Ernie Mosteller: Emerging Media Creative Director / Director
8600 Woodlawn Court Alexandria, VA • 703-801-1843 • ernie@mostellercreative.com
site: www.mostellercreative.com
blog: www.erniemosteller.com
eBook: www.useastick.com
facebook: facebook.com/ernie.mosteller
twitter: @erniemosteller
linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/emosteller
This isn't a regular resume.
Sorry about that. But I've done a lot of stuff, and continue to. Names and dates and generic job
titles didn’t cover it. Google: Ernie Mosteller, and you'll see what I mean. So it's a resume-bio,
um, thing, you have here. Hopefully, it, along with samples of my work, will tell you what you
need to know.
Nutshell: What I've done.
Started as a copywriter with a serious still photography habit. Made Creative Director. Left the
agency side to direct spots. Maintained a strong following, while building two production
companies, both based in NY and Florida. Saw the business headed for change, and new
opportunities on the web. Dove deep enough into the web that my eBook and blog helped
launch a hybrid web+traditional boutique in Houston. From there, I was recruited to head up the
creative for Blattner Brunner's DC office, as well as Pittsburgh-based BB Digital. A company
name-change later, and now my title is VP, Creative Director / Emerging Media for Brunner.
My experience includes:
- Integrated web and traditional strategies that have won significant business for agencies,
successfully and consistently propelled clients ahead of their competition, and even invented
new digital interfaces.
- 300 or so commercials, ranging from million-dollar special-effects extravaganzas for the
world's biggest brands, to freebies for local charities.
- Thousands of print, out-of-home, radio, direct, web, guerrilla, and not-yet-categorized
advertising and marketing pieces. One Show, Clios, NY Art Directors Club, National Addys,
Effies, and others I can't remember right now.
- Innovative creative based on innovative strategy. I do best when I'm not doing what the other
guy is doing.
- Strong management experience. I know how to motivate, and lead, a department staff or an
entire organization. Three successful startups help show that.
- My eBook and blog are written about the changing face of the advertising industry in light of
the digital explosion, and what agencies and advertisers must do to keep pace. Both have
been - and continue to be - read by thousands on a regular basis.
•Current Position(s)
VP, Creative Director / Emerging Media, Brunner - Pittsburgh, DC, Atlanta (Based in DC)
www.brunnerworks.com
Recruited from my own boutique agency in Houston to solidify and improve the mostly digital
creative product coming out of the 20-person DC office. After producing several solid account
wins, and innovative digital strategies, I was asked to take the creative lead for BB Digital, as
well. My job is to keep the digital work great across all three agency offices, lead the way
toward more digital integration with Blattner Brunner's traditional clients and creatives, and
develop innovative digital strategies for existing clients as well as all new business proposals.
Blattner Brunner is a $200M agency with offices in Pittsburgh, DC, and Atlanta. Significant
current projects for: GSK (Aquafresh, Goody's, BC), DeVry University, Healthways, Prevent
Cancer Foundation, American Bankers Association, Woolly Mammoth Theater, Watson Wyatt
Worldwide, Zippo, and others.
Author
Use A Stick - A dose of common sense for advertising
eBook available for download at: www.useastick.com
Use A Stick explores the familiar, yet nagging, problems with the client-agency relationship and offers simple (though not necessarily easy) solutions for the creation of better advertising.
It also explores the constant, accelerated, change in the way people communicate and interact
with marketing messages, and offers the same kind of commonsense thinking to help anyone
creating advertising do it more effectively.
Columnist-Blogger-Speaker
My own blog at erniemosteller.com has a pretty decent following. But I'm also a featured author
on several others, and a frequent guest speaker to industry and academic groups. Here's a list
of some things I contribute to regularly, and places I've appeared as a speaker:
Adotas.com
CapitolCommunicator.com
Smarterfaster.com
Age of Conversation 2
Age of Conversation 3
Talent Zoo
INTERACT 09 - speaker
Advertising Week DC 09 - speaker
Media Future Now - frequent panelist
Potomac Tech Wire - panelist
Houston Ad Federation - speaker
Georgetown University - guest speaker
• Past Experience
Founder, Executive Creative Director
2005-2006 Tangelo Ideas, Houston, TX www.tangeloideas.com
Tangelo Ideas is at the forefront of an emerging wave of alternatively structured, non-traditional,
"boutique" advertising agencies. I founded Tangelo ideas with a partner, and two principles:
Anything is advertising. And everything matters. In my short time at the helm of this exciting
startup, we were able to land some significant projects and AOR business from: Mahindra USA
(interactive AOR), the world's fourth-largest tractor manufacturer, Pointe West, a Centex
Destination Property, Galveston, Texas; Missouri Mule Company, Springfield Missouri; Bent
Tree Farms, a breeder of racing Thoroughbreds, Ocala, Florida; Jamail Construction, Houston,
Texas; James Coney Island Restaurants, Houston, Texas; Summerhill Pyramid Winery,
Kelowna, BC, Canada; Florida-Citrus.com, Lakeland, Florida; and pro-bono work for The
Children's Center, Galveston, Texas.
So, why leave my own startup? A couple of reasons: More significant clients is one. But the
more important one is the quality of schools in Virginia, as compared to Galveston. My kids will
thank me someday. Since my departure, my former partner has successfully carried on Tangelo
Ideas' principles, and it remains an exciting, truly innovative shop to watch.
Founder, President, Director
2001-2005 Fried Okra Entertainment, Ft. Lauderdale, FL www.friedokraentertainment.com
Principal Director and President of multi-director commercial production company, with offices in
Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Representation by Pangea in New York and Los Angeles.
Historical work spans multiple categories: Tourism, fashion, food, comedy, visual efx, toys and
games, industrial, retail, and others. Largest volume of work consists of commercials for
national and international clients, via ad agencies in New York, Atlanta, San Francisco and
elsewhere. Clients include: Texaco, Hasbro, Mattel, Toy Biz, Fisher Price, Playskool, Comcast,
Fila, Blimpie, LeVideo Stores, Georgia Tech, General Foods, Proctor & Gamble, and others.
Responsible for creative development of, and direction of, television commercials, as well as
creative supervision of postproduction. Company responsible for turnkey production of
commercials, films and music videos.
Notable: thorough knowledge of, and experience with, location and studio production around
the globe, including: New York, Miami, Orlando, Atlanta, Houston, Phoenix, Los Angeles,
Vancouver and Toronto Canada, Costa Rica, Venezuela, Sydney, Brisbane, Gold Coast and
Melbourne Australia. Thorough knowledge of current and emerging production techniques in
35mm film, video and digital image gathering. Thorough knowledge of current and emerging
post-production techniques, and large, top-quality network of resources in all areas of post, in
various markets.
Creative notes: directed and supervised post for General Food's Kool Aid "Hey Ho" spot - the
first true commercial use of the Flame compositing platform, from Discreet Logic, for Grey
Worldwide, NY. Directed, and supervised post and animation for redevelopment and re-release
of the P&G-Hawaiian Punch character, "Punchy," for Wells Rich Greene, NY. Helped spark the
US re-launch efforts for Fila Footwear, Italy, for the Blakeslee Group, Baltimore.
Co-Founder, Partner, Director
1992-2001: NurEye Films - New York, NY; Miami Beach, FL
NurEye was the forerunner of Fried Okra Entertainment. I was principal director and partner in
this multi-director commercial production company. We enjoyed success in commercial
production for a range of clients, including many of New York's biggest advertising agencies.
Director
1991-1992: Image Point Films
Contract director for international commercial production company, a division of Stephen
Cannell Productions. Based in Los Angeles, with offices in New York and London.
Director
1990-1991: Filmworks Miami
Contract director for Miami-based commercial production company. Went from an unknown,
startup director to nationally recognized name in one year.
Senior Vice President, Associate Creative Director
1986-1990: Benito Advertising (now Fahlgren Benito Tampa)
The copy side of a creative team that helped put Florida in the advertising limelight, and in the
award shows. Clients included: Publix Supermarkets, McDonald’s (regional and national
projects), Boardwalk and Baseball theme park, Tampa Tribune, Cadillac Dealers of
Florida/Kentucky/Indiana, Bayfront Medical Center, and others. Also responsible for Creative
Department's voice in agency management.
Notable awards:
One Show: multiples, print
Clios: multiples, print, television, radio
New York Art Director’s Club: print, television
Effie: television campaign
Print Regional Design Annual: print (as writer, art director, and illustrator)
National Addys: multiple, print, television, radio
Regional and Local Addys: multiple, print, television, radio
Senior Copywriter
1985-1986: Umphenour and Martin (now Fletcher Martin, Atlanta)
Created award-winning campaigns for: Arby’s, Atlanta Arts Alive, Compaq Computer Centers,
local banks and hospitals.
Copywriter
1983-1985: Sawyer Riley Compton, Atlanta (now Blattner Brunner SRC)
Created award winning campaigns and collateral for a variety of consumer, agricultural, and
business-to-business clients, including: Rhone-Poulenc Agri-Chemicals, Chateau Elan
Wineries, Sikkens Automotive Paints, Farm Credit Insurance.
Junior Copywriter
1982-1983: Chernoff Silver and Associates, Columbia, SC (now Chernoff-Newman)
Learned copywriting while creating ads and collateral for restaurants, local banks, and a local
drug and alcohol awareness council.
Feature Writer
1981, 1982: Pecan South Magazine
Wrote feature stories, and one cover story covering the politicized birth of the National Pecan
Marketing Council. Covered pecan industry issues across the South.
• Education, Other Experience and Accomplishments
Education:
BSA, Agricultural Communications, University of Georgia, 1982
Majors: Advertising+Ag Economics
Minor: Drawing and Painting
Art Exhibitions:
Group Show, I am Grateful, 2004, Vancouver BC
Group Show, Tiki Art, 2004, Vancouver BC
Group Show, Hot Rod Art, 2001, Vancouver BC
Other Stuff:
President, Delta Chi Fraternity, UGA 1980
Valedictorian, Mount Dora Bible School, Mount Dora, FL, 1978
Eagle Scout, 1974
Supplements:
Press, historical client and category list, and references available on request