Category Archives: Schools

Diana Hou

Diana is a new copywriter in NYC searching for her first junior copywriter position after studying at Adhouse and interning at Gus. In her past lives, she’s been a data analyst in corporate, non-profit, and political campaign environments, and briefly a mushroom farmer. Can’t wait to see where she lands!

Portfolio: dianahou.com

Shelley Barker

Shelley is a senior copywriter/CD in Los Angeles on the hunt for her next gig, previously at Saatchi in Seattle. Since her last post on MC (back on 02.03.17), she’s been busy. All kinds of cool projects on her site for clients like Hardee’s, Hot Wheels (above), T-Mobile, Microsoft, Toyota, and more. Can’t wait to see where she lands!

Portfolio: shelleybarkerwrites.com

Nick Rudie

Nick is a freelance copywriter/CD in Minneapolis. Lots of inspiring lifestyle and outdoor projects on his site for brands like Supra Boats, Jack Link’s, CLIF Bar, Moomba Boats, Polaris, Catch Co., and Bauer Hockey (above). Makes MC want to get out there this weekend and do something active. Or, write a campaign about other people getting out there and doing something active. (Hmm.) Dig it!

Portfolio: nickrudie.com

Sam Podolsky

Sam is a brand new copywriter after graduating from Denver Ad School. (Congrats, Sam!) What’s more fun than seeing a student portfolio right after graduation? Nothing. Nothing is more fun. Don’t miss Sam’s terrifying “Killer” campaign for Listerine (above). Perfect for fans of true crime. And fresh breath!

Portfolio: sam-podolsky.com

Patrick Stogner

Patrick is an in-house copywriter at American Express in Atlanta, Georgia, previously at FKA, and before that a graduate Creative Circus (2021). His portfolio is a mix of student work and post-grad projects for brands like Jeep, Delta Dental, Budweiser, Advil, and Tile. It’s so interesting to see how the walls between in-house and agency have broken down over the past 10+ years—allowing portfolio school creatives like Patrick to go back and forth in a way we couldn’t 20 years ago. Dig it.

Portfolio: patrickstogner.com

Hannah Levin

Hannah is a new copywriter in NYC. She recently graduated from Creative Circus and finished an internship at Terri & Sandy—and is on the hunt for her first full-time gig. Her site features seven super fun projects for Party City, DXL, Doordash, Welly, Ace Handyman, Rubbermaid, and Hipcamp. Can’t wait to see where she lands!

Portfolio: hannlev.com

Marley Davis

Marley is a new copywriter and a recent graduate from The Savannah College of Art and Design. (Big congrats, Marley!) Always so cool to see graduating student books. Don’t miss her video campaign “Small But Sensational” for Little Bites Muffins. So weird. So fun. Dig it!

Portfolio: marleys.work

Cole Thompson

Cole is a copywriter/GCD at Flint Group of Agencies in Minneapolis. (He was also a student of MC’s back in the day. MC takes full credit for all of Cole’s success since. Kidding!) He’s got a new site up with a bunch of cool work including projects for Bobcat, Flint, Mortarr, Pioneer, some old ad school stuff (fun to see again), and a special “headlines only” page. Dig it.

Portfolio: colethompsonco.com

Jeff Tune

Jeff is a senior copywriter at INNOCEAN in Huntington Beach, CA (previously a professional rapper, niiice). Five years out of VCU Brandcenter and his portfolio features awesome projects for clients like Yahoo Fantasy Football, Hyundai PHEV, Oakland Athletics, and the TOTO Washlet (above). Don’t miss his video for the TOTO Washlet which includes what must be the longest hose ever. Hilarious.

Portfolio: cargocollective.com/JBTune

Denver Ad School Grads

Heather Vanisko, co-founder/education director at Denver Ad School, checks in with the portfolio links of a whole bunch of new copywriter, art director, designer/illustrator, and strategist grads. Check ’em out at the links below and, in Heather’s words, “HIRE THEM.” Ha!

Copywriters

Art Directors

Designers/Illustrators

Strategists

Dave Kuhl

Dave is a freelance copywriter/ACD in Portsmouth, NH. Since his last post on MC (way back on 03.05.14), he’s been on quite a journey—including starting his own boutique agency, Love & The Machine, and a 3-year stint as an in-house ACD at Bauer Hockey. (Don’t miss his “Mayor of Boomtown” and “The Women’s Movement Never Stops” campaigns for Bauer.) Definitely time for an update.

Portfolio: kuhlproductions.com

Quynh Tran

Quynh is a junior copywriter at INNOCEAN Berlin. (Love seeing junior portfolios. Love seeing portfolios from outside the States. Keep ’em coming!) Quynh’s site features a landing page that’s all copy—a note from him to us, with links to work, CV, etc.—that helps a visitor get to know him in two minutes or less. It takes a little exploring to find your way around, but that’s part of the fun. Don’t miss the link, “I f*cked with Cannes Lions” which got a shout-out from Luke Sullivan. Dig it.

Portfolio: quynhkh.com

VCU Brandcenter 2021 Grads

Always so great to see the new VCU Brandcenter graduate portfolios. This year, there are a lot of ’em (over 100). From Ashley Sommardahl, Associate Director at VCU Brandcenter:

“We are thrilled to debut the Brandcenter Class of 2021. They are a talented group of just over 100 students with concentrations in Copywriting, Art Direction, Strategy, Experience Design, and Account/Brand Management.

If you haven’t had a chance to review their work yet, we hope you’ll take some time to browse our microsite. You can get to know them by their concentration or skills, view their portfolios, and schedule time to meet with any soon-to-be graduates who might be a good fit for your agency/company.

To learn more about Brandcenter graduates, check out the demographic information on the Class of 2021 and our Alumni Salary Survey (which we release every two years).”

Chicago Portfolio School: The Pipeline Fund

This is so cool. Sarah Latz, Director of Education for Chicago Portfolio School, reached out to MC to help spread the word about their new scholarship for Black creatives. From CPS:

“Everyone knows that the advertising industry is severely lacking in diversity. Only 2% of creative departments identity as Black. We think the path to a more inclusive advertising and design industry starts with more talented Black creatives considering portfolio school as an option.

That’s we created The Pipeline Fund, a full-tuition scholarship to help more talented Black creatives to attend Chicago Portfolio School.

We’re matching every donation made to the Pipeline Fund, dollar for dollar. To donate to The Pipeline Fund and invest in a more inclusive advertising industry, visit the scholarship GoFundMePage.

Or to apply to be a Pipeline Scholar, reach out to Sarah Latz at sarah@chicagoportfolio.com.”

Denver Ad School: Winter 2021 Grads

Ready for some fresh student portfoios? The latest Denver Ad School grads are ready for you. From DAD: “These were the last creatives standing out of our second-ever finishing quarter, Winter 2021. They rose to the challenge and displayed the kind of resiliency that will make them all contributors on day-one in whatever agency is lucky enough to land them.” Can’t wait to see where they go!

Check ’em out here: denveradschool.com/portfolios

Justin Cannon

Justin is a copywriter at Forsman & Bodenfors NYC. Since his last post on MC (back on 11.15.17), he’s been busy. Awesome work on his site for Friendly’s, Saucony, Seagram’s 7, and Oatly, which MC saw all over San Francisco for a time. Very cool. He’s also got a bunch of humor writing, cartoons, and other good stuff up there. Time for an update!

Portfolio: cannonjustin.com

Patrick French

Patrick is a copywriter/senior creative at FCB Chicago, working remotely from NYC. All kinds of cool projects up on his site for brands like NBA 2k, Blue Shield, Glad, plus a Michelob Ultra as-big-as-it-gets Super Bowl spot featuring Jimmy Fallon and everyone else. Also, don’t miss his McSweeney’s article from June 2020, “IF YOU DON’T DONATE $2 TO MY CAMPAIGN IN THE NEXT 16 MINUTES, I’LL BE FORCED TO DIVE HEAD FIRST IN FRONT OF THIS RICKSHAW.” So good.

Portfolio: mrpatrickfrench.com

Chicago Portfolio School | Winter 2021 Grads

Sarah Latz, Director of Education at Chicago Portfolio School, checks in with 13 new copywriter, art director and designer grads: RJ Dralle (copywriter), Ian Souter (copywriter), Patrick Leahy (copywriter), Abbey Blankensop (art director), Bree Bregman (art director), Cooper Brannigan (art director), Emily Panico (art director), Erin Nedelman (art director), Grace Ren (art director), Taylor Glicksberg (art director) Tiffany Mei (art director), Priscilla Cha (designer), and Rachel Fried (designer). Link to their portfolios below. Congrats to all!

Winter 2021 CPS Grad Portfolios: chicagoportfolio.com/debut

Denver Ad School: Debut Pioneers

After 14 months, Denver Ad School’s “debut pioneers” portfolios are here! On Thursday, January 28, they’re hosting a virtual hangout where you can hear each graduate walk you through their favorite campaign and ask ’em questions. How cool is that? Cool. Links to portfolios and RSVP for the event are below.

Check out their portfolios here:

Hayley Lyons (copywriter): hayleyjlyons.com

Emily Devery (copywriter): emilydevery.com

Alisha Benda (copywriter): alishabenda.com

Gaby Strnad (art director): gabystrnad.com

Riley Draper (art director): rileydraper.com

Graciela Robertson (art director): graciela-png.com

Trisha Knope (art director): triciaknope.com

Sabrina Saccente (art director): sabrinasaccente.com

RSVP for January 18th here.

Denver Ad School site here.

Aida Chaney

Aida is a new copywriter and a Savannah College of Art & Design grad. All kinds of fun spec projects on her site for brands like Yankee Candle (above), Zoom, Barilla, Scott’s Turf Builder, Swatch, Arizona Tourism, Tile, and Converse. As always, so cool to see student books—before client feedback and production budgets start influencing things. Be sure to check out Aida’s Visual Journal under “Stuff that’s not ad” for a peek into her brain and thought process. Dig it. Can’t wait to see where she lands!

Portfolio: adiachaney.com

Chicago Portfolio School | Fall 2020 Grads

Sarah Latz, Director of Education at Chicago Portfolio School, checks in with seven new grads ready for prime time: Lucas Simes (art director), Winston Thompson (art director), Kimmy Mueller (designer), Rachel Tenuta (designer), Erin Ayalp (copywriter), Nicholas McGuire (copywriter), and Teddy Cohn (copywriter). Link to their portfolios below. Congrats to all!

Fall 2020 CPS Grad Portfolios: chicagoportfolio.com/debut