On Strategy Showcase

Stars like Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift have super charged the fanbase, but Lara's goal is bigger - an entertainment company with a football product. We talk about her plans, why she joined from L'Oreal and Stella Artois, and how the NFL's strict no paid media rule is creating a culture of creative innovation. She's joined by BarkleyOKRP CSO, Chris Cardetti and CCO, Brad Jones.

I'm joined by Amelea Renshaw, Head of Strategy at Lucky Generals, NYC and Janni Widerholm, Head of Social and GCD at TBWA/Chiat/Day Los Angeles. As always, thanks to System1 and Tracksuit for making this On the Spot series possible.

In Ep#3 of our Effie series, strategists share lessons on how they approach a new strategic initiative. Johnny Corpuz, Head of Comms Strategy at BBDO, Asmirh Davis, Partner and President at Majority, and Gunny Scarfo, Co-Founder at Nonfiction join me. Thanks to Tracksuit (affordable brand tracking) for supporting this Effie series. www.gotracksuit.com

Walmart's Head of Emerging Experience, Justin Breton and GEEIQ's CEO Charles Hambro join me to talk about gaming, virtual worlds and Walmart's place in them. This is episode one in a three episode virtual worlds series. Tickets for our June 18th, 2026 Live from Minneapolis show are now on sale.

Inside the Effie Judge's room in NYC on May 7th. Twelve judges were there to decide which of the seven Gold Effie-winning cases from earlier judging rounds would be awarded the prestigious Grand Effie for 2026. This is what happened.

On this month's episode of On the Pulse, I'm joined by Ipsos' Chief Behavioral Scientist ion the U.S., Jesse Itzkowitz, and SVP, Head of Creative Excellence, Lisa  Zielinski, to discuss the opportunity humor provides as a strategic tool. Thanks to Ipsos for supporting this monthly series. 

It's planners talking brands they've never worked on. We're joined this month by Landi Day, CSO at BBDO, Chicago and Omar Quinones, CSO at LERMA/, Dallas. We're having some laughs and talking Subaru and Vaseline. You can also watch this episode and see the creative work on our YouTube channel or website. Link below. Thanks to Tracksuit and System1 for making this series possible. www.onstrategyshowcase.com

In Ep#2 of our Effie series, Chief Strategy Officers share how they validate, build upon or challenge briefs from their clients. Will Grundy of adam&eveTBWA, E.T. Franklin of Publicis Media, Elizabeth Paul of Martin and Professor and best-selling Author, Marcus Collins join me. Thanks to Tracksuit (affordable brand tracking) for supporting this Effie series. www.gotracksuit.com

Our new monthly series with Ipsos kicks off with a discussion on the pulse of brands & sports sponsorships. It's big business with big cross platform opportunities. I'm joined by Aubree Curtis of Creative Artists Agency (CAA) and Lisa Zielinski and Jamie Stenziano of Ipsos. You can also watch this episode on our website or YouTube channel.

What happens when the team that brought you Airbnb's Belong Anywhere, Coke's Share a Coke and Prudential’s Day 1, come together on a mortgage brand? Rocket's new work is the result of not simply disrupting the mortgage category, but defining a new one. You can watch this episode on our YouTube Channel or our website at www.onstrategyshowcase.com. 

It's planners talking brands they've never worked on. I'm joined this month by John Kenny, CSO at Eversana Intouch and Ashley Williams, SVP, Experience Design at Spark Foundry, NYC. We're talking two iconic American brands. You can also watch this episode and see the creative work on our YouTube channel or website. Link below. Thanks to Tracksuit and System1 for making this series possible. www.onstrategyshowcase.com

Colin Kavanagh, CMO at Pernod Ricard, Adam Craw, Global Head of Prime Marketing at Amazon and George Felix, EVP CMO at Brinker International discuss how they get to defining their objectives, challenges, strategies and audience insights. And who writes the client brief. Thanks to the Effies and to Tracksuit for supporting this 6 part 2026 effectiveness series. 

Global marketing leaders from Uber, Airbnb, Coinbase and WestCap Private Equity join me for a conversation about the culture of marketing in the valley - all four came from an agency background. It's an honest, fascinating conversation. Thanks to Tracksuit, Ipsos and The Effies for supporting our live tour. You can also watch this episode on our YouTube channel or website.

In a category dominated by generics (60%) and fixated on ever-faster pain relief, Nurofen escaped the category's tropes with a message that connected with women in a deeper, more meaningful way. I'm joined by McCann London's CEO, Mel Arrow and Strategy Partner, Jocelyn Major. 

Trainline (a train ticket booking platform) is on a quest to own the journey, not just the ticket. W+K's CSO in Amsterdam, Nick Docherty and Trainline's VP Brand & Marketing, Jo McClintock, join me to share the thinking behind "The Way to Train." 

It should never have ended, but after a ten year break it's returning in all its epic glory. We get the backstory from Matt Saltzstein, VP Brand Marketing at Heineken and Jim Curtis, CCO at LePub, NYC. Stay Thirsty My Friends.

It's planners talking brands they've never worked on. I'm joined this month by Emily Garvey, Head of Strategy at Zulu Alpha Kilo, NYC, and Caitlin Cody, EVP, Group Strategy Director at BBDO, Chicago. As always, balancing our opinions with facts are Tracksuit's Matthew Herbert and System1's Vanessa Chin. 

The Effies and System1 have released The Creative Dividend. The book introduces tools to help marketers defend investment, improve work, and make advertising a more dependable driver of business growth. I talk with Effie CEO, Traci Alford, Effie CMO, Juliet Haygarth and System1 SVP, Andrew Tindall. Learn how to download the book for free.

Hugh Derrick is a long time partner at the Eat Big Fish consultancy in London. We talk about the principles outlined in Adam Morgan's original book and how time and shifts in social behavior have impacted its theories. A great conversation.

Boston has been a creative powerhouse for decades. While agencies like Mullen, The Barbarian Group, Modernista, and Hill Holiday have all left their mark, Arnold continues to this day, alongside smaller agencies like Colossus, to make a mark with national work (think Progressive Insurance) that makes most of us jealous. Boston also houses many in-house agencies at companies including The LEGO Group. Shark Ninja, Staples, Liberty Mutual, New Balance, Puma, etc. We talk about all this and more with many of the people at its center. Thanks to Tracksuit, Ipsos and the Effies for supporting our live tour.

After hitting a dead-end using traditional planning methods, the frustrated team discovered the true problem and pivoted to success. I'm joined by VCCP's CSO Max Keane and Planning Director Matt Hayes to talk through their Müller Rice award-winning Rice, Rice Baby campaign.

It's planners talking brands they've never worked on. I'm joined this month by Kate Rush Sheehy, CSO at GSD&M and Brendon Volpe, CSO at UM NYC. We're talking about the latest work from Burberry and Johnnie Walker. Thanks to Tracksuit and System1 for making this series possible. 

The new executive team discovered that while the 125 year-old brand is recognized, it's not well known. And in a category dominated by me-too products, it was time to reset the Goodyear brand. Built on the platform "tires worth bragging about," the campaign uses Dr. Dre's "Still D.R.E." to share the story of the brand's past and its pop culture presence. I'm joined by Taylor Grimes of Goodyear and Lindsey McNabb of BBH, NY.

We're a nation of protein-seeking adults in search of alternatives to yogurt snacks and chicken bites. So why not a healthier, protein-packed beef stick snack? Tons to learn in this episode. "Stick to Real" is the brand's platform. Its executions contrast exaggerated reality with moments of real. I talk with Archer Meat's Andrew Thomas. Thanks to Tracksuit for supporting our show.

We talk about how the world's greatest e-comm site considers category entry points. Also about the story behind this year's holiday ads campaign, including Benedict Cumberbatch's 5-Star Ratings Theatre, and what the now full-funnel marketer is still trying to better understand. I'm joined by Chris Marchegiani, Head of Brand Planning Insights and Creative, and Garett Levy, Sr. Global Brand Planner.

Planning's greatest Holiday Ads Party returned live to the Merchandise Mart in Chicago. A packed house watched and debated some of the best holiday ads from the US and UK. On stage were Nimisha Jain, CSO at Highdive, Pedr Howard, Head of Creative Excellence at Ipsos, Samantha Cescau, CSO at Leo Burnett and Mark Gross, Co-Founder and Co-CCO at Highdive. Love to hear what your favorite Holiday spot was this year. Thanks to Ipsos, The Effies and Tracksuit for supporting our 2025 live tour. Happy Holidays everyone.

We talk with some of London's top strategic and creative talent about the year that was 2025. Martin Beverley of Ace of Hearts, Paula Bloodworth of Alien Baby, Mel Arrow of McCann, Chris Gallery of Mother and Alex Grieve of BBH join me. Next live tour stop is Boston in late January. Thanks to The Effies, Tracksuit and Ipsos for supporting our Live Tour. 

The odds were stacked against Indeed in India. Late to market and up against behemoths whose combined market share crossed 90%, they had a fight on their hands. We hear the backstory of how they build a B2B beachhead as a way into the broader B2C market. Thanks to the Effies for making this international episode possible.

We're joined by Helene Dick, Head of Strategy at Special LA and Tom Kenny, CSO at Courage in Toronto. We discuss new work from The Ordinary and Mother's campaign for Claude AI. Thanks to Tracksuit and System1 for supporting this series.

Our interviews with UK winners as their amazingly effective work gets recognized on Effie night in London. Xbox, Uber, Smarty Mobile, Irish Tourism, Walkers, CALM, and the Grand Prix winning Nurofen from McCann London. What a night for McCann. They also won Agency of the Year and took home a total of seven awards. You can see all of the creative work from these interviews on our website at onstrategyshowcase.com.

We brought together planners and creatives to talk about epiphany moments - those times when you know you've just unlocked the idea. We talk about what they ultimately led to in the work. Joining me are Ryan Lehr, Co-CCO at Deutsch, John Deschner, Head of Brand at Maximum Effort, Jill Burgeson, CSO at TBWA/Chiat/Day/LA, Amanda Shapiro, EVP Strategy at Deutsch and Jason Karley, ECD at Artist's Equity. Thanks to Tracksuit, The Effies and Ipsos for supporting our live tour.

An encore airing of this multiple Gold Effie winner. Chris Beresford-Hill, Worldwide Chief Creative Officer at BBDO shares the real story behind the Michael Cera campaign, one he led while at Ogilvy. Frustrated by how it was being told, he shares the reality. 

Unilever CMO, Tati Lindenberg and MullenLowe's Rachel Stets join me to share how Unilever's detergent brand in the UK, in an effort to reclaim its product performance strengths, partnered with Arsenal women's soccer for the "Every Stain Should Be Part of the Game" initiative. Thanks to Tracksuit (the affordable brand tracking solution) for supporting this episode.

Five NY strategy leaders reflect on our topic and share their points of view on where we are today and how strong the future looks for what we do. Joining us are Jeff McCrory of Mischief, Tass Tsitsopoulos of W+K, Anibal Casso of Ogilvy, Emily Portnoy and BBDO, and Tom Morton of Narratory Capital. Thanks to our live tour sponsors: The Effies, Tracksuit and Ipsos. 

It's planners talking brands they've never worked on. This month, guest panelists Dan Ng, CSO at Johannes Leonardo, NYC and Steve Walls, CSO at Moon Rabbit join our regular panel of misfits. Thanks to System1 and Tracksuit for making this series possible.

I'm glad I recently met Joe Burns. He's my kind of strategist: blunt, honest and mostly right. From Mother to BBH to Quality Meats, Joe has been shaping his own unique style, one we should all get familiar with. You can also WATCH this episode on our website or YouTube channel. Be sure to Subscribe.

The foundational brand campaigns of Home Depot, Chick-fil-A, RAM Trucks, Hummer, Fiat, Motel 6, Corona, Chili's, Stanley, and Southwest Airlines were all born in Texas. We recorded live at TRG to talk about this great body of work and what makes them Texas originals. I was joined by Derek Dabrowski, SVP, Head of Cold Brands at Kuerig Dr. Pepper, Terrence Reynolds, CCO, at TRG, Kate Rush Sheehy, CSO at GSD&M and Christopher Owens, Head of Brand Strategy at TRG. You can watch this episode on our website or YouTube Channel. Thanks to Tracksuit, Ipsos and The Effies for supporting this year's live tour.

Remember Polaroid and its instant photo proposition? For some it’s a dusty icon of the past, but for others it might just be the latest innovative idea. Polaroid's internal creative and planning leads, Patricia Varella and Dovile Banyte join me to talk about "The camera for an analog life." 

It's planners talking brands they've never worked on. This month, guest panelists Lachlan Badenoch, CSO at Carmichael Lynch and Kelsey Karson EVP, Head of Strategy at Tombras, join our regular panel of misfits. Thanks to System1 and Tracksuit for making this series possible.

Founded in 2016, Highdive has produced Super Bowl work for Lays, Jeep, State Farm, Rocket, MSC Cruises, BetMGM and more. Mark Gross, Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer, Erin Wong, Group Strategy Director and Vanessa Chin of System1 join me. 

Watch out, they're coming. After 10 legendary years at Adam&EveDDB, Martin and Rick have resurfaced as Ace of Hearts alongside Polly McMorrow from McCann. We have an honest conversation about why they left, what their ambition is and what might be possible with a different kind of company.

"Fit for all Times" is the brand's platform. CMO Andrew Katz joins me to talk about how a specialist brewer is trying to outperform the generalists, like Heineken, in the alcohol-free (AF) beer space. Thanks to Tracksuit (the affordable brand tracking solution) for making this episode possible.

If you're old enough to remember the 90s, you may be old enough for Neutrogena Retinol. The new work from BBDO disrupts the conventions of skincare with a fun angle that reminds us how old we really are. Thanks to Chris Riat of Neutrogena and Alex Booker and Leah Gritton Smolensky of BBDO, NY. 

"For the Love of Pubs" is Heineken's B2B2C platform for ensuring the long term health of Irish bars. I'm joined by Mark Noble of Heineken and Ger Roe of Publicis, Dublin to talk through the amazing award-winning ideas they've brought to life together over the last few years. What can you do for your channel partners?

Planners talking about brands they've never worked on. This month we talk Travel (Icelandic Tourism & City of Oslo) and Telco (Telstra & the U.S. big three.) Our guest planners are Caleb Smith of W+K, NYC and Rachael Stets of MullenLowe, London. Thanks to System1 and Tracksuit for making this series possible.

The beverage brand's CMO, formerly of Red Bull, Beats and Apple, shares the story behind the rebrand and it’s ambitions to achieve mainstream volume in its distinctive yellow can. Thanks to Tracksuit (the affordable brand tracking solution) for supporting this episode.

Emily Portnoy, CSO at BBDO, NY, takes us inside this year's Effie judge's room to hear why Favor Delivery won Gold. We then hear from Favor's Chris Rogge and Preacher's Seher Sikandar for the story behind the winning campaign: "How Texas Orders In." You can see all the creative work on our website.

A must listen episode. Telstra's CMO, Brent Smart shares the transformation of this once staid, government-owned Australian telco into a unique and creatively brilliant brand... with the business results that prove it. 

After a rebrand and close to $1 billion in 2024 revenue, Turo is about to move into the early majority market. We talk with Global Head of Brand Strategy, Matt Kerbel. Thanks to Tracksuit (the affordable brand tracking solution) for making this episode possible. More at gotracksuit.com.

Planners talk about brands they've never worked on. Joining our panel of misfits this month are Julian Morgan, Head of Strategy at Rethink and Rachel Pool, Head of Strategy at Ogilvy, NYC. We talk Uber Eats and Corona. Thanks to Tracksuit and System1 for supporting this series.