Kayla is a junior art director at mcgarrybowen in Chicago (graduated from Chicago Portfolio School in 2015). One of MC’s favorite things is being able to look at a portfolio soon after someone lands at their first shop—and see what it really takes to get a job at an agency like mcgarrybowen. Very cool.
Portfolio: kayladucklo.com
Josh is an art director at Saatchi in Los Angeles. Tons of projects for Toyota on his site, including a series of influencer videos for 4Runner. Don’t miss “The Last Jump” by Chris McNamara (above), which shows what can happen when base jumping doesn’t go as planned. (Gulp.) Cool use of YouTube’s annotation feature for this project.
Portfolio: joshdweiss.com
Rob is an art director (JWT, Leo Burnett, Creative Circus) turned photographer who now shoots full time. You can see the AD influence in his photography—including his projects Childhood Cancer Superheroes, 2016 Wheelchair Softball World Series, and RIC Hornets Wheelchair Basketball (above). Very cool.
Portfolio: robgregoryphotography.com
David is a freelance copywriter/filmmaker in Austin, Texas. In addition to projects for MetLife, Amstel Light, Verizon, and Heineken on his site, you can view the trailer for his first feature film, Spoiler Alert. Love to see a copywriter who’s pursuing big screen dreams at the same time. Big ups!
Portfolio: davespots.carbonmade.com
Andrew is a copywriter/GCD at Story in NYC. Since his last post on MC (way back on 09.21.11), he’s got a new site, new gig, and a whole bunch of new work for clients like Verizon, Audible, Vevo, Google, Chapstick, and Mentos. Don’t miss his beautiful campaign for Popsicle (above) celebrating summer. Is it really almost over? How’d that happen so fast?
Portfolio: apayton.com
Jesse is a copywriter/designer/comedian/troublemaker in Chicago. Crazy mix of projects on his site, from Teddy Goalsevelt to Drink It Interns (above). Love his Press page—makes MC wonder why more of us don’t have one. Dig it.
Portfolio: jessealkire.com
Jose is a senior copywriter Dieste in Chicago. Since his last post on MC (back on 12.04.14), he’s added a bunch of new projects to his site including Adoptable Trends, which turns shelter dogs into trending topics by naming them things like “Kim Kardashian’s Butt.” So smart. So cute! (The dog, not the butt.)
Portfolio: letsseeifthisnameistaken.com
Andrew is a new copywriter after graduating from Creative Circus in June. In his first project, for Gunpowder Rye Whiskey, he uses real gunpowder to create their logo. Watch the “making of” video and you’ll see that they did it on a table in what looks like a very small backyard. (Gulp.) The things we do for portfolios.
Portfolio: andrewlepere.com
Andre is a senior copywriter at Wexley School For Girls in Seattle. Really fun mix of projects on his site, including Carhartt “Hire These Pants” (above), a giant Darigold Farmalicious fridge, The Tennis Court for Wilson, and a Microsoft Lync slingshot for old phones. Good times.
Portfolio: andrevriesman.com
Brian is a copywriter at Deutsch in NYC. Since his last post on MC just after graduating from Miami Ad School (way back on 07.18.11), he’s been busy. According to his About page, “Brian is from North Dakota. It was cold. Now he lives in Brooklyn where his writing appears in The New Yorker*, his advertising work is in the permanent collection at The Museum of Modern Art** and he is the host of All The Brians, a podcast where he interviews people named Brian for no reason***.” MC will leave it to you to read the other side of those asterisks. (Heh-heh.)
Portfolio: brianbrianbrianbrianbrian.com
Alison is a copywriter/CD at MARC USA in Pittsburgh, PA. She’s got a crazy variety of projects up on her site, including online videos for verisign that look like they would have been a blast to shoot. “Ok, fish—hit him!” Also, don’t miss her Hate Mail page. We’ve all gotten it. Nice to see it proudly displayed.
Portfolio: alisonhammer.com
Craig is a copywriter/CD/comedian in NYC. So much awesomeness all over his site, including Lumbergh for Atlassian (above), stand-up on Conan (wow), cartoons with Harry Bliss (featured in The New Yorker amongst others), and a page of tweets that made coffee shoot out MC’s nose. So good.
Portfolio: craigbaldo.com
Jeff is a copywriter in NYC looking for his next gig (formerly at Anomaly). Don’t miss his GIF work for PEZ and Captain Morgan (above), which is super fun. Also, be sure to stop by his Personal Art & Comedy page, which is deep and crazzeee.
Portfolio: jefftepper.com
Todd is a freelance copywriter/CD in Boston. Since his last post on MC over six years ago (05.10.10, so long ago), Todd’s been busy. Like, super busy. Including lighting the 26-foot high Jack Daniel’s Barrel Tree (above), which looks like inspiration for MC’s 2016 front yard holiday display. Yes, please. Welcome back, Mr. Mitchell.
Portfolio: toddmitchellhome.com
Andrew is a new copywriter in NYC and a recent graduate of Miami Ad School (December 2015). His book is hot off the presses, his face is clean shaven, and he’s on the hunt for his first full-time gig. How fun is that? Fun.
Portfolio: bookofandrew.space
Catharine is a freelance copywriter in Los Angeles (formerly at Omelet and Deutsch). So many killer projects for Target on her site, including The Dollhouse for Threshold and Best Snowday Ever in Los Angeles (above). Love it.
Portfolio: catharineogletree.com
Dan is a freelance copywriter/CD in Los Angeles. Over the past 10+ years, he’s worked and freelanced everywhere good: BBDO, Goodby, Leo Burnett, CP+B, 72andSunny, Facebook, EVB, David+Goliath, sheesh. As one might expect, he’s got the portfolio to show for it. Just fantastic. Don’t miss The Great Paper Airplane Project for the Pima Air & Space Museum. Genius.
Portfolio: danhofstadter.com
Tommy is a junior copywriter at Marc USA in Chicago. His site currently has three agency projects and the rest is student work, which MC loves to see. (What kind of work did Tommy do as a student? How does that translate to his first agency gig?) Tommy is a graduate of Brainco’s online program, and might just be the first agency copywriter who attended a completely online portfolio school. Interesting!
Portfolio: cargocollective.com/tommycrossen
For everyone not able to attend VCU’s recruiter sessions this week, MC is honored to present the portfolio sites of 20 VCU Brandcenter graduating copywriters (in alphabetical order):
Devin Altman – devin-altman.com
Larissa Cole – larissacole.com
Charlie Curnow – charliecurnow.com
Scott Dobbin – scottdobbin.com
Kevin Fitz – kevinbfitz.com
Emily Hovis – emilyhovis.com
Scott Lucien – scottlucien.com
Scott Minniear – scottminniear.com
Patrick Newman – patrickhnewman.com
Jon Northrop – jonnorthrop.com
Sean O’Connor – seanboconnor.com
Jacob Pankey – pankeydotgov.com
Prit Patel – pritpatelfanclub.com
Stephen Shocket – stephenshocket.com
Michelle Smith – michellelottsmith.com
Mike Stango – mikestango.com
Katie Tiambeng – katietiambeng.com
Ray Tolbert – raytolbert.com
Sarah Westerfield – sarahwesterfield.com
Grace Xie – gracexie.com
VCU Brandcenter Week on MC Thursday is Larissa Cole. So much to like in her portfolio. So many different voices—from the zaniness of Just Wink to the truthiness of Adultish Awardies to the beautifulness of Cincinnati Ballet. Also, don’t miss her About Me page In Pictures (have to click to it from About Me In Words). So fun.
Portfolio: larissacole.com
VCU Brandcenter Week on MC continues with Patrick Newman. Lots of headline campaigns in Patrick’s book, including Spanx for Men, Merry Maids, Gränsfors Bruk, Milk Duds, and Scotchgard. Like it. Really fresh art direction throughout as well. Don’t miss Inflated Egos, which MC must have for the next MC Writer’s Ball.
Portfolio: patrickhnewman.com
VCU Brandcenter Week on MC continues with Michelle Smith. Every once in a while, you see something so brilliant in a portfolio that it stops you in your tracks. Michelle’s Slim Jim car visor meat clips are in that category. They’re the perfect combination of cheap tchotchke, useful everyday tool, in-your-face branding—and they’re just so Slim Jim. Delish.
Portfolio: michellelottsmith.com
VCU Brandcenter Week on MC kicks off with Stephen Socket. As usual, MC is blown away by the CW books coming out of VCU—and Stephen’s is a great example of why. He’s got four ad campaigns for Megabus, Timex, Michaels, and Playstation VR. He’s also got a digital magazine and video about ham (above, Ham Manual), an animated short film (that he animated), a product (bottled coffee), and a kids book “Why Is Everyone Murdering Me?” And that doesn’t include his Other Projects page. How do you get better? You make stuff make stuff make stuff.
Portfolio: stephenshocket.com
Elliott is a freelance copywriter/CD in Charleston, South Carolina. (Previously at Vitro in San Diego.) Huge variety of clients on his site, including Toyo Tires, Asics, Taylor Guitars, Newcastle Brown Ale, Lifeproof, Boston Scientific, Massey Ferguson, and Petco (above). If you love pets (oh stop, you know you do) don’t miss his video “Petco Now Launch.” Adorbs.
Portfolio: elliottallencreative.com
Jordan is a copywriter/ACD at Slingshot in Dallas. Since is last post on MC (09.27.13), he’s moved from Cargo to Squarespace (as many of us are doing) and added a bunch of new work to his site, including Terminix, Texas Tourism and Taco Bueno (above). Definitely time for an update!
Portfolio: jordandontos.com
Chris is a senior copywriter at Saatchi & Saatchi Los Angeles, previously at EVB. Since his last post on MC four years ago (03.01.2010, just after graduating from Miami Ad School), he’s been busy. Cool projects on his site for Toyota, Orbit, Skittles (don’t miss Badass Rainbows, so funny), and The Amanda Foundation (above). Way past time for an update.
Portfolio: cwmead.com
Amanda is a copywriter at Rokkan in NYC. (Her site was submitted by Jeff Samson, CD at Rokkan, big ups!) Love her campaign for Birthday Wishes (above)—a non-profit that throws birthday parties for homeless kids. So good. And don’t miss her Eyeconic campaign featuring real paid actors as testimonial spokespeople. Imagine!
Portfolio: amandacaldari.com
Ladies and gentlemen, MC is honored to present the portfolio sites of the March 2016 Creative Circus graduating copywriters (in alphabetical order):
Evan Beasley – evanbeasley.work
Simeon Jackson – simjackson.com
Blake Morris – blakemorris16.com
Lesley Scheuermann – lesleyscheuermann.com
Sarah Wagner – sarah-wagner.com
Alf is a copywriter at The Richards Group in Dallas. Lots of hilarity on his site, including the above post for Chick-fil-A, which is so stupid it’s genius. Alf also has one of the most delicious sizzle reels in the history of sizzle reels. You can almost smell it.
Portfolio: alfonso-zapata.squarespace.com
Demetrius is a copywriter/ACD in Atlanta. All kinds of projects for some huge brands on his site including Ford, U.S. Marine Corps, BMW, NBA, Atlanta Falcons, and Delta. He’s got lots of experience with celebs too, including “Crazy Kevin” (above) for the Ford Escape featuring Kevin Hart (of course).
Portfolio: demetriushill.com