What started out as a pitch idea quickly turned into a real brand opportunity when the US Government announced the lifting of the trade embargo against Cuba.

What better way to prove that Airbnb believes in a world where all 7 billion of us can belong anywhere than to be the first American hospitality brand to operate in Cuba in over 50 years?

Not only would it allow Americans the opportunity to meet, stay and learn from their neighbors. But it opened up a new economic opportunity for many of Cuba's micro-entrepreneurs.

Airbnb believes in a world where all 7 billion of us can belong anywhere. That mission relies on strangers being willing to trust one another.

To start the New Year, Airbnb kick-started a million dollar “pay it forward” initiative called #OneLessStranger, the largest social experiment of its kind.

100,000 members of their global community were trusted with the equivalent of $10 USD to put towards a random act of hospitality to help meet a stranger, thus creating #OneLessStranger, and a chain reaction of trust.

First there was Black Friday, then Cyber Monday. In 2010, American Express OPEN created Small Business Saturday, a day to support the local businesses that boost the economy and preserve neighborhoods around the country. In 3 weeks SBS gathered 1.2 million fans on Facebook making it one of the fastest growing Facebook pages ever and a movement had begun.

In 2011, the focus shifted. Instead just telling people about Small Business Saturday, we helped small businesses promote it themselves and created Shop Small.

A suite of tools was created to help business owners reach more customers, and help customers find more small businesses to shop at. Ultimately, over 100 million Americans shopped small, and Small Business Saturday cemented its place as a part of the holiday shopping season.

Contribution:

Worked on both the launch and follow-up campaigns for Small Business Saturday.

Designed the logo and developed the visual identity for the campaign. Worked to develop the Shop Small strategy for the follow-up campaign and helped concept, create, and design the toolkit for small business owners.

Awards:

2012 Cannes Lion - Promo & Activation - Grand Prix

2012 Cannes Lion - Promo & Activation - Silver

2012 Cannes Lion - Direct - Grand Prix

2012 Cannes Lion - Direct - Silver

2012 Cannes Lion - Integrated - Silver

2012 Cannes Lion - PR - Bronze

2012 Cannes Cyber Lion - Gold

2012 Cannes Cyber Lion - Silver

2012 Cannes Cyber Lion - Silver

2012 CLIO - Silver

2012 D&AD - Yellow Pencil

2012 One Show - Gold

2011 CLIO - Grand Prix

2011 London International Awards - Grand LIA

2011 London International Awards - Gold

2011 Facebook Studio Awards - Blue Award

2011 MIXX Awards - Best In Show

2011 MIXX Awards - Gold

MINI had made several new advancements designed to reduce its environmental impact and increase its efficiency.

On a global scale, they wanted us to highlight each of these technologies in a simple, innovative, and of course, efficient way.

Hence, MINIMALISM: An efficient and minimal micro-site that provided users with a waste-free experience and let them learn about the MINI in the amount of time they had available, right down to the second.

After selecting a feature, users were treated to a series of different vignettes – ranging from 60 seconds right down to one – that explained these complex technologies using minimal and entertaining animations. That way we didn’t waste anything, including people’s time.

Awards:

Cannes Cyber Lion - Gold

One Show - Gold

YoungGuns - Silver

London International Awards

As a teaser to the Super Bowl spot, Volkswagen and reggae legend Jimmy Cliff joined together to infuse some much-needed positivity and good vibes into a world that’s become awash with freak-outs, meltdowns, and temper tantrums.

Awards:

AICP Awards

MINI enthusiasts know that nothing handles quite like a MINI. And what better way to demonstrate this than with a pair of jiggly man jugs and a couple of loose eyebrows?

Awards:

Communication Arts

ADCC - Silver

Applied Arts

The Bessies

Why should top-down views be reserved for the road? We took the Volkswagen Beetle Convertible on a Subaquatic Roadtrip to celebrate Shark Week.

Partnering with Discover Channel’s marine biologists, we built a Beetle Convertible-inspired shark cage cruiser. We then sent the open-top cruiser on a subaquatic road trip along the 90 km (56 mi) shark superhighway that runs between Miami and the northernmost tip of the Bahamas. Video of the harrowing journey aired as a three-part series during Shark Week.

Fans could also experience the drive for themselves on-line. Using a Google street view styled UI, we mapped the underwater route in full 360°, allowing users to drive the Beetle cruiser while sharks circled overhead.

Shark fans ate it up, spending an average 8:13 on the site. The first ever interactive, open-top road trip through shark-infested waters.

To demonstrate the power of the MINI we put those pesky business reply cards to use by turning one into a ramp.

Awards:

London International Awards - Finalist

Marketing Awards - Gold

To help Domino’s Pizza keep up with the demand for their $7.99 Carryout Deal, we added a new recruitment feature in their popular Pizza Hero Game as a way to find new Pizza Chefs.

In the first week of the campaign, over 100,000 people downloaded the game pushing it up to a top three iPad app in the App Store and over 8000 people visited the Domino’s job site.

My application was denied.

KRAFT wanted to introduce their new Homestyle Mac & Cheese with Bacon to dads in a way that was impossible to ignore.

Enter the Baconizer. With a click of a button, guys could turn some of the most popular on-line sport sites into an over-the-top version of the site made out of real bacon.

This is the first banner ad that I’ve done that people spontaneously started Tweeting about.

To keep up with the demand for their $5.99 Carryout Special, Domino’s Pizza recruited their fastest pizza box folder and fellow Canadian, Dale Lamoureux.

MINI is loaded with features that make it a premier winter drive. However, because of its size, it isn’t often given the recognition for its winter handling that it deserves. MINI Canada wanted to change that perception. So, we created the Winter Worst-Case Scenarios handbook, a site that showcased the bests and worsts of winter driving based on features of the MINI.

For example, if a user clicked on the anti-lock brakes (standard on MINI) section of the book and they saw a narrated segment featuring actual video footage of the MINI easily stopping on slippery winter roads. After that, however, they a how different life could be without anti-lock brakes with typically humorous MINI-style animations.

We can’t swear you’ll end up getting knocked up by a Yeti just because you don’t have anti-lock brakes. But why take that chance?

Awards:

Cannes Cyber Lion - Finalist

These were shot by the very talented Mark Zibert.

Awards:

Applied Arts

Lurzer’s Int’l Archive Vol. 5/06

These ads were targeted towards tweens. Apparently tweens are big deal.

Awards:

Applied Arts

ADCC - Gold

ADCC - Merit

Although it’s an SUV, with 320 HP the Infiniti FX drives a lot more like a sports car.

This was shot by Vincent Dixon.

Awards:

Communication Arts

ADCC - Silver

Extra Awards - Silver

Getting dogs to model is tough. That’s probably why there are more cats on Instagram.

I shot this with Lee Towndrow.

Awards:

Applied Arts

Launched as an iAd on iTunes Radio, the Off The Stage music series was a way to reward and engage users with content instead of just interrupting them with messaging. 

The result was a summer long music video series featuring road-hardy up and coming artists performing unique versions of their songs on the road and in the backseat of a Nissan.

These were shot by Tim "Wheels" Wheeler and the good folks at Farm League.

To demonstrate how Motrin Ibuprofen targets all kinds of aches and pains, we sent out an over ambitious shopper to walk around heavily populated shopping areas on the last weekend before Christmas.

With the help of a cleverly designed mannequin we were able to make it appear as though the shopper’s back was bent at a 90 degree angle.

Awards:

ADCC - Merit

Applied Arts

We designed a special MINI license holder that was handed out at MINI dealerships and Auto Shows.

When you slide your driver’s license into the holder, you can see how easy it is to get behind the wheel of a MINI, thanks to MINI Financial Services.

Awards:

ADCC - Merit

Applied Arts

The Nissan X-Trail is a small SUV that transitions perfectly from your life as a twenty-something idiot to a twenty-something idiot with a kid.

Awards:

ADCC - Silver

Applied Arts

Extra Awards - Bronze

Lurzer’s Int’l Archive Vol. 5/06

Terry Fox was a childhood idol of mine and working on this ad was a huge honor. 

This full page newspaper ad ran the day before Adidas launched a limited edition 25th anniversary Terry Fox shoe.

I bought two pairs before they sold out and I haven’t worn them outside yet.

Awards:

ADCC - Merit

Applied Arts

Extra Awards - Bronze

YoungGuns - Merit

This was shot in Peggy’s Cove, Nova Scotia. The day looked exactly like this and I’ve wanted to go back ever since.

Shot by Frank Hoedl.

Awards:

ABSOLUT Book II: ABSOLUT Sequel