It’s a copywriter’s dream assignment. And also a nightmare. How do you follow in the footsteps of David Abbott and so many other great writers of our time?

Well, you can’t. Not really. All you can do is give it your best college try and write until you can’t write anymore.

I was asked to help relaunch The Economist in the US and the UK, with a campaign that played into the famous White Out Of Red work that’s inspired writers like myself for decades.

I think I got some great lines out there, although nothing will come close to the Management Trainee line. Ever. Work included OOH, wild postings, social, TV and print. And we got some press too. So proud to have worked on this one. Having a billboard for The Economist in Times Square. Yes please.

Bland is a company that’s made waves in the past. Their “Still Hiring Humans?” billboard caused a massive stir, and made the news. But of course, was considered a little tone-deaf in the current climate.

When I talked to the Bland founders, I realized that the service they provide is needed; and here’s why.

Calling customer service is a nightmare. No-one likes doing it anymore. With the endless phone trees, insane wait times, call centers outsourced to different countries, and the general frustration of the whole ordeal, we’d rather use a chatbot.

Bland has created an innovative AI solution, with AI customer service voice calls that sound like the real thing… from 25 years ago, when people actually cared and helped.

This was the tension that led to the creative. Highlight the nightmare of the current call center chaos, vandalize our own boards with paint, eggs, tomatoes, fire, and also offer a solution. One that you could try immediately by making a call. The campaign included a huge OOH buy across NY, along with stunts, social, and OLV. It was a success with none of the baggage of the previous OOH.

The Red Robin “All The Fulls” campaign is one of those projects a copywriter just loves to work on.

The Integer Group asked me to come in and help with concepts and copy on the new campaign they launched earlier in the year.

Copy needed to be playful, make the consumer smile, and also get people into the restaurants.

The 360 degree campaign I worked on covered TV, Radio, Outdoor, Print, In-Store, Direct Mail, Online & Mobile, B2B, and even giveaways. Such a pleasure to be involved.

A breakthrough campaign for the Colorado State Patrol, I wanted to do something big to warn drivers of the dangers of tailgating. 23% of roadway fatalities are caused by tailgating, and a large portion of those are collisions with trucks.

Along with traditional media including outdoor, print, and radio, I sold in special billboards that simulated the devastation of the crash. It worked. Local news stations picked up the story, and the ROI was huge - over 1200% on the cost of the stunts, with hundreds of thousands of dollars in earned media.

The campaign won a Gold OBIE, best in show at the Denver Fifty, and several other awards. But best of all, it saved lives.

The charity People For Bikes has created a prominent place for bikes in transportation, mobility and recreation decisions at all levels of government. But as a charity, they have to get the most bang for their buck on every TV spot, print ad, and social campaign.

I was tasked with creating a TV ad that would encourage both novice and serious bikers to download the new Ride Spot app. The budget was tiny, but the impact needed to be great. So, I decided to bring some “star power” to it, but with very little money to work with, the real Sly Stallone wasn’t gonna be available.

However, the impersonator we found nailed it. And not only was the spot memorable, it drove way more downloads than they were expecting.

Yo Adrian. That’s what I call winning.

When the pandemic hit at the beginning of 2020, certain industries were hit really hard. The skiing industry was one of them, and Vail Resorts had to close their locations early. It was not something that the public responded to well.

From April to December a plan was put in place to inform guests about the safety precautions being taken to open up for the following season. Along with this, Epic Pass needed to get people excited about the prospect of getting out of the house and back on the mountains.

Language pushed the idea of wide open spaces, leaving the city (which was where people felt trapped), getting out of traffic, and basically getting back to where they really belonged.

Tactics ranged from print and OOH, to TV, digital, social media, radio, and in-resort messaging. The response was so great that a waiting room had to be used to ensure the online ticketing system didn’t crash.

TV & PRINT

Glenwood Hot Springs isn’t just a place; it’s an experience. You don’t take a 3+ hour drive to sit in a pool all day. You want to get out there, explore the incredible surroundings, and really feel part of the Colorado landscape.

We wanted to get that across with a powerful line and campaign that said to families and adventurers that there’s nothing quite like it. It’s not just a fun escape - it’s One Mother Nature of an Adventure. One Mother Nature of an Experience. One Mother Nature of a Good Time.

This took the resort in a different direction than they’d ever been before. A more modern, sophisticated, but still friendly way to speak to the younger crowds they want to attract.

Wildfires are becoming more of a problem each year. Frontline Wildfire Defense has created a solution that stops burning embers from taking root and becoming infernos.

I was asked to write an anthem that didn’t vilify fire, which is a natural and needed process. Instead, we approached this from a new angle: with Frontline, you can live in harmony with fire.

SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGN

When the pandemic hit Denver in March of 2020, lockdown and stay-at-home orders soon followed. And with it, local businesses immediately began to suffer. Westerra wanted to do something about it, and the Yes, Denver We’re Open campaign was born. Free marketing for businesses badly in need of customers.

Initially I was brought in to write around 20 posts, each one needing an entertaining, sassy, and sometimes edgy tone. The copy I crafted went a lot further than most financial institutions would ever dream of going, but Westerra is an awesome company with a great CMO.

What started as 20 posts ballooned into over 135 over the 3-4 months of lockdown and safer-at-home, and the results speak for themselves. One of the most fun copy projects I’ve ever done, and it also helped Denver businesses survive. Some of the businesses even switched their banking to Westerra as a result.

A reinvention of the Red Bull campaign, replacing "gives you wings" with a much more edgy approach that would connect to college students.

Virgin is the upstart. The challenger. And in the dry world of banking, they wanted something that took a fresh approach, matching their new and improved way of handling money - virginmoney.com.

For the launch, we created a newspaper that had just one story printed in it. Every other square inch of the paper was left blank, which led to a successful website launch and hundreds of complaints about wasting resources (we anticipated this, and trained the call center reps to convert these calls to customers).

The ads that followed touted the benefits of the “unbank,” and targeted people who hate the way traditional banks fleece customers. The tone was cheeky and playful, but had a serious message - Virgin Money is a bank that won’t take advantage of you.

As a British fella who's fluent in sarcasm, this one really appealed to me. Announce the return of LWT with John Oliver in a way befitting his unique brand of humor.

What chance does a head-chopping, beer-swilling man of the 80’s have to be president? Well, if Trump can do it, why not Ash Williams?

I concepted and created a complete campaign in 2015-16 to promote Ash Vs Evil Dead. The fans ate it up, and so did the press:

Nerdist CNET IndieWire Deadline

From scripts for ads (performed masterfully by Bruce Campbell) to a complete website, Twitter and Facebook campaign, posters, buttons, and a bulging stimulus package giveaway, it parodied traditional presidential campaigns on every level.

It even became a comic book!

A series of campaigns aimed at improving safety on Colorado's roadways. From encouraging bikers to wear helmets and get training, to warning new drivers about the dangers they face in, an impactful way.

Free global roaming is a big deal. It can be expensive to make calls from other countries, so telling customers (current and prospective) that they have this option was important to Vodafone.

We decided the best way to execute it was a combination of direct mail, in-store messaging, and then tactics at Heathrow and Gatwick airports. Catching people before they leave, or as they’re returning, plants it firmly in their heads. Luggage tags, in-flight magazines, and tray tables carried the message beyond the airport.

Recruitment ads for the construction industry are notoriously bad. Gallegos wanted to run ads to tell the story behind their company, and get across that this is a place where you can build a career. Put the focus on the people, and attract genuine talent.

Combining photography of real Gallegos employees with compelling stories, the ads broke the mold. They stood out in a sea of mediocre campaigns that did not take the opportunity to really connect with good people.

The first (and to date only) series that portrayed real pirates in their gritty environment. A dark, smart show that required an equally powerful multimedia marketing campaign.

For the launch in the UK, we created an experience. What could be more jarring than seeing a bunch of pirates in cages on your morning stroll? Great press pick-up.

Stateside, we really turned the screws on with a campaign aimed at revealing the true nature of pirates. These are working, brutal, and smart thieves. The #BloodyTruths social posts peeled back the skin to show the real and deadly world of pirate life. We encouraged fans to join the crew with #PiratesWanted and #RaiseTheBlack, sending out flags and asking them to swear allegiance to the cause.

As we got in season, we lightened things up a tad with the cast and crew on social, and instigated a treasure hunt on both coasts, with $5,000 up for grabs.

A joint campaign with Sony and software manufacturers to make the iconic Playstation controller symbols become synonymous with the latest games.

When Dexter returns in 2019...there will be blood.

Fans have been ravenous for a new series of Dexter since the end of the 8th season. The posters had to bring back that feeling of awe that they felt from the very beginning, but reference his role as a lumberjack in the series finale.

This powerful series about corrupt Chicago politics needed an equally jarring promotion campaign to create buzz on Facebook and with the press.

The “Price For Power” experience gave Facebook users a look at the seedy side of the political world. After connecting, the experience took the user’s FB data and showed them what could happen to them if they crossed Kane, the mayor of Chicago (Kelsey Grammar) and a cutthroat player. Friends turn on you. Threats are made. Your life is over. The experience could then be shared.

With the trailer, I had several conversations with series creator Farhad Safinia, because striking the right tone was essential. The script I wrote, turning the usual cliche about making sacrifices on its head, made a strong statement about the mayor.

The press kit also brought journalists inside Kane’s head, with rambling post-it notes showing his inner thoughts.

David S. Goyer, the screenwriter who recreated Superman in Man Of Steel, wanted to do the same with Da Vinci. The campaign needed to introduce Leonardo as a young, energetic genius.

When Ash Williams finds out he's a dad, he gives his own unique brand of parental pointers. I created and scripted a series of 10 videos each offering the kind of advice you’d expect from a man like Ash. The pickup was great, with a bunch of online outlets writing about the crazy series. Here are just a few:

TVWeb BloodyDisgusting 1428Elm

As an additional stunt, I thought it would be good to arm the citizens with more than just tips in a world of Deadites. Custom made emergency chainsaw stations were installed in subways.

Great West Retirement Services approached us with an issue. They wanted to feel fresh, and attract a new audience. In a landscape filled with stock shots of seniors, they wanted something that would get noticed, and get read. As Tom Cruise once said in The Firm, "it's not sexy but it's got teeth."

The ads stood out and performed beyond expectations. Proof that smart copy and a brave client can do work that does not have to follow the same old same old.

The press kit is an essential part of the promotion for a TV series. Journalists get dozens of these every week. How do you stand out, and make something so intriguing that it garners free coverage? That’s the challenge, and it’s always a pleasure to rise to it.

A bizarre but fun side hustle - making custom action figures for collectors. Known as "kit modding," it was a hobby that became something way bigger.

Now I have people contacting me for commission pieces (I just mashed up a Wookiee and a Dalmatian), and it’s another great creative outlet for my downtime.

If you came here to check out my advertising work but find yourself wanting your very own “War Star,” send me an email and I’ll see what I can do for you.