Category Archives: W+K

Matt Vitou

Matt is a copywriter/ACD in San Francisco who has spent time at Droga5, 72andSunny, Saatchi NYC, W+K Shanghai, and most recently Lyft in-house (pre-pandemic). Since his last post on MC (way back on 05.08.11, when he was a baby copywriter), he’s been busy—and it shows. His portfolio is so good. It was nearly impossible for MC to pick which project to feature, Dos Equis “Keep It Interesante” or Samsung “Let’s Go To Work” or Nike or ESPN or … had to be Seventh Generation “Vajingle” with the one and only Maya Rudolph (above). OMG so good.

Portfolio: cargocollective.com/mattvitou

Nike: Dream Crazy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fq2CvmgoO7I

It’s rare that MC posts a project rather than a portfolio. But every once in a while, something comes along that’s so well-written it just needs to go up. Still trying to track down the W+K copywriter who penned this one, will add the credit when she/he is found.

Back in the day, Janet Champ’s poetry for Nike Women (1988-93) is what inspired MC to get into copywriting in the first place. Thirty years later, it’s so cool to see W+K continuing to put writing out there, for the same brand, that really means something. Still setting the bar.

Al Merry

readyforlove

Al is a freelance copywriter/CD in NYC, previously at Wieden + Kennedy in Amsterdam, NYC, and London, BBH before that. Holy smokes what a portfolio. There are so many amazing Nike projects on Al’s site, it’s almost a crime not to feature one of them. However, the above spot for Gap just killed MC when it came out, so it’s the one. But please, grab a beverage of your choice and a comfy chair, and take your time with Al’s site. It’s awesome.

Portfolio: alastairmerry.com

James Maravetz

LooseCannon

James is a writer/director at Storyfarm in Baltimore. Since his last post on MC (08.07.14), he’s been busy. From James: “After years of working as a Creative Director at big agencies like Crispin and Saatchi, I decided to pursue my dream of directing commercials myself. I moved to Baltimore and took over the creative and directing duties for a film production company called Storyfarm. With my advertising experience, combined with Storyfarm’s production capabilities, we’ve created an interesting niche for ourselves as a hybrid ad agency/production company. Now I’m writing and directing content directly for clients, usually without an agency go-between.” Dig it.

Portfolio: jamesmaravetz.com

Matt Elhardt

cnet

Matt is a freelance writer/CD based in Malibu, California. Holy smokes has he worked everywhere good: Apple, Wieden+Kennedy, Fallon, 180la, Leagas Delaney, Goodby Silverstein & Partners, Media Arts Lab and Crispin Porter + Bogusky. At those shops, he’s done killer work for Apple, Nike, Netflix, Subaru, adidas, HP, Coke and CNET—including the classic spot above. So awkward. So genius. One of MC’s all-time faves.

Portfolio: mattelhardt.com

Craig Baldo

craig

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

UPDATE: Vlad Ivangorodsky

dog

Since his last post on MC, New York art director/creative director Vlad Ivangorodsky has gone full-time freelance and has added a bunch of new work to his site, including the above GoDaddy spot for Barton F. Graf 9000 (that almost made the Super Bowl). Always love posting Vlad’s site up on MC, even though he’s not officially a copywriter. Good ideas are good ideas are good ideas.

Portfolio: vladislav-ivangorodsky.com

UPDATE: James Maravetz & Vlad Ivangorodsky

youcan

Since their last posts on MC, James Maravetz (01.28.13) and Vlad Ivangorodsky (honorary AD 10.15.12) have combined their insane portfolios into one super insane portfolio site. MC found it impossible to choose which project to feature, there’s so much killer work, but what’s above seemed appropriate. In athletics and creative, you can’t until you can.

Portfolio: cargocollective.com/vladandjames

UPDATE: Chad Rea

meeting

Chad is a copywriter/CD/entrepreneur/performer in Austin. Since his last post on MC (02.10.10), he’s got a ton of new work up on his site, launched like eight new companies, written and performed sketch comedy, done a bunch of voiceover work, and made some awesome silkscreen posters (including “Let’s Have a Meeting about a Meeting” above). MC gets tired just trying to sum it all up in one post. Tired, and inspired. Love it. This is what being a CW/idea factory is all about.

Portfolio: chadrea.com

UPDATE: Vladislav Ivangorodsky

Vlad is an art director/CD at CP+B in Miami. His portfolio was one of MC’s rare Honorary posts for art directors (Feb 2011), because it’s just off the charts awesome with big ideas. Got a nice email from Vlad saying that that post helped him get his current gig, which MC loves to hear. Anyway, year and a half later, it’s time for an update. New site. New work. Still off the charts.

Portfolio: vladislav-ivangorodsky.com

Lori Nygaard

Lori is a senior copywriter/ACD in San Francisco, formerly at AKQA, GS&P and W+K. She’s got a bunch of cool interactive work on her site that was done recently, so I apologize for featuring the old milk board above. (Couldn’t help myself.) How about Lori’s site? And old-school Blogger simply titled BOOK. Who needs a fancy site when you have fancy work?

Portfolio: lorinygaard.com

Chris Jacobs

Chris is a copywriter at Arnold, previously at Butler Shine and W+K. About the above ad, Chris writes: “Our campaign for Old Spice Hair & Body Wash pioneered the quasi-science of Hairchetypology. The print work reveals the known hairchetypes, while the online work encourages users to discover their own hair/body profile and what it says about them.” Name a better job than copywriter. Dare you.

Portfolio: jcubs.com

Sally Hogshead

Sally was a copywriter/CD at W+K, Fallon, Martin, her own shop, and then she opened a CP+B office. Since then, she’s done more with her career than 10 average copywriters combined, including writing the popular book Radical Careering (above). What else can I say? She’s Sally Hogshead. Her career is what’s possible.

Site: sallyhogshead.com

UPDATE: Sean McLaughlin

Sean has moved to W+K NYC from Anomaly. It makes me so happy to write that. Not that he left Anomaly. Anomaly is awesome. But Sean and I went to Oregon together, and there’s a bond between Oregon and W+K that’s deep. Seeing Sean land at Wieden makes everything right in the world. Big congrats, Sean. And for the zillionth time, thanks for Reservoir Dogs and The Afghan Whigs.

Portfolio: lugree.com

Edu Pou

Edu is an interactive copywriter/CD at Wieden + Kennedy in Amsterdam, CP+B before that. He speaks Spanish, Catalin, English and French. His CV is three pages long, second page being every awards show you ever wanted to be in, the third page being a list of shows he’s judged and industry presentations he’s given. In addition, his site has been recommended to MC by two fabulous copywriter/CDs who tell me that Edu is one of the nicest people you will ever meet. Sheesh!

Portfolio: edupou.com

Chad Rea

Chad is a freelance copywriter/CD/social brand innovator/entrepreneur in Portland. Before all that, he was a CD at W+K, founder/CD of 86 the onions, and a senior creative at KesselsKramer (Amsterdam), Mother (London), and Pyro (Dallas). Remember Wizard of Oz, when the witch melted? That’s gonna be your brain after about 15 minutes on Chad’s site. I don’t even … I’m not sure if I … but what about … pure awesome.

Portfolio: chadrea.com

Jed Alger

Jed is a freelance copywriter/CD in Portland, after 12-ish years as a CD at Wieden + Kennedy. If you’ve ever thought this would be an easy little blog to run, if you’ve ever thought, “Oh man, that Siciliano guy has it good!” I simply ask you to go browse Jed’s site and tell me which one piece you would choose to feature. Impossible. This is a brilliant portfolio.

Portfolio: www.jedalger.net

Jessica Vacek

Jessica is a freelance copywriter in Portland, Wieden + Kennedy before that. It’s no secret that I’m a huge Janet Champ fan. So, I do not give out the following compliment lightly. Jessica’s ideas and writing, while completely her own, give me goosebumps in the same way Janet’s do. Her work is honest and beautiful and inspiring and awesome. 

Portfolio: jessvacek.com