In a Nutshell
I'm a seasoned Creative Director / Sr. Copywriter with a fairly broad range of experience and ability. My training/learning and skill sets combine the big idea branding lessons of traditional advertising with the tried and tested mediums of interactive marketing and social media.
After earning a BA in English from Boston University, I studied Advertising, Concept Ideation and Copywriting with various creative heavyweights in the New England advertising scene. I was hired up by Hill, Holliday, where two of my teachers served as creative directors. My first role was sole copywriter for the newly formed Interactive arm of one of New England’s top 3 agencies, Hill Holliday.
After honing my craft at Hill, Holliday, I was approached by Digitas to handle all content, copywriting and information architecture for the first major redesign of Dell.com. The redesign resulted in a 5% spike in sales within in the first week of launch. This, with no new promotions or products to push.. Dell soon had me handling copy/digital ad concepts for their Business website, all digital B2B advertising and much of their B2C advertising.
Since that time, I've landed a few prestigious awards for Olive Garden, Thermo, LoJack, SmithKline Beecham and others — One Show Interactive, Ad Tech (Best in Show), International Website Awards, WebAwards, AIGA and more. One of my few TV spots also received a “Top 5 Best” designation from AdForum.com.
In 2015, Brian I tapped by long-time freelance client Tank Design to start, build and run an in-house content department and help revitalize their San Francisco office, serving as Creative Director. At Tank, I helped win new clients, institute a formal content offering for the agency and played an instrumental role in branding, re-branding and content creation for a variety of Tank clients, including Draper, Reebok, Samuels & Associates, FedEx and more.
In 2019, I was asked to revitalize the content department at healthcare training organization AAPC, based in Salt Lake City. I've served as Director of Content for AAPC since then. I currently live and work in Los Angeles and I'm generally a lot more humble in person. Generally.
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RECOMMENDATIONS
Original recommendations can be viewed on my LinkedIn profile at linkedin.com/in/bcleary
Tony Roy - Head of Digital Marketing & Executive Team Member, Tank Design
Brian and I had the pleasure of working together to reboot our agency's San Francisco office. During that time period, Brian wore many hats as a Creative Director, a Content Director and a valuable member of the BD team.
Brian brings a lot of experience to the table and he was able to jump in to many different types of businesses (B2B, B2C, B2B2C), learn the business and create brand positioning and campaign themes that resonated with our clients. I hope we can work together again in the future. Highly recommend.
Scott Watts – Principal, Tank Design
Having worked with Brian many times over countless years - as both a freelancer and as an agency co-worker - I can vouch first hand for his never-ending creativity. Not only is Brian a very accomplished and creative writer, he is a solid and strategic business thinker. Brian brings enthusiasm (and of course humor) to each and every team and project that he touches; a value that is often time lacking these days. I recommend Brian without reservation.
Kristy Threlkeld - Copywriter | Account Executive, Chrysalis Communications
Brian is a talented copywriter who I've had the pleasure of working with closely on a number of campaigns. Having worked as both a copywriter and account executive, I've had various perspectives on his work, and seen firsthand that he always works toward a deeper understanding of his clients and their motivations. Additionally, he looks beyond the scope of the assigned task to assess its place in the bigger picture. Brian would make a valuable creative asset to any team!
Jean Monahan – Senior Creative Director, Agency.com
Brian Cleary brought an original and lively approach to copywriting during his time at AGENCY.COM. His cool intelligence combined with his wit and refined style resulted in memorable copy that wowed clients. He also produced solid information architecture work while at AGENCY.COM. He is hard-working and thorough, a great team player and extremely capable.
Kate Colantuono – Account Supervisor, Tank Design
He is always thinking big, and is able to provide creative and strategic thinking that resonates internally and externally. His insights were always considered so that content and creative could marry flawlessly, and this showed in his work. He is a true force. I hope to work with Brian again in the future, and would highly recommend him.
Peter Newhall – Account Executive, Campbell Mithun (McCann)
Brian is a rare breed of creative who can balance original thinking and ideas with client expectations and results. He doesn't just settle for writing base-line copy even if the project is routine and makes sure to find the space between what a client is comfortable with and what will really make their product stand-out and be even more desirable.
He is extremely flexible in adapting his approach should deliverables or direction change mid-project and always constructively backs up his best insights and work - two abilities that made it super easy to work with him from the account services side of things.
I would love to work with Brian again on pretty much any type of project knowing that not only will it be fun, but also knowing that the results will be excellent and make everyone look good.
Danielle Gorsha – VP, Management Supervisor, Campbell Mithun (McCann)
Brian is a very talented writer who can jump into any project, ask thought-provoking questions and successfully complete the assignment on strategy and on time. He's always interested in delivering work that is above and beyond the clients expectations, and he is genuinely interested in the clients business goals and objectives, and helping to achieve them. Brian is a valuable creative partner and a great asset to any creative department.
Joyce Koch - Senior Vice President, Creative Director, Campbell Mithun (McCann)
I hired Brian Cleary on the strength of his creative portfolio and his endearing communication skills over the phone, sight unseen, from all the way across the country. He is a skillful writer who can make the most mundane retail message sparkle. Clients invariably adored him and would often ask for him by name. I never hesitated to send Brian solo to high-profile meetings, confident that he would ably represent the agency and get at what the client really needed. If you're looking for a strong writer and all around good guy, Brian's your man.
Joe Bergman, Art Director, Kovel Fuller
Brian Cleary can write. He can do a lot of other very useful things too. He is an excellent presenter, strategic thinker and visionary. He is equipped with all of the skills you'd expect from someone who has been in the advertising industry as long as he has. Some of the things I found more unique about working with Brian, is his off-beat humor, exceptionally good character and ability to pluck great ideas out of thin air.