Welcome to the first annual 500 under 500, a list of 500 people in advertising under 500 years old. They’re storytellers, disrupters, visionaries and dreamers – but most importantly, they have yet to turn 500 – so they’re just getting started.
TOM BLESSINGTON Managing Director, Wieden + Kennedy Portland
Under his leadership, that Weiden+Kennedy place finally seems to be turning things around in the right direction.
RACHEL GROPPER Digital Planning Assistant, MediaCom
Has never eaten at Guy Fieri’s Time Square restaurant. Even ironically.
MATT MULLEN Strategy Director, DDB Chicago
It’ll be awkward if he ever works at Leo Burnett now that he outranks Leo Burnett himself. They’d probably just have to change their name to Matt Mullen.
PAUL CAIOZZO Executive Creative Director, Goodby Silverstein & Partners
Shakespeare isn’t even 500 and he didn’t make the list. This guy is such a good writer, he did.
ED MILLER Executive Creative Director, INNOCEAN
There is no way anybody is still reading this list. Sorry, Ed. You deserve better.
JASON NORCROSS Creative Director, 72andSunny
Nobody ever names their pets “Jason.” And that’s a damn shame, just imagine how great a poodle named Jason would be. Almost as great as this Jason.
STEVE GRIMES Creative Director/Simpsons Character, The Richards Group
“Impossible” isn’t in this guy’s vocabulary but most other words are.
COLIN JEFFERY Chief Creative Officer, David & Goliath
He kept his jacket on in this photo because he never wants to get comfortable. That’s what makes him so great.
BRIAN FARKAS & TYLYNNE MCCAULEY Creatives, 180LA
One of the rare creative teams who don’t refer to themselves first and foremost, as storytellers.”
TACO BELL DOG Taco Bell
Has peed on the Hamburgler’s house on more than one occasion.
SHIRLEY POLYKOFF Advertising Executive
She’s famously rumored to be the real life inspiration for Peggy from Mad Men and less famously, Turtle from Entourage.
STEVE SIMPSON Chief Creative Officer, Ogilvy North America
An immortal in the industry, so there’s a chance he could actually lived to 500.
JOE ALEXANDER Chief Creative Officer, The Martin Agency
Has blazed a trail for other people in the industry with two first names.
RAYMOND SEIN Creative Strategist, Code and Theory
Officially now more famous than Ray Romano and the pizza industry’s “Famous Ray” combined.
EDDIE SNYDER VP/Executive Creative Director, Peter Mayor
He’s won many awards and was the Senior Advertising Advisor at Creative Circus. We’ve been to the circus because once in middle school somebody called us “dumbo” because of our large ears and it really stayed with us.
WHIT HILER Advertising Guy, Cornett
We still couldn’t figure out more about Whit other than he’s an advertising guy. Even after months of painstaking research.
TAMARA BROWN Associate Account Director, 180LA
She put the “Power” in Powerpoint.
ADAM DEER Art Director, Wong Duty
He never does anything wong, but we’re far too mature to comment on his duty.
GEORGE BATTEN Advertising Executive
Wikipedia describes him as “fiercely religious and humorless.” That’s a little harsh if you ask us.
His brilliant thinking and sandal clad jump shots have earned him the nicknames "The Flip Flop Floater,” “The Sandal Assassin,” and for some reason we have yet to figure out, “The Human Tea Kettle.”
JONNY BAUER Chief Strategy Officer, Droga5
Perhaps the best advertising arm-cross we’ve seen yet.
BUD SNEAD Senior Designer, Preston Kelly
He’s got a new site coming soon, and when that does happen, chances are he’ll be moved up to at least #61.
