MATT BURGESS

CHIEF CREATIVE OFFICER/PARTNER

If I could go back to DAY ONE of advertising college and give myself some advice it would be, "Don't be afraid of nuthin'." So far, I've written and creative directed campaigns that range from top 30 national brands with seven-figure production budgets and eight-figure media spends, to local golf commercials that I wear a lot of hats to pull off. LITERALLY. I'm the guy in the red hat in the golf ads on this site. And to this day, I'm still just as geeked to sit down with a sharpie and blank sheets as I was in those early days of ad college. 

Here are some immutable truths I've gathered along the way:

-Have your partner's back, always.

-Don't solve it in the room.

-Caring more is the answer.

Here's some good things to know about me:

-Won 8 out of 10 new business pitches I've led. 

-Alumni Board Member of the School of Journalism and Mass Communications at the University of Minnesota. 

-Taught concepting and portfolio classes at Miami Ad School Minneapolis.

-I'm allergic to shellfish and marijuana.

Here's some of the awards and recognition my work has achieved recently:

-2022 Webby Silver - Anthem Awards/Mom Genes

-2021 Clio Health Silver/Mom Genes

-2021 One Show Merit/Mom Genes

-2020 Graphis Advertising Gold for Cisco/Webex

-2020 Communication Arts Shortlist/Mom Genes

-2020 Judged Minneapolis Ad Fed’s “The Show”

-2019 Graphis Silver for HONDA

-2018 Judged 4A’s Partnership Awards

-2017 Communication Arts Shortlist 

-2017 Radio Mercury Awards Finalist

-2017 AdAge Small Agency Silver for WONGDOODY!

-2017 Judge Chicago Advertising Federation

-2014 AdFed The Show/Silver/U of M Dental Clinics

-2013 Luerzer's Archive/Baylor College of Medicine

-2013 Bronze Anvil/PRSA Classics/Green Giant 

-2012 OBIE Gold/Target 

-2012 Finalist Creative Media Awards/AdFed The Show/Yoplait Greek4Good

Historically, my work has also received the following awards:

-Clios, Andy's, International Young Guns Award, Wall Street Journal Best of the Best, The Gunn Report, Effies, FCS Portfolio Awards, Gold Addy, Malibu International Film Festival, Luerzer's Archive, AdFed The Show, Miami Ad School Top Dog and Group 101 Spot of the Day.

Currently, I'm a GCD at WONGDOODY LA. Working on everything from Amazon to Tinder to TMZ. I spent 8 years with OLSON in Minneapolis, where I moved from Copywriter to Creative Director. The agency also grew from a 120 person regional shop to more than 900 employees with offices around the world. Here's a list of brands I've created work for at OLSON:

-Capital One, Green Giant, BISSELL, Baylor College of Medicine, University of Minnesota, Target, Allen Edmonds, 5/3 Bank, Yoplait, Ecolab, Country Inns and Suites, Bauer, KraftMaid, Minnesota State Lottery, Guaranteed Rate, Alzheimer's Association, Vasque, Sallie Mae, Chinet, Lee Jeans, and the pro-bono work for my good friends at 2nd Swing Golf.

Prior to OLSON I worked at Campbell Mithun as Copywriter, producing work for:

-Nature Valley, Burger King, H&R Block, Toro, Land O'Lakes, Above the Influence, and the United Way.

As a freelance creative, I worked for Best Buy's in-house ad agency BBA, producing multiple campaigns, including "Kevin Kringle" for their crucial holiday season in 2005 and was fortunate to lead the launch of Geek Squad nationwide in 2006.

That sums up most of my work history, besides some brief stints at JWT NYC, FCB Seattle (Field Marketing) and Martin Williams (intern).

The last thing I'd like to mention is that John Partilla, OLSON's CEO at the time, asked if I'd host the agency holiday party. I don't know that that means anything especially great, other than to say I've presented to C-suite executives across the country in new business pitches and yet I've never had a fear of failure greater than that of disappointing my own co-workers. Which, in advertising anyway, may be the absolute greatest motivator of all.   

Contact: bookofburgess@gmail.com

Mobile: 612-804-7506