Recently appointed as the head of all things creative at UM, Brendan brings a rich blend of authenticity and purpose-driven passion to his role as Global Creative Director and Head of UM Studios.
Brendan is charged with building custom, story-led marketing campaigns while also working to expand UM Studios across the globe. His acclaimed work for clients such as Sony, United States Postal Service, BMW and Johnson & Johnson has made Brendan a creative force to be reckoned with in the media industry.
His most recent enterprise, Clean & Clear’s See The Real Me, embraces content as the key to reclaiming teen relevance. Joined by a mixture of celebrity supporters and social influencers, See The Real Me (currently being produced for U.S., Canadian and Indonesian markets) turns the spotlight on courageous, real girls as they individually take you on their journey of self-expression. The latest US installment features 14-year-old Jazz Jennings, the first transgender woman to be named a spokesperson for a major global brand. The campaign has garnered over 38 million views across more than 118 pieces of content, generating over 200,000 engagements, and over 37,000 #SeeTheRealMe uses to date.
Before his time at UM, Brendan began his career at Armani Exchange in 1997, then was off to Sephora, serving as the U.S. Quality Director, developing creative consumer experiences for the brand’s U.S. launch. He then joined newly-acquired LVMH sister company DKNY, driving creative consistency during the acquisition. He landed at McCann-Erickson in 2002 as a Creative Director on Johnson & Johnson, and was tapped by UM in 2007 to develop J3, a dedicated unit servicing Johnson & Johnson. Throughout his career, Brendan has spent over 12 years developing creative work across 50 of Johnson & Johnson’s brands including Listerine, Neutrogena, Clean & Clear, Johnson’s Baby, Tylenol and ACUVUE.
In 2014, Brendan and his team took home the prestigious James E. Burke Agency Partnership Award (both Global and North America) for their Grow Your Game campaign for Rogaine, as well as Best in Show at the MMA Regional Smarties for the Sony UK Ultra HD TV Launch. His work on USPS Delivers the Amazing Spider-Man 2 garnered major press coverage and industry buzz in 2014.
Brendan firmly believes that harnessing the strengths of top partners is critical to successfully bringing stories to life for clients. His out-of-the-box strategic thinking has allowed these ideas to become a reality, forging an unbreakable bond between brands and consumers.