cuyahoga County Public Library
70
Cuzzolino, Dino 74
Da Silva, Jeffrey 75
Dady, Glenn 125
Dahl, Mario 130
Damus, Greg 113
Davis, Rebecca 102
Day, Jan 109
Day, Matt 114
De Melo, Randy 110
Dean, Connor 129, 137
Demers, Jean-Pierre 82
Demopoulos, Dino 110
Dempster, Will 106
Denari, Thomas 62
dentsu mcgarrybowen 80
Dereniwski, Braden 113
Dhanak, Varun 105
g
Dichter, Marly 138
DIVISION7 114
Dixon, Vincent 106
Djayaputra, Ivan 86
DM9DDB 70
Doherty, Liam 82, 90
Dominguez, Devondra 121
Doria, Icaro 106
Doucet, Karine 121
doug&partners 114
Dowie, Shauna 101, 117
Downing, Whitney 126
Dragland, Simon 121
Dubrick, Mike 77, 101, 117,
126, 133, 134
Dunkley, Steve 66
Duplessis, Lindsay 110
Durham, Jeff 62
Dusty Albertz 90
Dyer, Chris 121
Eaton, Kelsey 86
Edwards, Jake 95, 110
Eger, Tim 125
Eitel, Mary 89
El Akad, Hatem 133
El Autobús 64
El Ten, Georges 122
Elastic 85
Electric Theatre Collective 117
Ella + Michael 114
Ellis, Bruce 110
Ellis, Emily 126
Epsteen, Jack 82
Erdelac, Tyler 113
Ericson, Nils 62
Espace M 118
Evans, Tom 74, 90
f
Facebook 85, 86
Fallis, Noah 113
Farthing, Chase 126
Fast Horse 125
Federico, Dave 106, 110
FEEL GOOD 106
Feightner, Rob 95, 110
Fenech, Carmen 69
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles
122, 125
Filmakademie Baden-
Württemberg 130, 141
Firmorama 70
Fiser, Lucas Dean 82, 90
Fisher, Conor 77, 110, 121
Fitzgerald, Janie 93
Fleet, Maura “Molly” 85
Fleming, Alex 101
Flynn, Jonah 74
Flynn Scoggin, Molly 121
Flynn, Stephen 77
Fondation Émergence 118
Fortune, Jeffrey 117
Frangieh, Omar 122
Frank, Roger 70
Fraracci, Matt 75
Frehner, Quinn 137
Freire, Gabriel 73
Freitas, Julio 106
Frings-Rupp, Niklas 137
FROLIC Studio 86
Fuze Reps 77
Gadsden, Steve 75
Gaffney, Seth 90
Gaglio, John 90
Galal, Abdelrahman 137
Gale, Hali 106
Gallegos United 66
Gamache, Monique 113
Gamble, Dustin 77, 101, 113
Garcia, Manolo 133
Garmin Ltd. 89
Garrah, Jane 110, 113, 121
Gasikowski, Marcee 119
Gauci, Vivianne 90
Gendron, Rob 73
Genovese, Vince 77
George, Stephen 98
Geraldo, Max 106
Gerszewski, Charlie 98
Gibson, Gordon 119
Girdauskas, Jana 114
Glean Productions 113
Glen, David 110
Glover, Linda 117
Gödicke, Stefanie 130
Godin, Patrick 110
Goldberg, Barney 121
Goldfarb, Ronen 69
Gonzalez, Daniela 89
Good Ear Music Supervision
90
Goodbody, Frazer 126
Goodspeed, Amanda 85, 86
Gordaneer, Chris 101
Gordon, Allison 86
Gordon, Mallory 85, 86
Gormley, Olivia 130, 138
Grainger, Evan 77
Grann, Edward 102
Grayson Matthews 86, 101,
117
Grayson Music 118
Greco, Katie 89
Green, Adele 117
Greenfield, Cassandra 125
Griessi Peyreyra, Luciano 106
Gross, Mark 121, 122, 125
GSD&M 82, 90
GSK Canada 73
Guerrero, Shelby 133
Gunter, Van 89
Gurwell, Owen 89
Gustafsson, Anders 77
Gyles, Stephanie 95
h
Hadlock, Carolyn 62
Hagen, Dave 126
Halbwachs, Mike 73
Hall, Andy 85
Hall, Gabriel 109
Hall, Jane 118
Hamling, Tom 82, 90
Hanes, Samuel 62
Hanggi, Denise 126
Harrison, Bob 89
Harrison, Brad 98
Harrison, Jeff 109
Harrison, Todd 113
Harvey, Mandee 89
Hassanein, Noor 122
Hatem, Charly 122
Hayes, Allison 96
HBO 85
Heineken 125
Helzberg Diamonds 96
Henderson, Ron 119
Henning, Sarah 85, 86
Heppell, Gill 93
Hernaez Gandiongco, Richard
105
HeydSaffer 110
Hicks, Kyle 86, 113
Higgins, Jarrod 126
Higgins, Stacey 90
Highdive 121, 122, 125
Hill, Jason 118
Hill, Jessica 118
Hines, Carrie 82, 90
Hinkley, Hayley 77
Hoffeldt, Jessica 106
Holcombe, Sarah 86
Hollenbeck, Rob 114
Holm, Haley 95
Holtby, Joel 77, 113, 121, 126
HomeEquity Bank 90
Homuth, Alanna 106
Hope, Valerie 69
Hopkins, Tim 90
Hori, Courtney 85, 86
Horne, Kelsey 69, 110, 113
Hotel Tango Distillery 62
Houghton, Spencer 77
Howlett, Brian 118
Hsu, Chan-Ming 64
Huge 86
Hughes, Randy 98
Hulsey, Derek 62
Hungry Man 121
Hyundai Motor America 121
i
I, Lee 133
IKEA Canada 121
ILOVEDUST 90
Imhoff, Paul 121
Impact BBDO 105, 122
INNOCEAN USA 121
Instil Image Co. 73
Iwarsson, Henni 98
Izumi, Shun 70
j
Jackson, Amanda 114
James, Nathan 90
James, Stephen 66, 113
Jaworski, Jan 85
Jeep 122, 125
Jefferson, Linda 117
Jensen, Amanda 96
Jigsaw Casting Ltd. 101, 117
Johnson, Camille 117
Johnson, Ellie 114
Johnson-Hargrove, Desha 117
Jones, Nathaniel 117
Joshi-Firby, Pallavi 113
Judkins, Bryan 62
Jurisic, Stephen 138
Jutras, Paul 114
k
Kahn, Melissa 106, 121
Kanj, George 105
Karbalaei, Violet 90
Kebork, Juan Andrés 134, 140
Kehr, Peter 102
Keith, Scot 109
Kelly, Aaron 119
Kemp, Jackson 90, 95
Kendall, Lynn 62
Kennaway, Jamie 105
m
Kennedy, Tara 77
Kentucky Fried Chicken 126
Khara, Monish 93
Khatwani-Lakhani, Natasha
109
King, Scott 62
Kizzire, Karen 89
Kleiner, Travis 89
Klugman, Matt 90
Koalas of NYC 93
Kodialbail, Rohan 122
Kongruangkit, Seine 137
Koplin, Jack 93
Kormos, Eric 95
Kottirsch, Daniel 141
Krackenberger, Jenna 90
Kraft Heinz Canada 77
Kraft, J.J. 90
Kraus, Veronica 96
Ku, Changkyu 134
Kumar, Rhea 134
Kumpis, Monique 121
Kuna, Alicia 126
Kuschnir, Ari 102
Kyriakos, Chris 102
l r
Lala, Marta 130
Lambert, Marc-Antoine 82
Langley, Marc 121
Langridge, Emily 113
Lapakko, Annika 96
Larigakis, John 109
Lassere, Adele 117
latitude 125
Latt, Brian 102
Lattik, Ernst 141
Lawee, Alison 106
Lawley, Jono 110
Lawlor, Max 110
Leake, James 106
LeBlanc, Rachel 133, 134, 138
Lee, Ken-Tsai 64
Ken-Tsai Lee Design Lab 64
Leslie, Christine 75
Levesque, Marc 69, 110
Lévesque, Marianne 82
Lewis, Lawrence T. 102
Lexus Canada 80
Lezaca, Jairo 73, 78
Li, Norm 110
Lihou, Christopher 113
Lim, Jake 101, 117, 126
Lintner, Stephen 82, 90
Lippman, Michelle 98
Lipson, Ira 119
Litonjua, Nico 77
Little Jacket 70
Liu, Vicki 126
Lizarzaburu, José 78
Loffredo, Steph 86
Loloie, Naseem 110
London Alley 90
López, Reinaldo 64
Lortie-Ouellet, Antoine 82
Los Angeles LGBT Center 117
Loughran, Amanda 75
Loyland, Krystle 90
Luckie 89
Ludwig, Martin 141
Lui, Enoch 137
Lukacs, Alex 102
Luo, Sam 129, 130, 138
Luquire George Andrews, Inc.
66
Lussier, Benjamin 82
Lutz, Shasta 101, 117
Lyle, Graham 117
Lyons, Brad 89
Lyons, Christie 82
n
Lyu, Ming-Huei 64
Mably, Christopher 121
MacDonald, Kayla 74
MacEachern, Spencer 110
Macera, Frank 110
Maciel, Marcelo 70
Maclay, Sam 61
MacWhorter, Marie 62
Maguire, Erin 77
Maldonado, Jonatan 66
Malley, Ken 109
Mancuso, Josh 75
Mania, Florian 130
Mann Casting 86
Marchese, Francesca 86
Marco, Harvey 66
Marinelli, Nick 106
Married to Giants 101, 110, 117
Mars 105
Martin, Kristen 114
Martin-Evans, Lyranda 80
Marucci, Jerome 121
o
Matinian, Ademar 126
Mayes, Wendy 118
McBride, Sean 106
McCabe, Frances 105
McCluskey, Kelly 101, 117
McCollum, Cory 90
McCray, Stacey 66
McDonald, Sean 77, 86, 101,
113, 117, 121, 126
McElligott, Steve 121
McFarland, Michael 89
McGeheran, Rich 98
McGiboney, Lane 89
McGrath, Matthew 110
McGrath, Tim 61
McGuire, Mike 77
McGuirk-Penedo, Alexandra
86, 113
McKay, Erika Zain 82
McKinnon, Ryan 93
McMann, Kathy 106
McManus, Dan 113
Mehrasa, Michael 110
Melilli, Lawrence 126
Merestone 125
Messner, Hannah 117
Metcalfe, Erica 121, 126
p
Methner, Brandon 126
Method Studios 114
Méthot, Ariel 82
Miami Ad School 133, 134, 137,
138, 140
Michiezi, Shawn 98
Midcoast Studio 125
The Mill 121, 122
Millennium Tattoo 82
Miller, Abrie 109
Miller, Joel 82
m ss ng p eces 102
Mitchell, Ashlee 90, 95
Mitrani, Rachel 93
MKE Communications 89
Moore, Melissa 121
Mophonics 114
Morgan, Julian 77
Morrice, Rob 74
Morring, David 119
Motel 6 118
Movistar Ecuador 73
Mroueh, Zak 74, 90, 95, 110
Mueller, Curt 102
Muir, Katie 110
Mullin, Krystle 117
Murdock, Colin 106
Murray, Mark 119
Musante, Jason 86
Muska, Scott 86
Nadler, Russ 85, 86
Nair, Suresh 122
National Film Board of Canada
82
National Taiwan University of
Science and Technology
64
Naval, Pablo 78
Nawara, Ahmed 122
Nelson, Ellen 90
New Math 90
Newport, Hannah 86
Nhan, Linda 82, 90
Nice Shoes 86
Nielsen, Michael 90
Nike 85
q
Nikolic, Vlad 118
Nindita, Listya 114
Nixon, Dale 78
No Fixed Address 106, 110
Noibi, Tunde 89
Nolley, Todd 66
O Positive 121, 122
O’Dea, Noel 118
Odlum, Wade 101, 117
O’Driscoll, Andrew 110
Ohayon, Yotam 133
Oliva, Guigo 70
O’Mara, Colleen 62
OMD 90
One Twenty Three West 109
O’Neill, Leigh 109
Onofrey, Savannah 113
Government of Ontario 101,
Communication Arts | commarts.com
117
Ooi, Rebecca 105
OPC 114
Oppenheim, Kate 102
Oreo 85
Orkin 119
Ormerod, Nikki 110
Ornamental Conifer 90
O’Rourke, Matt 102
Ortega, Paola 90
Osborn, Ellen 126
Osis, Joel 110
Ottaviano, Taylor 93
Pagliara, Meagan 98
Painthoth, Abdulsalam 105
Panahi, Zeinab 80
Parent, Jacquelyn 77
Park, Cerinn 130
Parke, Chris 102
Parker, Sean 113
Parker, Stephen 113
Parkin, Austin 114
Parlett, Joey 70
Passaniti, Jen 121, 122, 125
Pedersen, Doug 62, 80
Doug Pedersen Art Direction
& Design 80
Pedro, Ted 133
Peglar, Kari 62
Pellegrino, Frank 93
Perchance Theatre 118
Pereira, Hilda 106
The Period Purse 114
PERIOD. 86
Pero, Kyle 126
PHD Canada 101
Pickard, Brad 101
Pimentel, Julia 141
Pirola, Luan 106
Pitts, Caroline 89
Plaxton, Reid 113
Pomareda, Jorge 121, 122, 125
Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen
82, 90
Popielak, Rita 101, 117, 121
Posthumus, Jessie 74
Postma, Mike 77
Poulin, Marie-Pière 118, 121
Preacher 90
Presslinx 80
Preston, Shane 106
Print Pro Services 101
PrismTech Graphics 109
Prokop, Kamila 114
Publicis Ecuador 73, 78
Puhl, Rogério 70
Puig, Andrés 70
Purayil, Bijoy 122
Putnam, Jennifer 78
Quantz, Jr., James 66
Quarcoopome, Jean 137
Quicken Loans, Rocket
Mortgage 121
Quinn, Forrest 77
Quintal, Nicolas 82, 118
Quiros Torres, Marcelo 78
R+D Productions 77, 109, 113
R/GA 82
Rácz, Guilherme 106
Radich, Greg 126
Ramirez, Coni 126
Rand, Brandi 117
Randall, Emma Jane 105
Raptors Republic 126
Rasmussen, Amanda 126
159
 INDEX TO ADVERTISING ANNUAL 61
Ravishankara, Isaac 114
Rawle, Bentley 129
Ray, Bhumika 89
Red Cross Brasilia 106
Redman, Mike 93
Redrován, Andrés 73
Reebok 122
Reinheimer, Philipp 130
Remba, Monica 110
Rethink 77, 82, 86, 101, 109,
113, 117, 118, 121, 126
Rez, Ali 105, 122
Riachi, Jean-Marie 122
Richards, David 114
The Richards Group 114, 118,
125
Richards, Megan 89
Richards Outpost Audio 119
Richards, Stan 125
Rico, Refaat 133
Rioux, P.O. 82
Robinson, Ben 110
Robinson, Doug 114
Rocheleau, Marie-Ève 82
Rockett, Marie 78
Rodak, Shane 80
Rodríguez López, Jonathan
78
Rogers, Leia 109
Rohrer, Jason 61
Romaniuk, Michael 90, 95,
110
Romero, Randy 82, 90
Romero, Rolando Alonzo 82
Rooster Post 106, 121
Ros, Florencio 64
Rosnick, Ted 113, 121
Ross, Sarah 77
Ross, Stacy 121
Rossi, Massimiliano 134
Routhier, Pascal 118
RPA 117
Rudd, Julian 121
Russell, Jay 82, 90
s
Saale, Zachary 86
Saatchi & Saatchi Canada 73
Sabharwal, Pranav 137
Sackwear 61
Saldanha, Christine 117
Saldanha, Fred 106
Saleh, Nouran 105
Salty Travellers 61
Saltzman, Dave 102
Samad, Hanna 117
Sampson, Johnny 66
Santilli, Olivia 93
Sauté, Maxime 82, 118
Sayeh, Fazel 126
Scalzo, Frank 82
Scharpf, Tom 133
Schatz, Marvin 130
Schawk! 125
Schmid, Martin 141
Schmidt, Martin 130
Scholar 86
Schrock, Conner 122
Schuenemann, Beth 126
Schyngera, Wes 126
Scott, Ryan 121
Scouts Honour 101, 117, 121
Seneca College 137
Senn, Marty 62, 96, 98
Sevy, Michale 98
Shahin, Salma 105
Shams, Hannah 86
Shapiro, Daniel 110
160 Advertising Annual 2020
Shaughnessy, Chloe 85, 86
Shaw, Nicholas 118
Shearer, Paul 105, 122
Shearin, Dan 62
Sheets, Jeff 126, 129, 137
Sheppard, Brian 73
Shiko 70
Shine, Riley 90
Shintani, Kirk 85
Shukert, Ariel 117
SickKids Foundation 106
Sid Lee 75
Siegers, Michael 74
Simbrow, Zach 101, 117
Singh, Mannu 122
SiriusXM 69
SisterBoss 98
6 Degrees 113
16Tonnes 110
Smith, Chris 118
Smith, Russell 118
Smith, Shane 90
Smith, Stephanie 90
SNDWRx 106
Snickers 105
Society of Professional
Journalists 113
Soler, Dennis 110
Sommers, Rebecca 89
Sony Pictures Consumer
Products Inc. 122
Spadavecchia, Dino 66
Speirs, Alexandra 109
Spencer, Morgan 82, 90
Spencer, Nicolette 121
Sperling, Jason 117
Spigelman, Shelby 101, 117
Spinosa, Mickey 80
u
St. Jean, Nicole 106
Stadtmüller, David 134
Stapleton, Brad 126
Stapleton, John 102
Starkman, Aaron 77, 86, 101,
113, 117, 121, 126
Station Film 117
Steinbauer, Ben 82
Steinberg, Paul 74
Stent, Finn 93
Stent, Mark 93
Stent, Tracy 93
Stepanic, Stephen 95
Stern, Casey 122, 125
Stevelic, Marko 95
Stewart, Kat 113
Stoddard, Tamara 90
Stodulska, Ola 110
Strauss, Robert 78
Streger, Amy 126
Studio Feather 114
Studio Norte 70
Studios Apollo 118
Suarez, Vanessa 89
Subaru of America 98
Sullivan, Dave 118
Sunner, Steve 117
Suter, Janice 82, 90
Sutter, Mick 86
Sweeney, Tyler 117
Sweetman, Rob 109
Syben, Adrian 85, 86
Syberg-Olsen, Matt 114
Syracuse University, S.I.
Newhouse School of Public
Communications 129, 130,
138
Szabo, Joe 110
Szomolanyi, Martin 110
t
Tahir, Tal 98
Takarta, Orlee 96
Tannous, Rani 122
Target Marketing and
Vandeven, Debbi 110, 113
The Vanity 101, 117
Vankoughnett, Chloe 121
Vapor Music Group 77, 113,
Williamson, Jon 82, 90
Winslow, Mary 89
Wolaver 89
Wolaver, Nicholas 89
Communications Inc. 118 121 Wong, Nick 106
Tatarka, Orlee 98 Vapor RMW 121 Woods, Mike 102
TA2 Sound + Music 75 Vardy, Laura 113 Wortman, Reinier 140
TAXI 69, 110, 113 VCU Brandcenter 133 Wright, Damian 106
Taylor, Britton 126 Vea Keating, Eduardo 122 Wunder 77
TBD Post 90 Velasquez Burayag, Jason 105 WXM 106
The Teenage Diplomat 86 Venables Bell & Partners 122
x
Tendril 86 Venneri, Jonah 106, 121
Tengblad-Kreft, Victoria 126 Vershinina, Anna 110
Tennant, Aliz 109 Vetter, Lindsay 121, 122, 125 Xenopoulos, Jason 110, 113
Theibert, Dave 62 Villavieja, Diane 93
y
Thiessen, Hans 101 Vingoe, Sarah 86
Thomson, Saskia 126 Volunteers of America 114
3 Advertising 61 Yada, Darren 109
Vosburgh, Evan 69
360i 85 Yoo, Eastern 69
w
Tierney, Morgan 109 Yoo, HyunSeo 105
Toast + Jam 114 Young & Laramore 62
Wagman, Dylan 106
Todon, Dave 73 Brigham Young University
Wakabayashi, Lindsay 82, 90
Tone, Tim 119, 125 126, 129, 137
Wallace, Ryan 89
Toodakian, Niary 90 Yu, Christina 77, 86, 101, 117,
Walpole, Adrienne 85
Torcato, Tennyson 105 121
Walrus 69
Tovel, Didier 106
z
Wang, Brynn 64
Toyofuku, Victor 70
Wang, Shirley Xu 138
Trejo, Gabriela 96
Tremblay, David 90 Ware II, Arista 86 Zeller-Newman, Taylor 113
Zepeda, Angela 121
Treviso, Carlo 117 Warner Music 122
Zibert, Mark 101, 117, 121
Tribe, Cam 129, 137 Wasserman, Maggie 89
Tribe, Stew 129 WATTS 90 Zimmerman, Tim 75
Troncone, Charles 82 WAX Partnership 113 Ziomecki, Yvonne 90
Troncone, Rudolph 82 WDI Media Inc. 106 Zolan, Dina 82, 90
Trujillo, David 126 Weber, Bridget 105 Zombie Boardshop 62
Trush, Meagan 110 Weber, Simona 141 Zulu Alpha Kilo 74, 90, 95,
Turley, Nicky 93 Webster, Deacon 69 110
22squared 102 Weinberg, Jennifer 86 Zulubot 74, 90, 95, 110
Weisinger, David 64
Weisinger, Sandra 64
Wells 69
UM 95
Wesley Peterson, Ryan 85
Union Editorial 117
West, Jihan 117
United Way Worldwide 110 Editor’s Note
WestJet 86
Uplight Group 64 Every effort has been made to
Westside Studio 101, 110
US Sweepstakes & Fulfillment ensure that the credits comply
Wetzel, Mark 122
Company 125 with information supplied to
Whipp, Eric 74, 106, 113, 121
v
White, Mel 129, 130, 138 us. If, for any reason, a mis-
Whitehouse Post 86 spelling, omission or other
Vahle, Sally 119 Wieden+Kennedy 126 error has occurred, notify us
Vail, Chris 113 Wiesenfeld, Allegra 113 within 30 days and we will
Valle, Pete 78 Wiggan, Marika 90 be able to issue corrected
Vancouver Mural Festival 109 Williams, Lewis 117 award certificates.
Statement of Ownership, Management and Circulation 1. Publication Title: Communication Arts. 2. Publication No.:
0082-120. 3. Filing Date: 9/24/20. 4. Issue Frequency: Bi-Monthly. 5. No. of Issues Published Annually: 6. 6. Annual
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Executive Editor: Jean A. Coyne, 110 Constitution Drive, Menlo Park, CA 94025. 10. Owner: Coyne & Blanchard, Inc., 110
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more of total amount of stock: Patrick S. Coyne, 110 Constitution Drive, Menlo Park, CA 94025; Eric P. Coyne, 110
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19,655/15,001. Percent Paid (15c ÷ by 15f × 100): 97.7%/97.0%. 16. Electronic Copy Circulation: a. Paid Electronic Copies:
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distributed copies (electronic and print) are paid above a nominal price. I understand that anyone who furnishes false or
misleading information on this form or who omits material or information requested on the form may be subject to
criminal sanctions (including fines and imprisonment) and/or civil sanctions (including multiple damages and civil penalties)
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 “We’ve entered the
“I ADD ‘LMAO’ TO THE
Black gospel solo/

choir music bed END OF MY IDEA

part of pandemic
WRITE-UPS SO IT
advertising I see...”
Shannon Washington, via Twitter DOESN’T HURT AS
MUCH WHEN THEY’RE
“Trust me, if you think people are
KILLED LMAO.”
dumb, you’ll spend a lifetime
Dong Draper, via Twitter
doing dumb work.”
George Lois, via Damn Good Advice (For People with Talent!)

“You can’t lead if you don’t

“WHAT DO YOU “No, it literally is that know a little bit of what
simple. Diversity everyone else’s challenges
THINK THE FIRST drives innovation.” have been.”
Cindy Gallop, via Adaptive Path Nadja Bellan-White, via mater mea
RESPONDERS,
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AND ESSENTIAL
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