Ashley Sommardahl, Associate Director at VCU Brandcenter in Richmond, VA, was nice enough to send MC their 2024 graduating class portfolios—which are broken out by concentration: Copywriting, Art Direction, Strategy, Experience Design, and Account/Brand Management. Can’t say enough good things about Brandcenter and the books coming out of it. Consistently stellar, strategic work that shines. Get ’em while they’re hot!
Portfolios: brandcenter.vcu.edu/student-portfolios
Oliver is a copywriter—and Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging Talent Marketing Manager at Capital One. Since his last post (way back on 10.28.13), he’s been super ultra busy. He currently has more than 20 projects on his site, including a bunch for Allianz (above) and BFGoodrich. Time for an update!
Portfolio: enterhouseofo.com
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
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).”
Brendan is a copywriter at Fallon in NYC. As one would expect from a Fallon writer’s portfolio, there’s genius and hilarity all over his site, including projects for Cumberland Farms, Hotels.com, RITAS, and a handful of spec projects as well. But the grand prize goes to Brendan’s masterpiece: “Work From Home” set to the tune of “Let It Go” from Frozen, to benefit Broadway. It’s what the world needs now.
Portfolio: brendanthewriter.com
Tarik is a new copywriter and a recent graduate of VCU Brandcenter. (Big congrats!) All kinds of fun work on his site for brands like MTV, Kodak, Depop, Vital Farms, and North Face. In Tarik’s “Not Ads” section, don’t miss “Surviving Winter” (created with AD Emily Adamson). Which absolutely needs to be a real thing.
Portfolio: tarik-atallah.com
Emily is a new copywriter and a recent graduate of VCU Brandcenter. (What a time to be graduating, sheesh.) All kinds of killer spec projects in her portfolio, including a super fun idea for Halo Top ice cream. Which is technically not ice cream, but is ice cream. Right? Right.
Portfolio: emilyrhodes.work
Matt is a writer/director/editor in Los Angeles. His portfolio is divided into three parts: Film/Sketch, Branded Content for clients like AT&T, California Lottery, Wells Fargo, and Acura (above), and Fun. Be sure to check out his Film/Sketch page—lots of interesting stuff there, including Kevin Hart’s ‘Writer’s Room’ (awesome). Also, on his Fun page, check out The Most Unnecessary Inventions (shouldn’t all copywriters have a place for these?) featuring…High-Toe Sneakers.
Portfolio: matt-neylon.com
Huge thanks to Ashley Sommardahl, VCU Brandcenter Director of Student Affairs and Industry Outreach, for helping MC host VCU Brandcenter Week. Always inspiring and mind-blowing to see the awesome portfolios coming out of Brandcenter.
To see all of the portfolios for copywriters, art directors, creative brand management, experience design, and strategy grads, use this link: brandcenter.vcu.edu/recruiters/student-portfolios
Want to learn more about VCU Brandcenter? Email here.
Congrats to all Brandcenter grads! Can’t wait to see where you land.
Katie is a new art director and a recent graduate of VCU Brandcenter. Her portfolio is full of super cool type treatments, including two long-copy campaigns (yesss) with new copywriter and fellow Brandcenter grad Mitchell Moss (portfolio here). As long as someone still loves to write long-copy ads, and someone else still loves to lay them out, the world is safe. At least, for now.
Portfolio: katiepaxton.com
Sean is a new copywriter and a recent graduate of VCU Brandcenter. Know what’s fun? Going through a portfolio that’s so ridiculous, and so hilarious, you can just tell the creative who made it had a blast. So true for Sean’s site. Don’t miss his game “Horse Riding A Horse” and be sure to turn up the volume. Sean wrote the song himself. What a track.
Portfolio: seanj.com
Josh is a new copywriter and a recent graduate of VCU Brandcenter. (Congrats!) One of the things MC admires about Brandcenter student portfolios is how deep they take each campaign. Joshua has five projects up on his site at the time of this post, and each of them goes and goes, idea after idea, all laddering up to the same simple strategies. Love that.
Portfolio: joshuabrowne.com
Nothing MC loves more than posting killer graduating student portfolios. (Got to stay up on what the kids are getting into these days, you know.) MC had the honor of hosting both VCU Brandcenter and the University of Texas at Austin graduating classes in 2018, and both were fantastic.
For VCU Brandcenter Week, click here
For University of Texas at Austin Week, click here
Big ups to VCU Brandcenter Director of Student Affairs and Industry Outreach, Ashley Sommardahl, for once again helping MC host VCU Brandcenter Week. And big, big ups to all of the VCU grads who will be running the ad biz soon enough. Do great work. Be kind to each other. Make the world a better place.
You can check out the portfolios of the entire VCU Brandcenter 2018 class, including copywriters, art directors, creative brand management, experience design, and strategy, on the VCU Brandcenter site here. Can’t wait to see where they land!
Brianna is a new copywriter and a recent VCU grad. One of the great things about student campaigns is that you get to take an idea and run with it. And run and run and run and run with it. Who’s going to stop you? Nobody. In the case of Brianna’s “Pull This” campaign for Kraft String Cheese, she went from print to OOH to digital to in-store to vending machine to a String Cheese Festival in Pullman, WA, headlined by the String Cheese Incident. Because why the heck not.
Portfolio: briannagross.com
Allison is a new art director and a recent VCU grad. At the time of this post, she’s got six spec projects and two produced projects on her site (don’t be fooled just because the produced ones are last, they’re just as good as the spec). Dig her creepy eye “Get Impossibly Close” campaign for Bushnell, and her “Sick Burns Candles” product development idea (so mean), which both have just the right amount of edge. Also dig her Unite by Kotex App. How have they not made that yet?
Portfolio: allisonrinaldi.com
Lynn is a new art director and a recent VCU grad. She’s got so many different looks in her portfolio, but all of them have the coolest vibe: Venmo (above), Mütter Museum, Sector 9, That’s What She Said, Little Tikes, Wonder Bread, and Olympics. Also, don’t miss her magazine “Skinny Dipper” in Not Work. So cool.
Portfolio: lynnlnakamura.com
Mike is a new art director and recent VCU grad. The typography throughout his portfolio is subtle and beautiful (great use of white space), which makes the lines sing. Love seeing an AD start off his book with a campaign for Merriam-Webster. High-five, Mr. Lee.
Portfolio: bookofmikelee.com
Thea is a new copywriter and recent VCU grad. So many smart projects on her site, from Hi-Liter “choose what to remember” to Greyhound “Took me there” to Daily Warmups for Chicks (above). Genius.
Portfolio: thea-ryan.com
Allie is a new copywriter and graduate of VCU. All kinds of hilarity in her portfolio including her very “real” campaign for Boy Scouts (above). Don’t miss her completely inappropriate children’s book (ahem) “Are You My Daddy?” So wrong. So right.
Portfolio: alliercarr.com
James is a copywriter/content strategist at Release The Hounds, and he teaches at VCU’s Robertson School of Media and Culture. Since his last post on MC (12.16.15), he’s got the new gig at RTH and posted a bunch of killer new projects to his site, including PatiYogi for Eagle Bay Pavers (above) and The SoundView Project, which aims to create awareness about the importance of music education in schools. Time for an update!
Portfolio: jamesmoffitt.carbonmade.com
Amanda is a copywriter/CD at Team One in Los Angeles, previously at Red Tettemer and ViTRO. So many cool projects in her portfolio for brands like Lexus, Taylor Guitars, Under Armour, and Planet Fitness. Don’t miss her Lexus LIT IS video (Lexus IS with 42k LEDs on it), or her custom Sriracha Lexus IS. So hot.
Portfolio: amandaabramscopywriter.com
For everyone not able to attend VCU’s recruiter sessions this week (over 200 attending), MC is honored to present the portfolio sites of 26 graduating art directors and 25 copywriters (in alphabetical order). Congrats to all!
COPYWRITERS
Maddy Baldwin (copywriter) – maddybaldwin.com
Will Bareford (copywriter) – willbareford.com
Elizabeth Bassett (copywriter) – elizabethbassett.com
Kelly Cabaniss (copywriter) – kellycab.com
Mike Cardamone (copywriter) – mecardamone.com
Samuel Case (copywriter) – samcase.net
Dennis Chen (copywriter) – denniskchen.com
Tom Daley (copywriter) – tomdaleyhere.com
Kevin David (copywriter) – kmdavid.com
Kaitlin DeMayo (copywriter) – kaitlindemayo.com
Jeff Dunn (copywriter) – jeffdunncw.com
Caroline Gallalee (copywriter) – carolinegallalee.com
James Gross (copywriter) – jamesisgross.com
Lizzy Hopkinson (copywriter) – lizzyhopkinson.com
Chris Kessler (copywriter) – iamchriskessler.com
Matt Klugman (copywriter) – mattklugman.com
Conor McFarland (copywriter) – conormcfarland.com
Jessica New (copywriter) – jessicanew.com
Matt Neylon (copywriter) – matt-neylon.com
Tim Shumar (copywriter) – timshumar.com
Jeff B. Tune (copywriter) – jeffbtune.com
Matthew Waronker (copywriter) – mattwaronker.com
Dean Weber (copywriter) – dean-weber.com
Rich Whelchel (copywriter) – richwhelchel.com
Jenny Yoon (copywriter) – jennifermiayoon.com
ART DIRECTORS
Majic Aubert (art director) – majicaubert.com
Tony Avila (art director) – amavila.com
Jake Broglio (art director) – jake-broglio.com
Gianna D’Amico (art director) – giannadamico.com
Raven Delisle (art director) – raivenad.com
Elliot Eliash (art director) – ellioteliash.com
Frank Garguilo (art director) – frankgarguilo.com
Josh Gherghel (art director) – joshgg.com
Jason Goldberg (art director) – jasongoldberg.co
Beth Hughes (art director) – jelizabethhughes.com
Samantha Jolley (art director) – samanthajolley.com
Andrew Jones (art director) – andrewcj.com
Jessica Kemmerling (art director) – jessiekemmerling.com
Maria Kouninski (art director) – mariakouninski.com
Steph Langan (art director) – stephlangan.com
Chris Lumain (art director) – chrislumain.com
Alex McClelland (art director) – alexgmcclelland.com
Jasmine McCrae (art director) – jasminelmccrae.com
Héctor Rivas (art director) – hector.works
Wesley Ruff (art director) – wesleyruff.cool
Jessica Sugerman (art director) – jessicasugerman.com
Ken Tsuchiya (art director) – kentsuchiya.com
John Worthington (art director) – jkworthington.com
Liwen Xu (art director) – liwenxu.com
Jansen Yoder (art director) – jansenyoder.com
Holly Younce (art director) – hollyyounce.com
Alex is a brand new art director fresh out of VCU. When a CD hires a new creative, one of the first things they often say is some version of: “Scare me! Don’t hold back. We can always reel you back in—but out of the gate, just go for it.” Ok, so Alex’s Peeps project is just flat-out scary (above). So is her creepy eyeball homepage. And Gollum Girl illustrations. (PS, don’t miss her Illustrations page. So cool.) Love it all.
Portfolio: alexgmcclelland.com
Sometimes the best ideas are the simplest ideas. And the stupidest ideas (in a good way). Will’s project for Arby’s at the Super Bowl is both—it literally puts Arby’s at the Super Bowl, a sandwich in a seat. #WeHaveTheSeats. So dumb. So genius. Plus, it’s Arby’s. Possibly the perfect student campaign.
Portfolio: willbareford.com
VCU Brandcenter Week on MC (yay!) kicks off with copywriter Caroline Gallalee. Being a copywriter is all about ideas and prose and collaboration and humor and fearlessness—but it’s also about enthusiasm and optimism and putting yourself the heck out there. Clicking through Caroline’s portfolio, she’s everywhere: rapping for MadMoms (awesome project), narrating a manifesto video for Tetra “Aquaverse,” and interviewing Kim Kardashian (awkward). Love it all.
Portfolio: carolinegallalee.com
Allison is a senior art director at Barkley in Kansas City, MO. (Her site was submitted by Will Benham, senior copywriter, big ups!) Allison’s Gift of Giving video for JCPenny (above) proves once and for all that giving is at least as good as getting. Nice. Also, don’t miss her Handmade and Invitations & Design pages. The girl likes to make stuff. Dig it.
Portfolio: allisonbhatta.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
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