My story really begins at DDB. Joined in 1988 as a copywriter. On Audi, Bud Dry and Discover Card. A car no one drove (unintended acceleration issue), a beer no one drank and a card no one accepted.

Fortunately, our Bud Dry campaign caught fire. A young Augie Busch was the brand manager. Augie Senior really wanted his son’s first brand to succeed. So lots of funding. Lots of fun.

1994 - became Creative Director on Frito-Lay. I was temporarily “suds-free.”

In 1995, it was back to beer with Bud Light. In 1997, our first Super Bowl spot, “Paper or Plastic,” forced two cash-strapped young dudes in the check-out line to choose between beer and toilet paper. The beer won. And so did we. A Top 5 Super Bowl spot on the USA Today AdMeter Poll.

That same year, my partner and I won the McDonalds account with our “Did Somebody Say McDonald’s” campaign - called by the Wall St. Journal the largest win in advertising history. Not sure if that record still stands.

2001 brought us back to beer full time. And a Number 1 Super Bowl spot featuring a jittery Cedric the Entertainer blasting a shaken beer all over his lovely date.

In 2004, I was made Group Creative Director on Budweiser brand. Brought back the Clydesdales with a strategy to contemporize those noble brand icons. A recipe that netted us two more Number 1 Super Bowl spots.

We worked hard to bring Bud back from a tired, old brand, to a “shiny object” in pop culture - and kept it the #2 brand in the U.S. - behind only Bud Light, our other brand.

In 2010, we created the winning pitch for State Farm. Our “Get To A Better State” campaign won the $24 million business. Almost instantly, we transformed State Farm from a fading “dad’s brand” into yet another ”shiny object” – turning in its two best years in State Farm’s 90 year history.

In all, 6 Cannes Lions and 17 Top Ten Super Bowl spots, 3 Emmy nominations.

I believe it’s not what you say, but how you say it that makes all the difference. And that, in most cases, good brands don’t reinvent themselves through costly ways. They just need to find new, engaging ways to bring their story to life - and find the right people to do it.